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France

Living and Learning in Provence: Independent Stay and Study

Program No. 22213RJ
Could you live like a true Provençal? Find out on this six-week learning adventure in Provence as you stay in a local apartment and learn the arts and history of the region.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
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Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.

DATES & PRICES

1 Bed Apartment Studio
Accommodation Details

Comfortable one-bedroom apartment designed for up to two occupants.

Accommodation Details

Comfortable studio apartment designed for one occupant; studios range from 375-500 sq. ft.

DATES & PRICES

1 Bed Apartment
Accommodation Details

Comfortable one-bedroom apartment designed for up to two occupants.

At a Glance

Live like a true Provençal in Aix en Provence, a city as renowned for its culinary traditions as it is for its artistic heritage. Live in a hotel apartment and participate in weekly events learning local customs, meeting culinary artisans and exploring the museums and spaces that make Provence so unique. For an added experience – and additional tuition price – you can learn to “parler français” in daily language classes, try your hand at French cooking or do both by enrolling in the culinary and language tracks! A Road Scholar Group leader will be on call to support you throughout this independent experience. Please call to enroll in this special learning adventure.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Explore the city extensively on foot and via public bus. On field trips, walking up to two miles with some uneven terrain and stairs. Activity level is based on included program elements.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Immerse yourself in the culture of Aix-en-Provence as you take up residence in a conveniently located hotel apartment.
  • Select the culinary track for an additional tuition price and enjoy an added 12 culinary focused lectures and field trips.
  • Choose to add our language track to your curriculum for an additional tuition fee and learn to speak French during daily language classes.

General Notes

Our “Living and Learning” programs give you the experience of living in a foreign country independently. All participants will be enrolled in the Core Track which includes: an apartment in a residence hotel; a local Site Coordinator to support you; a few meals; a weekly expert-led field trip; one weekend-long excursion to Nice, including hotel; a city handbook and public transit pass. Additionally, you may choose to add on the Language Track. The Language Track includes classes four mornings a week and learning materials. Prices may vary depending on the educational track you choose. Go online or call for details. This program does not include airport transfers. Because of the special nature of this program, we request that you call us to enroll. Please call toll free at (800) 454-5768, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders
by Piu Eatwell
An alphabetized catalogue of quirky French culture and history tidbits.
Tasting French Terroir: The History of an Idea
by Thomas Parker
This book explores the origins and significance of the French concept of terroir (the specific taste of a particular place), demonstrating that the way the French eat their food and drink their wine today derives from a cultural mythology that developed between the Renaissance and the Revolution.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
by Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Cezanne and Provence: The Painter in His Culture
by Nina Maria Athanassoglou-Kallmyer
Cezanne departed from Paris in 1886 to permanently resettle in his native Aix-en-Provence. This book explores the importance of this place for the artist as well as the regionalist politics of his day.
The Markets of Provence: Food, Antiques, Crafts, and More
by Marjorie Williams
An in-depth pocket guide to 30 of the best markets in Provence. Dive into the heart of Provencal culture and navigate the markets like a local with maps, tips, and handy phrases.
Van Gogh in Arles
by Alfred Nemeczek
A study of Van Gogh in the stunning setting of Arles in Provence, the place of his death.
My Life in France
by Julia Child
The touching and famous story of Julia Child in France, where she learned to cook and fell in love with French cuisine, all in her own words.
Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett
One of the classics of English literature, this famous play is set in Provence. Two characters await a third, Godot, who never arrives.
Four Queens, the Provencal Sisters who Ruled Europe
by Nancy Goldstone
Transporting you back to back to the apogee of independent Provençal power in the Middle Ages, Goldstone captures the drama of 13th-century Europe in this history of the four daughters of the count of Provence -- future queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily.
The Yellow House
by Martin Gayford
Gayford chronicles the turbulent three months and texture of the daily lives of Van Gogh and Gauguin in Arles, where they worked side by side in 1888. With 60 B&W reproductions.
The Popes of Avignon: A Century in Exile
by Edwin Mullins
Grounded in the architecture and papal legacy in Avignon and the surrounding area, this engaging history sets the 70-year period of papal exile in the south of France against the context of Europe's turbulent transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Provence A-Z
by Peter Mayle
A companion to all things Provencal, from bouillabaisse to lavender and vinaigre, by the British expatriate and Francophile Peter Mayle.
A Year in Provence
by Peter Mayle
The original best-selling tale of an ex-pat settling down in Provence, told with warmth and a great deal of humor. It offers a wonderful inside look at the charms and quirks of the people and the countryside in the south of France.
Camembert: A National Myth
by Pierre Boisard
Camembert - delectably fragrant, creamy-centered, neatly boxed - is the most popular and most famous French cheese. Originally made by hand in the Norman countryside, it is now mass-produced internationally, yet Camembert remains a national symbol for France, emblematic of its cultural identity. In this witty and entertaining book, Pierre Boisard investigates the history of Camembert and its legend.
Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites
by Clotilde Dusolier
French food-related idioms are explained and delightfully illustrated in this playful meditation on the French language.
The Food & Wine of France: Eating & Drinking from Champagne to Provence
by Edward Behr
Behr seeks out the best of French food, in encounters from Champagne to Provence, to tell the stories of French artisans and chefs who work at the highest level. He shares what he learns from these experts on French traditions and how to best enjoy this food.
Two Towns in Provence
by M. F. K. Fisher
Celebrated food writer M.F.K. Fisher contrasts village life in Aix-en-Provence with bustling Marseilles, evoking both with anecdote and loving description.
Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport
by Daniel Young
An enticing portrait of a historically mischievous town, followed by a robust collection of recipes.
Provence: Food, Wine, Culture and Landscape
by Lars Boesgaard
A stunning portrait of an alluring, sun-drenched region. Whet your appetite for Provence with over 700 jaw-dropping images of the food, landscape, and local people.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.