Learn French Immersion Stay Avignon Provence Reviews

Andrea M 2025.07.09

     

I spent an amazing week in April 2025 immersed in the French language and culture with Julie in beautiful Avignon, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Before arriving in France, I had a few online lessons with Julie, which I highly recommend. Not only did it give me a head start on preparing for the immersion, but it also allowed us to get to know each other a little beforehand, making the transition into the in-person experience smooth and comfortable. From the moment I arrived, I felt completely supported and encouraged. Julie is a wonderful teacher—kind, patient, and genuinely invested in helping you improve. She creates a relaxed, confidence-building atmosphere and gently guides you to speak without worrying about making mistakes. What made the experience so special was how naturally the learning was integrated into everyday life. The classroom was not only at the accommodation—I had lessons in cafes, restaurants, gardens, and at the boulangerie and the market. It was incredibly helpful to hear and practice how French is really spoken in daily situations. I felt my comprehension improve noticeably, and I was using phrases confidently during the rest of my travels in France. The accommodation itself is beautiful, ideally located in central Avignon, and very comfortable. The breakfasts and lunches were varied, fresh, and absolutely delicious. Julie also shared lots of helpful tips for exploring the region, which added even more richness to the experience. Overall, this immersion was such a rewarding experience. My French improved significantly in just one week, and I came away with not only new language skills but also wonderful memories. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to truly boost their French in a supportive, authentic, and inspiring setting. Merci beaucoup Julie ☺️

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Michael Field 2025.06.13

     

Le Francais chezJulie: French immersion is , without question, the best way to learn to speak and feel comfortale in France. I won't cover all the amenities and all the advantages of my immersion with Julie, except to say unequivocally that it is the best experience you will ever have. Looking and reading her profile and web site is all that is necessary to get the full picture. You will have the full educational and cultural experience that you imagine , because it absolutely will exceed your expectations. I am returning this fall for another week, and could not be more excited. Not only to visit with Julie, but because I now feel immersed into "French culture". My suggestion is to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Michael

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Dianne Adelberg 2025.05.26

     

The French immersion with Julie was one of the best cultural and learning experiences I've ever had. Julie is a delight. She both takes the lead on your areas of weakness and also is responsive to the areas in which you wish to improve. I appreciated how she explained pronunciation of vowel combinations, including the correct position of the mouth and tongue. One area in which she helped me enormously was the correct way to say "yes" and "no" when being offered something. Spoiler alert: it is not just "oui" and "non." It took me a long time to automatically respond using the polite phrases, but here is a charming story: My husband and I spent one night at the Ritz Paris before flying home to celebrate my birthday. Using the correct phrases for "oui" and "non" gave me so much confidence at our dinner in the Ritz's Bar Vendôme. The next day when the bellman asked me in English if I wanted a bottle of water for the taxi ride to the airport and I said "Volontier!" instead of "oui," he said (in French), "That's right, I should speak to you in French." Another area in which Julie helped me was cultural context/cultural awareness. I am able to read articles in Paris Match magazine without having to look up more than about 10-15 words per article, but the attitudes/cultural nuances can be a mystery. I so enjoyed going over the articles I had read with Julie because she was able to give me background and context on cultural nuances. Apartment and neighborhood: The apartment is beautiful and spacious, has a washer and a dishwasher. Julie had placed fresh flowers in the living room and bedroom which I greatly enjoyed. The apartment is close to everything -- restaurants, the Monoprix grocery/drug store, the Palais des Papes (central Avignon inside the rampart walls is just not a huge place). For people who like to run or walk, it is easy to cross a bridge onto an island that has extensive walking and running paths. The view of Avignon from across the river is magnificent. Also, the apartment had a yoga mat!! I wanted to mainly focus on the French language, so we did only one excursion outside of Avignon, but Julie has many ideas for excursions/experiences depending on your interests. I wanted the experience of going into a floral shop and discussing flowers for a gift bouquet for my husband who arrived on my last day, so we did that (this is a far cry from tossing a pre-done, wrapped in plastic bouquet into your Costco cart in the US). Julie is well traveled, highly educated, kind, cheerful, and completely focused on the needs of the student. I think she could adapt to all levels. I would definitely go back for another week.

