Blog

Studying abroad is an exciting opportunity for any student. But as a parent, it’s easy to worry about your child. Here are ten tips to help you plan ahead so your mind can be at ease and your child can be prepared to travel abroad. 1. Traveling to another country requires a level of maturity […]

“Current events clearly show how much more interconnected all of us are to the whole world. This gives schools ever more impressive reasons for accepting international exchange students enthusiastically and using them as resources to broaden student and community perspectives on the world. Youth exchanges provide foreign exchange students with an American experience, giving them […]

Are you embarking on a trip to France for the first time? If so, you need to plan out how you’re going to get from city to city while you’re there. To explore more of the French regions, a Eurail pass is a great option to see the beautiful architecture, breath-taking countryside and historic sites […]

Traveling to France as a student is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you’ll never forget. One of the most crucial pieces to having a successful trip abroad is understanding French currency and how it’s used. So if you’re preparing for an upcoming trip, here are seven things you should know about the currency in France. 1) […]

When traveling, it’s important to be an ambassador of your country. What does this mean? It means wherever you are, you are an American and whatever they think of you is what they will think of all Americans. If you strut your bikini top and leggings while you’re walking down the Champs Elysée, the French […]

When studying abroad, especially while staying with a host family, there are the obvious advantages: learning a new language and making new friends. But there’s so much more to it. This experience of being a foreign exchange student and living as the locals do will serve you for the rest of your life.  Here are […]

Whether you’re passionate about art, culture, history, architecture or exotic food, France has everything for those who love learning. Even before a college study abroad program, there are dozens of educational tours to help middle and high school students get the most out of the unique and interesting country of France.   Enjoy coffee at […]

Bonjour ! Êtes-vous prêt à apprendre le français ? As one of the most beautiful and romantic languages in the world, learning French will benefit you in more ways than one. Learning the French language will let you converse with over 220 million people and ensure that your trip to France will go smoothly. Learning […]

Ernest Hemingway écrivait en 1964 « Paris est une fête ». Depuis le 21 juin 1982, la France entière devient une fête chaque année à la même date. En 1981, Jack Lang, alors ministre de la Culture, nomme un nouveau directeur de la musique et de la danse, Maurice Fleuret. Ce dernier souhaite alors créer un évènement […]

Are you taking your family on the trip of a lifetime? Europe offers all sorts of fantastic fun for your family’s upcoming vacation – from gorgeous beaches to historic monuments to ancient cities and more, you’ll have fun while making great memories at the same time. If you’re searching for information on how to make your […]

As the self-proclaimed largest travel company for students and young people, STAtravel offers transportation, hotels, insurance, planning information and more for those youngsters who want to see the world. Whether you’re traveling to China for the summer or exploring Europe during a gap year, STA may offer some of the best deals around – but […]

Are you getting ready for the trip of a lifetime? For students travelling to France, you’ll be embarking on an adventure that you won’t soon forget – full of history, art, architecture, and of course food. Every region in France is unique and features different opportunities for days of sightseeing and adventures. If you’re hopping […]

Those that live in France have a culture all their own. Their language is especially unique, with quick, clever phrases that you won’t hear in any English-speaking country. If you’re traveling to France, know these terms and it’ll be like you’ve lived there your entire life! Please enjoy these ‘10 Things Only Those Who Lived in […]

The French Presidential Election is heating up! Le compte à rebours est lancé : dans moins d’un mois, les citoyens français iront aux urnes pour élire le 8ème Président de la 5ème République. Le premier tour des élections aura lieu le 23 avril 2017, à l’issue duquel les Français connaîtront les deux finalistes qu’ils devront départager […]

There are a number of diverse climates in France, each featuring certain characteristics that you need to prepare for. Wherever you’re traveling to in France, packing accordingly will make your trip go better overall. Here are some general tips for what to wear depending on which season and region you’ll be visiting. Geography of France […]

France is famous for its fabulous food, amazing artists, memorable monuments and much, much more. It’s also given the world the gift of the most romantic and arguably most nuanced language on earth: French. Here are 10 words and phrases with no English equivalents. 1) Dépaysement The first word that doesn’t have a direct English […]

Are you dreaming of looking out over Paris at the top of the Eiffel Tower, or marveling at London’s legendary Big Ben? Perhaps you’re captivated by the Roman Coliseum or the Parthenon in Athens. Regardless of where you want to go, if you’re a student planning a trip to Europe, you need to have money […]

Are you getting ready for the trip of a lifetime? Travelling in France as a student may seem a little nerve-racking at first, but once you get there, you’ll be creating memories that last forever. While being a student likely means that you’re strapped for cash, don’t worry. There are plenty of student travel deals […]

From guest blogger Elise! See her earlier post “How a Séjour en France Can Change Your Life”  Why you should stay with a family in France When I first decided to go abroad to France, it didn’t actually register that I would be living with host families. It wasn’t until after I received my location, […]

Are you taking a student group on a trip to Europe? There’s so many things to consider that it can be confusing at first. Logistics can be a nightmare when it comes to traveling internationally, especially with a group of teenagers. From finding a reasonable cost of tour packages, hunting down the most educational destinations, […]

Compliments of Béatrice PELTRE and her blog, La Tartine Gourmande At this time of year, walk in the streets of any French city, town or village, and you will be able to admire beautiful bûches displayed in the windows of pastry stores. Every bakery makes their own. When I was a kid, I was longing […]

