Last month, I visited Northern France with three colleagues. We started by visiting some of our key suppliers in the Opal Coast area, before continuing along the coast to see the beautiful city of Rouen (and our partner language school there) and Normandy.
Remarkable Rouen
It was fantastic to get the opportunity to take a look around the language school and its excellent facilities for school groups. Jennifer and Malika from the language school also gave us a tour of Rouen.
I thought that Rouen was a really beautiful city. It’s very easy to walk around (which is ideal for school groups) and there was also easy access to public transport if needed. There are loads of opportunities to experience the language and culture, making it a great choice for a French school trip.
We stayed at the Hotel Quebec in Rouen, which is centrally located and offers a mix of twins and triples. A continental buffet-style breakfast was offered in the morning, with loads of options to accommodate everyone. For a 3-star hotel, I thought the standard was impressively high, with large rooms offering ample space. It was all kept very clean, and the beds were large and comfortable.
Exploring Normandy
We also visited some of our most popular sites in Normandy, including Arromanches 360, the D-Day Landing beaches and Mont St-Michel.
We took a tour of the workshop at Chocolaterie de Beussent (which is always a favourite activity among our groups) and had the chance to try loads of chocolate, which was great.
We stayed at UNCMT, which is a really popular choice with school groups. The location is great, as it’s close to the beach.
We were really impressed with how much space its grounds offer for groups to play different sports, like volleyball or pétanque.
It’s such a popular accommodation choice for our groups that we performed a repeat School Travel Forum (STF) inspection of the property, to make sure it still adheres to all of our safety requirements – and I’m pleased to report that it passed with flying colours.
We also spent a night at the Premiere Classe Bayeux. Again, this is another great hotel for groups and is also really close to the coast.
It’s particularly suitable for older groups (aged 14 years and up), as there’s an area where they can chill together in the evenings.
We had dinner at the Campanile opposite the hotel that evening. It serves buffet-style meals, which can make things a lot easier if you have a group of picky teenagers.
Gems of the Opal Coast
On the Opal Coast, we visited the Nausicaa sea life centre, which is right next to a beautiful beach in Boulogne. This visit is always a massive hit with school groups visiting Boulogne, so it was fantastic to have the opportunity to explore myself.
At the end of our visit, we took an overnight ferry from St. Malo to Portsmouth. We had twin cabins with ensuite bathrooms and honestly, it was ideal for one night.
Asha’s Final Thoughts on Northern France
Normandy and the Pas de Calais area really are fantastic destinations for school trips. They cover a number of subjects, including (but not limited to) French, food technology and history. We loved our trip and we’re sure your students will love it, too.
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Sports Tours Operations Manager
