Here's my tips on making the most from all that France has to offer...
1. Learn to speak some French and not just hello and goodbye. Whilst the French have a reputation for being somewhat arrogant and rude if you don't use their language, we found them very tolerant of our attempts to speak French for the most part. I do think that if you travel anywhere it is a sign of respect to be able to speak a few basic words and to ask basic questions politely. When I was learning Indonesian in Bali the teacher told us we should speak "gado-gado" Indonesian. As many of you know gado-gado is an Indonesian dish which s a mixture of vegetables, eggs, peanuts etc. Her point was that it is better to use any words you know in the foreign language interspersed with English than to wait until you are fluent ( when you never will be!) At least you start to use the local language!
2. Check the opening times for Musees etc as many of them close on one day every week
3. Check the public holidays. they don't do Good Friday in France but EVERYTHING closes on Easter Monday, for example.
4. Consider the time of year . We chose spring which meant the weather was cool for most of it, and variable. However the flowers are stunning in spring and the tourist numbers comparatively low. It does mean that some Musees are closed as they prepare for the summer rush. It seems that many of them open new exhibitions in June.
5. Get your bike-riding skills going. I am a complete convert to the joys of pedalling around French cities. Many of them are on rivers which means they are flat (Yay!). France is very environmentally conscious so there are very impressive bike paths in most cities. It is far more preferable than using the Metro etc where you see nothing but dull faces . If you have time to pedal then do so! Enjoy the sights and sounds of the cities around you, and observe the people who live there while you pedal slowly along.
6. We used Airbnb for every accommodation except three nights when we used 'aparthotels'. We stayed in some really fabulous apartments and met some lovely local people. Make sure you use the filters available on the Airbnb site so that you don't waste hours looking at places that won't suit you at all or are out of your price range. We filtered out places that weren't an entire apartment, and didn't have WiFi, for example.
Now you can do Quick book it is no slower to book an Airbnb than a hotel room.
We did have one experience of a host expecting us to do thorough cleaning before leaving which is not the usual expectation so make sure you are aware of the expectations before you leave. Most places charge a cleaning fee so it is clear.
Staying in apartments was great when you are travelling for some time as you can cook something simple when you are tired of going out...and it saves some money. In France they have Traiteurs that are often combined with Boucheries (butchers). They have cooked meals ready for you to heat and eat. From Coq au Vin to lasagna to dauphinoise potatoes to just about anything - we had some great meals from them. It' s also easy to scoff at supermarket food but they also have cooked meals that are fresh and tasty: we enjoyed pork-stuffed tomatoes and rice, Mediterranean chicken and cous cous etc
7, Lease a car and stick to the back roads. Enjoy the little villages and getting a sense of how the locals really live.
8. Buy a French simcard so you can contact spouses and fellow travellers cheaply. And get data so you can use Google maps offline to find out where you are and how to get to where you want to be. It gives you great confidence in wandering around when you know you can't get lost!
9. Buy some sensible walking shoes as you will do many miles of walking. Shoes with some sort of gel or rubber to cushion your feet are highly desirable so you can cope unscathed with cobblestones and uneven paths.
10. Buy a thief proof handbag/bag and use the safety catches etc. Beware of any 'staged' incidents that occur often on public transport, as often they are planned to divert your attention whilst someone steals your wallet etc. And make sure you don't carry all of your credit cards and cash with you.Hide some in your room or bag or elsewhere.
11. Get fit before you go! You will undoubtedly do more walking than you normally do so try and get your fitness levels up so your enjoyment isn't spoiled by aching muscles. Do remember to do some stretches after a long day of walking. Your muscles will love you for it! Give yourself some days off from hectic sightseeing, otherwise you will fall in a heap at some point.
France is a beautiful country with such diversity and endless history to enjoy. Take your sense of adventure and be tolerant when all does not go well. Don't just follow the tourist sights and trails as there is so much more to see.
Bonne chance and happy travelling
Dianne
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