Central Catholic High School
La Provence, c'est Magnifique
15-Day Teacher-Led Language and Cultural Immersion in France
Day 1 | Departure
En route to France. Meals Included: None
Day 2 | Paris
Arrive and enjoy a bus tour of the “City of Lights” before your excursion to the Château de Versailles. Enjoy a walking tour of the Jardin des Tuileries, continuing to the Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysées. Climb the Arc de Triomphe. Meals Included: None
Day 3 | Paris
Visit the Musée d’Orsay and/or the Musée Rodin on your way to Les Invalides. Go to the Catacombes. Have a complimentary welcome dinner and climb to the top of the Montparnasse Tower to view Paris at dusk! Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 | Paris
Experience the quaint Montmartre district. Visit the Basilique du Sacré Coeur and celebrate French artistry at the Place du Tertre. In the afternoon you can shop near the Opéra Garnier or visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Take in the city by night during your Bateaux Mouches Seine river cruise. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 5 | Paris
Take the métro to the Quartier St. Michel and lunch on your own in the Quartier Latin. Afternoon visits to l’île de la Cité, Cathédrale de Notre- Dame, la Sainte Chapelle and La Conciergerie. Walking tour of l’île Saint-Louis, l’Hôtel de Ville, le Centre Pompidou and Les Halles. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 6 | En Route to Family Stay
Take the TGV to the South of France and watch the beauty of the French Riviera unfold en route to your family stay in Toulon or Aix-en-Provence. Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Days 7 - 11 | Family Stay
Immerse yourself in the French culture by experiencing everyday life with your host family! It’s your opportunity to use your language skills in real-life situations and make new friends. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 | Nîmes
Journey to Avignon and visit Le Palais des Papes before sampling la cuisine Provençale. After lunch, visit the Pont du Gard and finish in the Roman city of Nîmes, with its famous arènes. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 13 | Nice
In the capital of the Côte d’Azur, visit the Promenade des Anglais and la Vieille Ville with its maze of narrow pedestrian streets. Sample pissaladière, socca or pain bagnat. Enjoy an Xperitas farewell dinner. Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14 | Nice
Travel to medieval Èze. Visit a local parfumerie and have fun experimenting with different scents. Continue to Monaco. See the Musée Océanographique and the changing of the guards at the Palais du Prince. Ride the public elevator to the Jardin Exotique or view the Prince of Monaco's private classic car collection. Overnight in Nice. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 15 | Return
Transfer to airport and return to the U.S. with lifelong memories! Meals Included: Breakfast
Price Includes
Price Excludes
- Airline baggage fees
- Increase in air cost due to requests for specific travel dates or airline
- Costs incurred due to late or missed flights
- Passport, visa or other document costs
- Transportation to/from departure city
- Any meals not indicated on itineraries
- Spending money and gifts
- Any fees associated with advanced seating assignments
- Small-group supplement when group has fewer than 24 participants
- Tips for guide(s) and/or bus driver(s)
Download Itinerary
Scholarships
FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY
Payment and Cancellation Schedule
Payment and cancellation schedule:
Billing and Payments: Xperitas will email a bill for the final payment approximately three weeks before it is due. For all other payments please refer to this schedule. A payment reminder will be sent to you via email a week before a scheduled payment is due. Payments can be made by credit/debit card via the Xperitas portal or by check or money order payable to Xperitas.
Cancellations: Any cancellation made through October 1, 2023 will receive a full refund. Cancellations made after this date will be calculated on an individual basis at the time of cancellation and follow the schedule and terms below.
Payment Schedule
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Spring Programs: March and April, 2024 |
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June 15 (Early Bird); October 1, 2023 (Final) |
$500 due with application* |
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November 1, 2023 |
$800 |
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December 1, 2023 |
$800 |
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January 15, 2024 |
Balance |
*Once the online application and $500 deposit are submitted and processed, participants will receive enrollment confirmation.
Cancellation Schedule
|
Spring Programs: March and April, 2024 |
|
|
Date of Cancellation |
Refund Amount |
|
Cancellations received through October 1, 2023 |
Full refund – No administrative fee charged |
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October 2 - November 14, 2023 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $250 administrative fee* |
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November 15, 2023 or later |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee* AND any air/land expenses incurred by Xperitas (Varies by program and cancellation date) |
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30 days prior to departure |
No refund possible |
*This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience.
Summer Payment Schedule
Payment and cancellation schedule:
Billing and Payments: Xperitas will email a bill for the final payment approximately three weeks before it is due. For all other payments please refer to this schedule. A payment reminder will be sent to you via email a week before a scheduled payment is due. Payments can be made by credit/debit card via the Xperitas portal or by check or money order payable to Xperitas.
