Abbey Language Travel

29/01/2024

🌟What a trip it’s been! 🥳

ABBEY Language Travel was delighted to welcome its Australian and New Zealand delegates back home last week after a very successful trip to Geneva for the Lycée Ferney Voltaire FerMUN Conference! 600 delegates from 22 countries met at the International Labor Organisation (ILO) in Geneva for 3 days of debates in committees, on the model of the famous United Nations, and discussed issues related to worker’s rights, governments duties and other labor-related topics. It was a fascinating 3 days and a chance for students to meet Ambassadors, Representatives of UN agencies and get a good taste of diplomacy, not to mention develop their network!

This fantastic experience was enhanced by a rich program of French lessons, homestay in local French families and cultural visits to the Red Cross, the World Health Organisation, the New Zealand Embassy and the CERN, all this under several inches of thick snow, for a truly memorable, unique tour!

For a taste of what the tour was like, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/kijsog7fX2A

ABBEY has been delighted to organise this opportunity for Australian and New Zealand students interested in international diplomacy, and can’t wait to receive Expressions of Interest for their 2025 FerMUN Conference & Diplomacy Tour! 🥳

Teachers & students alike may contact us for more information: [email protected]

25/12/2023

Happy Christmas from the ABBEY girls to all our friends in NZ, AU and around the world

17/08/2023

🎉VISIT OF FRENCH STUDENTS TO WOODFORD HOUSE 🎉

Following Woodford House students’ visit to Lycée International de Ferney - Voltaire in France in January 2023 to attend the Ferney Model United Nations Conference, Woodford House
was delighted to receive and host French delegates in New Zealand a few weeks ago! French students enjoyed spending a week at Woodford House, wearing the school uniform and blending in with their peers. They also enjoyed trips to Rotorua, Taupo (zip-lining and bungy jumping among other things!), Marlborough Sounds, Nelson and Wellington. The Lycée girls had a wonderful time with their Kiwi peers and even got a chance to speak in assembly, impressing everyone with their English fluency and their overall high caliber!

ABBEY wishes to congratulate all delegates and organizers on the success of this 2023 FerMUN exchange, and is looking forward to the upcoming January 2024 FerMUN conference, for which 11 high profile delegates from St Peter's School, Woodford House, Iona College (New Zealand) and Abbotsleigh (Australia) are currently preparing!

For more info on Ferney Model United Nations Yearly Conference and how to apply (students) or recommend a candidate (teachers), please contact us!

09/08/2023

🎉EXCITING NEWS!🎉

ABBEY Language Travel now offers 2 new and unique destinations in SPAIN:

💃SEVILLE, the “jewel of Andalucia” in the south, with its exquisite Baroque cathedral, its well-preserved Roman city of Italica and its 'Reales Alcazares', the Moorish Palace. The Spanish school, located in the heart of the old town offers a fabulous immersion into the lively streets, cafés and lively atmosphere of Spain while giving students a chance to meet other students, practice their Spanish and boost their speaking confidence!

🎓Our second new destination, SALAMANCA, a stone’s throw from Madrid, famous for its ancient university and its bustling student life, attracts students from all over the world, coming to learn Spanish and experience the excitement and warmth of the Spanish culture and lifestyle. The Spanish school is located at the heart of the university district, providing learners of Spanish with a unique cultural and linguistic experience that they will never forget!

To find out more about these new destinations, request a sample itinerary or a personalized quote, please reach out to us:
- message us on Facebook
- or email: [email protected]

Photo credit:
1. nathan618 from Pixabay
2. Alex Olzheim from Pixabay
3. katiebellaschi from Pixabay
4. Dario Alvarez from Pixabay

10/04/2023

Bon Voyage Abbotsleigh Girls !! Tahiti is waiting for you! We have prepared a fun-packed immersion week for you to enjoy! We can't wait to hear your great stories! 🤩🥳

28/02/2023

Miss you guys!

Congratulations Delegates ! A fantastic group of students from Australia and New Zealand has just returned from a trip to Geneva in the heart of the International Organisations, where they successfully took part in the Model United Nations’ Conference organized by Lycée Ferney Voltaire! Tour participants had a chance to meet international delegates from all over the world (510 students from 20 countries!); defend positions on international debates; visit and meet representatives from International Organisations such as the WHO; study French, share the daily life of a local family and get to know their French peer before hosting them back in July! What an amazing opportunity to expand their horizon, build up their international network and boost their French! They all enjoyed the experience tremendously and can’t wait to return to Europe! 🤩

25/01/2023

Congratulations Delegates ! A fantastic group of students from Australia and New Zealand has just returned from a trip to Geneva in the heart of the International Organisations, where they successfully took part in the Model United Nations’ Conference organized by Lycée Ferney Voltaire! Tour participants had a chance to meet international delegates from all over the world (510 students from 20 countries!); defend positions on international debates; visit and meet representatives from International Organisations such as the WHO; study French, share the daily life of a local family and get to know their French peer before hosting them back in July! What an amazing opportunity to expand their horizon, build up their international network and boost their French! They all enjoyed the experience tremendously and can’t wait to return to Europe! 🤩

27/09/2022

The World is buzzing as international travel has resumed over the last few months and schools everywhere are gearing up for overseas trips!

