ESTAVAYER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ESTAVAYER ADDRESS
ESTAVAYER CAMP ADDRESS
L’Abri-Côtier
Chemin de la Grande Gouille 1
1470 Estavayer-le-Lac
Switzerland

(+41) 079 530 12 62
Link for joining the WhatsApp group: click here
PACKING LIST
Things you'll need in our language camps
    1. IMPORTANT
    o ID (original) -> if you live outside of Switzerland
    o ID (copy) -> if you live in Switzerland
    -> if you booked the accompanied train ride from Zurich or Bern you need to carry your original ID/passport with you!
    o special medicine (if needed)
    o health insurance card (copy)
    o Sleeping bag: for the dormitory -> In the 4-bed rooms, the bed linen is included in the price!
    1
  • 2. HYGIENE
    o Two bath towels
    o Shampoo & shower gel
    o Toothbrush & toothpaste
    o Toiletries
    2
  • 3. CLOTHES & SHOES
    o plastic bag for dirty clothes
    o comfortable shoes
    o hiking / waterproof shoes
    o slippers
    o socks
    o trousers, long & short
    o t-shirts, sweater/hoodie
    o underwear
    o raincoat/jacket (in case of bad weather)
    o swimwear, bikini/bathing suit
    3
  • 4. CLASS
    o writing utensils
    o notebook for new words
    o dictionary
    o maybe schoolbooks / copies of old exams (e.g., for the intensive course)
    4
  • 5. SPORT & FREE TIME
    o small backpack
    o sunglasses
    o sun protection (sun cream), After Sun
    o wrist watch
    o reusable waterbottle
    5
  • 6. OTHER ITEMS
    o Pocket money (Around 50 CHF
    per week for snacks,
    refreshments, souvenirs etc.)
    6
  • 7. Optional activities
    (only if already pre-booked)
    SAILING COURSE AND WATERSKI/WAKEBOARD:
    The required equipment will be provided by friLingue
    7
ARRIVAL OPTIONS
ESTAVAYER CAMP ARRIVAL
  • OPTION 1: INDIVIDUAL

Arrival by car:

Please arrive at the camp address between 05.00pm and 06.00pm on Sunday.


Individual arrival by public transport to Estavayer train station:

We offer a free pick-up service from the Estavayer train station. To take advantage of this service, you must arrive at the train station station between 04.30pm and 05.15pm.There will be someone (or several people) waiting for you with a friLingue t-shirt/sign. The station is quite small, it should not be a problem to find the staff :-)

If you want to arrive earlier or later, you have to find your own way to the camp. Unfortunately, due to logistical reasons, we can only offer the pick up service in the mentioned time frame. If you want to book the pick up service, please let us know at least 3 days in advance!


  • OPTION 2: WITH THE ACCOMPANIED TRAIN RIDE FROM ZURICH OR BERN

What is the accompanied train ride (BZ)?

For the arrival and departure, we organise an accompanying train ride from Zurich and Bern main stations. From the meeting point (please scroll down to the end of this page to see the information about the meeting point) at the train station, you will go to the camp together with our staff and many fellow participants, so you can get to know each other and rid yourself of any doubts.

If you would like to enroll for the accompanied train ride, you can do so with the following link. If you have already booked the accompanied train ride at the time of registration, then you do not need to fill out the form.


  • OPTION 3: AIRPORT TRANSFERS

If you are coming from outside of Switzerland, have booked an airport transfer and have already completed the form, then your taxi service should already have been arranged.


