French Camp

Duration

7 days, 6 nights

Activities

Learning, culture

Level

French level A2

Group

5 people

About the retreat

If you're ready to take your French to the next level, join us in the beautiful Vallée d'Ossau for an immersive French experience. Spend the week with a highly experienced French instructor in a 14th century château surrounded by stunning mountain views while improving your French and discovering the local culture.

Your days will include a combination of structured learning and a local excursion or event where you can interact with more native speakers. You'll learn to express yourself in real-life situations and feel more confident in speaking with locals. 

This program is ideal for people at an A2 level who are ready to move to B1.

Highlights

  • Accommodation in a 14th century château

  • 15 hours of group French instruction 

  • All included activities 

  • Home cooked meals including regional specialties with local ingredients

  • Optional activities to explore the area

 

Price

  • Double room with shared bathroom:
    • €1725 (1 person) or €2600 for 2 people
  • Shared double room with private bathroom:
    • €1785 (1 person) or €2700 for 2 people
  • Master suite with en-suite bathroom:

    • €1845 (1 person) or €2800 for 2 people

 

Dates

  • 9-15 November 2025

 

A minimum of 4 people are required for the course to run, which will be confirmed 6 weeks prior to the start.

What's included

  • 6 nights accommodation

  • 3 hours of instruction per day (Monday - Friday)

  • Vineyard visit

  • Wine tasting session

  • Visit with a local beekeeper

  • Cheese producer visit

  • Cooking class

  • All meals

  • All transfers

  • Group transfer from/to Pau airport/train station

 

What's not included

  • Travel (flights, trains, car)

  • Transportation outside of group transfer

  • Optional activities

  • Alcohol, food outside of planned meals

  • Miscellaneous expenses

  • Travel insurance

 

Questions? Please contact us.

What to expect

Day 1

  • Group transfer (Pau)
  • 2pm check-in 

Day 2

  • French class

  • Local tourism introduction

Day 3

  • Local market visit

  • French class 

  • Wine tasting

Day 4

  • French class
  • Vineyard tour  

Day 5

  • French class

  • Cooking course

Day 6

  • Fromagerie visit

  • French class 

  • Beekeeper visit

Day 7

  • Free time for optional activities
  • Check out by 3pm

Meet your French instructor

Odile Pourtoy has been teaching French for over two decades, working across a range of diverse cultures. In addition to teaching at Alliance Française in France, she lived abroad for over 15 years where she taught in language centers in Venezuela, Angola and Moscow as well as the Sorbonne and New York University in Abu Dhabi. Today, she is back in her native France and continues to teach students from a variety of backgrounds including English-speaking executives and teachers, Russian-speaking IT engineers, medical staff, and students preparing for French certification exams. Odile designs tailor-made lessons that are fun and interactive with a focus on real-life situations to help students take their French speaking, listening and writing to the next level.

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What past participants said about their experience

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Instagram post by Jenny Petersen 

A brilliant week studying French and learning about the gorgeous Vallée d’Ossau at the fantastic @chateaudegere. A wonderful group of people, excellent French instruction, super interesting excursions, fun cooking and wine lessons, and amazing meals all organized and executed seamlessly by amazing Trish at the chateau. Without exaggeration, the greatest vacation on record! 

Facebook post by Sue Peake-Russell

I recently had the pleasure of attending a French immersion language retreat at the breathtaking Château de Gere in the Vallée d'Ossau, and it was an experience I’ll never forget! The setting was absolutely beautiful, and the week was packed with learning, cultural activities, and plenty of fun.

The French lessons, led by the amazing Odile, were incredibly engaging and helped me make real progress in my language skills. With 15 hours of lessons spread throughout the week, we covered everything from grammar to conversation practice. Odile’s teaching style was both effective and enjoyable, and she created a relaxed environment that encouraged everyone to participate, regardless of their level.

One of the highlights of the retreat was the visit to Clos lapeyre, a bio wine producer in the Jurançon region. It was such a treat to learn about their wines, and the tasting session gave us a true taste of the region’s unique offerings. The experience allowed us to practice our French while learning about the local winemaking process in a beautiful setting.

In addition to the wine visit, we also explored local markets, visited a honey producer, and took a cooking class from a talented French chef. Cooking and learning the secrets of local French cuisine while practicing our French was both fun and rewarding. It felt like the perfect way to tie in the language lessons with real-world cultural experiences.

The hosts, Trish and Odile, were absolutely fantastic. They made sure everything ran smoothly and ensured that everyone felt welcomed and included. Their passion for both language learning and the local culture was evident, and they truly made the retreat memorable.

Overall, the French immersion retreat at Château de Gere was an unforgettable experience. It was a wonderful mix of language learning, cultural exploration, and relaxation in one of the most beautiful parts of France. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their French while immersing themselves in the culture and charm of the French mountains!

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Reserve my place!

Please submit the form below and we'll follow up with more information and instructions to complete your registration.

A €500 deposit is required to secure your place with the balance due 30 days prior to the start date.

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