Cancellations: Any cancellation made through October 15, 2023 will receive a full refund. Cancellations made after this date will be calculated on an individual basis at the time of cancellation and follow the schedule and terms below.
Payment Schedule
|
Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024 |
|
|
June 15 (Early Bird); October 15, 2023 (Final) |
$500 due with application* |
|
November 15, 2023 |
$1000 |
|
January 15, 2024 |
$1000 |
|
March 15, 2024 |
Balance |
*Once the online application and $500 deposit are submitted and processed, participants will receive enrollment confirmation.
Cancellation Schedule
|
Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024 |
|
|
Date of Cancellation |
Refund Amount |
|
Cancellations received through October 15, 2023 |
Full refund – No administrative fee charged |
|
October 16 – November 30, 2023 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $250 administrative fee* |
|
December 1, 2023 or later |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee* AND any air/land expenses incurred by Xperitas (Varies by program and cancellation date) |
|
30 days prior to departure |
No refund possible |
*This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience.
Enrollment Information
$4,774 out of Portland*
*Prices are based on a minimum group size of 24 students. When the minimum group size is not reached, a small-group supplement will apply. Final prices are determined by dates, air arrangements, family stay communities and other program components as confirmed by Xperitas, as well as the total size of the group and number of leaders at the time of final billing. Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in fuel prices, exchange rates, and airfare costs beyond the control of Xperitas.
All activities to be paid on-site using entrance fee allowance provided, unless listed in Program Inclusions.
The order of this itinerary and all itinerary items are subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances that may arise prior to or during the program.
Registration
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a family stay, and why is it important?
Xperitas believes that living with a family, speaking their language and participating in their customs is the best, most authentic and rewarding way to experience another culture. This is what distinguishes our programs from any other individual, family or group travel experience. Our host families are volunteers who genuinely want to welcome the student into their home and daily family routine.
After almost 50 years of arranging family stays, we are no longer surprised when students consistently report that living with a family is the best part of their experience abroad. Our success with family stays is thanks to our network of dedicated people around the world who work to ensure a wonderful experience for our students.
How does Xperitas find host families?
At Xperitas we take great pride in helping world language learners and host families create lifelong connections. All of Xperitas’ host families are carefully screened using culturally appropriate practices and selected by local coordinators in the destination country. Many of Xperitas' family stay coordinators abroad are educators and other well-connected members of their community. They network through local schools and community organizations to select families who not only speak the language being studied by the visiting student, but also are eager to share their home and their culture with an American teenager. We select host families who are not financially motivated but motivated by the genuine desire to share their home, language, and culture with our student travelers. Our primary concern is the safety of our participants, and we hope almost 50 years of experience will put your mind at ease.
When will participants receive information about their host families?
We generally distribute host family information when it is received from our family stay coordinators, approximately two weeks prior to the group’s departure. We know you’re anxious to get this information and we’ll pass it on as soon as we get it!
How can participants best prepare for the Family Stay Experience®?
Xperitas has many helpful resources for participants to prepare for this exciting part of their program. These include the "How Host Families are Chosen" document, monthly Navigator parent newsletters and articles on our blog.
How should participants thank their families for hosting them?
Host families very generously volunteer their time and open their homes to students. Xperitas recommends that participants write thank-you notes before the last day of the family stay and leave them with their host family.
Xperitas also recommends that participants bring small gifts to thank their host families for their hospitality. Gifts given to the host family do not need to be expensive or extravagant. Think about what would be unique and meaningful. Some ideas include:
- Something that comes from or is made in your town, city or region
- Preserved food items from your region that you can cook with your host family
- Clothing or souvenirs featuring sports teams from your school, city or state
- A book or calendar about your town or state with lots of pictures
- A personal photo album with photos that depict your life at home – pictures of your family, school, pets and things that you do are best
- Games that can be played with your host family
What is the leader’s role during the family stay?
Xperitas requires at least one leader to remain on-call during the family stay. Leaders may stay with a family as well, or in a nearby hotel. The on-call leader is available to address any problems that arise during the family stay. If everything is running as planned, the leader is not expected to check in with students individually, and we also encourage leaders not to do so in order to allow students to interact with their families.
What if an issue arises during the family stay?
Xperitas has staff on call 24/7 while our groups are abroad to address any issues that arise. Participants will have the group leader and local coordinator’s contact information in case an emergency arises. Participants should feel comfortable reaching out to their leader, and the leader should work with the local coordinator to address any issues in collaboration with Xperitas.