Let's Explore France

France Travel Guide, Transportation, Accommodations, Food, Dishes, Hidden Attractions, and much more...

France at a glance

France offers a different type of vacation depending on which part you travel to. My first time in France was spent living within a Disney movie. Like The Hunchback of Notredame, I found myself roaming the streets of Paris and exploring food, art, and history within the country’s capital. Another visit would take me to the shores of Normandy France. Smacked with the reality of World War II the area is also home to a beautiful landscape home to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, artist Claude Monet’s home and garden, and so much more.

The Republic of France is the 3rd largest country in Europe, only Russia and Ukraine have more land. France has a long coastline on the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, and the Mediterranean. The Alps rise at its borders with Switzerland and Italy and the Pyrenees separate it from Spain and Andorra. France also shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The island of Corsica in the Mediterranean is also part of France.

For its sophistication and style, each of France’s regions has colorful traditions and strong individual identities. The sophistication of Paris, the fairytale châteaux of the Loire Valley, the elegant resorts of the Côte d’Azur, the flower-filled landscape of Provence, the cliffs, beaches, and WW II history of Normandy, and the vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Épernay are but a few of the gems for the tourist to explore.

France Do's

Do learn some basic French. French people prefer engaging in the French language. Showing an effort to speak French through simple phrases such as ‘bonjour’ (‘hello’) or ‘parlez-vous Anglais’ (‘do you speak English?’) will help build rapport with your French counterpart.
Do dress appropriately. Jeans are OK, but shorts, flip flops, and running shoes are not. They are for the beach and exercising.
Observe social etiquette. Address people by their appropriate title and talk to them in a polite manner to avoid committing a ‘faux pas’ (see ‘Demeanour and Interactions’ under Core Concepts).
Do realize that to use the washroom in places such as a train station or department store, you will have to pay a nominal fee (i.e., 0.35 Euros)
Try to demonstrate some knowledge of history, politics and French culture. The French take great pride in their history and culture.
Do say hello (“Bonjour”) upon entering an establishment (ie. store, restaurant, etc) before you begin browsing or asking questions. Say good-bye (“Au revoir”) upon leaving.

France Dont's

Do not use “Tu” (you) to address another person unless that person is quite familiar to you. Use “Vous”, as it is more formal.
Do not take out coffee and drink it while walking down the street. Drink it at a cafe, either standing at a bar or sitting at a table.
Do not become frustrated if things take time. The French place a greater value on quality than convenience.
Do not rush your meal. The French enjoy their time to relax over a coffee or meal. You should too and take at least 2 hours to savor the flavors.
Do not expect to get ice in your drink. It is just rare to find drinks with ice in France as compared to North America.
Avoid shouting or drawing attention to yourself in public as this is viewed as a lack of self-control and manners.

France Quick Facts

SIM Card/Internet

France is a Go Roam in Europe destination which means you can use your data here at no extra cost. If you have an Add-on with a data allowance of 20GB or greater, a fair use limit applies, with use over 20GB subject to a small surcharge. Wireless Internet (Wifi) in France. Wireless Internet connections are widely available in France, usually for a fee, and there are some free Wifi connections in surprising places, such as Paris parks, but there may be hassles as well.

France Fun Guides

Transportation in France

By Taxi

All medium and large train stations – and many small ones – have a taxi stand out the front. In small cities and towns, where taxi drivers are unlikely to find another fare anywhere near where they let you off, one-way and return trips often cost the same. Tariffs are about 30% higher at night and on Sundays and holidays. A surcharge is usually charged to get picked up at a train station or airport, and there’s a small additional fee for a fourth passenger and/or for suitcases.

By Bicycle

Certain regions – the Loire Valley, the Luberon in Provence and Burgundy – beg to be explored by two wheels and have dedicated cycling paths, some along canal towpaths or between orchards and vineyards.

By Bus

Cheaper and slower than trains. Useful for more remote villages that aren’t serviced by trains. Buses are widely used for short-distance travel within départements, especially in rural areas with relatively few train lines (e.g., Brittany and Normandy). Unfortunately, services in some regions are infrequent and slow, in part because they were designed to get children to their schools in the towns rather than transport visitors around the countryside.

By Plane

France’s high-speed train network renders rail travel between some cities (eg from Paris to Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux) faster and easier than flying.

