English, French Language & Activity Summer Camp by Lake Geneva in Switzerland

Course Description: English, French Language & Activity Summer Camp by Lake Geneva in Switzerland

🎓 Course Overview

This English and French language and activity camp by Lake Geneva gives young people aged 8–15 a week of focused language learning combined with the full adventure programme of a Swiss summer camp. Campers take 15 hours of English or French lessons each week in small groups with native-speaking teachers, then practise what they have learnt during afternoons of watersports, Alpine hikes and cultural excursions on the Swiss Riviera.

The camp is run in English and French by a bilingual team, so campers use both languages throughout the day. With up to 30 residential campers from many countries, the group is small and international. Stays run by the week from Sunday to Saturday, and campers can book one or more weeks.

📚 Academic Content

Language Lessons

Language classes take place in the morning slot, from 09:00 to 12:00, giving 15 hours of tuition a week. Campers choose either English or French and study in small groups with native-speaking teachers.

Lessons are practical and interactive rather than textbook-based. Typical activities include:

• Live dialogues: role-plays and real conversations to build speaking confidence.

• Video ad-making: planning, scripting and filming short adverts in the target language.

• Nature hunts: learning vocabulary outdoors through games and challenges.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Because camp life runs in both English and French, campers keep practising during activities, meals, excursions and evenings, building language skills, cultural awareness and adaptability in a natural setting.

Alternative Morning Options

Campers who prefer to focus on sport can choose tennis, golf, basketball or adventure activities in the morning instead of lessons.

📍 Campus & Location

The camp is based on the Swiss Riviera above Lake Geneva, between Vevey and Montreux. Residential campers live in the school's boarding house, a few minutes' walk from the Praz-Dagoud school campus, where the sports hall, art rooms, music room and other teaching spaces are used during the day. The school campus offers an international competition-standard sports hall, creative art rooms and a fully equipped music room.

The location is ideal for a summer that combines lake and mountains: the Montreux lakeside is about a 10-minute drive away, the nearest mountains are about 30 minutes away, and Geneva Airport is roughly an hour's drive. Vevey railway station is close by, and the camp uses minibuses from its own fleet for local outings.

🏫 Accommodation & Meals

Campers stay in a modern boarding house on the Swiss Riviera. Each camper shares a twin room with a private en-suite bathroom and an enclosed balcony, and rooms are cleaned daily. The house has a games room, a common room used for karaoke nights and a large outdoor terrace with views over Lake Geneva, where campfires are held. Unlimited Wi-Fi allows campers to keep in touch with home.

Three meals a day are prepared in-house by the school caterer, with snacks and drinks provided between meals.

🚌 Excursions & Activities

Afternoons and weekends are packed with outdoor adventures and cultural trips, so campers discover both Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps. Alpine hikes are led by experienced guides, and watersports on the lake are run by local professionals. Activities across the summer include:

• On the water: water-skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and pedal boats, banana boating, an aquapark and a boat trip to Evian.

• In the mountains: mountain hikes, mountain or outdoor karting, an adventure park, a torchlight gorge walk, a glacier visit and a trip to Verbier.

• Action and sport: laser game, indoor surfing, a trampoline park, indoor climbing, bowling, frisbee golf, mini-golf, badminton, football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, handball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball and the camp's own Olympics.

• Cultural excursions: Geneva, Montreux, Lausanne, Bern, Lucerne, the Gruyère region (including chocolate tasting) and Château de Chillon.

• Evenings: team-building games, karaoke, campfires, a talent show, BBQ or disco nights, movie nights, a photo scavenger hunt and jewellery-making.

⏰ A Day in the Life

A typical day at camp:

• 08:00 — Breakfast

• 09:00 — Morning programme: English or French lessons in small groups

• 12:00 — Lunch

• 13:00 — Afternoon activities: watersports, hikes or cultural trips

• 16:00 — Free time

• 17:00 — Team games and workshops

• 18:00 — Dinner

• 19:00 — Evening programme, such as a campfire or talent show

• 21:00 — Lights out

Some days are given over to full-day excursions, so the exact timetable varies from week to week.

2027 Dates & Fees 📅

This is a residential camp with five one-week sessions in summer 2027. Stays run from Sunday arrival to Saturday departure, and campers can book one or more weeks. The residential camp costs CHF 1,650 per week, and morning language lessons are added for CHF 350, giving the totals below. Fees are quoted in Swiss francs (CHF).

• Sunday 27 June – Saturday 3 July — Length: 1 week — Residential with language lessons: CHF 2,000

• Sunday 4 July – Saturday 10 July — Length: 1 week — Residential with language lessons: CHF 2,000

• Sunday 11 July – Saturday 17 July — Length: 1 week — Residential with language lessons: CHF 2,000

• Sunday 18 July – Saturday 24 July — Length: 1 week — Residential with language lessons: CHF 2,000

• Sunday 25 July – Saturday 31 July — Length: 1 week — Residential with language lessons: CHF 2,000

Campers who do not wish to take language lessons can join the same weeks for the standard residential fee of CHF 1,650 per week.

✔️ What's Included

The weekly fee is all-inclusive and covers:

• Accommodation: a twin room with en-suite bathroom in the boarding house, with daily room cleaning and unlimited Wi-Fi.

• Meals: three meals a day plus snacks and drinks.

• Programme: daily activities and excursions throughout the week.

• Care: 24-hour supervision and personalised care.

• Travel: transfers to and from Geneva Airport.

• Insurance: accident insurance.

Language lessons: 15 hours of English or French a week with native-speaking teachers (included in the language-camp total above).

Not included: personal spending money and travel to and from Switzerland.

🛡️ Safety & Welfare

The residential camp is deliberately small, with up to 30 campers, so every child receives individual attention. Campers are supervised around the clock by an experienced boarding house team, including full-time boarding house supervisors, and all staff are qualified and bilingual in English and French. The camps have been led by the same founding directors since 1994, giving more than 30 years of experience in running summer programmes on the Swiss Riviera.

Adventure activities are run with specialist partners: Alpine hikes are led by experienced guides and watersports by local professionals. Accident insurance and transfers from Geneva Airport are included in the weekly fee.

💡 Who This Programme Is For

This camp suits 8–15-year-olds who want to improve their English or French during the summer while enjoying a full holiday camp. It is ideal for children learning either language at school, for families preparing for a move or an international school, and for young people who learn best by using a language in real situations. The small group and close supervision also make it a good choice for a first residential camp.

Haut-Lac International Bilingual School — Google Maps ↗

Chem. de Pangires 26, 1806 Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz, Switzerland Google Maps ↗