Since 1967 we've been creating expertly planned school tours - helping groups get more from their time away...
General/Cultural school trips to the Opal Coast
Provide your group with a real taste of life in France. St Omer is easily accessible and close to channel ports, whilst offering fantastic visits, all within easy reach, which will introduce your students to a new culture, and provide them with an insight into traditional French living past and present!

- Itinerary
- Visits
- Accommodation
- Eating Out
- Support
- Resources

Below, you’ll find an example of one of our most popular itinerary choices, but we can tailor-make yours from scratch to meet your exact requirements...
Opal Coast - 3 days from £165pp*
Travelling in July 2013. Price includes executive coach transport from & to school & throughout your stay, 2 nights' full-board accommodation at NST's Chateau d'Ebblinghem including packed lunch from day 2, extensive group travel insurance and a generous free place ratio of 1 in 8.
And then add our most popular itinerary package below for £10pp*
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| *Prices shown based on 40 paying passengers departing in July 2013 from England & Wales & are subject to availablility. Entrance fees for some of the visits featured may be payable locally, but are included in the price shown. | ||||||||||||||||
Our most popular visits on the Opal Coast for General & Cultural school trips
Here are some of our most popular visits on the Opal Coast for General & Cultural groups. We can tailor-make an itinerary to your exact needs. Call 0845 688 8988 to create your itinerary from scratch today.
Key Visits
Les Chocolats de Beussent
Combine the demonstrations of melting, moulding and coating with worksheets, a guided tour of the workshop, in English or French, and the chance to sample the chocolates.
Boulangerie Visits
There are many boulangerie visits in the region where your students will see and learn about the traditional process of making traditional French bread and croissants, before getting the chance to produce and eat their own.
La Coupole
In this former underground V2 base students can discover life in occupied-France, and relive the main events of the post-war conquest of Space, through interactive, audiovisual displays and guided tours.
Sire de Créquy Cheese Farm
This informative visit provides students with an insight into how traditional French cheeses and other dairy produce are made. Samples are also provided and there is an option to eat lunch at the farm with much of the menu produced on-site.
Additional Visits & Attractions:
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WWI Battlefields
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Aqualud
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Bagatelle Pleasure Park
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Boulogne
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Becasuc Sweet Factory
Cross-Curricular Visits
Why not add some curriculum linked visits to your Cultural tour experience, popular options include:
Food Technology
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Musée de Maintenay Bread Mill
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Montcavrel Goat Farm
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Boulangerie Visits
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Musee de l'Abeille d'Opale Bee Museum
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L’Escargotière du Choquel, Saint-Martin Choquel Snail Farm
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Sire de Créquy Cheese Farm
Languages
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Language Workshops
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Les Chocolats de Beussent
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Goat Farm, Montcavrel
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La Couople
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Natur'Pom Cider Farm
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Nausicaa Sea Centre, Boulogne-sur-Mer
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NST Exclusive Town Trails
Music
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Ideal for Sacred Choirs, Bands, Youth Orchestras and Secular Choirs
Science
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Nausicaä Sea Centre
WWI
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In Flanders Fields Exhibition
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Menin Gate and Ceremony
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Essex Farm Cemetery
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Passchendaele Memorial Museum
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Artillery Wood Cemetery
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Sanctuary Wood Museum & Hill 62
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Tyne Cot British Cemetery
Below, you'll find some of our most popular accommodation options for school groups.
This is just a sample of our full range, so for full details of all properties available, please call 0845 688 8988 to speak to one of our Educational Travel Advisors today.
Chateau d'EbblinghemSpecifically renovated to provide a superb standard of accommodation, NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem offers unrivalled facilities for school and youth groups.

Chateau d'Ebblinghem
There are 3 separate buildings at NST’s château, each designed to accommodate one group. You will have sole occupancy of your building including your own dining room, meeting room and games room. NST's chateau is a great base for all subject groups: Primary schools, French Language, History, Religious Studies, Food Technology, Geography and Music.

AddressSt Omer, Opal Coast | Local Rating |
Capacity3 blocks each accommodating 58 guests. |

Location Information
NST’s château is located in St Omer on the Opal Coast, just 45 minutes from Calais and Ypres, 55 minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal, 60 minutes from Boulogne and 90 minutes from Le Touquet.