By Rental Car

Meander away from cities (where parking is challenging) and a car comes into its own. Mooching along peaceful country lanes, past vineyards, and fruit orchards is one of France’s greatest joys. Hire wheels at airports and train stations.

By Train

Run by the state-owned SNCF, France’s rail network is truly first-class, with extensive coverage of the country and frequent departures. Traveling by train in France is a comfortable and environmentally sustainable way to see the country. Since many train stations have car-hire agencies, it’s easy to combine rail travel with rural exploration by car.

By Ferry

There are boat services along France’s coasts and to its offshore islands, and ferries aplenty to/from Corsica.

Best Dishes in France

In France, food is sacred. When preparing a dish, the freshest, best quality ingredients one can afford are chosen. Before anyone eats a bite, the table is laid with care, even if it’s just a simple lunch. During the meal, people put away their phones and no one watches the clock. Eating is a celebration of both the food before you and the company around you. It is this reverence for food that many lovers of French cuisine value as much as the food itself. French food culture, according to UNESCO, is important for ‘bringing people together to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking’ and the power to create ‘togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature’. French cuisine developed throughout the centuries influenced by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, in addition to its own food traditions on the long western coastlines of the Atlantic, the Channel, and of course inland.

Soupe à l’oignon – This is a traditional French soup made of onions and beef stock, usually served with croutons and melted cheese on top. The soup’s unique flavor comes from the caramelization of the onions, which often have brandy or sherry added during the slow-cooking process. This soup is characterized by a dollop of garlic and saffron mayonnaise placed on top.
Coq au vin – This quintessential French food was popularized by Julia Child, becoming one of her signature dishes. The dish sees chicken braised with wine, mushrooms, salty pork or bacon (lardons), mushrooms, onions, garlic, and sometimes even a drop of brandy.
Chocolate Soufflé – The word soufflé comes from the French verb ‘to blow’ and, and the name suggests, this is a light, airy dessert. The crispy chocolatey crust is perfect for letting the creamy chocolate ooze out for a rich surprise. However, it doesn’t have to be sweet. In fact, cheese soufflés are just as delicious if you’re looking for something a little saltier.
Confit de canard – Confit de canard is a tasty French dish of duck – although some chefs use goose or pork – and is one of the finest French dishes. The meat is specially prepared using ancient preservation and slow-cooking process (confit). This sees the duck meat marinated in salt, garlic, and thyme for around 36 hours and then slow-cooked in its own fat at low temperatures. It is typically served with confit roasted potatoes and garlic on the side.

Best Accommodations in France

France can be visited in many ways, and your choices will determine the type of vacation you have. There are many different types of accommodations in France. One type of accommodation in France is the chambres d’hotes – premium Bed and Breakfasts. While staying in these French B&Bs, you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with French people and better understand the French culture. Boutique hotels are smaller hotels normally with 15 to 30 rooms. The small number of employees gives a ‘family atmosphere’, and they are helpful and available for our travelers.

The decoration of the boutique hotel we have selected in Paris is charming and lovely, and usually specific to each room. The most common hotel chains in France are owned by the Accor group. Along your way, in France, you will see Best Western, Ibis, Première Classe, or Novotel. They guarantee a good level of service with an identical decoration, room layout, and continental breakfasts throughout the entire world.

According to Atout France – the government entity that provides all tourism accreditations in France – there are 16 Luxury Hotels in the whole of France. These luxury hotels have their own customer base coming from all around the world and they do offer the most sophisticated quality of service. However, they might not be the best place to interact with French people. Also, of course, prices are skyrocketing and are not really in line with the type of itineraries we design. If you want to experience Paris like a Parisian, an apartment rental in Paris can be a great option. Out in the French countryside, you will often find gites, which are like vacation rentals or cottage rentals. They are lovely houses usually to rent for an entire week from Saturday to Saturday.

France's Top Tourist Attractions

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Paris, France, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacré-Cœur Basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and houses one of the most impressive art collections in history. The magnificent, baroque-style palace and museum — LeMusée du Louvre in French — sits along the banks of the Seine River in Paris. It is one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.

For 130 years, the Eiffel Tower has been a powerful and distinctive symbol of the city of Paris, and by extension, of France. At first, when it was built for the 1889 World’s Fair, it impressed the entire world by its stature and daring design and symbolized French know-how and industrial genius.

