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City guide

Los Angeles

United States

Los Angeles is not a city you visit, it is one you tame: an archipelago of neighbourhoods linked by freeways, where family life revolves around school and the car. The French-speaking community is well established, from West LA to Burbank, and the sunshine does the rest.

Currency
US dollar ($)
Language
English
Time vs Paris
9h behind
Emergencies
911

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Los Angeles Accueil

Since 1992

Since 1992, Los Angeles Accueil has gathered the French speakers of the City of Angels: welcome coffees, a baby club, hikes, cultural outings and a monthly agenda of local tips to tame the city despite the distances.

Where to meet them

No fixed premises: contact by email; activities are announced on the website and in the monthly agenda.

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Welcome coffee, Club Bébé and Petit Club for young mums
  • Sport and wellbeing: hikes, beach walks, beach volleyball, yoga
  • Cultural outings, talks and themed evenings
  • Monthly agenda of L.A. events and members newsletter

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE États-Unis Los Angeles

    The Los Angeles chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger: mutual aid, events and practical advice (tax, settling in) for the French in Southern California.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Los Angeles

    The Los Angeles section of Français du monde - ADFE informs and supports French residents of the area with their paperwork, in a spirit of solidarity.

    Visit the website

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

French-American Chamber of Commerce California

California's French-American chamber covers Los Angeles with its network of entrepreneurs, networking events and practical support to build a professional network and find job opportunities locally.

Visit the website

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees
  • AEFE partner

    Lycée international de Los Angeles (LILA)

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 Primary in Los Feliz, Pasadena and West Valley; secondary in Burbank · 950 pupils

    School website 📅 2026-2027 calendar
  • AEFE partner

    Lycée français de Los Angeles (Le Lycée)

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 West Los Angeles (Overland Avenue) · 590 pupils

    School website

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

Two AEFE-accredited schools cover the city from nursery to the baccalauréat: the multi-campus Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA) and Le Lycée on the West LA side. Here, choosing the school often dictates choosing the neighbourhood.

Good to know

  • LILA is multi-campus: primary in Los Feliz, Pasadena and West Valley, secondary in Burbank.
  • The Lycée Français de Los Angeles teaches from nursery to final year on Overland Avenue, in West LA.
  • Distances are huge: pick the school and the neighbourhood together, the car commute shapes the day.
  • Free French immersion programmes also exist in some public schools (LAUSD) and are in demand.

Children's healthcare

As everywhere in the US, everything rests on health insurance, usually through the employer. Once the family is properly covered, Los Angeles paediatric care is excellent, with Children's Hospital Los Angeles leading the way.

Good to know

  • Check family coverage before signing the job contract: deductible, network, copays.
  • Pick an in-network paediatrician quickly and book the registration visit.
  • Hospital ER visits are very expensive: urgent care clinics handle the non-vital cases well.
  • 911 remains the reflex for any life-threatening emergency; Children's Hospital Los Angeles is the paediatric reference.

French-speaking community

The French community of L.A. is scattered across miles, but it does come together: around the school campuses, at Los Angeles Accueil events and in French-speaking parent groups.

Good to know

  • Los Angeles Accueil (FIAFE network) has animated the community since 1992, from the baby club to the hikes.
  • Families often cluster near the schools: West LA and Culver City on one side, Los Feliz, Burbank and Pasadena on the other.
  • The Consulate General of France and the Alliance Française de Los Angeles provide a French cultural anchor.
  • Facebook groups of French-speaking parents in L.A. are very active, from nanny tips to gear swaps.

Family outings and events

With kids, Los Angeles is one giant open-air playground: Pacific beaches, hills to hike, huge museums and sunshine almost all year round.

Good to know

  • The Griffith Observatory is free, with the Hollywood sign and the whole city as a backdrop.
  • The California Science Center and the Natural History Museum, neighbours at Exposition Park, save the rare rainy days.
  • Santa Monica beaches and their seaside bike paths are the weekend family rendezvous.
  • Disneyland is in Anaheim, an hour away by car: the classic birthday outing.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

Coming soon: the full Los Angeles guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Los Angeles page first.

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