Bedrooms
All bedrooms in all 3 buildings are bright, modern and clean, and feature a private shower, toilet and washbasin.
Meals
Meals at NST’s château provide a nutritious balanced diet which is carefully planned to restore the energy expended during the day’s activities. Breakfast and evening meals are provided on-site and packed lunches are supplied daily.
We can be flexible regarding meal times to suit your itinerary, and most special dietary requirements are easily
managed.
Personal Service
During your stay at NST’s château, you will be allocated your own personal group co-ordinator – known as a ‘groupie’ – to provide full-time assistance throughout your tour. Your groupie will:
- Be based at the château
- Assist you on arrival to ensure a smooth check-in
- Discuss all your itinerary arrangements with you, including on-site and off-site activities
- Travel with you to all your visits to assist with directions and organisation
- Organise and be present at all your on-site activities
- Be available to assist with any questions or issues
Your Group’s Safety & Security
The secluded location of NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem, and the fact that each group has its own accommodation block, will no doubt be a major reassurance to teachers and parents.
Recreational Facilities
Your group will have its own dedicated room for recreational activities, and access to the communal games room.
Facilities include:
- Four hectares of private grounds
- Two football pitches (one floodlit)
- Volleyball area and outdoor activities (during summer months)
- A separate dedicated building housing a games room, teachers’ bar and the château shop
Organised Evening Activities
Our staff will arrange a programme of activities for your group such as talent shows, games shows, quizzes, team challenges, initiative exercises, discos, etc. During summer months, outdoor activities will also be added to your evening programme.
If you would like to add in some study time too, a dedicated room – complete with TV, video and white board – will be available.


Hippotel
Good quality accommodation offering excellent facilities for groups.

AddressAvenue de la Dune aux Loups | Local Rating |
Capacity170 guests |

Location Information
The hotel is located in the forest area of Le Touquet. Le Touquet itself is an attractive, cosmopolitan resort with an enormous beach and excellent facilities for sport and recreation.


Accommodation Facilities
- Reception
- Meeting room
- Dining room
- Bar
- Study/Recreation room
- Video games, table football, pool table
- Disabled facilities: This hotel is not suitable for disabled guests
Student Rooms
- 4-5 bedded rooms
- En-suite facilities
Staff Rooms
- Twins/Singles
- En-suite facilities
Safety Guidance
The hotel conforms to all local standards, which:
- does not require fire doors that self-close. Therefore, groups are advised, for additional security, to ensure doors are shut at night.
- does not require windows to have restricted opening.
- does not require plate glass windows/patio doors to have anti-collision motifs to ensure that people are aware glass is present.
- does not require balconies to be at least 1 metre high.
Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.


Le Mont des Couppes
Comfortable, practical accommodation offering excellent facilities for schools.
Location Information
The centre is situated in its own grounds, on a mound overlooking the English Channel, the beach, the sea port of Boulogne and Napoleon’s Fort in the village of Le Portel. The centre is built on the site of WWII bunkers.


Accommodation Facilities
- Reception
- Dining room
- 3 lockable classrooms with computers/internet access
- Activity room
- Skate board park opposite the centre
- Disabled facilities: 3 rooms and 1 bathroom have been adapted for disabled guests
- Cookery course on how to make mayonnaise, French dressing and bread available
Student Rooms
- 2-4 bedded rooms with washbasin
- Communal showers & toilet facilities
Staff Rooms
- Twins/singles with washbasin
- Communal showers & toilet facilities
Safety Guidance
The hotel conforms to all local standards, which does not require windows to have restricted opening. Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.


Youth Hotel Riva Bella
A single group hotel, located in the centre of Le Touquet a lovely seaside resort, offering good quality budget accommodation. The hoteliers are very experienced in accommodating youth groups and a warm welcome is assured.

Address12, rue Léon Garet | Local Rating |
Capacity58 guests, 26 rooms |

Location Information
Le Touquet is an attractive cosmopolitan resort with an enormous beach and excellent facilities for sport and recreation. The hotel is located in a quiet side-street, approximately 100 metres from the beach and the town centre.


Accommodation Facilities
- Reception
- Dining room
- Rehearsal/study room
- Lounge with TV for Teachers’ use
- Private courtyard with picnic benches
- Table football
- Vending machine
- Disabled facilities: This property has no specific facilities or adapted rooms for disabled clients.
Student Rooms
- 2-4 bedded rooms
- En-suite facilities
Staff Rooms
- Twins/singles
- En-suite facilities
- Safe
Safety Guidance
The hotel conforms to all local standards, which does not require windows to have restricted opening. Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.


Security Deposit
A security deposit of €10 per person is payable on arrival. This can be paid either in cash or by credit card. This amount is refundable at the end of your stay provided there has been no damage to the areas occupied by the group. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend all group leaders undertake an inspection of all rooms with the hotelier.