France's Hidden Gems

The Foundation Claude Monet is a nonprofit organization that runs and preserves the house and gardens of Claude Monet in Giverny, France. The house and gardens, where Monet lived and painted for 43 years, have been recognized as among the Maisons des Illustres, and a Jardin Remarquable, rewarding their outstanding qualities. The estate was classified as a Monument Historique in 1976.

The Palace of Versailles was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It is located in the department of Yvelines, in the region of Île-de-France, about 20 kilometers southwest of the center of Paris. The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles.

Normandy is a region of northern France. Its varied coastline includes white-chalk cliffs and WWII beachheads, including Omaha Beach, the site of the famous D-Day landing. Just off the coast, the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel is topped by a soaring Gothic abbey. The city of Rouen, dominated by Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, is where the military leader and Catholic saint Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.

France Daily Costs

Budget: Less than $160

Accommodation:

Hotel or Hostel (single): $46
Double-occupancy room: $91

Midrange hotel: $90

Food

Meals for one day: $15

Cheese: $16
Dinner for 2: $45-57
Dinner on River Cruise: $105
Breakfast for 2: $37
Cookie: $1.22
Lunch for 2: $55

Transportation

Taxis, local buses, train: $11
Intercity: $21

Train: $24
Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus: $23
Metro tickets: $8.28
Funiculaire: $6.33
Parking: $1.70
Train from airport: $11
Local bus: $1.34
Metro pass: $3.65

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $11

Catacombs for 2: $28
Winery tour for 2: $24
Admission to Pantheon: $6.09
Castle entrance fee: $6.70
Louve entry for 2: $22

Tips & Handouts:

Guides & Service providers: $4.97
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $34

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $5.09

Wine: $17
Bottle of wine: $18
Drinks for 2: $8.28
Beer: $3.17
Sangria: $6.09

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.22

Orange juice: $1.58
Perrier: $3.65
Coffee: $3.41-4.14
1.5 L water: $2.45

Mid-range: $160-270

Accommodation

Hotel or rental home (single): $147
Double-occupancy room: $296

Midrange hotel: $90

Food

Meals for one day: $37

Cheese: $16
Dinner for 2: $45-57
Dinner on River Cruise: $105
Breakfast for 2: $37
Cookie: $1.22
Lunch for 2: $55

Transportation

Taxis or Car rental: $28
Intercity: $54

Train: $24
Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus: $23
Metro tickets: $8.28
Funiculaire: $6.33
Parking: $1.70
Train from airport: $11
Local bus: $1.34
Metro pass: $3.65

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $30

Catacombs for 2: $28
Winery tour for 2: $24
Admission to Pantheon: $6.09
Castle entrance fee: $6.70
Louve entry for 2: $22

Tips & Handouts:

Guides & Service providers: $18
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $106

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $13

Wine: $17
Bottle of wine: $18
Drinks for 2: $8.28
Beer: $3.17
Sangria: $6.09

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.22-2.91

Orange juice: $1.58
Perrier: $3.65
Coffee: $3.41-4.14
1.5 L water: $2.45

High-end (Luxury): More than $270

Accommodation

Resort or hotel (single): $555
Double-occupancy room: $1,110

Food

Meals for one day: $88

Cheese: $16
Dinner for 2: $45-57
Dinner on River Cruise: $105
Breakfast for 2: $37
Cookie: $1.22
Lunch for 2: $55

Transportation

Car Rentals or private driver: $72
Intercity: $133

Train: $24
Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus: $23
Metro tickets: $8.28
Funiculaire: $6.33
Parking: $1.70
Train from airport: $11
Local bus: $1.34
Metro pass: $3.65

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $96

Catacombs for 2: $28
Winery tour for 2: $24
Admission to Pantheon: $6.09
Castle entrance fee: $6.70
Louve entry for 2: $22

Tips & Handouts:

Guides & Service providers: $77
Scams, robberies, & mishaps: $392

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $32

Wine: $17
Bottle of wine: $18
Drinks for 2: $8.28
Beer: $3.17
Sangria: $6.09

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.22-6.38

Orange juice: $1.58
Perrier: $3.65
Coffee: $3.41-4.14
1.5 L water: $2.45

France Money-Saving Tips

Travel during the offseason – During the offseason, hotels and flights are often cheaper and the crowds are not as dense.
Explore free things to do – With the abundance of history beautifully displayed in a number of museums, there are a lot of free entrance fees and other free activities offered in many of the larger cities.
Take public transportation – With an extensive transportation system, getting around via bus or train is very reliable. Thanks to a slow progression toward a more modern-look, bicycling can also be very efficient.
Consider buying city-passes – City-passes can be great. They usually let you visit a number of attractions for free and/or use the transit system for a fixed number of days.