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Hamish Annie 2024.12.31

     

Highly recommend! I had the most wonderful immersion experience with Julie. She is warm, funny, and so generous with sharing her culture. After years of studying from textbooks in classrooms, Julie added a new dimension to my French in the sense of using a language in real life as locals would. She encouraged me to speak in real life situations whenever the opportunity arose. Her flat is beautiful, spacious, and full of history! Julie is passionate about history and knows about so many hidden gems and interesting anecdotes. She also has lots of good recommendations on things to do, restaurants to eat at, places to visit etc. I can not wait to go back and do it again!!

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Veronica Kerr 2024.12.20

     

I spent a memorable week with Julie. I found her to be warm, patient, kind, extremely interesting and knowledgeable. There were so many topics that we could talk about. It meant a lot to me to be able to spend this time in France in an immersive situation and Julie made it very special indeed. I can only reiterate all the other reviews, the apartment is spacious, beautiful and in a very central location. Julie provides fresh, healthy meals and is great company. She has the art of making people feel instantly at ease. I felt confident speaking French whilst in Avignon, a first for me. Julie quickly targeted the areas that needed improvement thus ensuring a truly personalised experience and such a wonderful opportunity to make significant progress. I hope to return and highly recommend Chez Julie. Thank you, Julie, you exceeded all my expectations.

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Megan Larsen 2024.11.11

     

If you’re looking to learn French in an unforgettable way, I can’t recommend Julie Gaudin’s language experience in Avignon enough! Julie is an extraordinary teacher whose passion for both the language and culture shines through every lesson. She goes above and beyond simply teaching vocabulary and grammar—she immerses you in the beautiful rhythm of French life, so learning feels natural and deeply connected to real-world experience. Julie guided us on incredible excursions that brought Avignon and its surroundings to life, from historical sites to hidden gems only locals would know. Her warmth and expertise created a relaxed, welcoming environment that made learning enjoyable and effective. And to top it all off, Julie prepared the most delicious lunches for us—each meal a delicious homemade culinary journey in itself, filled with authentic flavors that showcased her love for French cuisine. My time with Julie was an experience I’ll cherish forever, and I left Avignon not only with improved language skills but with a true connection to French culture. If you want to learn French in a way that’s immersive, inspiring, and absolutely delightful, Julie Gaudin is the teacher to seek out!

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d.lothompson317 2024.09.30

     

To say I was a little apprehensive to put my French skills to the test is an understatement. It took about 2 seconds to realize that we were in good hands with Julie. Not only did she make us feel comfortable to try our speaking skills, she helped us build the confidence needed to go out in public and speak French with the locals. For those of us who have taken French classes at home, we have good book learning, but what we need is practical experience, and that's what we got! Everyday we had fun but challenging learning opportunities that helped move us forward with pronunciation and strategies to get along confidently in public. Julie created a running document that incorporated all the lessons we had during our week-long class that is ours to keep and refer back to forever! Her corrections were gentle and super relevant to take us from book learning to practical speech. I can't say enough or express my gratitude enough to demonstrate how appreciative I am to have had this experience with Julie. Julie is smart, extremely likable, funny and holy cow, what a great cook! Our apartment was well appointed and very centrally located in Avignon so that once 'school is out' we could easily explore beautiful and historical Avignon. Thank you, Julie!!!

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Joe 1313 2024.09.22

     

Our stay with Julie was delightful, informative, and challenging! The apartment is beautiful and the food, delicious. Julie is a wonderful hostess, teacher and tour guide. With Julie we visited sites based on our interests, and on our own, other places recommended by Julie. My husband and I came to French with Julie from different past experiences: I, a lapsed French student from 50 years ago; my husband, a novice in French with some Spanish. Julie patiently guided each of us through our challenges and on to some successes. I had to unlearn my old academic French to appreciate Julie’s emphasis on everyday conversational French. My husband had it a bit easier because he was learning French for the first time with an assist from Spanish. We were quite a pair, but Julie never faltered! We can’t thank her enough for her patience in teaching me what at times seemed like almost a new language and for giving my husband a basic and inspiring introduction to French. Highly recommend!

