Program Reviews

i loved my trip to barcelona so so much and i’m so glad i got the opportunity to do it through abbey road!!! The staff were wonderful and i’ll miss them almost as much as the students. Barcelona is such a great city and the places that the staff took us were so cool, i think they did a great job planning activities, dinners, and excursions! The food options were always great and there was a lot of great shopping too. In all, i think the program was amazing and i would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to travel.

Our 16 year old son attended the Abbey Roads, Saint Laurent-du-Var Homestay French Language program this summer. It was a terrific opportunity for him on various levels. Giving him an opportunity for personal growth through traveling on his own to France, being away from home for a month in France in a safe environment, learning more about the day to day French culture including traveling and exploring the south of France with his group (a definite highlight!), making new friends and of course a primary focus of expanding on his French language skills, Saint Laurent-du-Var was a great program the teachers were very supportive and they worked at making the experience a memorable one for the students. They included some great opportunities for community involvement and where possible adapted to student requests and interests. Overall they had a lot of fun and gained amazing life experiences. Abbey Roads management gets A+ for their attentiveness to address any concerns or requests as best and reasonable as possible. It was definitely a positive life time memory for our son!

Abbey Road gets it right. From the pre-trip communication, the staff and the accommodations to the Spanish classes and the culinary experiences – there is not one thing that Abbey Road didn’t think of. I also developed friendships that will last a lifetime. My only regret is not knowing about Abbey Road sooner so that I could have taken advantage of other programs. I am eternally grateful for this experience. Thank you so much Abbey Road!! I am telling everyone I know how awesome the program is!!!!

I will hold onto the memories I made from this program so dearly. I made so many new friends and the staff was very supportive. I got to explore different areas within the South of France and went on so many adventures! My French language skills definitely improved and exploring the city of Nice was avery growing experience. There was lots of flexibility in terms of being able to have free time and experiencing Nice with the friends you made. In terms of cons, there was no air conditioning in the residence and the Wi-Fi was a bit slow however, all of the amazing memories made up for any small inconveniences. In addition, when interacting with local French people and when we were in class, we spoke mainly French however, outside of this the staff and students spoke English to each other therefore making it not 100% immersive. either way, I still improved tremendously and would highly recommend this experience to any highschoolers who would like to travel and improve their French speaking and comprehension!

This program is one that I will cherish forever. I made so many new friends and memories that will be with me forever. Exploring Nice along with such supportive people truly challenged me in the best way possible. My language definitely improved and I grew so much from being by myself overseas for the first time. This experience is definitely more of a fun adventure and was very flexible in terms of having free time around the city! I would say the only cons are that I didn’t get 100% full immersion with French because the staff and students primarily spoke English to the students, but when interacting with other French locals and during the classes we were able to speak French with each other. Also keep in mind there is no AC in the residence and the wifi is not super fast either. All in all, it was so amazing and I would highly recommend!

I had an amazing time in Florence. The program provided us with enough freedom to truly explore the city and understand the culture. Our day trips were great, and we were also given free time to explore those cities. The staff members were extremely helpful and tried very hard to make sure we had the best experience possible. I appreciated how the program was flexible, which again helped make the experience more genuine and enjoyable. I will say that if you're looking for a program with strong academics, the classes weren't very intense, and weren't as informative as they could've been. However, I did really enjoy my time in Florence and still feel that I got a lot out of the program from exploring the city and interacting with other students. Everyone was so nice, and I know that we'll keep in touch. All in all I'd recommend the program and I believe that it made a big impact on my life.

The Florence- Venice- Rome program is a beautiful experience for anyone, I took the fashion course and minored in photography. Staff is very supportive and understanding. Free time is supervised by location sharing but you can go off on your own as long as you’re back by curfew. It is very organized and everything is provided for and taken care of. The energy of the staff is kind as well, and they are fun. Students specifically make great connections that last a lifetime. Friendships and support are provided on this trip.

I met a lot of really amazing people and had a lot of fun. The staff was also really amazing and helpful. Daily classes didn’t really feel like a chore, mostly because I loved my teacher, Hannah, so much. The weekend trips were also really fun. I particularly enjoyed going to Èze. I also really liked going to the island in the last week here. It was really beautiful and I had a great time there with my friends. Additionally, the area that we stayed in was really convenient and also very beautiful.

These were the best, yet the fastest, 4 weeks of my life. At first I was a little nervous with all the usual anxiety: being away from home in a foreign country for an entire month, with a huge time difference and a bunch of people I haven’t met. Actually, it took most of the first week to get over this. But once I accepted where I was (Florence!) and got to know the incredible people around me, my mindset immediately changed. Now, looking back on this trip, I have no regrets whatsoever. I learned more than I could have possibly imagined, met such amazing people that I know I will remember forever, and was independent in a way I have never experienced before. Abbey Road organized this trip in a way that perfectly balanced structure and organization with freedom and independence. I was skeptical when I signed up for a program with no prerequisite from anyone I knew personally. But this program was so safe and well conducted, and I’ve heard the same from every city (not just Florence). I wish I had found out about this program earlier, because I would do this again without a second thought.

I've had loads of fun in my abbey road experience. I have found that the curriculum can at times be a little unorganized, but the mystery is thrilling. Thrilling but also a little anxiety inducing, but I think it teaches us to adapt to being out of control. I think the exploration of the Tuscan region of italy is great. They took us to see very important art, buildings, and cities. I particularly enjoyed the Uffizi museum and the bits of art history they would share as we walked around. I think the abbey road program is fun.