Learn French in Vichy
Learn French in Vichy, a spa town in the heart of France, with incredibly beautiful countryside.
Prices & dates for Vichy
Why learn French in Vichy?
Vichy is one of France’s most famous cities and has been a popular holiday destination for wealthy and royal Europeans for hundreds of years.
This relaxed and welcoming city has a distinctly ‘French’ feel. The pedestrianised city centre makes it a peaceful place to spend an afternoon, and there’s plenty to do to entertain yourself! Take a stroll along one of the parks lining the Allier River and watch locals play petanque; take in a show at the only Art Nouveau opera house in France; visit the Museum of Asian and African Arts, with its extraordinary collection of curiosities; or perhaps spend a lazy afternoon playing golf on one of France’s oldest courses. Whatever you choose to do and however long you stay, Vichy will give you an authentic French experience!
Close to the mountainous Massif Central, Vichy has long been known as a place of healing thanks to the natural thermal springs in the area. Spa enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to indulge in restorative health and relaxation treatments. Those who prefer not to spend their time (and money!) on massages and mud wraps can still benefit from the mineral rich water by visiting the Hall des Sources and filling a bottle from one of the free sources, such as Celestins. There are many other sources in the colourful hall but some can only be accessed with a prescription!
Vichy also has its part in WWII history as it was taken over by the Vichy France regime between July 1940 to August 1944. As this time the city had up to 250 hotels and villas that could accommodate around 100,000 guests a year. This, along with the presence of a modern telephone exchange and it’s position south of the line of occupation, made Vichy an excellent choice for the collaborationist government of France.
Today the sunny spa town chooses not to dwell on this period of history, instead focussing the attention of its visitors on wellbeing, the great outdoors, the time of ‘Belle Epoque’, and fantastic local produce and cuisine. The Grand Marché is home to over 60 local farmers' stalls, selling everything from bakery products and local Auvergne cheeses to Vichy pastilles, the little white octagonal sweets that are said to aid digestion.
Our school in Vichy
Our language school in Vichy is located on the same site as the Clermont Auvergne University, giving students access to the fantastic facilities available on-campus. These facilities include 11 computer labs, a huge library with over 20,000 multi-media resources, and an amphitheatre that’s used for lectures and French film screenings. There is also a cafeteria serving a wide selection of meals and refreshments. Language lessons take place across 7 classrooms, each with free Wi-Fi access and modern audio-visual equipment.
Our language school has Label Qualité FLE certification, the French Ministry of Education’s definitive marker of excellence in this field. It is also a member of Campus France and Alliance Français. These credentials demonstrate the high standard of language tuition offered here. The shared facilities with local university students make it an ideal location for an immersive language course and present lots of opportunities for language practise. If you are looking for a wonderful atmosphere, excellent teaching, and modern facilities, then this is the right place for you.
Location of our school in Vichy
What is the best language course in Vichy?
Available courses
At the French language school in Vichy, the core programme is the Intensive course of 26 lessons per week. Each week, this total immersion French language course combines 18 general French lessons, which work on improving a student’s overall level, with eight themed workshops. Workshop topics vary depending on the level of tuition and demand, but often include oral communication, vocabulary, culture, grammar, and exam preparation.
For a more personalised programme, why not combine the 18 group lessons with an additional 6 private lessons? You can also include the themed workshops to create a programme of 32 lessons per week. Or, for complete flexibility with your French learning, choose a course of Private Lessons only!
Our French school in Vichy is unique as it is the only one we offer that remains open year-round, closing only on the main public holidays. Christmas is a lovely time to visit Vichy as there are often festive stalls and entertainment present in the town centre, helping locals and visitors alike to get into the celebratory spirit.
Courses are suitable for students of all ages, but if you are over the age of 50 and would prefer to study exclusively with other senior students, consider our Club 50+ course.
Teachers of French may also like to study in Vichy as there are lots of specialist courses available for those in this profession; programmes take place on selected dates throughout the year. Please contact us for further information on these, or any, of our language courses.
What accommodation is available in Vichy?
Available accommodation
Accommodation is available in Vichy with carefully selected French host families. Staying with a host family is the best way to fully immerse yourself in the language and culture as you will naturally speak French to the family, enabling you to practise each day what you learn on the course! Stay in a single room on a bed and breakfast or half-board basis.
Students can also choose to stay in the student residence. All the rooms in the residence are equipped with a private toilet, shower and kitchenette. Students from our school share the residence with French university students, providing lots of opportunities to speak French.