Useful Websites & Apps

Hotel booking – Booking.com via InteleTravel
Tours & activities – Viator or Shore Excursions Group
Ferry tickets & schedule – Brittany Ferries
Bus Schedule – Le Bus Direct
Translation – Google

10 Cool Facts About France

France is the world’s most popular tourist destination It might be time to brush up on your French language skills, because France is the place to be, according to the latest tourism figures. A whopping 89.3 million people visited the country in 2018, making it the most visited destination in the world. The country’s capital, Paris, is also the third most visited city in the world, behind Bangkok and London.
French was the official language of England for about 300 years It’s hard to imagine that French was the official language of England between 1066 and 1362. But after William the Conqueror led the Norman conquest and subsequent occupation of England in 1066, he introduced Anglo-Norman French to the nation. This was spoken by royalty, aristocrats, and high-powered officials, some of whom couldn’t speak any English! In 1362, however, parliament passed the Pleading in English Act, making English the official language of government. This was because Norman French was used for pleadings, but was largely unknown to the common people of England, who had no knowledge of what was being said in court.
The French Army was the first to use camouflage in 1915 (World War I) The word ‘camouflage’ actually comes from the French verb meaning ‘to make up for the stage’. This is because the French Army was the first to create a dedicated camouflage unit in 1915. Guns and vehicles were painted by artists called camofleurs.
The French invented tin cans, the hairdryer, and the hot air balloon French inventor Nicolas Appert came up with the idea to use sealed glass jars placed in boiling water to preserve food in 1809. Pierre Durand later invented the tin can. Braille was also developed by Louis Braille who was blinded as a child. Meanwhile, physician René Laennec invented the stethoscope at a hospital in Paris in 1816 and Alexandre-Ferdinand Godefroy patented the world’s first hair dryer in 1888. The majestical hot air balloon was also pioneered by the Montgolfier brothers Joseph and Etienne who unveiled the world’s first public display of an untethered balloon in 1783.
The tradition of wearing a white dress originated in France in 1499 The popular tradition actually originated in France with the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Louis XII of France in 1499. She wore a white dress to the wedding, marking the start of the popular Western custom. However, it wasn’t until 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, that the white dress really took off in popularity and the tradition was cemented.
The world’s greatest cycle race, the Tour de France, is more than 100 years old On July 1, 1903, 60 cyclists embarked on the first-ever Tour de France from the Parisian suburb of Montgeron. More than 100 years later, the event has grown to become the world’s greatest cycle race, with around 198 cyclists racing some 3,200kms (2,000 miles); primarily around France in a series of stages over 23 days. The 2013 Tour de France was the 100th edition of the Tour de France.
French law forbids couples from kissing on train platforms In France, it is actually illegal to kiss while a train is on the platform. This old law was introduced in 1910 at the request of rail chiefs who wanted to prevent the amorous French from delaying the departure of trains. All kissing on the platform must now be done before the train arrives.
The croissant was actually invented in Austria in the 13th century That’s right, believe it or not, the beloved French pastry that we all know and love is actually an adaptation of a kipferl; a Viennese specialty that dates back to the 13th century. As the story goes, Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, founded a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1839. He began serving the kipferl and it quickly became popular with the locals. So much so, in fact, that French imitators began creating their own French version which they called the croissant due to its crescent shape.
The French eat around 30,000 tons of snails a year According to Reuters, the French eat about 30,000 metric tons of escargot yearly. However, around two-thirds of all the snails eaten in France come from eastern Europe and the Balkans.
In France, you can marry a dead person! One rather shocking fact about France is that under French law, you can marry posthumously in exceptional cases. This is on the condition that you can prove that the deceased had the intention of marrying you while they were alive. You must also receive permission from the French president. The most recent approved case was in 2017 when the partner of a gay policeman gunned down on Paris’s Champs-Elysees by a jihadist was granted permission to marry his partner posthumously.