Lollie

Thats a really good idea. But what about 5 extra showers per day etc?    We arrived in 2003 and had visitors all summer,  some good some not invited again!   The contrasts were friends who would not stop cleaning, paid half for the shopping bills and brought goodies for the kids.  Another arrived with her children, bought her own special drinks and cereals, and complained when ours ate theirs and then told me we were running out of loo paper!!!  funny not seen her since then!    I think they sometimes just do not think of the costs involved. We have wisened up since that first year, we no longer accept being paid for a meal out as the contribution as we still ending paying for all the food. But its still expensive having visitors,  even if they do contribute, as we generally go out more often during the week than we usually would.   Lollie

Hubby working in Villefranche for a few days in September so splashed out on a 2€ aller retour flight Nantes Marseille to join him.  Any suggestions for a nice reasonably priced hotel in Villefranche sur mer or Beaulieu sur mer, and places to visit for a three night break?    Lollie   Dept 44

Are they any schools that offer the OIB near by? http://www.ciep.fr/oib/listetab.php . Most schools offer help to foreign students for a period of time, otherwise organise a private course during the summer months?  Maybe online with cned.  My son arrived from the UK at 14 and last year passed his Bac S with a mention ab..So it is possible and the high co efficients for english in the OIB definitely help.   Lollie

Yes,   they dont seem as tasty, but a beautiful colour!

I personally wouldnt mind carry on my luggage, but my 81 year old mum would have difficulty carrying it onto the plane,  which is why we also book her case into the hold.   

Speaking of courgettes,  i bought what I thought were long green courgette plants, however, they are very bright yellow and round!!  Are they really courgettes?   Lollie

In comparison to your swaps how big is your house?  Often thought about this, but not sure if our house would be up to standard.   Lollie

I have just checked Ryanair flights out of Nantes after end of October,   Dublin Milan Marseille  Yes East Midlands  Liverpool, No     looks like he has pulled out of UK for winter.   I believe Dinard Stansted has also gone,  but Dinard East Midlands is still available!   Hope he comes back next summer   Lollie

Odile,   I absolutely agree,   no examination has a higher status than an other for universities,  it depends on each individuals application and their grades obtained in their specific examiniations. My son has wanted to be a sports journalists.  Whilst studying for his bac he translated into english a daily diary online for a french windsurfer sailing across the indian ocean,  which no doubt helped his application,  when described in his personal statement.    

The option Internationale Bac is very different to the International Bac,  and much more work than the French Bac,  Its status is not less!  in fact its the most difficult to achieve, particularly Bac S plus option,  its just not well known in the UK as yet.  None of the Universities my son applied to had heard of it,  most offered this with a 10 or 12 plus higher for the internationale part. Information is now available via UCAS.  For those who dont know what it is,   its a french bac  L  ES or S  plus  English Lang, Lit, History and Geography,  equivalent to A levels in those subjects.   Hence you study approx an extra 6 hours per week in Lycee, having also studied an extra 5/6 hours per week in college.   Several states schools in France now offer this as an option. Lollie

Thank you Clair,    I knew from previous years, but just couldnt remember where!!   Lollie

Hi   anyone in a similar situation?    My 19yr old son worked during the summer months, as he has previously, however, this time he worked into September before leaving for the UK for University.   Should I declare his earnings this year on our tax form?   Students have been exempt from paying tax on summer jobs, but last year he worked in to September  so unsure what to do? 

I often fly from East Midlands, and its the security staff for the airport at the first point before security cheacks who will not let you through with two pieces of hand luggage, and there is more than Ryanair who fly from there, and surely they dont know who you are flying with!   They dont check your passport there anymore though, just the lady from Ryanair, as you are about to board the plane checking boarding cards, passports, size and weight of luggage!  plus getting everyone on board in how many minutes?? No wonder they are stressed .

Hi   I think www.ucpa.com is probably the most popular,  certaininly round here anyway.  My 15yr old went from Nantes to the alps last summer and had a fab time.    Canoeing, cycling climbing and discoing!  Everything included, well worth the money.   Lollie 

My son also took advantage of the loan system here with CA but we had to agree to be guarantors.  The first four years you pay the interest only, then you have six years after to pay of the loan, however 4.2 is beginning to look a little high! On another note, to obtain all the loans etc in the UK you must have a NI insurance number,   which proved complicated for my son, as they will not send this abroad, so he had to wait until he had his Uni address before they would send out his number, therefore he was delayed in receiving his payments.   It was also the same opening a UK student bank account!  But you get there in the end.  My son is studying journalism,  three year course in the UK,  at least six years after the BAC here!!  So I think it is a case of swings and roundaboutts.    

Hi   I have known people return to the UK after the Brevet.  They spoke to the school in the UK and explained the situ,  most accept the Brevet, as an all round exam and agree to them doing a levels after an interview. Lollie  

My son arrived here in 4eme, took his BAC and is now at Uni of Brighton,   He completed the student finance loan forms, and sent them back to the LA where he is studying, he received the student loan for the fees, maintenance loan for living costs and a maintenance grant also, not to be paid back.  This was last year.  He will complete all the forms again this year.  I do not know what the euro sterling conversion is though for working out his grant against our salaries. Still Uni fees  in the UK are now £3200 each year, plus uni accommodation of approx £4000, his loan will be bigger than our mortgage very soon!! He didnt move over to the UK until the end of September when he started his course;         

Aside from the Hachette guide, which is a little too expensive, is there any guides to french wine books on the market?   I would just like to get an idea of which to drink now, which to buy and lay down, which is a good year etc.  Most that I have found seem to be from before 2003, I would like to know if there are any recent wines to buy an d lay down. Lollie 44

Actually, when you start the booking process and come to that page,  although it starts at zero, it then asks you your country of residence, once you have put that in, its adds on €14.50, underneath it says, if you do not want travel insurance, simply click on no insurance required in the drop down box,   this little statement is mixed in with the countries of residence,   so you still have to be VERY CAREFUL!!

Hello Sandeep, The cost of living will depend on whereabouts you are going to be studying, Paris is very expenses, although I should imagine there is more opportunity of work there.   I suggests you contact where you are going to be studying and ask about help looking for work.  There are lots of international stuents in most of the university towns, but mix with the locals, its the quickest way to learn french! Good Luck Lollie

Having just slowly re read the print its is saying passengers must now opt in to their travel insurance,   as opposed to out as previously done,  be careful!!!  

Just looked to book some flights with Ryanair, and its flashing on their home page, that as from 2 April it is compulsory to take their travel insurance,  is this legal? Lollie

However, have just priced up one way for my son to come home for the summer,   a cool 343€!!  but he gets a cup of tea out of a china teacup!!     Guess who is not coming home that route??

Is that with Airfrance,  where are you flying from?

Air France are now flying from London City Airport to Nantes from 27th April until end of Sept.   Lollie