We know, as teachers, you will have so many questions on your checklist.

> What should I consider when organising a school trip after a global pandemic?
> What type of travel insurance should I choose for the group?
> Will travel insurance cover participants if the tour is cancelled?
> Will students get covered if they contract the virus during the tour?

Check out our new blog post on this topic: https://www.abbeylanguagetravel.com/overseas-school-trips-and-covid-19/

It will definitely answer most of your questions but don't hesitate to contact us if you are considering an overseas trip and have further queries!

The ABBEY Language Travel Team

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/fr/users/jeshoots-com-264599/

23/03/2022

BREAKING NEWS! New Caledonia quarantine lifted, country is now fully open!!!
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The news we have all been waiting for has finally arrived!

New Caledonia is now OPEN TO VACCINATED TOURISTS and the 7-day quarantine requirement upon arrival has now been lifted!

Fully vaccinated persons traveling from Australia or New Zealand can now enter New Caledonia with a proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test and a declaration of honour.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR TEACHERS?

That NOW is a good time to start preparing your upcoming French Language and Culture Excursion to New Caledonia for your students!! Visit our website (link) to download our New Caledonia flyer, contact us to discuss your trip wishes and requirements and we will put together a tailored itinerary and quote for YOUR 2023 TRIP TO NEW CALEDONIA!!

The ABBEY team is looking forward to receiving your New Caledonia enquiries!

Excitedly yours,

Alyson, Saritha, Sarah and Sree
ABBEY Language Travel

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Photo credits
Photo Ile des Pins © Donnaventura / NCTPS, Photo femme kanak © S. Ducandas / NCT, Photo Ilot Amédée © Toko / NCT

21/02/2022

The international travel world is BUZZING as governments all over the globe are announcing the reopening of their borders and the removal of travel and entry restrictions after all these months! While we have to remain cautious, what this means is that ...
..NOW IS A GOOD TIME to start planning overseas trips again!!!

The ABBEY Language Travel team is onboard and eager to receive your enquiries and start planning study tours for your students with you!

Please contact us with your trip project and we’ll walk you through the preparation steps, feed you information and updates as they come, and make sure you are first in line to kickstart your students’ language and culture immersion.

We’re looking forward to being in touch soon!

The ABBEY Team

Alyson, Saritha, Sarah and Sree

25/01/2022

Europe, we're coming soon! 🥳
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/better-days-coming-for-travel-as-eu-countries-consider-treating-covid-19-like-the-flu/

Travelling may soon become easier and less struggling, in spite of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across Europe, and in particular of the Omicron variant cases. Data by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that only in the last seven days, France has recorded almost two million new COVI...

29/12/2021

29/12/2021

29/12/2021

Dear friends and partners,

What a long time it’s been!

It’s such a pleasure writing to you today to give you an update on the ABBEY Language Travel team, share what we have been up to and most importantly what we are gearing up for on the eve of 2022!

2021 BETWEEN HIBERNATION ... AND ACTION!
Family time, hikes in nature, yoga sessions, new hobbies (painting, choir, you name it!), professional development and exciting projects… the ABBEY team has been keeping busy and energetic over the course of 2021 and we are happy to say that we are all in high spirits and keeping well, as the pictures testify!

BABY STEPS BACK INTO TRAVEL
Some of our team members have even managed to travel this year to visit family and loved ones overseas, and have had a chance to experiment, first hand, the soft resuming of international travel. This was just the signal we needed to get excited about going back to work and helping students travel overseas again!

POSITIVE INDICATORS FOR 2022/2023
As we are hitting the end of the year, positive signs have been flourishing all around, leading to a renewed hope in the return to some normalcy on the agenda in 2022!

Some of the key indicators at this point are:

Vaccination rates are increasing and high in Australia and most of our traditional destinations in Europe (France, Spain, Germany and Italy) and the world (Japan, Argentina, etc.), generally improving safety and curbing restrictions.

Vaccinated Australians are now able to travel overseas including most of Europe and Argentina without quarantine or restrictions on arrival. Required documents include the Vaccination Certificate, Australia Travel Declaration, Comprehensive Insurance and a negative PCR test.

Vaccinated Australians are now able to return to Australia from certain overseas destinations without a quarantine (NSW, VIC), provided they obtain a negative PCR test.

Regular international flights are slowly resuming as bans and restrictions get lifted and we can hope for an increase in air trafic and flight routes in the next few months.

Of course, these indicators are still somewhat unreliable due to the volatile nature of the Covid situation at any given time, and we have to remain cautious, especially during the European winter months when, typically, cases and restrictions can go up for a few months as we see now.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS?
That the ABBEY team is on the deck and ready to start receiving your enquiries, look into overseas tour feasibility and discuss any tour project that you may have for your classes!

That we are gearing up for April, July, September and December 2023 overseas tours so now is a good time to start gently planning (keeping in mind tour preparation typically takes 1,5 years).

It’s a good time to check our Travel Insurance provider’s FAQ for general information on Covid-related cancellation & refund policies; feel free to contact us for more information.

Please get in touch to let us know how you are doing and share your travel plans for your students! We would absolutely love to hear from you!

The ABBEY Language Travel Team
Alyson, Saritha, Sarah and Sree