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Summer in France

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  • 15-01-2010 12:12am
    #1
    reganee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi. Im 20 and studying French in UCC and im in 2nd yr but because of my course and other subjects I cant do the erasmus year so Ive decided to go to France for the summer to improve my spoken French. Im hoping to leave near the start of May and would prefer to go to the south for the weather in the Summer:) has anyone any suggestions of good places in south of France to go or any suggestion or recommendations for jobs too???somewhere young and lively too i suppose and Id prob prefer to work outdoors if I could.
    Anyway if anyone has experience of being there during the summer or anywhere they get on really well with jobs/ accomodation etc would love to hear some ideas!
    Thanks


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    #2
    Lockstep
    Registered Users Posts: 9,029 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    I tried the same thing one summer and found it nigh-on impossible to get work in the Alsace region. Ended up living in a dive of a place and living off substances of dubious nutrition. THat said, it was a sh!tload of fun.

    Marseille is meant to be the best place to go for that kind of thing.


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    #3
    Mallox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 185 ✭✭Mallox


    Im in first year in UL studying business and french and Im also hoping to go to France with some classmates for summer to work and improve my french. Could really use any help I can get because Im lost as to how I should start looking
    how did you find work?


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    #4
    Lockstep
    Registered Users Posts: 9,029 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    When I went/whenver my friends went we'd just find somewhere to crash and hit the streets asking everywhere.

    Irish pubs are obviously the first point of call (Where most of us found work)


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    #5
    Ally_ally
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭Ally_ally


    HI!

    I'm in the same boat... I've already paid the deposit on a j1 but i've realised that i'd WAY prefer to go to france if i could get people to come with me!

    I was in the south of france in Aix en provence for the whole summer last year working as an au pair, i improved my french a lot and earned 100euro a week (which is actually quite good for an au pair!). Had a good experience but i think i'd prefer to find a proper job and have more of a social life this summer!

    I wouldn't recommend marseille though...it's dirty and fairly rough!

    I think i might go to montpellier and take a risk on the whole job/accommodation thing. What are ye going to do??:)


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    #6
    Ally_ally
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭Ally_ally


    kickoutthejams wrote: »
    When I went/whenver my friends went we'd just find somewhere to crash and hit the streets asking everywhere.

    Irish pubs are obviously the first point of call (Where most of us found work)

    What part of france was that that, most of ye got jobs in pubs?? Were ye fluent in french? I understand almost everything, but i'm not fluent! (don't have pub experience either....!) What are my chances?!


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    #7
    Lockstep
    Registered Users Posts: 9,029 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    It was in Strasbourg, 2 out of the 4 of us got jobs in pubs there. Nice enough place but searing heat in the summer. On the plus side, easy to go across the border to Germany when we felt like it and wanted to speak English.

    Wouldn't say I'm fluent in French but we went to secondary school in Brussels so our French was of a very good standard.

    Not having pub experience can be a tough one. I got a job in a pub here in Flanders without any prior experience or even speaking the language (just got lucky by the manager liking my interaction with customers and having an Irish accent) but it's really the luck of the draw.


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    #8
    Ally_ally
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭Ally_ally


    Ahhh feck! i don't know what to do so! I wouldn't mind as much if a group of friends were going over but none of my friends want to go. I'll have to make friends with ppl in the french society at college!!!! time to recruit a group!


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    #9
    Lockstep
    Registered Users Posts: 9,029 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    Might be a bit tough going on your own.
    It can be fairly hard to make new friends when bumming around like this in a strange country.

    It could work out fine of course but having a group as a security measure (really helps with job hunting) can be a great thing.


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    #10
    KathleenF
    Registered Users Posts: 333 ✭✭KathleenF


    Have you tried workaway.info? Lot of unpaid placements there and the odd paying job too. You could get your food and board and be immersed in the language too.


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    #11
    CantGetNoSleep
    Registered Users Posts: 7,209 ✭✭✭CantGetNoSleep


    Stay away from Marseille, dirty sh1thole is the only word for it

    Biarritz is a good place to try, a good few Irish always go there. Other than that you could try anywhere along the west coast, always cheaper accomodation

    Over by Nice could be ok too, but rent will be more expensive

    Other than that you could try a company like Keycamp to work in a campsite. You won't speak as much French but can still speak a lot if you make the effort, and have a job and accom sorted before you go


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