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Adrienne Trembly 2024.09.04

     

I’ve just finished up a week with Julie and have already booked 2 more weeks for next year. Yes, she’s that good! All of the reviews are spot on so I will try and add something to supplement the other reviews. I really liked how Julie used her intuition to challenge me every day. She guided me during the lessons and during our conversations towards new expressions and areas of difficulty right up to the point where my brain simply couldn’t absorb any more. She always sensed when my brain was needing some time to process the new information. (And there is a lot of new info…I’m amazed how I’ve been speaking French for years and have never learned most of what she taught me…it was eye opening). She would then slow things down a bit and we would play a game with french vocab or tell stories. This was an extremely effective way to build my confidence up and “unblock” my brain, as I could fall back on what I was already confident in. Once I was relaxed again, we would dive back in to the more difficult stuff. It’s a great approach. I never felt left behind or pushed too far. The other plus of selecting Julie’s place for an immersion program is the town of Avignon. It has plenty to keep you occupied without the craziness of a big city. The local train station makes visiting the region in between lessons an easy option, with Nîmes, Arles, and I’Isle sur la Sorgue 30 minutes away or less by train. If you have a car the options are endless. Plenty of restaurants, shops, alleyways full of locals chatting and many pleasant squares

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Jay Moody 2024.06.22

     

OMG! If you are an intermediate level French speaker, I SUPER HIGHLY recommend Julie's course. I've recently done 2 other intensive home-stays and taken intensive group and individual classes at two different schools in France as a part of a 10-week adventure, and Julie's course opened my eyes in a way that none of these others did. The main difference is that Julie teaches you real French, like the French that French people really speak (even when they themselves don't always realize it). I see now that my other schools (which were also good in their own ways) have been teaching me textbook French. Julie has an amazing ear and is extremely focused. And she has developed her own fast-paced methods that help you quickly practice and perfect the things you are learning -- totally unlike anything I experienced at my other schools. No wonder she is almost always fully booked. Otherwise, her apartment is beautiful and beautifully situated in the heart of Avignon. She's an amazing cook, and very responsive to your culinary needs and likes. And she's just fun to be around! Let me add that if you are a beginner or very advanced, I suspect that she is also good -- but I just don't know since that wasn't my situation (I'm about level B1/B2, if you know what that means). Also, her course is pretty intensive and probably best for people who are highly motivated and really want to improve. For me anyway, it was high-intensity and high-impact. On my last day in Avignon, after a week with Julie, I had a 30-minute conversation with a local barber who spoke zero English that I simply could not have had the week before. My French will forever be separated now into "before Julie" and "after Julie." Merci, Julie, for opening my eyes and ears!!

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Nancy Bagranoff 2024.06.05

     

Our French immersion experience could not have been better. My friend and I were interested in trying something a little different from a regular vacation and we both wanted to become more fluent in French. Staying in a centuries-old apartment, walking the streets of Avignon, and being tutored by a talented and patient (!) tutor, made for a unique experience. Julie is amazing! She made learning fun and the lesson time flew by. Something of a surprise was that, in addition to the French immersion, we were treated to her talented cooking. The breakfast and lunch she provided were my personal most exquisite meals I’ve had in France, and I’ve been there several times. For our whole day excursion, we visited Aix and I recommend that choice! The entire week is one we will always remember.

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Paul Keefer 2024.05.22

     

Many ideas come to mind when describing Le Français chez Julie. Versatility is certainly among them. But the superlatives are numerous. Julie is a quick read and perceptive. She knows almost immediately what you can and can’t do. Seldom do I meet someone who can match my ability to totally commit in a chosen pursuit. Julie goes after it right from the start! That was impressive. Julie approaches learning/teaching with exceptional vigor. Like a skilled surgeon she pinpoints problem areas then moves effortlessly to correct each one. It’s a rare individual who can conduct rigorous learning sessions free of stress. But she does. Uncanny how Julie’s gregarious nature melds uniquely with her diligence. It makes you wonder in which area she excels more- warm personal relationships or her ability to successfully move learners ahead. She nimbly records each session realtime, so you come away with a document that serves as a roadmap for further French pursuits. Julie also identifies the learning tools, games and podcasts that serve you best both during and after your program is complete. It’s an ingenious and extremely practical method! The spacious apartment that becomes all your own is amazing. It’s a place that is exquisite, homey and “close to it all.” Think comfort and livability with stunning beauty too. That’s what Julie gives you. Remarkable.In terms of the food you’ll be served, Julie has the incredible ability to combine your personal preferences with French culinary excellence (both regional and seasonal items). Yum and wow both! My very first exposure to French was in my mid-forties. After a lot of effort, this septuagenarian decided to thrust himself into intense French learning for this first time. So I can’t compare Julie to others in this field. But I have experienced many situations with all kinds of very successful people. Truly, Julie is a gem. Sherry (my non French learning wife) and I were quite impressed at the breadth of her abilities, both as a person and as a teacher. We felt overwhelming gratification with the whole encounter.

