As a tourist, you are always a foreigner. Sure, hostel-hopping and sightseeing can be great fun, but connecting with a foreign country through studying, volunteering, or working can extend your travels beyond tourist traps. Instead of feeling like a stranger in a strange land, you can understand France like a local. Instead of being that tourist asking for directions, you can be the one who gives them (and correctly!). All the while, you get the satisfaction of leaving France in better shape than you found it (after all, it’s being nice enough to let you stay here). It’s not wishful thinking—it’s Beyond Tourism.
As a volunteer in France, you can unleash your inner superhero with projects from saving endangered species to combating AIDS. This guide is chock-full of ideas to get involved, whether you’re looking to pitch in for a day or run away from home for a whole new life in French activism.
The powers of studying abroad are beyond comprehension: it actually makes you feel sorry for those poor tourists who don’t get to do any homework while they’re here. France is home to some of the world’s oldest universities—including the Sorbonne, founded in 1257—that are renowned for their programs in philosophy and literature. If existentialism isn’t your tasse de thé, France’s distinguished culinary schools—including the Cordon Bleu in Paris—will refine your broiling abilities and your palate. Or why not try your hand at Impressionism in one of France’s many fine arts schools? The study abroad opportunities in France are limitless and the perfect way to indulge in French culture.
Working abroad immerses you in a new culture and can bring some of the most meaningful relationships and experiences of your life. Yes, we know you’re on vacation, but these aren’t your normal desk jobs. (Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it helps pay for more globetrotting.) Many travelers structure their trips around the work available to them along the way, and employment opportunities range from odd jobs on the go to full-time, long-term work. While such long-term work is tough to find for non-EU citizens without professional expertise, English and especially English-French bilingual skills are desirable and can facilitate the job search. Short-term work is more readily available and can range from grape-picking in a vineyard to busing tables at a street-side cafe. Both long-term and short-term jobs require a work permit, which is discussed in detail in the upcoming sections.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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