French immersion works
Developed over 20 years, our approach to French teaching creates a truly immersive experience that is shown to improve learning and confidence.
Situated in the heart of Normandy, there is a fascinating variety of off-site visits within easy reach of the Château. Cultural and historical excursions are an integral part of our courses and provide considerable learning opportunities.
Through such visits, students can integrate with local people and become a part of the French culture.
Below is a list of the more popular choices among schools and groups. The list is not exhaustive however, and we will be happy to organise any trip required. Entry fees are not included as they vary annually and with group number.
The Château will supply all additional information and worksheets applicable to a particular visit.
Places of interest |
Price |
Travelling time |
Le Mont St Michel |
||
| Visit to the Mont St Michel | Free entrance / Parking fee (including shuttle) 57€ per coach | Count at least 1/2 day for any of these visits. Distance - 45 minutes from the chateau + count 30 to 45 minutes to access it from the car park using shuttle (free) or by foot |
| Guided French/English tour visit of the Abbey | Flat rate of 30€ for a group of 35 max (+1 free teacher for 15 students / 8€ per adult supplementary) + 3€ pp for an audioguide / careful, it has to be booked in advance | |
| Night visit with "lights spectacle" | Only in July and August / same price as by day / opening time from 7:00 pm to 11:00pm. | |
| Reptilarium (Alligator Bay) in Beauvoir | 8.50€/kids under 12 years old ; 10.50€/kids over 12 years old ; 14€/adult ; 1 free adult for 10 kids | |
| Traverse La Baie- crossing the sands to MSM by foot with guide (3-4 hours walk) | Seasonal / varies by group size | |
Villedieu-les-Poëles |
||
| Tuesday morning market | Free entrance / Quiet big traditional market / really good for smaller kids (under 15) | Again you need 1/2 day Distance - 35 minutes from the chateau |
| The Bell Foundry | 6.40€ pp (1 adult free for 10 kids) | |
| Zoo de Champrépus | 9.50€/kids under 12 years old / 12.50€/kids over 12years old / 14€ per adult (1 adult free for 10 kids) ; this take place 30 minutes from the chateau and you need to count 2h for the visit | |
Granville area (www.ville-granville.fr) |
||
| Carolles coastal walk and beach | Free entrance | 1/2 day for any of these places. Distance - 30 minutes from the Chateau |
| Jullouville, Friday morning market | Free entrance / next to the beach / really good summer market / from May to September | |
| Granville, Saturday morning market | Free entrance / next to other shops + visit of the old town, fishing port... also possible. Very good for 6th formers groups. Open all year round | |
| Christion Dior's museum | 5€ pp (1 adult free for 20 kids), only open from April to September / small museum with changing exhibition every year / the garden is free to access every day (lovely walk around + really good view on the sea front) / no guided tour possible on this visit | |
| Shopping within the city | Free entrance / Combine shopping with a visit to the Old town | |
| Visit the Old town, fishing port, light house and the headland | Free entrance | |
| Goat cheese farm La chèvre rit | 5.50€ pp with goat cheese taste / last of the guided visit = 2h | |
L’Abbaye de la Lucerne |
3.50€/kids ; 5€/adults (15 person minimum) for a free visit / add 60€ in total to have a guide for the tour | 1/2 day - on the way to Granville Distance 15 km - 20 minutes from the Chateau |
St. Hilaire du Harcouët |
||
| Wednesday morning market | Free entrance / big traditional market, really good for any groups. | 1/2 day - Distance 40 km - 50 minutes from the Chateau |
| American cemetery in St James | Free entrance | Distance 15 km - 20 minutes from the Chateau |
Avranches (www.ville-avranches.fr) |
||
| Saturday morning market | Free entrance / more traditional food market / better for older kids / lots of shopping available around | Combine two of these for 1/2 day trip. Distance 15 km - 20 minutes from the Chateau |
| Jardin de plantes | Free entrance / with access to toilets, game area for smaller kids (under 10) and a lovely view of Mt St Michel | |
| Scriptorial museum | 6€ pp (+ 20€ in total to have a guide visit of 1h) / discover the history of Avranches and the Mt St Michel and the script work of the Mt St Michel Abbey | |
| Hypermarket | Free entrance | |
| Caramel factory CARA-Meuh in Vains (20 minutes from Avranches) |
2€ pp for the factory only (1h of visit) ; 5€ pp for the factory + the farm (2h30 of visit) | |
Coutances |
||
| Visit of the cathedral and the public gardens | Free entrance | You need at least 1/2 day Distance 40 km - 50 minutes from the Chateau |
| Thursday morning market | Free entrance / Traditional market / better for older kids / shopping in the town centre | |
Fougères (www.ot-fougeres.fr) |
||
| Medieval castle | 4€/kids for a free visit / 5€/kids + 15€ for a guided tour / adults free of charge / one of the largest medieval castle in France in the heart of the city / lots of shopping with easy access too | 1/2 day (1 hr 20 min) Distance 40 km - 45 minutes from the Chateau |
| Thursday and Saturday morning market | Free entrance | |
| Shopping in the city | Free entrance (Combine the two) | |
Saint Malo (www.ville-saint-malo.fr & www.bretagne-4villes.com) |
||
| Dinan's market (30 minutes from St Malo) | Free entrance / big traditional market / really good for any groups | 1 day / Distance - 1hr15 minutes from the Chateau |
| Tour de l'Horloge in Dinan | 2€ pp / available from February to September | |
| Intra-Muros of St Malo | Fee for coach park tbc. / free entrance / walk on the ramparts / beach available / lots of shopping in town | |
