Highlights of the Project:
Yes, this is that timeless land whose people have a natural joie de vivre and savoir-faire for centuries. But change is on track, France is inspired and it is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Experience and savor art in the shining capital and enjoy the serenity on the banks of River Seine. See the glorious pasts of the blazing fort at Versailles. Travel south for Roman civilization and the sparkling blue Mediterranean. Ski in the Alps. Sense the subtle infusion of language, music and mythology in Brittany, brought by 5th century Celtic invaders. Smell ignominy on the beaches of Normandy, battlefields of Verdun and the Somme, and know that this is but the tip of that huge iceberg the French call culture.
Our Strengths:
– Stay with motivated French families, selected carefully from the host French school.
– Involve in the daily life of a French School.
– Improve your French level with daily French classes and get a certificate for the entire Exchange.
– Learn about French culture from a Milna French team member, with you during the entire Exchange.
– Participate in various activities and discover the area in the afternoon and over the weekend.
– Even if your French school is not in Paris area, you get to visit the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysรฉe, Bateau mouche, Sacrรฉ-cลur (Montmatre)…
Safety:
– We follow the security instructions strictly, especially when outdoors.
– We follow the French law protecting the youth while organizing a travel.
– A Milna person is with the group during the entire Exchange, whoโs reachable at all times.
Responsible traveler:
– We use the public transportation when available
– We use small and recent vans, fuel efficient, when the public transportation are rare
– We limit the group detritus to reduce the impact of the carbon footprint caused by this project.
This is the program itinerary based on a stay in Paris area. Contact us if you would like another location.
The order of the activities might change but all what is written will be covered and much more if the group has energy and time.
The stay with the French families highly advised is optional, only if the whole group wishes it.
Day 1
Flight from India to Paris. Dinner and night in Paris area.
Day 2
School in the morning, afternoon visit Montmatre, the Sacrรฉ Coeur and the Moulin Rouge
Day 3
School in the morning, afternoon visit of du Marais/Bastille area, diner on the river Seine quays
Day 4-5-6 (optional)
Optional free weekend with your French partner and his family including individual activities
Day 7
School in the morning, afternoon in the Louvre Museum, Jeanne D’Arc and Jewellery area
Day 8
School in the morning, afternoon visit of Notre Dame de Paris, the Champs Elysรฉes, evening in La Defense area
Day 9
Disneyland, Astรฉrix Park or Versailles Castle day as per the group wish
Day 10
School in the morning, afternoon visit of the Opera area, end of the afternoon the farewell party, dance and music performances by the students, evening, on the top of Eiffel tower
Day 11
The Cruise tour – Le Bateau Mouche, Return Flight to India
Rates:
You need to select the appropriate options to see the rate displaying
โ “Age“: Select the age you will have during the project. Let’s say that you are now 15 and before or during the project, you will be 16, then please select 16.
โ “From“: Select the airport from where you want to start your project. If your desired airport is not displayed, please contact us.
โ “When“: Select the month you want to do your project. In case you have several options, please select the earliest month.
โ “Payment terms“: It needs to be coherent with the selected month in “When“. Let’s say that we are the 25th January and you’ve mentioned your wish to go in April. In such case, your departure is in more than 60 days but less than 90 days. You need to select the 60 days payment terms if you plan to make the payment at least 60 days before the departure.
Contact us, if you need clarifications.
When can I go?
– An exchange program, hotel stay, to France is possible throughout the year, however, when the school is having holidays, it is not possible to access the school. In such case, the moments spent in the school will be replaced with moment spent with local educational organisations having teenagers of similar age. Contact us if you are planning to go during a period where the French schools are closed.
– Each participant will still have the option to stay 1,2 or 3 nights at a French host family with a French student of similar age.
– Here is the calendar displaying the dates when the French schools are closed.
For how long?
