Don’t let that exchange rate fool you. Once you start living in France, you’ll soon realize that 800€ won’t go very far. And when I was a language assistant, I was desperate to save money wherever I could just to make ends meet. While I have no control over how much FEI pays, I can share all of the discounts that helped make living in and enjoying France possible.
Youth Discounts
Hot Take: TAPIF is for the young. Yes the age limit for the programme is between 30 and 35. Yes, you’re only as old as you feel. However, in my experience, France and other European countries spoil their young people with discounts at museums, movie theatres, events, and countless other places I probably never thought to tap into when I had the chance. The sweet spot for accessing these discounts is under 26 years old. Occasionally, you may get lucky with discounts up to 28 years old. In any case, the younger you are on TAPIF, the more discounts you can benefit from for as long as possible. And trust me, you’re gonna need all the discounts you can get.
Pass Education
In my humble opinion (as the supreme overlord of this blog), visiting France is a chance to experience its rich history and culture. While you don’t need to be rich, visiting museums and national monuments can get a little pricey. And that’s why the Pass Education is your golden ticket. The Pass Education is issued to teachers (including language assistants) and allows them to enter museums and national monuments for free. All you have to do is:
- Ask your Académie or school for one;
- Have the pass stamped by your school’s secretary;
- Write your name on it;
- Attach your photo.
If you visit this site, there’s a list of all the museums and monuments that you’re entitled to free entry with your Pass Education across France. Depending on the museum or monument, you may have to “buy” a ticket online or on-site (and select that you are entitled to free entry so that you don’t pay for anything) or you can just show up with the pass and enter.
Pro Tip: Even if the museum or monument isn’t on the list, ask if there’s a discount for teachers, students or young people. You may get lucky. But you have to come with your pass, student ID or passport in hand.
Carte Avantage Jeune
One thing you won’t understand until you get to France is how expensive train travel is. However if you’re under 27 years old, and depend on the train to go everywhere, you’ll want to have a Carte Jeune Avantage. This is a youth discount card applicable to the SNCF train network.
Whether it’s worth the 49€ investment will depend on how often you plan to use the train. Which in turn depends on your location and access to other transport options. When I was living in a small town in Normandy, I needed to take the train all the time, especially if I needed to go to the airport in Paris. Now that I live in Paris, I rarely take the train. The airport is a metro ride away and there are cheaper options like Flixbus and BlaBlaBus available. Don’t rush to buy it before your arrival. Do your research once you’ve settled in your town, then decide if it’s worth the money.
Banks
French banks certainly offer different services from any bank I’ve visited in Jamaica. Depending on your age and your bank, you may be eligible for one of their youth or jeune actif bank accounts. They’re tailored for young working people and/or students, and offer benefits such as special interest rates, discounts towards insurance and driving lessons, career counselling, etc. As a language assistant, much of that may mean nothing to you. However, you can still benefit from discounts on the account itself. And if you plan to stay in France long-term, take advantage of those other offers.
Carte Jeunes Européenne
Full disclosure, the Carte Jeunes Européenne only recently came to my attention. So I can’t fully endorse all of the benefits it may have to offer. Nevertheless, I wish I had known about it sooner and I think it’s worth checking out if you can save a few euros. From what I can tell, there is no citizenship requirement – the only requirement is to be between the ages of 12 and 30 (a refreshing change from that under-26 cap off). And you can use it across 38 countries, opening yourself to discounts across Europe.
One of the hardest parts of TAPIF is the barely livable wage. So take advantage of all the discounts you can to get the most out of your time in France.
