A French Language Immersion Retreat
September 10- September 16, 2027
Toulouse, France
Brought to you by Rêverie and coucou, château coucou Toulouse is a retreat SET AT CHÂTEAU DE LABUSQUIÈRE IN THE HEART OF southwest france.
Live the language, savor local flavors, and get some much needed rest, all in one unforgettable stay.
September 10-16, 2027
7 Days, 6 nights
From $5,700 USD
Joined by two professors from Coucou as your French language guides, this immersive French week is for you if you want to hone your French conversation skills in a fun, lively setting in the French countryside.
Throughout your week at Château Coucou, your professors will guide you in practical games and activities to give you real-life practice in your French speaking and comprehension skills. You’ll learn how to have conversations about what you’re eating, what you’re drinking, and, of course, how to solve a murder mystery in a château. Ok, that last one isn’t terribly practical, but it IS wickedly fun!
With the Michelin-trained Rêverie chefs in the kitchen, you will eat like royalty with fresh local produce as the star, accompanied by housemade sourdough breads, cheeses, and countless culinary delights!
From start to finish, the team at Reverie will make sure your language immersion experience is everything you could dream of, and one that you’re sure to never forget.
Join us in Toulouse, France and speak french with coucou!
Your week begins in Toulouse, where you'll spend your first night at the Hôtel du Grand Balcon in the city center. The first afternoon and evening are yours to wander, explore, and start easing into your French speaking. The next morning, after breakfast at the hôtel, it's off to Château de Labusquière, about an hour outside Toulouse in Montadet, in the heart of Le Gers. For the next five nights, it's your home! And from the moment you arrive: French only.
The days settle into their own rhythm. Daily classes with Coucou are where the language actually starts to stick. A market run to Samatan (with a French vocab lesson to match), a guided natural wine tasting, and a visit to a French countryside town where your only option is to speak French. Some evenings it's apéro and dinner under the mimosa trees in the courtyard. One night it's a proper soirée barbec. The last one, we linger over trivia and a farewell dinner that you won't want to end.
By the time the vans pull back toward the airport, you'll have done more than practice a language. You'll have lived in it — ordered in it, laughed in it, argued gently about cheese in it. A whole week of your life, lived in French (in France).
Learning with Coucou
Coucou has spent years figuring out how to make language learning feel less like school and more like a dinner party. Their approach: give people real things to talk about, in real situations, with real stakes — and then surround them with good food and wine so everyone relaxes enough to actually try. The workshops this week aren't grammar reviews! They're conversation practice disguised as a trivia night, a wine tasting, a murder mystery, a cooking class. You will use your French. You will get better. You will laugh at yourself, and that's the whole point!
THE WEEK INCLUDES
Daily grammar review with Coucou — conversation, vocabulary, and getting your ear tuned back in.
Cooking Class with Coucou + Rêverie — A hands-on cooking session that brings together French conversation, food, and plenty of practice.
Apéro Trivia with Coucou — French trivia, good wine, competitive energy. A Rêverie favorite.
A day trip to Auch where you can practice your French on unsuspecting shopkeeps
Murder Mystery in the Château — Not practical. Wickedly fun.
Throughout the week, Coucou's activities, games, and group sessions keep the French flowing from morning coffee to the last glass of wine at night.
On ne parle que français. From arrival to departure, French is the only language at the château. It sounds intense. It is, a little. But it's also why it works!
The team at Coucou wishes to provide a full immersion experience during this experience.
Therefore, you must be at a level 4 (Intermediate) or above by september 2027 to join us at hotel coucou.
You can check your level using the Coucou placement test on their website.
Let’s eat!
Chef Paul Albert is your personal chef for the week. Paul trained in fine dining — he knows how to plate a dish so it looks like art — but that's not what drives him here. What drives him is feeding you exceptionally well. Fresh bread every morning (sourdough, brioche, focaccia, whatever calls to him that day). Homemade cheese. Cultured butter. Yogurt made from scratch. Three chef-prepared meals a day, all of it built around what's most beautiful at the market that week, served family-style down the center of a long table. He’s also a great person to practice your French with!
Every meal is paired with natural wines selected by Esmé, Rêverie's sommelier — chosen to complement the food and the region. In Toulouse, that means some of the finest Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in France. Explained, as always, without a drop of pretension.
Paul also leads a traditional French cooking workshop midweek — a hands-on session in the château kitchen that pairs beautifully with everything Coucou is teaching at the table.
* To preserve the shared culinary experience we strive to create, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, and allergies. However, we are unable to tailor meals for additional dietary preferences or restrictions. If you have specific questions about your needs, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to chat!
Château de Labusquière
Welcome to Château de Labusquière, your home for the week. This enchanting 13th-century castle, thoughtfully renovated, has 15 rooms and 8 bathrooms — enough space to feel genuinely at ease, private when you want it, and together when you don't. It sits on a hilltop in Montadet, in the heart of Le Gers, 45 minutes outside the city of Toulouse with views of the French countryside that make it hard to believe this is real life. Thirty-plus acres of grounds are yours to wander: a large swimming pool, a pétanque court with a view, paths through the park and forest, and the resident peacock, Yopi, who considers himself part of the hosting team.
