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Opal Coast Cultural & Transition Yr School Trips & Tours

Provide your group with a real taste of life in France, whilst offering fantastic visits which will introduce your pupils to a new culture, and fascinate them with an environment so different to their own!

If you’re seeking to challenge and inspire your group in the practical application of French language skills, our French Language Enrichment Experience can be included in your cultural trip too. Your group can visit traditional boulangeries, small farms producing local delicacies, and even a theme park!

For over 20 years we’ve helped Transition Year Co-ordinators plan the perfect, hassle free experience for their pupils to the Opal Coast. 

Sample itinerary

Our sample itinerary provides you with an idea of the visits you can cover during your trip. We can tailor-make an itinerary to support your specific learning outcomes.

Morning Afternoon Evening
1 Morning flight from Ireland Ypres, the Menin Gate & In Flanders Fields Exhibition Group quiz
2 Boulogne Market & Nausicaä Marine Centre Boulangerie visit with demonstration & croissant tasting Crepe making activity
3 Les Chocolats de Beussent La Coupole Disco
4 Last minute shopping & sightseeing in Lille or similar Transfer to airport for return flight to Ireland
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Morning Morning flight from Ireland
Afternoon Ypres, the Menin Gate & In Flanders Fields Exhibition
Evening Group quiz
Morning Boulogne Market & Nausicaä Marine Centre
Afternoon Boulangerie visit with demonstration & croissant tasting
Evening Crepe making activity
Morning Les Chocolats de Beussent
Afternoon La Coupole
Evening Disco
Morning Last minute shopping & sightseeing in Lille or similar
Afternoon Transfer to airport for return flight to Ireland
Evening

On-tour support

On-tour support includes...

  • Services of a See Off Representative at your departure airport

Accommodation

Popular options in Opal Coast


Top visits

French Language Enrichment Experience at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem

Exclusive to NST

Our French Language Enrichment Experience has been designed to develop conversational and comprehension skills through a range of exciting target language-focused excursions and activities with an emphasis on enrichment experiences.

Throughout your tour, pupils will have daily interactions with French speakers to help build their confidence when communicating in a variety of social situations. No matter what your group’s age or ability, your experience can be pitched at exactly the right level to enrich their learning and enable your pupils to engage with the target language. 

With the support of your own French-speaking Groupie at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem, your pupils will be encouraged to use their language skills at all times, for example, during morning language briefings, mealtimes and evening activities.

Your Groupie will liaise with you on arrival to confirm your group’s language requirements, to support differentiated learning styles and to ensure that your trip is meeting your needs. Then put your learning into practice by interacting with native French speakers on a series of local visits!

Find out more about our French Language Enrichment Experience.

St Joseph’s Village

Give your pupils an insight into 19th & 20th century French Life in this re-created French Village. They’ll develop their French vocabulary as they enter the specially constructed windmill, school, bakers shop, garage, and the chapel, all complete with the equipment of a bygone age.

Boulogne-sur-Mer

This port town provides several cultural experiences located close together. 

  • Take a guided tour of the town and practise your language skills with the local French guide. 
  • Explore the Roman old town, spending time in its shops and cafés and practising language skills. 
  • Pupils can also compare French life past and present. 
  • Local market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Pupils can interact with traders, build language confidence and pick up a bargain or two.

 

Nausicaá Sea Centre

Nausicaá promises you an unforgettable voyage to the heart of the Ocean! Discover the 1,600 species who call the Aquarium home. A visit here will convince you that the Ocean is not only a wondrous and rich resource; it is also the future of Mankind. This fascinating sea centre promotes learning through interactive exhibits. Groups can explore three amazing worlds: "Journey on the High Seas,"  "Mankind and Shores" and "Ocean and Climate." 

Nausicaa offer 1 hour educational workshops which will really bring your trip to life. The workshops currently available are:
Zoom into Marine Life - Observe tiny fauna magnified thousands of times on a wide screen and discover the importance of a good water quality for survival of the species.
Calculate your ecological footprint - Thanks to a 20 question quiz, discover your ecological footprint and your impact on climate change!
Zoom into marine biodiversity - At the lab, pupils will observe tiny marine animals through microscopes. They will discover shared characteristics according to the classification of living beings.
Sharks! Not even scared! - Let’s discover the shark and its importance in the Ocean. Learn more about this fascinating animal and look at it differently.

