When is the best time to take a school trip to France?

Enriching school trips are not just for the summer term.  In fact with busy crowds, price hikes and low availability for suitable accommodations, taking 40 students to France in June can be an expensive challenge.

So when is the perfect time for a school trip to France? Take a look at some key points worth thinking about when choosing dates for your next French trip.

Which term is best to maximise your trip’s learning impact?

With the thought of exams in the distant summer term, Autumn is an ideal time to capture the imagination, build relationships and kick-start the syllabus – setting the tone for the learning ahead and building confidence among your students.

Our research shows that immersion trips significantly boost students' language progress and yet 50% of all our overseas trips are taken between May and July meaning students don't have the opportunity to fully capitalise on this progress before heading off for their long summer break. Take a look at some compelling reasons why trips in Autumn can boost learning outcomes for students:

Taking a trip early in the school year also means that all the rich learning and experience gained abroad won’t be lost over the summer. Use your trip as a starting point and reference throughout your curriculum, and make learning relevant and purposeful for the rest of the year. Our language trips include a related workbook full of activities to refer to before, during and after your trip.

What are the cheapest months to cross the Channel?

The two most popular options for getting to France are the tunnel or a ferry and with either of these choices, you can make significant savings by taking your coach group in the autumn or early spring compared with a summer term trip.

Let’s compare making that crossing in October with one taken in June (for a coach of 50 passengers on a typical Monday to Thursday trip):

However - be warned - there are a couple of premium-priced weekends in April and February to avoid.  If you can be a bit flexible with your trip dates, talk to us to find the best option for you.

When is the easiest time to secure your place at our French centres?

With centres across northern France, we are well placed for an accessible residential across the channel.  Teachers who travel with us are given priority access to visit in the same week for a trip the following year and with 80% choosing to rebook, it can be tricky for first-time bookers to get access to our centres between May and July. And at our flagship centre, Château de la Baudonnière, we can be fully booked as far back as February.

So, if you want to sidestep the waitlist and nab your school's own designated week on our highly-rated language immersion trips at our dedicated centres year after year, opt for a trip between September and February.

Groups who join us in in the autumn term also often benefit from having the centre all to themselves – giving students and teachers free rein to explore and use the range of facilities available. Leventhorpe School did just that and enjoyed having our Moulin aux Draps centre all to themselves.

Additionally, although we have preferential relationships with many accommodations across Normandy and in Paris, availability is becoming increasingly difficult in the summer term - as a greater number of European schools have begun taking school trips to France.  

What dates to avoid when taking a school trip in France?

National holidays and festivals can be busy and can increase prices and lower accommodation availability. Beyond the Christian holidays celebrated across much of Europe, France also celebrates the storming of the Bastille on 14th July each year.

The Fête nationale française sees a huge military parade along the Champs-Élysées with transport closures and large crowds - a fabulous experience but not ideal for taking 40 students across the city and best to avoid with your school group.

Normandy can also be busy for D-Day commemorations in early June each year, so unless you're opting for a cross-curricular French-History trip, avoiding the area for that week is recommended.

Quality and Service

With expert teams across all of our centres and dedicated trip coordinators here in the UK, our teams have the resources to respond to all school trip matters and offer every group a high level of quality and service whenever they travel.

However, with less demand for our resources during the autumn and spring terms, we're able to give groups an even more personalised service as well as offer a wider range of options that may better suit your group and learning intentions.

Top tips for your school trip to France

Bearing in mind the potential cost savings, availability across accommodation, activities, excursions, and the potential to extend language learning far beyond the trip itself - the evidence points towards autumn as the best time for a school trip to France.  

→ For milder temperatures and fewer crowds visit Paris or Disneyland® Paris in the months of November and March

→ Our favourite time to visit Normandy is during the apple harvest in October 

→ For the best seasonal offers visit Moulin aux Draps, near the Opal Coast, between November and Feb

→ Book your trip as soon you can - get the best prices, accommodation and excursion options when you book early

Get in touch to speak to our specialists about the best French school trip for you and your group

More resources to help you plan your perfect school trip to France

• • Find out the value of having our animateurs on your French trip
  • Don't miss these school-friendly local and cultural festivities in Normandy
  • Discounted seasonal trips to Moulin aux Draps, Opal Coast
  • The best place for your Christmas Market school trip