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Jeannie Mundle 2023.12.07

     

Going to France to learn French has been something I've been daydreaming about for many years and this experience with Julie in Avignon was more than I ever could have dreamed. I got to spend two wonderful weeks with Julie learning about the French language and culture. Before arriving in Avignon I did some online learning, so I had a beginner/intermediate level but was not speaking. My main goal was to build on my vocabulary, grammar and listening skills but to actually gain some confidence to speak (even if just a little). Well, thankfully Julie is such a kind and patient person and teacher so she really put me at ease. I saw such an improvement in myself in a short amount of time so I'm forever thankful to her for that. Languages do not come easy to me so she had her work cut out for her! Beyond the amazing French lessons, every day was perfect. The apartment was absolutely beautiful and so well situated, it was dreamy to stay there. The breakfast and lunch Julie prepared everyday (all homemade) was so delicious. She really made it seem effortless making me such delicious plant-based food, this was such a treat. I loved that everything was local and she sourced special bread for breakfast, fresh juice and made every meal memorable. As well, she has so much local knowledge and you can tell she really loves what she does. We explored all of Avignon and then she helped to select the perfect excursions in and outside of the city. The whole experience with Julie was truly spectacular, I can't say enough. I look forward to returning and continuing my French education with her! --Jeannie Ottawa, Canada

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Nan Deniston 2023.10.10

     

My sister, husband and I spent a week in Julie's lovely 17th century apartment in Avignon recently. Julie is a very experienced, energetic, fun and professional French teacher. Even though we were 3 students at different levels she really worked hard to make sure each of us improved our level of spoken French. She really focused on "speaking like modern French people speak" with tons of tips on contractions, common phrases, memorising liaisons, avoiding easy mistakes, conversation games, etc. This is exactly what most French language learners really need to integrate better into French culture. She also created copious notes that we can review in the future and keep as an important database and memory aid. Unfortunately, we couldn't taste her famous cooking because she was getting over an illness but it didn't hamper our progress and enjoyment of her classes. The apartment is very spacious and extremely well located only a 5-10 minute walk from the Avignon centre train station. It was well supplied with spices, teas, coffee, condiments, soaps, shampoo, paper goods, etc. There is also a washing machine and drying rack. I would not hesitate to book a repeat immersion class because the whole experience was very fun and productive. Avignon is a gorgeous city full of lovely museums, medieval art and architecture, lovely mansions, and it has a gorgeous setting along the river. We could have easily spent an additional week with Julie and not seen everything Avignon has to offer. Do not hesitate to book an immersion experience with Julie. We are so glad we did! Merci Julie, a la prochaine!

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V 2023.07.11

     

We had a wonderful immersion experience with Julie Gaudin in Avignon. Julie’s 17th century apartment is 5 star. As one reviewer said, the photos do not do it justice – and the photos are stunning enough. In addition to our huge and beautiful bedroom and bathroom, there was a separate, smaller bedroom with its own bathroom. The lounge room was, again, large and stylish, and the kitchen had everything necessary to accommodate those who cooked - as well as those who did not, but wanted to stock up, including a climate-controlled wine fridge. Having been away from home for quite a while, we also appreciated having a washing machine. The apartment is in the heart of old Avignon, with shops and supermarkets just around the corner. Julie lives elsewhere so, outside of lesson time, you have the apartment to yourself. But we were in Avignon for French lessons. Julie’s teaching skills are 5 star too. Julie is a very experienced teacher who focused on our spoken French, at the same time strengthening our repertoire of grammar. Julie used a variety of techniques to help us, and broke up what could have been a very long morning with language games and visits to nearby cafes – as well as a lot of humour. Indeed, her classes were much enhanced by her lovely, bubbly and very “chaleureuse” personality. She is a gem. After asking about our preferences, every day Julie made us our preferred breakfast and a delicious French lunch. In the evening, there are some fabulous places close by where you can eat if you choose not to cook. We were there in early June and enjoyed many drinks and wonderful evening meals in the glorious and leafy courtyards of old Avignon. Julie was great at providing excellent recommendations. Julie was also very accommodating of our own needs. Her flexibility regarding arrangements made our stay particularly easy and special. Our daughter from Vienna was able to join us for a while and we were also able to deviate from the set program of outings. Thanks again Julie for helping us out! A little advice: we recommend staying longer than the immersion course. Take your time. Avignon and its environs are amazing and there is so much to see. We arrived in Avignon a few days before our immersion. This gave us an opportunity to visit places that would not have fitted into an “immersion” day, especially as we did not have a car. In Avignon itself, there is no need for a car at all, and there are many other places (e.g., Arles) that are very easy to get to by train while you are staying in Avignon with Julie. However, we did book a private tour of the beautiful Luberon Valley, which is not so accessible if you do not have transport. The tour was run by Provans and it was amazing. We wished we had had more time to do more Provans tours – not cheap, but very personal and very, very good. You will learn a lot of French and much more from Julie – and you will love Avignon and its neighbouring villages. Come and stay a while with Julie! Vera and Frank Morgan

