Excursions and travel

Day trips

Many students take organize their own day trips in the Paris region using their Passe Navigo, which covers all transit within Île-de-France. The high-speed trains in Paris mean that other parts of the country, such as Normandy or the Pays-de-la-Loire can be accessible for a day trip as well. Below are some local destinations for students in past years. 

Plan your own travel

Students often also plan their own travel around Europe and the Mediterranean during school breaks or over the summer. The following images are of students in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Morocco and the United Kingdom.

Activities & Excursions

In September and in March or April, students (accompanied by the academic director and the administrative director) take part in two two-day excursions to a region outside of Paris such as Normandy, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, or the Côte d'Azur. These excursions are organized and paid for by the JYA program. 

Cultural Excursions

Weekend trips to the Châteaux de la Loire and to Normandie; day trips to the Château de Versailles, to the Basilique de Saint-Denis, to the city of Rouen (with its cathedral made famous by Monet) and to Monet's country residence in the village of Giverny. These excursions may be organized at students’ requests and may be led by a tutor from the Smith Center.

Cultural Activities

Small group and individual outings to the theater, the opera and to lectures on contemporary art and cinema.

Sports Activities

Sample activities may include: a kayak excursion in Brittany; a bicycle trip around Ile-de-France; a ski trip to the French Alps.

Cultural Immersion

Occasional invitations from French families to join them in their homes for discussions of the "French way of life."