Looking for primary french school near Leuven University

3POSTS

9 years ago

Hi,

I am Phuong and I am planning doing my PhD in Leuven University. We are planning to move our family to Leuven for 4 years.

My daughter is in french school now. So I would like to find a primary french school near Leuven.

Ideal is that we will live in french speaking area where primary french school is available and I will be able to going to Leuven University daily.

First, I thought that I should live in Brussel, then one of my friend said that I should live in Louvain de Neuve. I am not sure what should I do ? to find a good french speaking place for kids and still convenience going to Leuven daily.

Any advice will help.

Thank you very much

Phuong

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Currylover Serial expat

272POSTS

9 years ago

Lln is nowhere near leuven it s a pretty silly suggestion.
If you really want french then hamme mille and nethen are nearest french villages to leuven but finding a rental might be hard.

Outside brussels on direct bus line to leuven are kraainem and wezembeek if you stick with lower value properties the price premium compared to leven will not be too bad. French majority but in flanders

I recommend a map to see how many other french speaking places are closer to leven than lln where family rentals are very hard to find.

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Currylover Serial expat

272POSTS

9 years ago

In fact it's your friend who needs the map!

LLN is 30km from Leuven. There is no direct train link. You either take the train to Ottignies (French speaking) then another train to Leuven, or you take a bus to Wavre (French speaking) and the train to Leuven. Either option will be an hour minimum. By car it will also take a minimum of 40 minutes and double that during rush hour.

Central Brussels is also 30km away. However, it has the advantage of a train every few minutes to Leuven which is 25 minutes away. Live anywhere within easy commute of the train stations and you will be there in a lot less time than LLN option. To drive, it is 20 minutes in best traffic from the edge of Brussels, though double that from the centre but still quicker than LLN.

East Brussels / Wezembeek / Kraainem are as little as 17km away. Option a bus all the way there, will be 30-60 minutes, or a bus to the train station in Zaventem or Nossegem and train from there. Driving as little as 20 minutes.

Hamme-Mille / Pecrot / Nethen as little as 14km away, buses from the villages or even train from Pecrot. However, you might find it very quiet if you've never experience "rural" Wallon life before and rentals won't be much of a choice. Even Wavre at 20km away is nearer than LLN.

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phuongnl Member

3POSTS

9 years ago

Thank you very much Curry Lover,

I had a look on Hamme-Mille and Nethen. I will looking for apartment for rent there, and my question is that is there a good primary french school over there ? Thank you very much to your suggestion <3

phuongnl Member

3POSTS

9 years ago

Currylover wrote:
In fact it's your friend who needs the map!

LLN is 30km from Leuven. There is no direct train link. You either take the train to Ottignies (French speaking) then another train to Leuven, or you take a bus to Wavre (French speaking) and the train to Leuven. Either option will be an hour minimum. By car it will also take a minimum of 40 minutes and double that during rush hour.

Central Brussels is also 30km away. However, it has the advantage of a train every few minutes to Leuven which is 25 minutes away. Live anywhere within easy commute of the train stations and you will be there in a lot less time than LLN option. To drive, it is 20 minutes in best traffic from the edge of Brussels, though double that from the centre but still quicker than LLN.

East Brussels / Wezembeek / Kraainem are as little as 17km away. Option a bus all the way there, will be 30-60 minutes, or a bus to the train station in Zaventem or Nossegem and train from there. Driving as little as 20 minutes.

Hamme-Mille / Pecrot / Nethen as little as 14km away, buses from the villages or even train from Pecrot. However, you might find it very quiet if you've never experience "rural" Wallon life before and rentals won't be much of a choice. Even Wavre at 20km away is nearer than LLN.

Your information is very value. Thanks a bunch Currylover. I have a search on map now, and i am looking for a french primary school here also the possibility to rent an apartment. I do not mind a rural area, event i am a city person. But for kids, rural area is a good option also.

Currylover Serial expat

272POSTS

9 years ago

Yes there are 2 primaries in Hamme-Mille.
Please drop the "good" request though, just assume all primaries are good.
Hamme-Mille is really really tiny though, there are hardly any migrant/expat families there, you may find it very difficult to integrate there and limited activities out of school for your children.
For 3 kilometres further, more public transport options, a massive international community, a huge choice of after school activities in French and also English, a large choice or rentals, I'd look instead at Wezembeek/Kraainem/WSP or even Sterrebeek and Tervuren which might be Dutch majority but with a significant number of French speakers, public transport to the French schools in WSP, as near to Leuven as Hamme-Mille is.

There is one thing Hamme-Mille will have to its advantage, if you can find it, that is housing which is about 40% cheaper. However, for the 50 choices you might get in Wezembeek, you'll have maybe 2 in Hamme-Mille and they might not be anywhere near the centre of the village. You might have to have a car in Hamme-Mille, not necessary in Wezembeek area, so the money you save on housing, you'll spend instead on a car.

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