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Frank Geofreda 2023.06.19

     

Our two weeks spent in Avignon speaking and studying French with Julie were even better than we had hoped for. Though we have very different levels of ability, Julie’s well-organized exercises, lively conversation and day-to-day interactions meant we could work together to improve our French. As others have mentioned, Julie is an amazing cook, a highly knowledgeable linguist and a warm and welcoming person to spend time with! As well, the apartment located inside Avignon’s historic walls provides a perfect base for walking the city and visiting the many beautiful towns nearby. We thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from our time, and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to sharpen their French skills before spending some time exploring France. Julie’s focus on how the French actually speak and use their language in daily interactions meant we were better able to understand and talk with people in the following weeks in our travels around the country.

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Birgitta Hammar 2023.04.07

     

Formidable!

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JanetH 2023.04.01

     

Julie’s teaching method really works! Before my 2 weeks with her, I had learned a good deal of grammar and vocabulary but had difficulty retrieving them when speaking. Now I’m able to put sentences together and speak with much more fluidity! Julie’s apartment is charming, and the large bedroom is fit for a queen. Avignon is a wonderful city - just the right size with plenty of things to do, but not overwhelming. Sunny south of France, fun teacher, and now more independence speaking. Parfait!

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Marilyn Endriss 2023.03.31

     

A friend and I spent two weeks Chez Julie in March, 2023. Both of us are retired and have been taking French classes through Alliance Française in the US as well as other language programs in France for the past three years. We’re probably at A.2/B.1 level of competency, give or take. Julie arrived at the student apartment – oui, it is as spacious, light and well-appointed as advertised! – at 9 each weekday morning, and we began our day together while enjoying a healthy petit-déjeuner. Morning lessons were held in the salon. Afterward, she prepared our déjeuner, using fresh, local ingredients to create a delicious entrée (salad), plat (main dish) and dessert. After a leisurely lunch and conversation (en français), Julie left at 2:30, and we were free to stroll through Avignon and enjoy the many winding lanes, cafés, shops, parks and attractions. Twice a week, we took excursions after our morning lessons and enjoyed exploring nearby villages. Dinners were on our own; Avignon has plenty of very good restaurants (modest to high-end). Our first week’s lessons focused on practical, conversational grammar, vocabulary and honing pronunciation. Julie used a variety of teaching methods and activities (exercises, games, conversation) to engage us while building on our strengths and addressing our challenges. She changed things up during our second week, having observed that we had the basics in our brains but needed to practice speaking. So, the theme of our second week was “Parlez, parlez, parlez!”  And, “Parler, c’est ce qu'on a fait!” We played games and told each other stories while Julie coached us, helped us with pronunciation and wrote down whatever we got stuck on so we could go back later and see the word, the grammar rule, the sentence structure that had challenged us. We had fun! Both my friend and I made substantial progress in our oral comprehension and fluency! Our two weeks flew by! I wish we had stayed for three! “Le français chez Julie” receives 10 stars from me! An ideal location, lovely, comfortable accommodations, delicious, home-cooked meals and, most importantly, a skilled, insightful professeure who was kind, patient, fun to be with and helped me gain confidence and significantly improve my French – C'était tout ce que j'espérais et plus ! Marilyn, Seattle WA March 20233

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Cole Stinn 2023.02.08

     

Quelle expérience incroyable !! Ma semaine avec Julie était super, un mélange parfait de conversion naturelle et de tâches concentrée…mon niveau de français s'est amélioré. L'appartement est magnifique et calme et a tout ce dont vous avez besoin. Il y a tellement de choses à faire à Avignon, et c'est une ville formidable pour pratiquer votre français. Les gens sont très patients :)

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