| La ferme marine (Oyster beds and museum) in Cancale (20 from St Malo) | 4€ pp / 1 adult free for 8 kids / guided visit of 1h to see the work with oysters | |
| Aquarium in St Malo | 9.9€/kids for free visit without the Nautibus ; 11.50€/kids for free visit with Nautibus ; 12.50€/kids for guided visit with Nautibus ; 14€/adults (1 adult free for 10 free) | |
| Sculptured rocks at Rothéneuf (10 minutes from St Malo) | Free entrance / amazing creation on the beach to discover | |
| Le Petit Train Marin in Cherrueix (on the way to St Malo, 40 minutes from it) | 10€/kids ; 14€/adults / discovering the bay of Mt St Michel in a small train with practical explanation / better for older kids or really good level of french / timetable really tight according to the tide hours... | |
| Train visit of St Malo | 4.5€/kids ; 4€/adults (1 adult free for 10 kids) / commented visit in a train of 30 minutes, going around St Malo city / only available from March to October | |
| Cider Museum in Pleudihen (20 minutes from St Malo) | 3€/kids (under 15 years old) ; 4.50€/adults ; 1 free adult for 20 kids | |
Caen area |
||
| Sunday morning market | Free entrance / available all year / big market with lots of shopping around / better for older kids (over 15) due to localisation (middle of town) | 1 day Distance -1hr from the Chateau |
| Memorial de Caen | 5€/kids under 12 years old ; 7.50€/kids over 12 years old ; 1 adult free for 10 kids ; count a minimum of 1h30 of visit, up to 3h to see everything ; picnic area available and easy to access over there (free entrance) | |
| Abbaye aux Hommes / Femmes | Free entrance usually (for small groups) | |
| Pegasus Bridge (15 minutes from Caen town center) | Free entrance | |
Bayeux (www.bayeux-tourism.com) |
||
| The Bayeaux Tapestry | 5€/kids (free for under 12 years old) / 7.50€/adults (1 adult free for 8 kids) / included to the visit : an audioguide to understand the Tapestry itself, a exhibition room about the period of the Tapestry and a movie available in English to explain the process of the Tapestry | 1/2 day rushed 1 day better Distance 90km - 1hr30minutes from the Chateau |
| Bayeux's market on Wednesday morning | Free entrance / really small traditional market / better for older kids | |
| Villers Bocage market on Wednesday morning (15 minutes from Bayeux) | Size of market depends on the season / normally good for all groups | |
| The British WWII Cemetery | Free entrance | |
| Bayeux Cathedral | Free entrance | |
| Petit train de Bayeux | 3.50€/kids (under 12 years old) ; 6€/adults / visit commented of 35 minutes about the city of Bayeux / available from April to October | |
| Chocolate factory Le Drakkar in Bayeux | 3.50€/kids (under 12 years old) ; 4€/adults ; 1 adult free for 10 kids / guided visit of 45 minutes in the museum from minimum 20 people | |
| The WW II Museum | 5€ pp (free for under 12 years old) | |
Arromanches |
||
| Musée du Debarquement in Arromanches | 4€ pp ; 1 adult free for 10 kids / explanation of the construction of the artificial harbour elaboured in Arromanches during the WWII / guided tour except for group under 10 pers | 1 day Distance - 2hr from the Chateau |
| American Cemetery in Colleville Sur Mer | Free entrance / access to Omaha Beach as well / small exhibition free of charge on the site as well | |
| Cinema 360 in Arromanches | 2€/kids (under 12 years old) ; 3.50€/adults ; 1 adult free for 10 kids / discover the image of the D-day landing with a 20 minutes movie spread on a 360 screen | |
| Normandy beaches, artificial port, Pointe du Hoc etc. | Free entrance (lots to see- contact Château for more info) | |
| Musée Omaha Beach in St Laurent sur Mer | 2.90€/kids (under 15 years old) ; 3.80€/adults ; 1 adult free for 20 kids | |
| Juno Beach Center | Different visits possible changing the price to 4€/kids to 5.5€/kids | |
| Airborne Museum in Ste Mére l'Eglise | 5€/kids ; 7.40€/adults (1 adult free for 10 kids) : possible to do a guided visit (+1€ pp) | |
| Caramel Factory in Isigny Sur Mer | 2.20€/kids (under 18 years old) ; adults free (add 2.20€ pp to have a caramel sachet included to the visit) | |
Vire area |
||
| Vire's market on Friday morning | Free entrance ; small traditional market / lovely town to visit with a bit of shops available | Distance - 1hr from the Chateau |
| Goat cheese farm in Montchamp (La Saffrie, 30 min from Vire) | 6€ pp with a taste of the goat cheese farm ; last of the guided visit = 2h | |
| Snail farm in st Georges d'Aunay (40 minutes from Vire) | 4.20Ä/kids ; adults free ; available from April to October | |
Cherbourg area |
||
| Cité de la Mer | 9.50/kids ; 14.50€/adults ; 1 adult free for 8 kids | 1 day Distance - 2hr from the Chateau |
French immersion works
Developed over 20 years, our approach to French teaching creates a truly immersive experience that is shown to improve learning and confidence.
We’re here for you
Our local managers are on hand 24/7 to look after the individual needs of your group and deliver the best experience every time you visit.
Schools return to us year after year
Our French language residentials offer the highest quality instruction and care which is why 8 out of 10 school groups return each year.
Animateurs are “like having another teacher on the trip”
All school group activities are led by our own French-native animateurs who are skilled at encouraging even the most reticent learner to use their French.
Authentic French experiences
As part of the local community, with ties across the region, we offer an authentic French cultural experience during your group's stay.
A French programme to suit your learning objectives
Looking for onsite adventure activities? The chance to experience authentic local culture? Or an escorted tour of Normandy's rich history and landmarks? We have a French trip to suit.