For 7 to 10 nights if you opt for the optional 1, 2 or 3 nights stay at a French family, the rate will remain the same irrespective of the duration between 7 to 10 nights. (Want a different duration? Contact us)
Rate including:
– 7 nights stay in a hotel
– Health & Travel insurance
– Up to 3 nights stay at a French family (Optional, subject to availability, to be requested at the moment of the enrollment)
– The meals in France (Breakfast, lunch and diner)
– All transportation from the selected airport of departure
– The visits and activities as per the program
– The management of the group by at least one Milna person during the entire project
– Preparation meetings before the departure (Online or on site as per your location)
– Assistance for the eventual Visa application
– One adult from your group for every 10 participants (It can be a teacher, parent… willing to be a positive contribution to the project)
– Certificate for each participant
The rate does not include:
– Personal expenditure
– Eventual Visa fee to the country/ies of the project
– Transfer to/from the starting concerned airport
– What is not mentioned in “Rate including”
Eventual options:
– French Sim card
– Extra days in Paris
– Excursion in a neighboring country
– A TGV tour to experience the legend
– Stopover in another country (As per the airline stopover)
– Departure from another airport, upon request
About the “150 and 120 days payment terms”:
For the 150 and 120 days payment terms, we will do our maximum to respect your preferred date of departure, however, the dates of the project must be flexible /- 7 days.
The flight:
– Possible from the displayed city/ies above, in the “From” dropdown. For other airport, please contact us.
– Dates are changeable /- 72 hours.
Formalities:
Valid passport Eventual Visa (As per your citizenship).
Health:
– Our team has a pharmacy adapted to the destination.
– Anywhere you go in Europe, no vaccination is mandatory. (With Covid situation, vaccine might be compulsory to ease the travel)
– A member of Milna is present with the traveling group during the entire length of the stay. He/ She will ensure the security and safety of the group.
– In case of an emergency, the traveler will be taken into care by the nearest hospital. If needed, he will be repatriated in the best conditions.
Reachable:
– The parents of the participant will have the full details of the French family and the eventual hotel before the departure (address, phone, email…)
– Milna will share the contact of the Milna person who is going to be with the participant
– Milna will update the parents by daily messages/photos/videos on a specially created Whatsapp group.
– Milna will provide the participant and his parents with a 24h number to reach someone from Milna at any time.
What will I eat? (11A)
How the payment deadlines work? (10A)
The principle is simple: The earliest you book your project and pay, more you will save. By paying us in advance, we can prepare the project in advance. We get better prices so we make you benefit from this saving, hence the different deadlines.
Let’s say you select the 90 days’ deadline, it means, that 100% of the payment needs to reach us no later than 90 days before the departure. If you have already paid 25%, the remaining payment will be 75% to send us no later than 90 days before the departure. If your payment is not reaching us before the 90 days’ deadline, then theย 60 days’ deadline will apply. (Check our rates to know the exact amount). If today is the 91st day before the departure and you want the 90 days’ deadline, you have to send us 100% of the amount to respect the deadline and avail the 90 days special offer, but no later than that.
Where I will stay? (3A)
You will be staying with your group in the same hotel located in the French school area.
If Paris is far away from the French school location, at least 2 nights will be spent in Paris area for the visits and to be close to the airport.
If your group has opted for the weekend family stay, you will be staying with a French family, in their home.
Who will take care of me? (12A)
In most cases the Accompanying adult (usually a teacher) from your school shall accompany you to France. During the entire project, a Milna person, who knows France and its culture very well, stays with the group. You can contact the Accompanying adult and the Milna person for any assistance at any time.
What will I do during the project? (14A)
Three main elements revolve around the project: The French school, the French family and the visits.
This is how we divide the program into three parts: Time of involvement in the school, generally in the morning, visiting time in the afternoons, and time with the family in the evenings and weekends.
Without forgetting the visits to Paris in general, at the end of the program.
How many nights I will spend in the hotel? (18A)
You will be staying 7 nights in a hotel. Up to 5 nights will be in the French school area if the project is taking place far from Paris. The remaining will be in Paris area to facilitate the visits of Paris and be near the airport.
How many nights I will spend with the French family? (21A)
If your group has opted for the optional family stay, you will be staying up to 3 nights in a French family.
Usually from Friday to Monday.
How do I get my visa? (23A)
If you need a visa, Milna will facilitate your visa formalities. Our team will provide you the special list of required documents for the visa and the steps to follow. We also remain available to have a look at your documents and reply to your questions, doubts or special cases.
