Adventure Travel Gap Year Programs in Paris,France

Spend a full academic year abroad—24 weeks of cultural immersion, travel, and personal growth. Begin with an adventurous semester exploring diverse destinations, then spend a second semester deepening your experience at a language campus. In Semester 1, choose one of EF’s curated 12-week multi-destination programs—European Horizons, East Asian Odyssey, Spanish in Motion, or The Globetrotter—and explore several countries, lifestyles, and cultures. Along the way, you’ll pick up local language basics, join hands-on cultural experiences, and broaden your worldview while moving between vibrant cities. In Semester 2, settle in at one of EF’s 11 international language campuses—cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Rome, Barcelona, Paris, or Nice. Live locally, make deeper connections, and gain practical skills. Throughout your Year, you’ll live in EF student residences or homestays, travel with your cohort, enjoy weekly cultural activities and weekend excursions, and receive 24/7 support. Flights, housing, local language basics, and optional college credits are included. With global perspective, new challenges, and unforgettable experiences, The Gap Year is more than travel—it’s a transformation.

Experience the ultimate European adventure every summer, traveling safely and comfortably between cities via train so you have the maximum time exploring. Get ready to marvel at the history and culture of the Old World, from the art and violence of Renaissance Italian city-states via the high refinement of Viennese coffee houses to the color of Barcelona and the Romantic drama of the French Alps. Join a group of like-minded travelers for this fully escorted four-week adventure of a lifetime. This trip will take you sightseeing across Europe's finest cities.

Join World Class Programs on safe, educational, and worldly experiences in France! Our summer study abroad program is for high school teens from all academic backgrounds who are excited about immersing themselves in French culture and lifestyle. This pre-college program offers diverse course study options, including Art History, Fine Arts, Philosophy, and French language and cuisine. Our unique experiential learning method allows students to explore and engage in French culture safely! We encourage them to immerse themselves in the language no matter their level. Our knowledgeable and passionate staff is always available to help them along the way! Explore France by living in the heart of Paris and taking classes with our World Class Programs instructors. Enjoy day trips to Normandy, Mont Saint-Michel, Lyon, Orleans, Monaco, Tours, Grenoble, and other locations!

France is known for its sophistication and appreciation for the finer things in life and its range of famous landmarks. From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre – you’ll never run out of things to do. Venture outside the capital, and things get even more interesting. Summer is for fine weather and lounging on France’s famous beaches. Experience the raw power of the Atlantic Ocean in Hossegor, or lounge at a luxurious beach club on the Mediterranean. The French Alps are most dramatic in winter with their towering peaks and charming mountain towns. Spring sees the countryside covered in cherry blossoms, signaling the spring harvest, complete with fresh wine from one of the many wineries. As an au pair in France, you too, can develop a palate for good food, fine wine, and its surrounding beauty. You will be a part of the family. Your host family takes care of your lodging and utilities, which means your salary is yours to spend as you please.

Before and beyond college, Baret Scholars explores 7 regions of the world, their passions, and their purpose. Baret Scholars is a global gap year program that brings together a cohort of 180 high school students from around the world to journey across 7 regions (North/South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, and China/Asia), over 180 days, in a semi-structured and self-guided gap year experience. This will be their best year yet. Named after Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, Baret Scholars provides students with a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the world, paving the way for years of fulfillment and achievement. The program serves as a foundation for their future, fostering cultural literacy, a global perspective, and a desire to create a better world.

This 12-week Gap Year Semester Course is our most expansive and influential program. During the first six weeks, students travel to the UK and France, where they can explore art, architecture, food, culture, and much more. After this, they will travel to Tuscany and stay in Montepulciano, a beautiful hilltop town, for a two-week intensive Italian course. In the second six weeks, they will join other students to study on the Autumn Gap Year Course. They will travel across Italy, visiting Venice, Castelfranco, Bologna, Florence, Siena, and Rome, as well as taking day trips to San Gimignano, Verona, Naples, and Pompei. This program aims to give students the greatest experience of Italy and a better understanding of the "art world." It is an ambitious program that spread from the ancient world in Rome and Naples to the Renaissance in Florence and contemporary art in Venice. Students will learn about the works of Leonardo, appreciate Titian, and understand why Michelangelo is so significant. Students will also be introduced to dozens of other artists, read great poets from ancient and modern times, learn about rhetoric (Cicero), history, and literature, & appreciate architecture.