All students should plan to arrive on Sunday, August 25th, 2013.  This means departing the North America on Saturday, August 24th.  If you have reserved temporary housing with us, then you may go directly to your reserved lodging.

You will most likely be arriving in France via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), also known as Paris Roissy. The airport is located 23 km north-east of Paris and offers numerous transport links into the city by road and rail.

To get to your temporary housing at the MEC (Maison des Etudiants Canadiens) 31 bouldevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris. It is located on public transportation (express train – RER B) or Tramway 3 at the Cité Universitaire station.

Railways

The RER train service reaches central Paris in approximately 45 minutes. There is an SNCF help desk on the 4th floor of Terminal 2. The RER B train runs from the airport directly to Paris. Trains leave every 4 to 15 minutes. The MEC can be easily reached with the RER B (express train) at the cost of approximately 10 euros ($13), you will then proceed to exit at the Cité Universitaire station.  The MEC is located just across the street from the Cité Universitaire station within the Cité Internationale Universitaire campus.

Taxis

Paris taxis charge around 60 Euros ($75) from the airport to central Paris.

Buses

Roissy Bus service departs from all three terminals every 15 to 20 minutes to Place de l’Opéra in Paris. The trip takes about 45-60 minutes. Air France Coach Line 2 provides transport to Porte Maillot and Etoile every 15 minutes. Line 4 travels to Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse every 30 minutes. Air France Coach also provides a link to Orly Paris Airport. RATP buses also run to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est and to Porte de Bagnolet. The fare is between 10-15 euros (depending on the destination).

Housing will be your first priority upon arriving in France.  We highly recommend the short-term housing option, which enables students to get a sense of Paris before jumping into a living arrangement. This time also allows students get to know each other and form lasting friendships before they are scattered throughout Paris.  Therefore, we have reserved temporary housing from August 25th to September 3rd, 2013 (10 nights), you will check out on the morning of September 4th, 2013.

If you would like to reserve a spot in the temporary housing, please confirm your spot by email by sending a message to info@micefa.org.  Once we have received your confirmation we will send you the instructions on how to pay for temporary housing.  Please confirm your interest in this temporary housing option immediately by sending an email to info@micefa.org.  Payments MUST be received by July 8th, 2013. The cost will be 300€.

We have reserved the following accommodations for temporary housing:

• MEC (Maison des Etudiants Canadiens) – 31 boulevard Jourdan, Paris 75014. It is located on the express train (RER B) at Cité Universitaire station or at the Tramway 3 at the Cité Universitaire station.

If you arrive at Charles De Gaulle Airport you can get to Paris by RER B (train) at the cost of approximately 10 euros, you will then proceed on the RER B to Cité Universitaire station and exit.  The MEC is placed at the Cité Internationale Universitaire which is located directly across from the Cité Universitaire station. You can also use one of the reasonably priced shuttles.  If you arrive at Orly Airport, you may take the RER B to the Cité Universitaire station. At Cité Universitaire station you will exit. The MEC is placed at the Cité Internationale Universitaire which is located directly across from the Cité Universitaire station.  If you decide to take a taxi from the airport, it will cost about 50 to 60 euros.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  Please see the enclosed information regarding airport transportation options.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  Please see the enclosed information regarding airport transportation options with your acceptance materials.

Normally students count on spending up to ten days looking for permanent housing.  Our temporary housing offer will allow you enough time to get to know your way around Paris and eventually choose something you can be happy with for the rest of the semester or academic year.  Our office staff will be available to assist you and assure you that everyone finds long-term housing.

Our office has a list of former student housing which we make available on a first-come first-serve basis.  We do our best to assist students in arranging housing, but also refer students to the American Church housing listings, where many of our students have found good shares and rentals.  We also suggest that you check out the FUSAC (France USA Contact) classified ads for housing listings.  Please refer to their website at http://www.fusac.fr/ to familiarize yourself with the options available.  There is also a Parisian Craig’s List at http://paris.craigslist.org/.  Please note, although it can be very useful to start your research before arrival, we do NOT recommend you rent an apartment sight unseen from a stranger.

The housing search should not be seen as an ordeal, but rather as part of the process of exploring and getting to know Paris and its excellent transportation system.  If you come determined to live in the Latin Quarter, you should expect to spend more money.  Although if you are flexible, you can find housing in many parts of Paris which are safe and attractive.  Given the excellent transportation system, it doesn’t take more than a half an hour to get to most places in Paris.  Please keep in mind that contracts, oral or written, must be respected.  Also one month’s notice is usually required by French landlords.

Unfortunately there are very few possibilities of dorm rooms or student foyers in the center of Paris and many of them have constraints that North American students do not like, such as restrictions on having guests, specific closing hours and limited phone access.  Graduate students can try applying directly to the Fondation des Etats-Unis. Canadian students may also try to apply directly at the Maison des Etudiants Canadiens.

You can come with your laptop (international plug adapter) and wireless equipment. The MICEFA is equipped with a wireless connection and we have a list of wireless hot spots around Paris. If you have a tri-band cell phone, you can probably buy a SIM card to use in it. The MICEFA also works with an American company called Piccell Wireless from which you can pre-order a phone before arrival that will be functional upon your arrival in France. Please check out their offer on their website (special link for MICEFA students) at: http://www.piccellwireless.com/micefa. Please note, this might not be the cheapest option for students coming for the full academic year.

MANDATORY INTENSIVE FRENCH LANGUAGE PROGRAM:

This semester we have organized an exciting, intensive language program for our incoming students.  This program is mandatory for all undergraduate students, but can be waived for graduate and PhD students along with Native French speakers. It is a three-week intensive language course including special visits, cultural activities, campus visits and a theatrical performance. This program will cost 225 €. Many of our North American partners accept 3 credit hours for this course, but please verify with your study abroad office. Please note that some of our North American Partners include this program fee in your tuition bill, for those of you who pay MICEFA directly, you will receive a PayPal bill in the coming weeks.  Deadline for payment is Friday, July 19th, 2013.

There will be a written French placement test for our Intensive French course on the following dates First wave of test dates:  May 26th, 27th and 28th or during the Second wave of test dates: June 4th, 5th or 6th, which will be conducted/received via e-mail off site. You will need to confirm your test date and e-mail address no later than May 18th for the First wave of test dates and June 2nd for the Second wave of test dates to info@micefa.org.  You will also be provided with a time window upon your confirmation by our language coordinator via e-mail.  The oral French interviews will be held on site in Paris on August 27th, you will be provided with your oral French interview time slot at orientation.

The Intensive French Course activities will be held on August 29th-30th.

The Intensive French Course will meet each day (Monday-Friday) for three and a half hours through Monday, September 2nd through Friday, September 13th, 2013.

The syllabus can be downloaded:

Orientation session: syllabus