Volunteer in France

A country of strong cultural heritage, the river Seine, and iconic cuisine -- heading to France can be great for backpacking, a vacation, and -- believe it or not -- volunteering. While teaching is generally what English speaking volunteers do abroad, there are many other projects across the country to get involved with.

Learn French while volunteering in France as a teacher. Hop on board restoring castles or other buildings in France. Or spend a month picking grapes and volunteering on a vineyard in France. Whatever you do, don't forget to stop, sit back, and take in experiencing French life.

Community Development

From architecture restoration to creating somewhere for school children to go to enhance their education, there are a number of activities and projects to get involved in across France. This type of programme could be anything from a couple of weeks to a number of months.

Education

Teaching English is big news around the globe when it comes to volunteering, and it is no different in France. Positions tend to be mainly in Paris but you can get them around the country too. Oftentimes, accommodation will be provided by the company and programmes are usually three months long.

Environment

Saving the planet is always in the news, and this combined with biodiversity and ecology are things they are always looking for volunteers for. Whether it is how the climate change is affecting the Alps or Vineyard ecology in somewhere like Bordeaux, there is availability here. Generally speaking, the programmes last a couple of weeks.

As you would probably imagine, going to France is generally classed as a low risk zone. This means that vaccinations aren’t really needed -- though you should be up to date with influenza, tetanus-diphtheria and measles, mumps and rubella. It is always advised to take a medical kit, but citizens of countries within the European Union will be covered for emergency medical treatment.

Contributed by Rahul Mistry