Antibes Travel Forum

Hi everyone. After 6 weeks in France in 2005, time to go back! Anyone heard of any reviews of the Centre International d'Antibes? I am looking for a good language school in either Nice or Antibes?
Many thanks

Hi

It's probably a too late for you but for anyone else who'd like to go to Antibes to do a language course: don't go to the Castel Arabel when you're older than 18 and if you'd like to sleep for at least 7 h per night! The C.I.A. courses were more or less ok (one of 4 weeks we had a very bad teacher, so this week was completely senseless, the rest was good). But the Castel Arabel is far away from what one wishes for a holiday. It's very noisy (it's always noisy because of the very thin walls but when there's a group of young italians you really shouldn't wish to sleep - it's impossible), you can use the kitchen only if you stay for at least 8 weeks and anyway it's dirty, in a very bad condition and you need to queue for one of the cooking pots because (in spring 07) there haven't been more than 3 pots and 2 frying pans for an accomodation of 60 beds, you may reckon that there isn't any warm water for some days, it's also possible that the whole building is in renovation (everything that can be broken is broken there), but of course you still pay the full price. And at the end, when there was enough reason for a complaint, the school will deny everything and will pay back not one cent. Conclusion (not only for me but also for all the others i've talked to): once and never again!!! Take another accommodation or even better, look for a private one.

No no no!!! Sorry this review is too late for you, but maybe it will save someone else from wasting a ton of money on a crap school. Centre International d'Antibes is horrible in almost every aspect. Teachers are fine, but classrooms are rundown and noisy, organization is practically nonexistant, and the housing options are awful. I had the misfortune of staying with a host family who screamed at each other, me, and the other students on a daily basis. Each day we woke up to angry words and lots of door slamming, and we were locked out of the house from morning until 7:30pm. At night we were locked in the house unless the host mother chose to let us out, and maybe decided to lend us a key. (I am over 30 and the other students in the house were over 21.) We were allowed one shower per day, and the shower didn't even drain properly, maybe because it was being shared between 7 people. There is lots more, but I think you get the basic idea. I couldn't deal anymore, management was not sympathetic to the situation, and I finally left with three weeks of classes to go, already paid for. I was not given even one cent of a refund, nor an apology for such a miserable experience and waste of money. There are other schools all over France. Do not waste your time and money on CIA.