This summer Millkan’s French and German departments are collaborating to take students on a nine day trip to Europe. They will be visiting Paris, France; Lucerne, Switzerland; and Munich, Germany. French teacher Mr. Lange organized the first trip to Europe in 2023, and is planning the trip this year again with EF Tours, a student-centered tour guide company that will lead the students through a pre-set tour of Europe.

Abbie Matlock is a senior in PEACE  in AP French Language who attended the French trip in 2023. “I enjoyed the trip, it was really fun. I liked getting to see all the different places and I liked how we weren’t just in Paris the whole time,” says Matlock. They started in Paris and Versailles and travelled to the French countryside to Province, Cassis, and spent a day in Monaco, Nice and Spain. “It’s a lot of fun and you don’t need to know a lot of French, but having some understanding of it is useful,” Matlock adds.

Mr. Lange teaches French 1-2 and AP French, and is the reason why this trip is happening. “I’m really excited for the students and I can’t wait to go. The trip last time was amazing and the kids loved it,” says Mr. Lange, “I think the trip is beneficial to students because I think they’re gonna get a lot of exposure to the language.”

It’s not too late to sign up to attend the trip! The deadline to sign up for the trip is Apr. 14, 2025, so if you’re interested in going click here. For those of you who aren’t taking French or German, you can still go on the trip! Passports must be valid six months after the departure date as a precaution to avoid getting stuck in Europe, and valid before leaving the U.S. 

Students will get their passports stamped in four countries; France, Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein, a small country in between Switzerland and Germany.

There are about 45 French and 24 German students going on the trip, as well as 15 adults (teachers and chaperones). Five teachers/staff are attending the trip; Mr. Lange, Madam Zimber (French 3-4, 5-6 and AP), Mr. Stout (German 3-4), office staff Mrs. Grundhauser and Poly teacher Mrs. Rimpo. There aren’t any students from other schools attending the trip but MR. Lange has opened the invitation to other schools too.

The dates for the trip are tentative and not confirmed, but the requested dates are Aug. 5 to Aug. 13, with a grace period of five days before or after these dates. 

According to Mr. Lange, EF Tours will start to give out more information in March/April or 90-120 days out. The group departs from LAX to Paris’ Orly Airport, and the itinerary for the trip is three days in Paris, two days in Lucerne, Switzerland and two days in Munich, Germany.

The trip consists of three days in Paris, we’ll visit lots of touristy places such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral and more. A walking tour of the city, a cruise on the Seine river and a day trip to the Grand Palace of Versailles (about twelve miles southwest of Paris) are also included.

Next is spending two days in Lucerne, a small town in Switzerland. Students will be guided through a walking tour of the town, go on a cruise on Lake Lucerne, ride to the top of a Swiss mountain and even a Swiss fondue dinner! Students will get to try various different local fondue and it will be one of the nicest meals on the trip, according to Mr. Lange.

The last two days in Munich, Germany will be spent at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, Olympic Stadium, the Residenz Palace and Marienplatz, the center of the city. To see a more in-depth review of the site-seeing on the trip, click here.

Mr. Stout teaches German 3-4 and is going on the trip this summer representing the German department. “I’m totally looking forward to the trip, I love to travel and I’m excited to share that experience with all the students that have never been to Europe before,” says Mr. Stout. 

He’s already been to Paris and Munich several times, and he loves the “big city, small town vibe” in Munich, referring to how there are no skyscraper buildings but still has a large population. “I would encourage all of my students to go, I want my students to travel and see everything they can.” Although there are more French students going on the trip, Lucerne and Munich are more German-speaking cities, allowing the German students more exposure to the language.

Neither Millikan nor the French Club contribute any funds to make this trip happen so each person attending the trip has to pay a fee of $4,459 which covers all expenses for flights, food, hotels and transportation provided by EF Tours. EF Tours assigns us a tour guide who organizes museum entry, restaurant reservations, tour buses, and rooming at hotels.

Sofia Nygaard is a senior in QUEST and the President of the French Club. Nygaard is currently in AP French Language and has been taking French since freshman year. “I didn’t go on the trip in 2023, but I had a lot of friends that went and everyone loved it,” says Nygaard. “I’m really excited for the trip and I’m most looking forward to getting to know the German students that are coming along with us.” 

This nine day trip is filled with fast-paced, jam-packed activities and learning experiences throughout Europe, and it’s not too late to sign up!