• FAQ

About the school

Your level assessment test starts at 8.45am on the first day. You can arrive at the school from 9am.

To get to the school, you will have consulted the documents sent to you by the registration office at the Alpha.b Institute. In case of any doubt, do not hesitate to ask your host family, or your hotel residence which will inform you. In any case, know that the Institute is very easily accessible by bus, tram or on foot.

Our continuous classes take place Monday to Friday from 8.45 to 12.00. During high season and whenever necessary, there can be an alternative schedule with lessons from 15h30-18h45.

Afternoon classes for the Intensive French  and the Combination French Course start at 13:15.

Your precise timetable will be sent to you on the day of your arrival and will be available on the school’s mobile app.

During high season the continuous classes might take place from 15.30 to 18.45. This is not something you can choose. You will be assigned to a group of your level, according to the results of your level test, which may have lessons in the morning or in the afternoon.

For individual lessons you can give us your time preferences and we will do our best to respect your wishes.

Once you have booked and started a Continuous Course (20 lessons per week), you can change and take either an Intensive Course (30 lessons a week) or a Combined Course (20+4 or 20+8 lessons per week) according to availability and settling the difference in price.

Some paper and a pen! A dictionary can also be useful. On your first day you will be given access to the alpha.book online. It is a grammar online book produced by our teachers.

All other documents are provided by the school: authentic copies of documents *, newspapers etc…

(*The Alpha.b Linguistic Institute has paid for copyright from C.F.C -Centre Français d’Exploitation du Droit de Copie). You can also bring your laptop and connect to our WIFI for free.

Alpha.b provides all of its students with a school certificate with the duration of your stay, the number of classes that you attended and your level.

Minor students will receive an Assiduity Certificate as well.

Accommodation

If you choose to stay in accommodation while you do your course, we advise booking it as early as possible because the chosen preferences are almost always unavailable 3 to 4 weeks beforehand.

No, it is not provided under the general terms and conditions that the student may use the kitchen. You can buy hot and cold drinks at the institute and can also have lunch for 5 to 15 € in the snack bars and restaurants near the school. We provide you with all of this information on the day of your arrival and during you free visit to Nice

Depending on the schedule of each person (work, children etc …), breakfast may be eaten alone. The evening meal is eaten with the family.

In alpha.b French school, we take into account all your food allergies or food choices to find you the best family.

We regularly have vegetarian, vegan or gluten free students and all our French families are well aware of the different diets and what they imply.

When you book your stay with us, let us know in advance your allergies or food diet and there won’t be any problem for you to live with a French family.

If you have any question, don’t hesitate to write or talk to our administrative team.

Supplement for special diets (vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free) : 35€ per week

It is increasingly difficult to find host families with a “full” family unit (father, mother, children). Many of our families are single parent families.

This provision is at the discretion of your host family or your French host. Some of them do not allow it, others in special circumstances and others for a fee. In all cases, please discuss it with them.

For underage student, a free laundry per week is included for 2 weeks stays.

This is not provided for in our general terms and conditions, but many families will offer to wash them for free or by sharing the cost.
In all cases, there are automatic launderettes in every district.

With a host family, everyone tidies their room everyday so that your host or hostess may have access to it and keep the premises clean. Also be aware that a little help is always appreciated. In the “French host” arrangement, you are responsible for cleaning of your room and communal areas (kitchen and bathrooms) that you use. Products and equipment are provided to you by your host.

Life in Nice

It is not necessary for any citizen of the European Union to have a visa.

Special agreements with certain countries outside the E.U also mean that a visa is not required.

For more information, please consult this website: http://www.diplomatie.fr/venir/visas/

With a half-board host family accommodation arrangement, your host family will ensure free transport on arrival. Attention: there is no free transport between 9pm and 8am and there is no free return.

For other accommodation arrangements, it is very easy to get to your accommodation once you have arrived in Nice. The airport is about 20 minutes from your accommodation by taxi (50€) or about 20 minutes by tram (10€) to the city-centre.

From the Train station, a bus (1.70€) or a taxi (around 20€) will take you in less that 15 minutes to your place.

Whatever the chosen type of accommodation, it will be important to tell us your arrival time and train or flight number 3 or more days before your arrival. (All of this information will be detailed in our confirmation letter after we receive your registration form).

The currency in France is the Euro. To give you an idea of our prices…

1 coffee : 2 € // 1 coca cola : 4 € // 1 pizza : 12€ // 1 sandwich : 6 € // 1 lunch : 15 € // 1 entry into a night club including a drink : 20 € // 1 rental of a car for a weekend: 150 € // 1 cinema ticket: 13 € // 1 museum entry between 5 and 20 € // 1 bus or tram ticket: 1,70 €.

Nice isn’t any more expensive than other European towns in the same category. Of course, like all towns in attractive areas, if you have a coffee in a popular and attractive place, you will ‘pay for the location’, perhaps even 30 to 70% more than if you were to have a coffee in a different district. The same goes for meals, going out in the evenings and drinks in fashionable pubs.

For all information about the Secrétariat Général du Corps Consulaire des Alpes-Maritimes in Nice visit www.nice-coteazur.org or ring : +33 4 93 88 01 49

Would you like to book your stay?

CLICK HERE