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| Travel to Aix-en-Provence | | | |
If you choose to fly into Paris, it is easier and less expensive to take a connecting flight to the Marseille airport and a bus to Aix. Changing from the airport in Paris to the train station (Gare de Lyon) can be difficult if you have a lot of luggage, so flying into Marseille (Marignane airport) and then taking the bus is really more convenient.
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Some students have, in the past, gone from Paris to Geneva and then taken a train from there, but this route simply adds time to an already long trip and should be avoided unless you have a special reason for going that way. Flights into Nice are also possible, but you should keep in mind that you will have a two- to three-hour bus ride into Aix after arriving in Nice.
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As soon as you have made your travel arrangements, please complete the Time of Arrival form and mail two copies, one to Vanderbilt in France (in Aix), and one to the Study Abroad Office in Nashville. Please call the Aix office (or fax to 011.33.4.42.38.91.94) if you have any last-minute information or changes of plan. It is important that we have your date and time of arrival well in advance, so that we can notify your landlord or landlady about when to expect you.
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Please make every effort to arrive on the designated days of arrival between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Students in the past who have arrived later in the evening have generally been more tired and disoriented upon arrival. In addition, if you arrive late it is quite possible that you will not be able to go to your lodging until the next day. Students who arrive after the designated days of arrival will miss part of the orientation activities. Although it is permitted, in our experience, it is also better not to arrive before the designated days. Students who arrive in advance are responsible for their own lodgings and, in the past, have felt very much alone staying in a hotel room before the other students arrive. Therefore, arriving at the appointed time is essential to making a good start to your study abroad experience.
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Obviously, your plans can change at the last minute, due to canceled flights and weather conditions, for example. In this case, please notify the office (011.33.4.42.38.14.79) or the Resident Director (011.33.4.42.93.31.89), and keep the name, address, and phone numbers of a couple of hotels in Aix, just in case. We usually recommend the Hotel Cardinal, on the rue Cardinale (phone 011.33.4.42.38.32.30), across the street from the Vanderbilt in France Center. Let's Go! France or another guidebook will have additional suggestions.
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In order to study in France for one semester or more, you must have a valid passport (valid six months after the end of the program), a visa covering the entire length of your stay, and, in some cases, a Carte de Séjour. If you think you may stay for a second semester or for the summer, after having spent the spring semester in France, you must have both a one year visa and a carte de sejour.
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You will need a student visa covering the entire length of your stay in France. If you plan to stay for less than six months, ask the Consulate for a visa marked "plusieurs entrées" and "dispensé de la carte de sejour." However, as noted above, you must get a one-year visa and a "carte de sejour" if you anticipate staying for two semesters. Students can refer to the Visa instructions and information included in information packets the Study Abroad Office will provide upon acceptance into the program. Note: If you can get a visa covering the entire length of your stay and marked "plusieurs entrées," you will not need to pay for an official medical visit and for your "carte de sejour." If you are required to obtain a "carte de sejour," you must, within a week of your arrival in Aix, register with the "sous-prefecture" and begin the process to obtain the card.
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In order to obtain your student visa, send the following documents, no later than three months before your departure, to the French Consulate nearest your home:
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| - The required number of visa application forms
- One passport-sized photo pasted on each form (write your name on the back)
- U.S. passport, valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiration date of the visa
- Information about the Vanderbilt in France program: "Certificat de scolarité", "Liste des cours offerts", "Calendrier pour l'année académique"
- Notarized letter of Financial Guaranty, signed by the Dean
- Health Insurance Certificate from your U.S. insurance company
- The visa fee in a money order (contact the Consulate for current amount)
- Self-addressed, stamped envelope (include postage for registered or certified mail)
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If you leave Aix for more than 24 hours, you are required to sign out in the Center's Travel Log, indicating the length of your stay out of town and the address(es) at which you can be reached in the event of an emergency.
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