Bonjour (et au revoir) chers Collègues,

À table ! Quand nous nous retrouvons autour des plaisirs de la France

Since 1997, The French Traveler has been bringing teachers of French to France every summer for professional development, cultural discovery, and quite simply, the joy of being together en français. Teachers from all corners of the United States have joined us, and many have returned year after year. They know firsthand the value of stepping away from the classroom and immersing themselves in French: refreshing their language skills, enriching their teaching, and deepening their understanding of the country and its people. And we especially love the chance to speak non-stop French!

Our stages d’immersion are designed to make contemporary France more accessible to teachers–and, by extension, to their students. Morning seminars and afternoon excursions fill our days, while evenings and free time leave plenty of room for exploration, conversation, and the occasional irresistible French plaisir.

Our seminars explore the topics and themes that enrich advanced French studies. We speak only French. We dine together in restaurants chosen for their authenticity. We visit museums, markets, monuments, neighborhoods, and places that bring France to life. We laugh—a lot. And when we’re not engaged in animated discussions about France today, we’re pooling ideas for new lesson plans, sharing classroom experiences, and finally finding time for the museums and bookstores we’ve been longing to visit.

And then there is the magic that happens simply by being together: the conversations that continue over coffee, the unexpected discoveries, the pleasure of spending ten days living à la française, the friendships that deepen then renew.

For our final summer together, in July 2027, I will be organizing la dernière classe–my final teacher workshop and cultural journey for French teachers that I have had the extraordinary pleasure of creating and leading for the last thirty years. We’ll head to Provence, a favorite destination of mine and of so many of our teachers. We’ll begin with a week in Marseille before moving on to Aix-en-Provence for our final four days, giving us the best of both worlds: the energy and remarkable history of the Mediterranean city and the scenery and the vibrant colors of the Provençal countryside.

Marseille is a surprising city—it is historically, culturally, and geographically fascinating. Founded by the Greeks, shaped by the Romans, and enriched over the centuries by Armenians, Italians, Spaniards, North Africans, pieds-noirs, and many others, Marseille is a stunning mosaic of peoples and traditions. The result is a city bursting with character—and with an endlessly fascinating mix of cuisine, color, and culture.

Our home in Marseille will be a deluxe hotel in the Prado district, where our seminars will also take place. From there, we’ll explore the city and fan out into the surrounding region on excursions and free days, eventually making our way to Aix-en-Provence and its vibrant backcountry for the final chapter of our séjour.

As always, we’ll have an outstanding class leader to guide us through our discussions and pedagogical explorations. Fabrice Basset, a native of Provence who teaches both histoire-géo and French, will introduce us to several thought-provoking and passionate subjects sure to spark ideas for your classroom and find their way into your lesson plans.

This will be a bittersweet stage for me. After thirty years of bringing teachers to France, it is difficult to imagine a summer without our familiar gathering, our seminars, our excursions, our long dinners, and the wonderful people who have made The French Traveler what it is. But I truly hope that long after ma dernière classe, you will continue to cross the Atlantic, walk the streets of French cities and villages, speak the language, sit at café terraces, discover the history, enjoy the food and wine—and, above all, continue transmitting our love of France to your students, which has been my mission all along. Inspire them to come to France, to speak the language, to sit at the cafes and do all the things we have shared and loved doing all these years. And with any luck, perhaps they will carry on the tradition.

I won’t be idle, however. The French Traveler will continue running trips in France during the off-season: April in Paris with “The Best of Paris,” early September in Bourgogne with the “Sip and Savoir Wine Tour,” and perhaps a February rendezvous in Provence, with a little sunshine, a lot of wine, and all the pleasures of southern France.

So, for one last summer, I hope you’ll join me. Come say goodbye with me. Come celebrate what we have shared. Come make one more set of memories together.

Valerie Sutter

Director, The French Traveler

Here’s a copy of the 2027 program in PDF form

And here’s a copy of our 2027 registration form (PDF)

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