If you haven’t yet booked an airport transfer but would like to, please visit our Airport transfers page and contact us via email after: international@frilingue.com

GENERAL RULES
We will also go through this rule sheet verbally with the participants on Sunday evening after dinner. We want to spend a great time together and if we all stick to these rules then a fun and relaxing camp experience is guaranteed for all!
GENERAL RULES / SAFETY
  1. No one is allowed to leave the camp area alone.
  2. In order to ensure the safety of the participants, some public areas of the camp (e.g. the entrance area) are under video surveillance. The recordings are not passed on to third parties and are automatically deleted after a maximum of 7 days.
  3. Leaving the camp facilities after sleep time (after 10pm) is strictly prohibited. Participants who leave the camp facility after 10pm, or are caught climbing out of the bedroom windows and climbing onto the roof - will be sent home immediately.
  4. Swimming is permitted only with the supervision of the teachers/supervisors.
  5. We charge a flat rate of 20CHF for returns of lost items by post.
  6. Children older than 12 years are allowed to leave the camp during free time under the following conditions:
  • They ask the camp leader for permission first!
  • They stay in groups of 2 or more people.
  • A mobile phone must be taken with you.
  • The children must adhere to the agreed rules and return at the agreed time.
MOBILE PHONES / ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Participants will be entitled to use their cell phones and other electronic devices for 60-90 minutes after dinner and during excursions. The rest of the time, all of their devices will be kept by the camp leader. For minor offenses our staff members have the right to confiscate phones for a certain period of time.

We ask you not to bring any other electronic devices such as Nintendos or iPads!
Important: In the event of problems or urgent questions, participants can be contacted at any time via the camp leader's telephone.
SHOWERS / WC
The showers and toilets are shared and not just for your own use so please remember to respect others and save water where and when possible.
IN THE ROOMS
Fire of all types is absolutely prohibited! No candles, incense sticks or similar items. We do not want any graffiti on the walls or any hotel property broken. You should not eat inside the rooms, however, a bottle of water next to your bed is OK. Please try to keep order and consider and respect those who want to sleep!
PERSONAL BELONGINGS / VALUABLES
Please respect the property that doesn’t belong to you! Please be careful with the material of friLingue, and your fellow participants and do not take anything that doesn’t belong to you without asking.
Important: You can keep your valuables (keys, money bags, watches, jewellery, etc.) in the safe or give them to the camp leader for safekeeping. friLingue accepts no liability for lost or damaged valuables!
MEALS
Eating is not a sport so we want to eat our meals together in a civilised manner without noise and shouting. Before you start eating, please take your seat first. If you finish before the others, please sit still at the table as we like to start and finish
together. Once you’re finished eating please put your dirty plates and cutlery in the washbasins provided in the dining area.
SMOKING, ALCOHOL & DRUGS
With friLingue, there is no smoking and there is strict alcohol & drugs ban. Anyone caught breaking this rule will be sent home immediately. This is also applicable to students over the age of 16. Excessive consumption of energy drinks is strictly prohibited and will be properly sanctioned!


This may sound like a lot of rules but most of them are rules that you follow in your own house and in your daily life. We are sure that we will have a good time together and we don’t want to act or be seen as teachers and figures of authority, but rather more as friends. However, that means that we expect from you a lot: punctuality, respect and responsibility among other things - just as you’d expect from your real friends.



We’re looking forward to meeting you!
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
ON SUNDAY AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL
06.30pm: Icebreaker games
07.15pm: Dinner and getting to know your new friends
08.15pm: Oral language test
10.00pm: Sleep time

The short oral test on Sunday evening is to determine your language level so that we know which class you are best placed in. It also works to let your teacher know your individual learning needs and objectives.
Don’t be afraid of the test - it’s there to help you!

MONDAY - FRIDAY
A typical friLingue day
  • 08.30am - Breakfast
  • 09.00am - 12.30pm Language lessons
  • 10.30am - 11.00am Break with snacks and refreshments
  • 12.45pm - 01.30pm Lunch
  • 13.30pm - 03.00pm Tidy rooms and free time
  • 03.00pm - 06.00pm Afternoon activities*
  • 06.45pm - 07.30pm Dinner
  • 08.00pm - 10.00pm Evening Program
  • 10.00pm - Bedtime

AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES*
Depending on which camp you have booked, we offer various camp activities that take place during the afternoon hours:
  1. Regular workshops - on Monday and Wednesday afternoons we offer various workshops and workshop activities (already included in the price)
Optional:
  1. Conversation/intensive courses - If you are interested, you can book a conversation/intensive course at an additional cost of CHF 100 for two afternoons per week or CHF 150 for three afternoons per week.
  2. Sailing course - If you have booked the sailing course, it takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon.
  3. Waterski/wakeboard course - If you have booked the waterski/wakeboard course, it takes place every Wednesday evening.
If you would like to book one of these courses at short notice, please get in touch with us! ATTENTION: These courses cannot be combined with each other.