Meet our guest blogger, Elise!  We asked her to share her story of French adventures, which all started with a Family Stay as a teenager. « Douce France                                                         […]

Halloween, l’histoire d’une fête Celte C’est une fête celte extrêmement ancienne, qui portait le nom de “Samain”. Elle annonçait le début de l’hiver et représentait le moment où le monde surnaturel et le monde rationnel se rejoignaient. Les êtres fantastiques étaient donc tout proches des hommes. Elle se déroulait à peu près dans la nuit […]

A Daughter’s Travels to France We wanted to share the following message sent to us by a mother in Ohio whose daughter traveled with her teacher and VIE this past summer. I was a bit apprehensive to have my daughter travel to France. First of all I hate to fly and the thought of her flying over the […]

 Vive les vacances ! A brief history of vacations in France Les grandes vacances in France were implemented before the Second World War for elementary, middle and high school students and lasted for 10 weeks. Back then, 49% of the population was still rural and parents needed their children’s help to harvest crops in August […]

What’s going on in France? Why have so many people been taking to the streets since April?   Striking is a national pastime and longstanding tradition in France. It is hard to compete with the French in that category! French people, especially those living in Paris, are accustomed to strikes and would rather complain than […]

Vous avez survécu une autre année scolaire ! Bravo ! ———————————————————— Remember, when you register your group before June 15, all early registrants dine at the Eiffel Tower for FREE! Plus, they receive a $100 discount off of the program price! Click here to start creating your 2017 travel program with our new online system. […]

Copyright © 2016 Vistas In Education. All rights reserved.  

  Bonjour à toutes et à tous ! It is an exciting time at VIE. We are welcoming Megan Pashkevich to our team of dedicated Francophiles. Megan received her B.A. in French Studies at the University of Minnesota and her M.F.S. in the Professional French Masters’ Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has studied […]

  10 Hidden gems off the beaten track We’ve compiled a list of 10 great locations in France that most people don’t know about. How many have you visited? 1. Etretat, Haute Normandie 2. Carnac, Bretagne 3. Noirmoutier en l’île, Pays de la Loire 4. Bourges, Centre 5. Colmar, Alsace 6. La Dune du Pilat, […]

  Food trucks : changement d’habitudes Le concept des food trucks semble parfaitement répondre aux nouvelles habitudes alimentaires des Français. En effet, si en 1980 le temps moyen accordé au déjeuner était de 1h38, il n’est plus que de 31 minutes aujourd’hui. De plus, 20% des repas sont pris à l’extérieur, et 70% des consommateurs […]

(The following list is from Oliver Gee’s article we saw in thelocal.fr….) French may be beautiful sounding language – but some of those Gallic words can be a real ordeal for us foreigners to pronounce. Our readers have picked out their most unpronounceable French words. How many can you (confidently) say? We put the shout-out […]

The Eiffel Tower has a new feature… a glass floor! The first floor of the Eiffel Tower now includes a glass floor section for a new kind of Eiffel Tower selfie. See it for yourself and dine on this level of the Eiffel Tower with your group! When you register your group before June 15, […]

  Central States Suite Soirée Join us at the Central States Language Conference this March 12th – 14th at the Minneapolis Hilton. Marie Beuvart, our intern from France, will be presenting: 10 French Traditions Under Threat Friday, March 13 • 1:00pm in Marquette 4 Be sure to stop by our booth (#113) to enter our […]

Vistas in Education sera cette année présent au Central States Conference, à Minneapolis du 12 au 14 mars. C’est l’occasion de venir à notre rencontre au stand 113 ! Le vendredi 13 à 13h00, Salle Marquette 4, ne ratez pas la présentation « La France change – qu’est ce qui va nous manquer ? » […]

Galette des Rois: The French tart with a charm Article from TheLocal.fr photo by Steph Gray / Flickr French families will mark the end of the festive season today (January 6th) in typical Gallic fashion, by scoffing down a pastry fit for kings. Here’s the story of the Galette des Rois – the only tart […]

Bûche de Noël ! As you take a break from the duties of teaching and school to spend time with your family this holiday season, consider bringing a little bit of France into your home for the holidays OR share with your students before the holiday break! Some say the tradition of the Bûche de […]

Louer la Tour Eiffel combien ça coûte ? The following articleby Céline Deluzarche appeared on journaldunet.com Près de 7 000 heures de films français sont tournées chaque année en France. Avec ses monuments historiques, ses sommets enneigés, ses forêts épaisses ou ses plages méditerranéennes, l’Hexagone dispose d’une variété de paysages quasi unique au monde. Certains endroits […]

Catch us if you can Vistas In Education Conference Tour Dates November 6 – 8, 2014 WAFLT: Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers Radisson Paper Valley Hotel • Appleton, Wisconsin Membre d’équipe: Lara November 21 – 23, 2014 ACTFL: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center • San Antonio, Texas […]

The future of the Pont des Arts … The following is an article from Paris.fr after the railing collapse at the Pont des Arts 700.000, le chiffre est impressionnant et pourtant il correspond bien au nombre de cadenas accrochés en quelques mois sur plusieurs ponts de Paris. Ce sont les fameux “cadenas d’amour” qui recouvrent, […]