Annecy Travel Forum

Hello,i'm going to annecy in july and i would like to know a little bit more about IFALPES ANNECY : proffesors, trips, family... does anyone have gone?do you know if there are teenagers learning french in summer?
Plus, could you tell me what could i do in the evening? i mean...is there any pub, discos, festivals...?
thank you!!

I went to the school last summer, from April-June. Most of the students are in their late teens/early twenties, with some in their late twenties and a very few older. The school and the professors are VERY good, I learned a great deal and was very happy with the experience. The only downside to your trip is that you will be there for the American invasion. April and May were great, very diverse classes with people from all over the world, but in June a couple hundred American college students arrive for the summer and basically take over the school (I am an American). They were loud, rude (had conversations in English in the back of the classroom while the teacher was speaking, and this in the most advanced class!) and generally seemed to feel like the entire school was there for their sake. It was embarrassing. In the US, we write this behavior off as typical of "kids that age," but let me tell you, people that age are nowhere near that immature in most of the world.

Ugh, rant over. Apart from all that, Annecy is a truly gorgeous town, one of the most beautiful places I've ever lived. Make sure to rent a bike from the train station (bring a student ID from home - you can only get one from the school of you stay at least 3 months). They are only 5Euros a month with student ID! The lady who rents them is really mean, though, so try to be charming to her. There's an irish pub that a lot of the students go to, which is a lot of fun in the evenings. I forget the name, but there's only one in town. The whole area around the tiny river is lined with restaurants that stay open late and put chairs out on the terrace, so you're sure to find a place to hang out. Or just grab some friends from school, a couple bottles of wine and go hang out at the park. No discotheques nearby, really, although there's one about a 30 minute drive by taxi. Make sure to eat moules marinieres at the Brasserie de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV). Delicious! Also, lots of great hiking, kayaking, beaches. It's WONDERFUL!

Oh also, there are lots of little pubs around, but most of the time some student was having a party on the weekend, so most Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Thursdays...well, a lot,.....we were partying at someone's apartment.

I went to CILFA for 11 weeks April - June in Annecy. If IFALPES is any good, the teachers there should let you know about local festivals and things like this. Of course the students form their own community too, but try to break from that once in awhile and see some culture outside the apartment parties if you can. Annecy is a wonderful town - you will love it.

Hi, I've been to Ifalpes and enjoyed it very much.
The school is located right at the lake, closed to the old city. Very friendly teachers, good programm and various offer of excursions. No boring weekends as there is lots and lots to do! Went on a tandemflight over lake Annecy (check in Talloires) that was the greatest experience!
Came back for private holidays for more then 3 years now!

I'm glad I'm not the only one with questions. I hope it's all right if I ask mine here. I'm going in January, and I'm still not sure whether or not I need a Resident Card/Visa. Did any of you who went need one (fellow North Americans)? As well, for shared apartments, I assume you're responsible for your own linens, pots/pans, etc. Just how much is there provided in the apartments? What should I expect?