Gap Year in France

I have been on the books of PGL Europe for 6 years now and done most of the jobs that they have going, so I feel more than qualified to comment on living in France PGL style. Firstly, a bit of background information. PGL is an adventure holiday company offering over 40 different activities for children and young adults, both in school groups and as individuals. There are 29 centres in the UK and France, and each year PGL recruit over 2500 seasonal personnel to staff them. PGL was founded 45 years ago by Peter Gordon Lawrence (hence PGL, although kids prefer to believe that it actually stands ... more

I admit that, initially, I rather fancied a year out in an exotic destination (Thailand and South America were very 'in' at the time), however, straight after A-levels, my personal funds were limited, to say the least. Going to uni is an expensive business and I wanted to get some savings behind me before I began, however, the concept of a 9 to 5 in Buckinghamshire was hardly an exciting prospect. A 'working holiday' was the perfect solution. There are a variety of options available for students, but, again, many countries will not issue visas unless you can prove that you have financial ... more

I have just completed an awesome 3 month work experience placement in France working on a camel farm. The farm is owned by an English family and it was not at all as I expected. Most of the work experience I have done has been picking up poo. At the camel farm, each day the Director worked with me and helped me set objectives for the day. Every day was different, I trained llamas, goats, and miniature pigs as well as the camels that I actually got to ride. Another girl was there the same time as me and she was on a gap year, these people really care and were helping her with her choice of ... more