Costs. Depending on how you plan on doing your gap year in France, be it on your own or with a formal program, the costs are going to differ. With gap year programs in France, you need to budget for the program fee (check what else is included in the price!) and personal expenses while you’re there. Whether you go alone or on a program, budget for transportation costs (flights ain’t cheap) and incidentals (like a second helping of ratatouille). Stick to the local markets to strike more bargains. For only $20, you can take a break from the baguette and enjoy a three course meal of the best cuisine in the world.

The key to an affordable gap year in France? Budget early, and save a ton. Consider collecting donations from friends and family with FundMyTravel to help offset your costs.

Accommodation. If you’ve made the decision of going on formal gap year programs in France, and save yourself the headache of thinking about accommodation, lucky you! It’s very likely that accommodation is included in your program fee. For others, consider living outside of the capital to lower costs. You can rent apartments/flats, book long-term stays in guest homes or hostels, or find work exchanges.

Visas. If you are not a EU citizen, then you most likely will need a visa for a gap year in France. Formal gap year programs in France will help you with all the processes and documentation, but you can always check out our Embassy directory beforehand to ensure you’re on the right path. In general, you should only need a tourist visa, but if you plan to find gap year jobs in France, you’ll likely want/need to coordinate a work visa.

Safety. France is a relatively safe country, despise the incidents from the past few years. Now, more than ever, you should extra vigilant and aware of your surroundings, but this is a general rule no matter where you travel to. Use good judgement and trust your instincts. Don’t walk on that dark road in the middle of the night by yourself or leave belongings unattended, as petty theft is as common in France as anywhere else in the world. And most importantly, have fun, but don’t get too carried away in a foreign country, lest you become an imbécile.