Voyage à Montpellier

The Alliance Française d’Oxford (AFO) and the Alliance Française de Montpellier (AFM) are working together to give the opportunity to AFO students to learn French at the AFM and live the French experience in Montpellier during a week!

Most information about the trip is available in the Q&A down below, if you have any doubts or questions, do not hesitate to contact the AFO team.

The trip will take place from August 30th to September 6th 2026 (the week before the new term starts at the AFO). September is a fantastic time to go to Montpellier as there are fewer tourists but still all the summer activities to do!

Registrations for the trip are now open until the 1st of July. The process of registration is explained in the registration part down below.

The Alliance Française Montpellier is ideally located next to the heart of the historic centre of Montpellier, close to the city’s lively streets and cultural attractions such as the Place de la Comédie and the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle. The school is housed in a beautiful 19th-century building on Rue Marceau, in a lively area full of cafés and shops, making it easy for students to explore the city and experience local life.

At the Alliance Française Montpellier, students can enjoy small-group French classes taught by qualified teachers, as well as a wide range of cultural and social activities to discover the city and the region. The school also offers accommodation options and organizes excursions, cultural visits, and workshops such as cooking or wine tasting, allowing students to practise French while experiencing French culture.

The Alliance Française Montpellier is about 10 minutes from Montpellier Saint-Roch train station and approximately 20 minutes by car (or about 50 minutes by bus) from Montpellier Méditerranée Airport, making it easily accessible for international students arriving in the city.

Prices for this trip vary depending on the options you will choose, Alliance students benefit from 10% off courses and a discount on administration fees (included in the prices below).

Three packages are available, with two options of accommodation for each:

The "A" stands for Family stay, and "B" for Serviced flat!

Formule	French classes	Family stay	Serviced flat	Activities	Excursions	Price GBP
1A	X	X				£566
1B	X		X			£1008
2A	X	X		X		£648
2B	X		X	X		£1090
3A	X	X		X	X	£884
3B	X		X	X	X	£1327

Please note that the fees do not include the journey, it is the participants' responsibility to book their flights or train

Host families: you have a room for yourself. You get breakfast from day 2 and dinner is up to day 6. Families are in Montpellier, at a maximum of 30 minutes away by tramway (one line of transport). Some families can offer two rooms in the same house for friends, but we cannot ensure that all demands will be met. Please note many families have AC but not always.

Appart’hôtel: you get an accommodation for yourself. Some accommodations can be shared for a couple, with one bed only (with a change of price). All the accommodations were refreshed recently. You get a buffet breakfast from day 2. You get AC, a kitchenette to cook and a private bathroom. The appart’hôtel is ideally located in the historical centre of Montpellier, 2-min walk away from restaurants and close to the train station.

The AFM teachers are highly qualified and are experts in teaching French.

You will join classes of 14 students maximum, arriving from different parts of the world to learn French.

The lessons take place from 9am to 12.15pm from Monday until Friday, with a 30-minute break everyday from 10.15am to 10.45am (15 hours over 5 days).

You take an online test of level a few weeks before you get to Montpellier. The AFM places you in the group that suits you best according to your level.

Yes. You must have completed the full level A1, which means at the AFO : A1.1, A1.2 and A1.3.

The easiest way to get to Montpellier is to fly from London Gatwick to Montpellier-Méditerranée airport. It is a 2-hour flight. We recommend taking British Airways or Easy Jet.

Please note your journey and the transport to the host family or appart’hôtel are not included in the price.

You can book on the Sunday when you arrive an online tramway week pass for 20€.

If staying in a host family, you arrange with the family a time for them to pick you up on Day 1 when you arrive (if arriving in Montpellier), to bring you to their house. On Day 2, they will show you how to go to the AFM.
On day 7 (the last day) the family takes you back on Sunday morning. If the flight is late, the family won't take you to the airport after midday.

Activities:

•             Monday : a guided visit of the historical centre of Montpellier (1h30)
•             Monday : a tournament to discover the pétanque (1h30)
•             Tuesday or Thursday (2 groups) : a dégustation of Larzac cheeses
•             Tuesday or Thursday (2 groups) : a visit of the Musée Fabres with a guide

Excursions:

•             Wednesday: half-day in Sète, the French Venice with a boat tour /OR/ Nimes roman town /OR/ St Guilhem le Désert, a typical village on The Way of Saint James of Compostela

•             Friday: half-day in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a typical village on The Way of Saint James of Compostela /OR/ Aigues-Mortes et Camargue

•             Saturday: full day in Carcassonne with a visit of the Medieval town /OR/ A visit to Roquefort, then of the famous Millau Viaduct, and the Larzac, a limestone karst plateau

If you have studied with the AFO in the last 2 years, you are eligible.