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 an example of a typical week of an individual exchange program, depending on the city where you will be.
Wherever you will go, you will do the local activities with your French family (sea, countryside, mountain, city…) and you will also visit Paris. (Eiffel tower, Louvre, Champs Elysรฉes, Bateau mouche, Sacrรฉ-cลur…)
Sunday
Flight from India – Paris. Your French family or French teacher will be waiting for you at Paris airport. Transfer to the city of your French family. Presentation of the house, the family members that you know already via the several emails/phones exchanges you had with them since weeks. Dinner and night in the house of your French family.
Monday
You are the star today, as you will attract the attention of the school students. You will have to answers to lot of questions and “Hello, Namaste…”. You will be welcomed by the principal who will show you the school. Then you will go with your partner to assist to the classes. At noon, you will have your lunch at the canteen or the French family house. (You will have one or two hours for that) Then, back to school in the afternoon. At the end of the day, you will go back to your French family with your French partner. Evening and dinner with the family.
Tuesday
After a breakfast with your French family, you will head to school to assist to the classes. Same as Monday, but today, everyone in the school knows your name and from which city you come from. You will be going to several classrooms as you will be giving a presentation of your country in a Geography class or being the centre of interest in an English class where you will need to answers to all the questions the French students will have about you and your country. This time, you will be much more comfortable and can find your classrooms, canteen, toilets… without any help, you are almost a real student in the French school!
Wednesday
The French students love Wednesday, because they have class only half day. At noon, you will go back to your French family to have lunch. In the afternoon, French people usually have activities like sport, music, dance or simply relaxing by going to the city, park… You will be part of the French family program.
Thursday
Once a week, French students have 2 hours sport where you can practice climbing, handball, swimming, basketball… you will be doing that with your French partner. After lunch, you will continue your involvement in the classes and can even impress the mathematics teacher with your level of knowledge!
Friday
Everyone in the school is exited as when the bell will ring at the end of the day, it means the end of the school for this week. If you know some dance/song or want to play an instrument and show your talent to all the school, this is your celebrity moment and your chance to be noticed! If this is your last Friday, you will be saying bye bye to all your new friends and probably you will cry a little or a lot knowing that you might not meet them soon ;-(
Saturday
Youpi! Today is Saturday and the French family is available to take you discover the area and do shopping (As we know, you love shopping).
If it is your last Saturday and you have not visited Paris yet, your French family will be taking you. If it is not possible for them. No problem! Our super Milna team member will come and take you for an entire day in Paris (Louvre museum, Notre dame, the top floor of the Eiffel tower, the Champs-Elysรฉes and lot of shopping!)
Sunday
Sunday in France is a relaxed day. Your French partner might go for a sport competition (Handball, Judo, football, dance…) The participant will be more than welcome. Sunday also is the day of the street market, where you can feel the real authentic France with its fresh products!
If this is your last day, according to your flight timing, you will be heading to Paris airport with your French family or French teacher. They will help you to check in. The participant will be constantly in touch.
If this is not your last day, it means that you have another week full of excitement waiting for you!
Possible activities in the French school: Participating to classes (English, French, Sport, Arts…), teaching your own language to the French students, making presentation of your country, its culture, festival, traditions…, having practical French classes as per the participant level, preparing a show you want to perform at the end of your stay…
Possible activities with the French family: In France, the school day is over after 16h00 or 17h00, except Wednesday where the school day ends at 12h00. If the French family members (Father and mother) work, it means that they will come back home after 16h00. They can have the time to take you out mostly during the weekend (Museums, monuments, cultural center, beach, city-center, bicycle ride in the forest, meeting with the mayor, Ice skating, French pastry class…) and time to time during the weekdays. As per your age, you will be allowed to go out with your French partner after school.
(This is an example of program and given just for information, the program will depend on the French family, their availability, the location of the school, the school calendar (Around 180 days a year are spent in French schools, this means that more than 180 days a year, French people don’t go to school), flight and local transportation timing. The final program will be finalized with the participants and the selected French school)
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 to France is possible throughout the year except the days mentioned in thisย calendar. For an Exchange Program (Family stay) in September or October, the โIโm going Formโ has to be submitted no later than the 31st May to have enough time to get the confirmation of the French school. (July and August, all the French schools and their administrations are closed)
Duration of a multiple of 7 nights in France up to 8 weeks according to your possibilities. (Want a duration longer than 8 weeks?ย Contact us)
– An Individual Exchange Program 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, you will still be able to stay with the French Family. Contact us if you are planning to go during a period where the French schools are closed.
– Here is the calendar displaying the dates when the French schools are closed.
For how long?
From 1 to 8 weeks according to your possibilities. (Want a longer duration? Contact us)
Rate including:
– The accommodation at the French Family
– Health & Travel insurance
– The meals (Breakfast, lunch and diner)
– Transfers between the French airport to the French Family home.
– Local transportation
– At least, one day visit of Paris (Bateau mouche (Cruise on the river Seine), Louvre Museum, Sacrรฉ Coeur, Champs Elysรฉes, the top floor of the Eiffel towerโฆ)
– Travel insurance
– 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
– 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.
How the payment deadlines work? (10A)
Where I will stay? (8A)
You will be provided one French host family according to the preferences given in your Unique Form Participant.
What will I eat? (11A)
Who will take care of me? (13A)
Your French family will be the one taking care of you like you were part of the family. A Milna person will remain available for any difficulty and in case of emergency, a Milna person will be here.
What will I do during the project? (15A)
Since this project is individual, immersive and autonomous, you are the one who manages your time.
There is involvement time in your French partnerโs school and time spent with your French family.
Like any young person, when you are not at school, you have free time to use as you wish, in collaboration with your French family.
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.
Who is the French families hosting the participant? (25A)
The French families are having a daughter or a son going to the French school where Milna will take the participant. That son or daughter will be your partner during the exchange. That son or daughter will be the one visiting you in India if a travel to India is feasible.
Before the start of the project, Milna will provide you the complete profile of the host family and your partner (Address, email, phone numbers, description, photo and video), so you can communicate and get to know them.
During the project, how, we parents, can stay in touch with the participant? (29A)
Each participant is advised to have a local sim card to be reachable at anytime.
Milna shares with the participant the full information of his French family. (address, email, landline, mobile phoneโฆ)
Milna is reachable in case the participant is โtoo busyโ to give news to his parentsโฆ
Will the participant be alone or with his/her friend, at the French family's home? (31A)
Our norm is one participant per French family to create the best immersion environment possible. However, we listen to your preferences via the โUnique Form Participantโ, where you can mention if you wish to stay alone or with another participant, that you know, in the same French family.
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.
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.
Do I have to host my host if he/she comes to my country? (37A)
You are supposed to do so if your host is able to visit you. However, if you really can’t host your partner during his/her possible visit to your country, we will respect your decision and we will get him a new partner welcoming him/fher.
Should the I bring a gift for the host family and siblings? (42A)
Yes, the host family 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 the host family.
Where the project will take place? (48A)
The Individual Exchange Program (Family Stay) can take place anywhere in France. Milna selects the best option available for your profile. If you have any particular preferred area, then it has to be requested for, at the time of enrollment and weโll do our best to select a family in an area matching your preferences.
