High School Study Abroad in French Riviera, France

The Abbey Road Nice Program was the best summer of my life thus far. From the very beginning, my parents were impressed with the responsiveness of Abbey Road and it really helped them have confidence in sending me abroad for five weeks. When I finally left, I felt very comfortable with the staff on the trip and in Nice. The program was led by a longtime local who was very knowledgeable and I believe this helped contribute to the success of the program. Not only was the director very knowledgeable but the teaching staff was also very helpful and fun in our daily lessons. The lessons were always immersive and interactive. While we spent some time on traditional classroom learning, the majority of our instruction was given to us in and around Nice. I loved the staff's devotion to getting us out and about. I had so much fun on all of our excursions to surrounding cities and countries and not only did this better my French, but it also improved my city-navigating skills. There are a few important things to know before you go on the trip. First, you have to be an optimistic and open-minded kid. The weather in Nice is very hot and sunny so if you are someone who is brought down by the sometimes draining weather, either be aware of this beforehand and limit complaints or simply do not go on this trip. Second, if you are looking for a program that is 100% French, all day, everyday, this is not the program. While we spoke a lot of French during the instruction time, the time spent with my friends was mostly in English. I do think my French improved though and I will say that the program will be as good as you make it with regards to the French-speaking part. Third, you have to be very careful with spending on the trip. Abbey Road provides all of the food, but some people did not like the food and decided to go out instead. All I will say is that you have to be vigilant of how much you spend on food and shopping on your trip. I am so grateful for my parents for sending me on this trip and I will never forget all the memories and friends that I made. I am happy to say that my experience with Abbey Road has inspired me to continue my French learning and go on a year abroad in Switzerland next year.

My daughter had a wonderful time with Abbey Road. Pertaining to my ratings: -Housing: I would prefer the kids have roommates vs. singles since the apartment building is publicly-occupied. -Academics - my daughter enjoyed her language class a lot. She thought she'd get more language immersion than she did (e.g., talking to each other during the week at the program). She gained strong language skills though - but mostly by being immersed in the culture during their ample free time. She learned a lot of slang which she liked a lot! -Organization - the staff was *terrific, my daughter loved them. I wish they had communicated better/more with us parents in advance of the trip. I found myself having to reach out several times for basic info like where should my kid meet you when she arrives? -Peers - my daughter met some wonderful kids and is keeping in touch with them! I think she expected more international kids vs. just USA kids, but she was ok with it in the end. -Overall: Know that your kid will have A LOT of independence w/this organization. They go out on the town and out to dinner/lunch alone nearly every day. My daughter loved this and is an experienced traveler and was with her new friends, so it was OK for us, but I can see that not being comfortable for all parents. Also, wondering about the program cost given the amount of eating out they do. I know they get a small (10 euro?) supplement to eat out, but that doesn't cover many restaurants. Thank you Abbey Road - this was a highlight of my daughter's summer.