You can also take a 'backstage tour' of Nausicaa to find out what goes on behind the scenes at the Sea Centre. How was it built? What do the manta rays and the other animals of the big tank eat?

Local Goat Farm

Gain an insight into French farming and cheese making. There are also opportunities for cheese tasting and, at certain times of the year, to help milk the goats. 

Les Chocolats de Beussent

Learn about the industry of chocolate making and combine the demonstrations of melting, moulding and coating with worksheets, a guided tour of the workshop (in English or French), and the chance to enjoy tasting samples!

Boulangerie Escoeuilles

At this traditional boulangerie only French is spoken. Your pupils will learn new phrases as they see the making and baking of bread, brioche and papin pies, before leaving with a fresh croissant or pain au chocolat.

Les Escargotières

Get a real taste of France! At a working snail farm, your group will learn how one of France’s most famous foods is reared. Then sit back and see which of your pupils will be first to sample one for themselves. 

Local Boulangerie Visit

There are a number of boulangeries in the region where your pupils will watch and listen to the baker describe, in French, the process of making traditional French bread and croissants, before getting the chance to produce and eat their own. 

Sweet Factory

Learn about the history of the sweet shop and see how the sweets and lollipops are made. Pupils will learn from the French commentary, demonstrations and be able to taste the delicious sweets produced. 

Town Trails

Follow trail instructions and answer questions in French in this informative way to explore the town. NST’s exclusive trails are an excellent method of getting pupils to read, repeat and understand French words and phrases. Town trails are available in: 

  • Aire-sur-la-Lys 
  • Boulogne-sur-Mer 
  • St Omer

 

Aqualud

Home to over 5,000m² of wave pools and water slides that will keep your pupils active whilst they’re away.

Bellewaerde Theme Park

Spend a day at this fantastic theme park, home to a wonderful mix of rollercoasters, shows, animals and water features.

Natur’Pom Cider Farm

Visit the organic orchards at this cider farm and learn about the ecosystem of the farm, the cycle of the plant and organic production. Visits can be adapted to the age of pupils and there is an on-site shop for tasty souvenirs!

Le Touquet

Le Touquet sits at the estuary of the River Canche and is the perfect location for Tourism Studies. Observe and describe key sites and locations, and gather information to produce a sightseeing guide. Le Parc de l’Estuaire also offers the opportunity to study the natural sand dune and woodland ecosystems of this area.

Louvre-Lens Museum

See 5000 years of art history at the Louvre-Lens museum. Explore the museum’s exhibitions and discover masterpieces and sculptures in this beautiful art museum.

Calais Dragon

Ride aboard the Calais Dragon and discover a breathtaking view of Calais, the beach and the Côte d'Opale. The dragon awakens and a unique 45-minute journey begins.

 

Image credit: Fred Collier, Ville de Calais


Evening activites

  • WWI experiences (including trying on replica wartime uniforms and making traditional ‘army biscuits’ at NST's Château d'Ebblinghem
  • Viewing WWI artefacts (examples of items include whistles, replica medals, drill rounds, regimental cap badges and button sticks) at NST's château
  • Organised evening activities at the château (including a French night, snail tasting, making traditional tarte au sucre, mini Olympics, a disco or karaoke, Superhero Challenge, NST’s Got Talent, boules...and much more!)
  • Excellent recreational facilities at the château (including a games room, a teachers’ bar, a shop, two football pitches, volleyball area and four hectacres of private grounds
  • Most other hotels can provide a room for groups to use in the evening for quizzes or discos

Transport

We offer flights from a variety of departure airports and we’ll work with you to plan your route at the best value possible.

Flight


Giving you full support throughout

Before your tour

  • Your own dedicated NST contact
  • Bespoke tour itineraries
  • Unrivalled local knowledge & expertise
  • Curriculum linked visit programmes
  • Great value for money - no hidden costs
  • Free group leader inspection visits
  • Risk assessment guidance
  • Safety assured, transport, accommodation and visits

Whilst you're away

  • Free educational resources
  • Group-friendly accommodation
  • Exceptional standards of coaching
  • On-tour support from our reps on the ground
  • Support & assistance from our specialists guides throughout your tour
  • 24/7 support just a call away
  • Extensive group travel insurance

On your return

  • Priority rebooking services
  • Rewarding your loyalty with our reward scheme
  • You say, we listen - we're committed to continuously improving our tours
  • School travel company of choice since 1996