Bonjour. I studied French 7 years when younger and restarted study 4 years ago after retirement. I currently test at a high intermediate B2 level. I always wanted to do some sort of immersion course. I have arranged two weeks in late October at Coeur de France in Sancerre, and want to add an additional two weeks just before then (The program at Coeur de France is not available at that time). I found two interesting programs and wondered if anyone else has experience with these others or their accomodations.
Cavilam, by Alliance Francaise, at Vichy. The reviews are mostly very good. The location looks lovely, 2 hours south of the Loire. Some reviewer say that the classes are too intense, which seems expected since it is Alliance Francaise, and also prepares people for the DELF and DALF exams. Others say that the administration is very disorganized and difficult to deal with (for example one person said it took them a year to get their C1 certificate), but since I am doing this for fun and not for work, that may be less of a problem for me.
Due to my age (68), they automatically put me into their "senior program" which also sounds like it includes wine tasting and gastronomy tours. I don't like the taste of 95% of the alcohols that I have tasted and have no interest in that, but don't want to show up and look rude by not attending or not tasting.
They offer on site accomodations but the website does not describe them very well. Some of the reviewers mention that the buildings are old, and bathrooms are small and not so clean.
https://www.cavilam.com/en/intensive-french-classes/
ILA in Montepelier. It's on the Mediteranean, where I have never been. The reviews are a bit better than the reviews for Cavilam. This school seems to cater more to 18 - 20 year olds, and reviewers mention that the kids are noisy and like to party. However, I would be attending in October when youngsters might be busy with their full time school year. The photos online portray the interiors as modern and clean. I haven't been able to find much about their accomodations.
Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. Merci beaucoup.