Travel Writing: the South of France

Live and study in Montpellier, one of France’s fastest growing cities and an emerging cultural and educational center. Within easy reach of both mountains and the Mediterranean, and home to 100,000 university students, it is a young, vibrant city with a centuries-old history of intellectual advances and social tolerance. Montpellier is the ideal place to experience French culture and the "joie de vivre" as you delve into your own creative writing practice.

Study travel writing in Montpellier, France, on this program that dissolves the boundaries of traditional travel writing. Explore traditional and emerging genres—literature, art, film, reportage, podcasts, blogs, advertising, and social media—to examine how one of Europe’s most celebrated regions is represented in the popular imagination.

You have choice of 3 different accommodation types for this program (all the same cost and included in program fee). For more information about each housing option, read the Frequently Asked Questions (pdf) document.

You must submit a housing preference in your application by the stated deadline.  

Shared Apartment

Live with other program participants in typical French apartments. These are usually located either in the center of town or close to the universities. Your commute to/from the program center and university will be between 15–25 minutes. You will share the apartment with 1–3 other students from the program and should expect to share a bedroom. The program fee for this option does not include meals, but does include utilities. A $500 security deposit will be billed with your program fee. If you do not mind sharing space and can get along well with living in a community (including with your French neighbors), this is a good option.

Studio Apartment

Live in your own small studio apartment within a student residence (L'Observatoire Student Residence). The rooms are modern with a private bathroom and a small kitchenette. Each is furnished with a single bed and desk. There are several student residence buildings located either in downtown Montpellier or closer to campus. If downtown, you will be about a 15-minute walk from the program center and a 25-minute commute on the tram from the university. Other residences are a short 10-minute walk from the program center and a 20-minute commute on the tram from the university. This housing option does not include meals, but does include utilities. A $500 security deposit will be billed with your program fee. If you are independent, like your own space, and want to meet other students (French and international), this is a good option.

Homestay

Homestays provide a vital connection to the local culture, as well as the opportunity to experience French daily life. Host families provide breakfast and dinner during the week and all meals on the weekend. Most families live in the suburbs of Montpellier, approximately 30-45 minutes by bus, tram, and foot from the city center and from campus. If you wish to maximize your language practice and cultural development through regular family contact and are willing to be a part of a French family's lifestyle and schedule, this is a good housing option for you. This option includes includes daily breakfast & dinner. The level of integration you experience with your host family may vary—some families go to great lengths to make you part of the family while others take a more independent approach. Host families are an option even if you do not speak French.

Excursions may include visits such as:

• Arles, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and the Van Gogh Walk
• Un atelier de cuisine––local chef-led cooking workshop
• Weekend market at L'Isle sur la Sorgue
• Avignon and the Palais du Roure, Center for Provençal Culture
• Local food and artisan markets
• Weekend market at L'Isle sur la Sorgue
• La Panacée-MoCo, contemporary art museum
• Musee Fabre, Montpellier

It might be possible to deviate your return flight. Inquire with your program contact if interested.

• Develop independence by challenging yourself in a new environment
• Function as an effective team member by utilizing your personal strengths in a group setting
• Explore a specific topic through experiential and interdisciplinary approaches

Sarah Chandler, MFA is an Associate Faculty in Writing Studies in the College of Liberal Arts. Sarah has taught creative writing and academic writing at multiple institutions, including Amsterdam University College and Loyola University Chicago. As a journalist, Sarah's reportage and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, The Star Tribune, Minnesota Monthly, as well as several literary journals.

Information Sessions

Join in-person or over Zoom. Register and learn more about this and other events on our events page.

Summer 2025 cost of participation forthcoming

Program fees can vary widely due to location, cost of living, airfare, and program inclusions. The program fee generally includes tuition, group flight airfare, airport transfers, in-country program related transportation, housing, some meals, entrances to course-related excursions and site visits, program administration, and international health insurance. Generally, the program fee ranges from $7,500–$9,000. You must also budget for airfare, passport and passport photos, some meals, textbooks, independent travel, and miscellaneous living expenses.

**Note: there are 3 different housing options included in the program fee. You can choose which one works best for you, however, some include meals and some do not. You may need to plan for additional meal costs. See the About page for more details.

Recent increases in international airfare and accommodation costs have impacted all instructor-led program fees. The LAC strives to follow best practices to provide the lowest cost program while ensuring a quality academic experience.