For a more independent experience during your time in Vichy, you can stay in a studio apartment. Studios are available for one or two people and come equipped with a bathroom, private kitchen, bed and a television.
What activities are available in Vichy?
The school organises a cultural program for students throughout the year to help them further enhance their language skills and make friends from all over the world!
Activities vary from week to week, but may include things like French film evenings, parties, cycling trips, boat trips, dance evenings, cookery workshops and tastings, city tours and much more! regular excursions are also organised, to nearby points of interest such as Lyon, the Vulcania park and even Disneyland Paris.
How to get to our school in Vichy
The nearest airport to our school in Vichy is Clermont-Ferrand. Alternatively, you can fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle or Lyon-Saint-Exupery.
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Vichy: Student reviews & feedback
Intensive 26 with Host Family
Excellent teachers, motivated and motivating.Small classes ( good to improve speaking skills)
Great family, welcoming and ready to help. Excellent opportunity to talk in a real context.
The school organizes plenty of afternoon activities and nice excursions
- M. Elena Pertusati
Best course I have ever taken to study French. The teachers were very motivated and the classrooms were more spacious that at any other language school I have attended. There was also a free proper workshop in the afternoon and I have never experienced this before at any language school.
I stayed with a lovely French family at the top of a hill overlooking Vichy. The lady came to pick me up from the train station and gave us a warm welcome and quick tour of Vichy by car upon arrival. We had homemade meals - cooked from scratch every night and the family tried to introduce us to some French cookery!
Vichy is a bit of a sleepy little town so you might want to sign up for the various activities the school run after class and at the weekend!
- M. Balfour
I was apprehensive because I thought there would just be youngsters - but I was pleasantly surprised with the mix of ages and nationalities. As a teacher I thought I would feel as if I was back at work during those 2 weeks but it was a fantastic experience. Amazing home! My host "mother" was a fantastic cook. Friendly and so funny. I will keep in touch - we have swapped recipes. I had a ball! I learned a lot and am much more confident to speak the language than before, I used to get tongue-tied but now I just chat as if I always have spoken French!! Awesome!
- M. Gujadhur
I thought the teacher was very good. The house I stayed in was lovely, the family were very nice to me and the meals were excellent. My friend and I attended tennis lessons in the afternoon. We enjoyed this very much and the coaching was excellent, exceptionally helpful and friendly.
- S. Kennedy
The course in Vichy exceeded my expectations in every respect. The teachers were excellent, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and they were very successful in engaging the class. The topics covered were relevant, contemporary and absolutely correctly pitched to the type and level of the group. My accommodation was very good. I had a studio apartment in a small hotel in the old town. It was very comfortable and extremely well positioned in respect of walking to the school and generally well located for getting around Vichy. The school was welcoming and helpful and my fellow students were lovely. I would love to have stayed longer!
- B. Ringrose
Really good course that combined general improvement of french and two specific teacher workshops per week. The accommodation was good, with lots of other students from various nationalities.
- A. Barker
The course was very well organised, the school ws in nice surroundings and had good resources.
- H. James
The teachers and staff were very kind, professional and helpful and the lessons were delivered in a very pleasant and interesting way. For me a reason to go back once more!
- R. Van Der Loo
The course was very enjoyable, with enthusiastic teachers, and also an abundance of excellent excursions. The accommodation was ideally situated between the University and the town centre. This location is ideal for people that appreciate hiking, nature, and volcanos.
- R. Patel
It was a good course, at a high quality level. Because of the good assessment on the first day and the number of students, I was able to participate in a group that was at about the same level. This was very helpful for me. Also the quality of teaching was of a high standard. My accommodation was also very good. I very much enjoyed my host family. It was pleasant and I had lots of opportunity to practise my French in the evening.
- S. Koolwijk
School statistics
Nationality (%)
(6)
China (22)
Italian (4)
Mexican (7)
Swiss (4)
Average Student Numbers
Student stories on our blog
Vichy – wellness in the heart of France
The beautiful Auvergne region awaits! Vichy is a special spa town with friendly locals located in the heart of France. It overflows with authentic French culture and is surrounded by incredibly beautiful countryside. It's known as a spa resort because of the many thermal springs in and around the city.
Vichy is the ideal place to learn French whilst discovering the gorgeous French countryside - and why not take advantage of the hydrotherapeutic facilities available in the city while you're at it?! For a total well-being package, there are lots of exercise and sporting opportunities on offer. Don't delay: experience Vichy for yourself!
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