EF Stories: Sabrina from Austria in EF Nice

Planning before departure

I became aware of EF through the internet, and acquaintances also told us that they had good experiences with EF. I organized my trip via email and phone, which was very straightforward and worked out perfectly.

Arrival

The transfer I booked with EF was very convenient, so there was no issue getting from the airport to the host family.

My accommodation

I couldn't have asked for a better host family. The family was very friendly and took good care of me. We mostly ate together, and once we even watched the France football game together in the living room while enjoying pizza.

The food was a bit different from what I'm used to in Austria, but I found it very delicious. The accommodation was a spacious apartment with enough room, even when sharing a room and a bathroom with three other EF students.

My roommates came from all over the world, which made it really interesting to talk with them about their countries and cultures. My host mother explained the route to school to me on the first day, and it took me only about 15 minutes by bus to get there.

School & classes

I really liked the school, mainly because you get to meet so many new people from all over the world. I was in the intensive course, which meant additional hours to learn new vocabulary and practice speaking intensively alongside the main course.

My favorite was the Compréhension/Expression course, where we had to come up with dialogues on a topic and then present them to the class.

The school lessons were always double periods, which was initially tiring for me as I wasn't used to concentrating for such a long time without a break at home. I was initially placed in a different language level, which I thought was too high for me, but that wasn't a problem; I could easily change my language level, and it became much easier for me to understand the lessons.

The teachers were all very nice and always tried to make the lessons interesting and varied. I have to say I've never had so much fun at school.

Free time

The activities I did with EF included visits to St. Tropez, Antibes, a guided tour of Nice, Sofa, Zumba, and diving. In my free time, I often went to the beach with friends or visited Cannes and Monaco. I particularly enjoyed St. Tropez and Monaco with all the yachts, but Sofa was also a lot of fun.

Costs during my stay

Approximately 600 euros.

Departure

Saying goodbye was very difficult, especially to my host mother and, of course, my new friends. I had another transfer to the airport, which had a slight delay, but that wasn't a problem because I was immediately contacted, and I still had plenty of time at the airport.

Summary

Making friends in Nice was not a problem. No matter where you were, you met new people. I met Maria from Sweden, and we had a great time together in Nice, whether we were lying on the beach, at school, or going out. We still keep in touch, and we're even planning to meet again, perhaps for Christmas.

My time in Nice was truly unforgettable. I not only improved my French but also developed personally. I would definitely go on another language trip with EF because I really enjoyed it so much. Thank you, EF!