SATURDAYS
A full-day excursion takes place every Saturday to a local city or attraction. We arrive back at the camp in time for dinner. If you leave on Saturday, please see the departure details.

SUNDAYS
If you’re staying in the camp longer than one week, you can relax on Sunday. We start around 09.30am with a later breakfast (brunch) before cleaning the classrooms and common area and arranging the bedrooms for the new arrivals. Once that’s done, the rest of the day is free, though we do organize a few small activities which are not compulsory.

If you want to do something you will always find a few other participants and some employees to hang out with. The newcomers start to arrive around 05.00pm. Of course, you can also go away with your parents for the weekend or they can visit you, but we don’t recommend this as it’s certainly more exciting to spend the time in the camp with your new friends.
DEPARTURE OPTIONS
ESTAVAYER CAMP DEPARTURE

For the departure from the camp, you have different possibilities. As a general rule, however, most of the participants leave on Saturday after the full-day excursion*.


  • OPTION 1: WITH ''ACCOMPANIED TRAIN RIDE (BZ)" TO ZURICH OR BERN
  • OPTION 2: PICK UP PARENTS
  1. On Friday after lunch from around 01.30pm in the camp
  2. On the Saturday morning before the excursion by approx. 09.30am at the camp
  3. On Saturday afternoon after the excursion, usually from the station of the excursion sites from around 04.00pm. The exact place and time will be announced and communicated with the parents via e-mail on Thursday before the departure.

IMPORTANT: We take the children’s luggage separately in the car/bus on the excursion. No child has to drag their own luggage behind them during the excursion.


  • OPTION 3: INDIVIDUAL DEPARTURE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Please let us know your departure time and we will gladly bring you to the station. If you have any questions or delays, you can also contact the camp leader.


* FULL-DAY EXCURSION SCHEDULE FOR ESTAVAYER SUMMER 2024:


13/07: FRIBOURG CITY TOUR

The meeting point after the excursion will be the Jo Siffert parking at 04.00pm.


20/07: NEUCHATEL CITY TOUR

The meeting point after the excursion will be the Neuchatel train station at 04.00pm.


27/07: YVERDON CITY TOUR

The meeting point after the excursion will be the Yverdon train station at 04.00pm.


03/08: BERN CITY TOUR

The meeting point after the excursion will be the parking lot next to Bern Bärenpark at 04.00pm.


The address and meeting point will be confirmed by e-mail on Thursdays during the camp week!

friLingue CONTRACT WITH RULES
HOW THE friLingue CONTRACT SIGNING WORKS
1
GO THROUGH THE INFORMATION WITH THE STUDENTS
Download our PDF file and please read it together with the students - they should also be aware of the camp rules and regulations!
2

SIGN THE CONTRACT AND FILL OUT THE DEPARTURE / MEDICATION FORM

Fill out and sign the documents on several signing fields (required).

3

SEND BACK THE SIGNED DOCUMENTS

You can either send us the signed documents by email or post office. Also, you can provide us with the physical copy upon your arrival at the camp.

4
PACK UP!
Everything's prepared - all we need to do is go through the packing list, just to be on the safe side.
ACCOMPANIED TRAIN RIDE SERVICE

If you have booked the accompanied train ride from Zurich or Bern, you can find the information about the meeting point here:

Accompanied train ride Bern - Estavayer
Accompanied train ride Zurich - Estavayer

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