- My arrival in Nice -
Do I need a visa to come
to France?
Nationals of the European Union don’t need a visa. Special
agreements exist with other countries and might allow you to
stay for up to 3 months without visa.
For detailed information have a look at: http://www.diplomatie.fr/venir/visas/
What do I have to bring
along (clothes, etc) ?
You can find all you need in Nice. To get an idea about the
weather : in winter temeratures are between 11 and 15°C
(50 and 60 °F), in spring and automn between 16 and 22°C
(60 and 70 °F) and in summer between 23 and 30°C (75
and 90 °F).
Voltage for electronic devices is 220/240 volts.
If I come
by car or motorbike, what do I need to know?
-
We drive on
the right side and speed limit is as following : 130 Km/h
(80 miles) on the motorway, 90 Km/h (55 miles) on roads and
50 Km/h (30 miles) in town.
-
Alcohol limit
is of 0,5 g for 1 liter of blood. This corresponds to about
2 glasses of wine.
-
Security belts
have to been fasten at front and back seats of the car.
-
You are not
allowed to use a mobile phone while driving.
-
Motorcyclists
have to wear a crash helmet and have to put headlights on.
-
Always fix your
motorbike or bicycle to a solid base by using a thief-proof
lock. Never leave personal affaires (bags, coats…) or
values in your car.
How will I get to my
accommodation? Is there a pick-up included ?
The geographical situation makes transportation in Nice very
easy. In case of host family accommodation, your family is offering
free of charge pick-up on arrival (but no pick-up between. 22.00
and 8.00).
For other accommodation types you have the following possibilities:
When arriving at the airport a taxi will take you in 20 minutes
to your accommodation for the cost of 25 / 30 €.
The Airport bus is less expensive (4 €) and you will reach
the town centre in less than 40 minutes.
When arriving at the train station you are already in the town
centre and can go to your accommodation by taxi (15 €)
or bus (1,5 €) in less than 10 minutes. You will receive
detailed information about local transport with your confirmation
package.
Regardless the accommodation type we will need your arrival
details (arrival time and place, flight or train no.) at least
3 days before your arrival date in Nice in order to arrange
a transfer or your reception in the accommodation.
How much « pocket
money » will I need?
Currency in France is the Euro.
To get an idea of your budget, here some prices in Nice :
1 coffee : 1,80€ // 1 coca-cola : 3€ // 1 pizza :
8,50€ // 1 sandwich : 3,50€ // 1 lunch : 9€ //
1 entrance in a disco including a drink: 20€ // 1 car rent
for a weekend : 100€ //
1 cinema entrance : 8€ // 1 entrance fee to a museum :
between 2 and 5 € // 1 bus fare 1,5€.
Which network for my mobile phone
?
In France, 90% of mobile communications are covered by 3 main
networks : Orange – SFR – Bouygues.
- Life in Nice -
Is Nice really expensive?
Contrary to what you might have been told, Nice isn’t
more expensive than other European cities of same impact. You
will find the same price structure as in Barcelona, Cologne,
Florence…
Like any other tourist site, you will of course pay your coffee
much more higher if you take it in a tourist place. Private
beaches, cafés of 4 star hotels or the pedestrian zone
means a price increase of 30 to 70%..
Same thing for your meals and your night life. A drink in a
« in » pub will be 2 to 3 times higher than in an
ordinary place. But isn’t that the same for any country
?
But it is right that lodging in Nice is quite expensive, and
not only for tourists but also for the inhabitants. VAT at 19,6%
for nearly any product besides food (here it is of 5,5%) might
be something you know from your own country.
I’m ill, what should
I do?
If you need an urgency, you should go to the Saint Roch hosptial
: Urgences de l’hôpital Saint Roch (24h/24h), 5
rue Pierre Dévoluy – Nice. Phone 04 92 03 33 75.
If you can’t go by your own, call 18 or 15 to get an ambulance.
In other cases you might only need a doctor’s visit at
your home. Call (24h/24h): S.O.S. Médecins Phone 04 93
85 01 01 or Médecins de garde Phone 04 93 53 03 03 or
Nice Médecins Phone 04 93 52 42 42. – (administration
and doctors are English speaking)
The formula E111 has to be given to the C.P.A.M. – International
Relations, Phone. 04 92 09 42 64.
Where is my consulate?
Any information at « Secrétariat Général
du Corps Consulaire des Alpes-Maritimes » in Nice.
Phone 04 93 88 01 49 or http://www.nice-coteazur.org/
Is Nice a dangerous city
?
Alpha.b is now running for 12 years and during this time we
had 5 cases where students were « attacked ». In
all cases students went home at night and were assaulted for
their money. No injuries or further pursuits took place. Nobody
of the 18 Alpha.b staff members had ever been attacked during
all the years they live in Nice.
