I will be taking my middle school students to Paris and then Tours, in May. I travel with 16 students and we are gone for 2 weeks. The first week in Paris is designed to follow Paris through the ages and to become "acclimated", while the 2nd week is spent in Tours where students are in home-stays. I believe travel should be designed not as an opportunity to be tourists, but as an opportunity to become culturally competent by being "in the moment" and having the opportunity to mix with native people. I have done this for over 10 years, and it has changed the way some of my students have gone on in their lives. Being a "traveler" as well as learning languages are invaluable to personal growth, cultural understanding, and ultimately world peace!