School trips to France

French

Students can use their French at a market stall, in a bakery or on a walking tour in Lille, on the Opal Coast and in Paris. You decide how much of each visit runs in French.

For structured language immersion, add Lil'Languages workshops in Lille or lessons at a language school on the edge of Paris. E3 trails in Paris include spoken and written challenges for MFL groups.

Art and design

Paris gives art students the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, the Orangerie, the Rodin Museum and the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Choose the collections that fit your coursework and we'll plan the rest of the trip around them.

Science and maths

Science groups can spend time at the Cité des Sciences in Paris, Futuroscope near Poitiers or Nausicaá aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Our Disneyland Paris maths trip comes with a PROJECT Maths workbook for KS3 and KS4, plus the maths exhibition at the Cité des Sciences.

Business and food technology

If you teach business, you can visit the Stade de France, La Défense and Rungis, the wholesale market that feeds Paris. Food technology trips add a Paris patisserie and a cooking school.

History and English literature

Our Ypres and Somme trips stay in Ypres and include a day on the Somme, with sites such as Thiepval, the Lochnagar Crater and Newfoundland Park.

War Poets of the Somme takes English literature groups to places such as Serre, Ors and the Devonshire Trench with an expert guide.

Rewards and primary

Disneyland Paris works well as a reward for a year group, and December brings the Christmas markets in Paris and Lille. If you teach primary, we also run Paris, Disneyland Paris and Lille trips for younger pupils.

When to go

Autumn and spring terms both work well for France. January to March is quieter and usually better value, and December brings the Christmas markets. Some attractions close in winter, so tell us your dates early and we'll check what's open.

Getting there

You can travel by coach from school, crossing the Channel by ferry or Eurotunnel, and use the same coach for visits once you arrive. Paris trips can also go by Eurostar or fly. We'll compare the options for your group size, dates and starting point.

Where you'll stay and eat

Half board is standard: breakfast and an evening meal each day, with lunches usually your own arrangement. Tell us about dietary needs when you book and we'll pass them on.

Depending on the trip, you'll stay in a hotel at or near Disneyland Paris, in central Paris or beside Futuroscope. In Lille it's a hotel or youth hostel, and on the Opal Coast a coastal group centre.

Passports and border checks

Each British passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive in France. It must also be valid for at least three months after the day you leave.

The EU Entry/Exit System is now in place, so each traveller has their fingerprints and photo taken on their first crossing. Children aged 11 and under give a photo only. For coach, Eurotunnel and Eurostar groups, the French border check happens before you leave the UK, at Dover, Folkestone or St Pancras.

Pupils who aren't British or EU citizens may need a visa, so check their documents early. UK residents should also carry a valid GHIC. At the time of writing (November 2026), ETIAS, the EU's planned travel authorisation, has not started. If that changes before you travel, we'll tell you what to do.

Getting sign-off

Your SLT will want to know why the trip matters, how it's run and how the money is protected. We'll give you an itinerary in Word or PDF with the curriculum links set out. You'll also get the due diligence we've done on your accommodation, coaches and visits.

You're protected by ATOL when you fly and ABTA when you travel by coach or rail. While you're away, our 24-hour emergency line is there if you need it.