But you really have to pay attention to pickpockets !
Especially during summer they are very busy in shops, in the
bus, in pubs and at the beach. We also highly recommend that
girls don’t return home on their own during night. There
is the possibility of being bothered by men. Usually, they aren’t
dangerours but it might be disquieting … Better take the
bus (1,50€ the fare and the night bus is running until
1.30am) or a taxi (about 15€, but ask the price for the
fare before ).
Police !
Phone : 17 or 04 92 17 20 31 Foreigners Deparment. Complaints,
loss or theft of passports, etc…
Commissariat de Police – 1 Avenue Maréchal Foch
– 06000 Nice
At what time do shops
and banks close?
Usually, shops are open from 9.00 to 19.00 from Monday to Saturday.
Banks, post offices and administrations are open from 8.30 to
17.00.
- My booking / My course
-
When do I have to book my
course at the latest?
-
If you don’t
need accommodation, you can still enroll one week before the
beginning of your chosen course. Nevertheless, you should
know that during high season and also for some courses, places
are limited.
To avoid any problem, we recommend to book your coure 4 weeks
before course start.
-
If in addition
to your course you want to book your accommodation through
Alpha.b, we highly recommend to send your booking as soon
as possible. For certain accommodation types, there might
be no availibility even 3 or 4 weeks prior to your course
start.
How and at what time
I have to come to the school on the first morning ?
Your first morning is set aside for the placement test which
starts at 9.00. You will have been told in your information
pack how to go to the school. However, don’t hesitate
to ask your host family or residence for any further information.
In any case, you should know that the school can be easily reached
by bus or by walking.
Once arrived
at school, may I change my course?
-
If you have
booked and started a Continuous French Course (20 lessons
per week) you can change in to an Intensif Course (30 lessons
per week ) or to a Combination Course (20+5 or 20+10 lessons
per week). It depends of course of availability and you will
have to pay the difference of the course price.
-
If you have
booked and started an Intensif French Course, you can change
to a Combination Course by paying the course difference. You
are also free to change your Intensif Course to a Continuous
Course but in this case there won’t be any refund as
for the price difference.
Can I change the course
level ?
Absolutely ! If you think that you haven’t been placed
in the right level, please talk immediately to your teacher
or the director of studies (Brenda or Sandra).
Is there any refund
if I want to leave before the end of my course ?
Please understand that space is booked for the whole time you
have stated in your booking. Therefore a programme already started
has to be paied in full. In case of illness or accident, you
will get a credit note for the remaining course fees.
What do I have to bring
to school?
Paper and a pen! (a dictionnary is recommended)
All other documents are delivered by the school : grammar book,
exercises, copies, newspapers, etc…
You can also bring your laptop and use the free WIFI connection.
Is there any study work
outside tuition?
Usually teachers give some homework to do. On request, they
can supply for additional exercises.
- My accommodation -
Most of your questions are treated
in the chapter « Accommodation » of this Website.
Go to the PDF file « General Accommodation Conditions
».
When do I have to book
my accommodation?
We highly recommend to book your accommodation as soon as possible.
During certain periods availability for certain accommodation
types is very limited.
Does my host family provide
for lunch?
No. Host family accommodation is on half board basis. Also it
is isn’t forseen that the student has access to the kitchen..
Does my host family take
breakfast with me?
Contrary to diner, which is a moment of exchange and talk to
share with the host family, you might take your breakfast on
your own. It actually depends if your host family has to leave
early for work, has children to bring to school, etc…
How does a typical host
family look like?
It becomes more and more difficult to find the nuclear host
family (father, mother and children). A big number of our host
families are single living people or divorced women with children.
May I invite friends
or my parents to stay with my host family ?
This is something which has to be decided by your host family
or your French host. Some accept easily, others don’t.
They might also ask you an extra charge. In any case you should
disuss the matter with her or him.
Can I change my host
family or French host?
Your accommodation is booked for the total length of your stay
and you should understand that any changing needs careful conideration
and justification.
Don’t hesitate to talk to Samantha, our housing coordinator.
Is there any refund if
I’m going to leave my accommodation before the end of
my stay ?
Your accommodation is booked for the total lengh of you stay
as indicated in your application form. No refund can be made
in case of anticipated departure.
Use of phone ?
You should know that high number of host familes only have mobile
phones. Therefore you can’t always be easily reached by
you friends or parents.
Does my hostfamily do
my laundry?
Laundry isn’t forseen in the general conditions we sign
with our host families. Nevertheless, a lot of families will
do it free of charge or by asking a little money. However, there
are laundries in every district of the city.
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