It's our Rêverie home away from home.
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Friday, September 10th
Afternoon check in at Hôtel du Grand Balcon, Toulouse city center
The first evening is yours to explore the city of Toulouse! Dinner on your first night is not included - we will provide you with a list of our favorites so you know where to go!
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Saturday, September 11th
Breakfast at Hôtel du Grand Balcon, then it's off to Château de Labusquière. You'll get the full welcome the second you arrive. Lunch first, then the afternoon is yours to do explore the grounds. Followed by apéro with the Coucou and dinner in the grand hall.
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Sunday, September 12th
Breakfast at your own pace, then a morning class with the Coucou team. Lunch, then an afternoon game to keep the French muscles working (in the fun way, not the homework way). Later, a guided natural wine tasting featuring regional wines. And another perfect dinner to close it out.
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Monday, September 13th
Petit déjeuner, then a mini class with Coucou on market French before heading ten minutes down the road to Samatan. You'll have a proper wander through the market, then it's back to the château for lunch. The afternoon turns into a cooking class with Coucou and the Rêverie team, then apéro and dinner to close things out.
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Tuesday, September 14th
Petit déjeuner, your morning class with Coucou, then we’re off to the capital of the Gers region - Auch! A charming little city with a big character. First, we’ll sit down for a lunch out on the town, you’ll have a moment to explore the city streets and check out the little shops (don’t forget the toy shop!). We’ll head back to the château after for a rest. Come evening, it's a proper soirée barbec, Rêverie style.
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Wednesday, September 15th
Petit déjeuner, then a final morning class with Coucou. After lunch, the afternoon is yours to enjoy however you like. We’ll wrap it up with apéro trivia and a farewell dinner. This is the last one, so be sure to linger a little.
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Thursday, September 16th
Our final morning together! Breakfast at the chateau then au revoir! Until next time! Vans will take you back to Toulouse.
Coucou is the “it” school for French learners and francophiles. They are a woman-founded, bicoastal business with over 10 years of experience in French education. They have created a modern, approachable curriculum that sets them apart from other language schools. Their team of passionate teachers and French-speaking professionals fosters a diverse community by welcoming students from all backgrounds. After a decade of building their community of learners, they’re delighted to partner with Rêverie! During a Reverie x Coucou retreat, the professors are on a mission to make every bit of your French learning experience fun - not just so you’ll have a good time, but to seal the knowledge in your brain. La science, quoi!
1 night stay at the Le Grand Balcon Hôtel Toulouse
Please note that dinner in Toulouse on your first night is not included. We will provide you with plenty of delicious options!
Private transfer by van from the Le Grand Balcon Hôtel to the Château Labusquière
All Coucou French Classes workshops, activities and all materials associated
All breakfasts at the château
All meals throughout your château stay, including INCREDIBLE Chef-prepared meals at the château for lunch and dinner
All wine, cocktails and other beverages throughout the château stay, unless you wanna have your own after hours party ;)
Private coach transportation for all scheduled outings
Costs associated with all scheduled outings and events during our week
Chateau lodging, naturally
* To preserve the shared culinary experience we strive to create, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, and allergies. However, we are unable to tailor meals for additional dietary preferences or restrictions. If you have specific questions about your needs, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to chat!
*Cost of airfare to the Toulouse airport and cost of transport from the Toulouse airport to the Hotel Le Grand Balcon is not included in the cost of your reservation. If you need help with booking your trip, please contact kathleen@reverieforever.com
Airplane
Several planes fly direct to Toulouse Blagnac airport (TLS) every day from Paris and other cities around Europe. From the airport, you will take either a taxi or an uber to the Hôtel Grand Balcon in Toulouse for your first night-stay. The airport is a short 20–25 minute drive from the city and you can easily catch a car to Le Grand Balcon Hôtel. On our final morning together, our drivers will pick you up from the Château for dropoff at the airport or the train station in Toulouse.
If you choose to leave earlier than the scheduled departure, we would be happy to help you arrange a private driver for an additional fee. Cost of airfare to Toulouse Blagnac is not included. Please let us know if we can offer any support or guidance with your travel plans — we're happy to help!
Car
If you're the road-trip type, drive down from Paris! Stop in the Dordogne for a foie gras tartine and make a detour through Rocamadour for the view. You can keep the car for the week or drop it at the airport and grab a car into the city for your hotel stay.
Train
Trains are a great option for independent travelers. If you arrive at Toulouse Matabiau train station, you’re a short drive from the Hôtel Grand Balcon for your first night stay.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel to Toulouse, our in-house travel guru, Kathleen, is here to help. You can reach her directly at kathleen@reverieforever.com
We are here to help make this part easy and smooth.
If you would like to extend your stay in France, we are delighted to partner with The French Travel, a locally owned and operated trip designer based in Paris. They are true experts who will help you perfectly plan your before and/or after Rêverie experience. Check them out for more info!
Questions?
Explore our FAQs or get in touch!