Studying in France means living in France and discovering what the French way of life is really like

A rich, varied landscape

The geography of France is one of the most diversified in Europe, with northern plains, ancient hills, and lofty mountain ranges, and with four bodies of water at its doorstep (the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean), France boasts 5,500 kilometers of shoreline. The variety of its countrysides and climates means that visitors can enjoy leisure activities all year round. At the heart of Europe, France is adjacent to nine countries – Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, Monaco, and Andorra – and offers many wonderful vacation destinations.

Closer to home

France boasts 4,600 movie theatres, 50,000 theatre shows per year, and 7,000 museums in Paris and throughout the country. All offer student discounts and subscription rates. Sit in a cafe– the heart of French social life – and read one of the country's seven national or 160 regional newspapers. As for France's famous literary life, books are readily available everywhere from large specialty stores to small corner bookshops.

The number of cultural festivals and celebrations – which take place all year long, but especially in the summer demonstrate France's international cultural diversity.

Be sure to take in the Angouleme International Comic Books Festival (January), Internet Festival (March), Printemps des Musees (April), Printemps de Bourges (April), Fete de la Musique (21 June), Fete du Cinema (June), Feria de Nimes (June), Festival d'Avignon (July), Jazz a Marciac (July), Eurockeennes de Belfort (July), Paris Quartiers dEte (July-August), Festival Interceltique de Lorient (August), Journees du Patrimoine (September), Braderie de Lille (September), and Transmusicales de Rennes (December), to name but a few.