What about Travel and Health insurance? (24A)
A travel and health insurance is included in the given rate. It is protecting you as per the insurance coverage. The insurance is in compliance with the Embassy criteria. Milna will provide you a copy of your insurance policy before applying for your visa.
What is the exact program? (26A)
Two Milna projects are never alike. Milna creates a tailor made project for each new group taking into consideration the group age, size, Girl / boy ratio, the location, the time of the year, the expectations of the participant. That is why, the final program is finalized once the enrollment is done and the location is confirmed. The “Detailed program” tab in each project helps to have an idea of what the project contains.
At which area will the project take place? (27A)
The project can happen anywhere in France. If your group has any particular preferred area, then it has to be requested for, at the time of enrollment via the “Unique Form Organisation” and we’ll do our best to select an area matching your preferences.
During the project, how, we parents, can stay in touch with the participant? (28A)
Before the start of the project, Milna will invite the participant and his relatives to join a special Whatsapp group, in which, we send daily update with photos, videos… to keep everyone updated.
Each participant is advised to have a local sim card to be reachable at anytime.
The Accompanying adult(s) and the Milna person(s) will be reachable and will facilitate the communication in case a participant is “too busy” to give news to his parents…
Will the participant be alone or with his/her friend, at the French family's home? (32A)
If you have opted for the French family stay, our norm is one participant per French family to create the best immersion environment possible. However, we listen to your preferences via the “Unique Form Participant”, where you can mention, according to the availability, if you wish to stay alone or with another participant in the same French family.
In the rare case where we have less hosting families and have your approval, we will put you with another participant in the same family. Similarly, if no French family is able to welcome two participants in the same house, your preference of being with another person won’t be fulfilled and our norm of 1 participant – 1 French family will apply.
How much pocket money should the participant carry? (33A)
For sake of the participant private expenditure (shopping etc.), you can give some pocket money,ย it all depends on what the participant would like to buy from France. In general, we believe that 15ย Euros per day is largely enough to fulfill the normal shopping desires.
How, we parents, can have updates about our daughter or son? (35A)
1- A Whatsapp group will be created and the participant and his family are invited to join it to get updates. The Milna person sends a lot of pictures, videos and information about the group.
2- Milna maintains a project’ blog in which we mention among other information, the itinerary and the calendar of the participants. So the family of the participant can know what he/she going.
3- Each participant is requested to have a local sim card to be easily reachable. The parents can get update directly.
4- The Milna person and the Accompanying adult will also be reachable in case the participant is “too busy” to update his family.
Does the French Family speak English? What if the participant doesnโt speak good French or any French at all? (36A)
Most French people are not so good at English. But by agreeing to host a foreign participant in their family, they already cross the barrier of language. Generally, such families speak English or at least, one parent i.e. The father or the mother of the family speaks English. And even if not them, then for sure the French partner has knowledge in English as he/she learns it at school. Hence, even if the participant knows very little French or no French, it is never a problem.
Google is always here if needed. And in case of emergency, the Milna person is available.
Where will the Accompanying adult stay? (38A)
The Accompanying adult(s) of the group will be staying in the same hotel, in a room separated from the Participants. In case, the optional family stay is opted for, he/she/they will be hosted, usually, by one of the staff (teacher, principal…) of the host school.
Who will be my hosts? ( 44A)
If you have opted for the family stay option, you will be staying with a French family in which there is a student from the French school you will be going to.
You will get the details of your French family before the departure.
Should the I bring a gift for the host family and siblings? (43A)
You will have an assigned French partner, so yes, he/she will be happy to receive something from your country as a gift. It is not necessary to buy an expensive one. Anything representing your country will do. Otherwise, simply you may ask him/her.
If you have opted for the family stay option, the host family will also be happy to receive something from your country as a gift.
Where the project will take place? (46A)
The Exchange Program (Hostel Stay) can take place anywhere in France. Milna selects the best option available for your group. If your group has any particular preferred area, then it has to be requested for, at the time of enrollment and we’ll do our best to select an area matching your preferences.
