Planning an educational tour for my art students-Which country do I choose?

When are you going? The temperature might matter. I would think you can spend the entire trip in Italy except for the end. Stay in Paris for a few days and fly home from there.

Louvre, St. Chapelle, all the beautiful architecture, Versailles, Fontainbleau, the gargoyles on the roof of Notre Dame.

Summer 2011.

I would go for Paris for the variety of cultural experiences you could have. Musee D’Orsay, the Cluny, Notre Dame – there’s so many different eras and types of art you could expose them to. In Athens, it would be mainly classical art and archtiecture which could get same-y for your students even though you want to see it. Not an easy choice to make, both are certainly rich, but I would go for Paris. Oh – and Athens could be very hot in the summer.

GREEEECE!

Greeks invented art!

You tell me any word, and I tell you how it comes from GREEEEK

(and no, I’m not greek)

@drhat77: Batik, serape, wadi, lingerie, saffron, tamarind, flounder, midden, nudge for starters.

@drhat77 yes, what he said. And yes I am Greek. You could also do Italy – and Greece. Don’t forget, when the romans took over, they kept most artists/architects etc alive and got them to work – sure under the whip but they could still kick some butt artistically.

It all sounds great to me!it’s on my bucket list:)
I think you should pick the one you feel the most passion for.It will come through to your students and maybe inspire them :)

Since you have been to Paris and would like to see Greece, the obvious answer therefore is Greece. . . Why, for Pete’s sake, would you pass-up on the opportunity to visit Greece? Don’t worry about the kids, they can go to Paris on their own time…

The first place that popped into my head was Italy, mainly because I’d love to go to the Uffizi in Firenze.

I just want to see the old country, anyway, never mind that it’s chock full of art.

Italy is already on the agenda.

@kikibirdjones: There is so much stuff to see in and around Paris, (I forgot the cathedral of Chartres) and easy transportation, that it would be more efficient. Roaming around Greece, once you leave Athens, is logistically more complicated.

I’d say take the kids to Paris and go to Greece on your own time. (How old are the kids?)

@gailcalled I’m taking teenagers. AHH! And good point, Greece and Rome are similar in culture and Paris would have a variety of art, etc. Hmmmm.

@kikibirdjones: Perhaps they have studied a little French; that also makes it fun if they can bumble their way around in a foreign language. Suivez le guide and remember to tip him.

@kikibirdjones they’re not as similar as you’d think. Huge differences, subtle, but huge.

Where do you teach? Is it a private school? When I was in HS, we were lucky to get a day trip to NYC (a 3 hour drive, from here) It would have been a dream to go to Italy – actually, it still is.

I would say take the kids to Italy and Paris. Like @gailcalled said, I’m sure you’d enjoy it more if you went to Greece on your own.

No, it’s a small public school, kind of rural so I want the kids to SEE the world! We are paying for it through fundraisers. It’s ambitious but I think we can do it. Most haven’t been out of the state except for the next state over so it’ll be worth the hard work!
Maybe I will go to Greece on my own…THIS IS TOO HARD! Someone flip a coin for me…

One thing to consider is that since you have been to Paris, you will have some familiarity with it, which should make it easier for you to be there with the students. Also, there are really neat things to do with kids in Paris like a bateau mouche ride on the Seine at night. While I enjoyed Athens and loved the Greek Islands, unless you are planning to spend a lot of time touring Greece, I think Paris will give you more bang for the – err, franc.

Err – euro.

@susanc Je le sait bien sur, mais “franc” c’est le mot juste.

Between paris and Athens, I would definitely choose Paris. Most of the art in Greece is dead art, I feel Paris has more to offer in museums and city culture.

You could also consider Amsterdam. There are some impressive museums there and 17th century art is more or less Dutch art and impressionists have a great go at the van Gogh museum. (As well as the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk and The Hermitage.)

Anyway… enjoy!!!!

BTW I love Athens as well…

Parisian galleries and architecture are perhaps the best in the world.

My first suggestion is Italy, with France (Paris) in second and Greece in third.

Italy or France!!!

I chose Italy and Greece! Thanks you guys!!!!!

i think you need to ask yourself what you want to gain from the place you visit. it;s easy to say Paris as most people would recommend it, but most people are not art experts. have you thought of travelling to Berlin, the contempory art there is exellent and interlectual.

if you have to choose out of paris or Athens go to Paris as you will be able to see awider and more divers aray of antiqueties and a greater more visual history of the develpment of fine art.

if you are travelling from northen Italy you could also travel to provonence which is associated with Guagain and Van Goth then enter northen Spain and visit Barcelona.

hope it helps