Insider Tips - France Holidays Revealed
An insider's travel guide to France brought to you by lowcostholidays.com. Discover the four corners of France, local culture and, of course, cuisine...
Food…
With such a huge international reputation of fine cuisine, French restaurants are one of the best things about France so dining out is must on your holiday. Simple breakfasts consist of pain au chocolates, fresh bread, cereals and croissants, a simple tea or a well-known ?afetière is also a popular option. Start your day like the French do and eat breakfast in a local café, fresh pastries and quality drinks are considerably cheaper than hotels.
If you know what type of food you want to eat, it’s a good idea to make dinner reservations as restaurants can get fully booked in the evenings, especially in the city centres and smaller towns. You will find every meal is served with crusty French baguette bread, is the most important part of any French meal.
Don’t feel like you need to order the most expensive wine on the menu, France is well-known for its fine wine and most house wines taste great.
Check your bill before you pay, nearly all restaurants include tax and a 15% service charge so tipping is not always necessary.
How do I get around?
One of the best ways to discover France is from the comfort of your own or rented car. Try to book your car hire in advance to get a cheaper deal and compare prices to keep costs down. Remember, traffic in France flows on the right and you must be at least 18 to drive. Make sure all passengers are wearing seatbelts and children aged 10 or below are sitting in the back. These rules are heavily enforced in France so stay safe and avoid a hefty fine.
If you’re the adventurous care free type you may want to hitchhike in France. With no hitchhiking prohibitions, the country is known as an easy place to hitch a ride. Most car and truck drivers are friendly but, be careful who you get a ride with, if in any doubt turn the ride down. Remember safety comes first; it is illegal and dangerous to hitchhike on motorways and it’s best to travel with someone you know rather than alone. Try not to sit in the back of the car; child safety doors may get you locked in and don’t put any of your belongings in the boot, you may not see them again.
Be aware, hitchhiking in Paris is practically impossible. For those of you who prefer the safer and more reliable option, public transport is probably a much better choice.
Trains are a great dependable way to get around France. With many high speed rail lines, you can get to where you want with great speed. Save a lot of money with a France rail pass, an adult standard class inter rail pass will cost you around €200 for 3 days, remember you can use this to travel anywhere in the country so it’s a pretty good deal.
What to wear?
The French are known to be a stylish fashion forward country. Be comfortable and if you don’t know what to wear, simple black outfits with sunglasses and scarf will never go wrong, make sure you pack a nice pair of comfortable shoes if you plan on walking a lot.
Be prepared, if you’re not dressed in the proper attire, you could be turned away from the classier restaurants, clubs and bars. Men should wear black shoes and both men and women should dress smart to avoid disappointment.
Shoulders and legs should never be on show when visiting a place of worship.
Money:
The currency in France is the euro. You are likely to get a better exchange rate in the country, although it is handy to have some local cash upon arrival for a taxi etc.
Don’t worry about carrying large sums of cash around, ATM’s are practically everywhere excluding the very small towns. Banks are generally open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5.30 pm; expect some of the smaller banks to be closed between noon and 2pm. It’s a good safe idea to take some of your money in traveller’s cheques, especially if you’re taking a lot of money, but remember to keep them separate from your identity documentations such as passports and driving licence.
Hidden Gems:
Get away from the typical tourist hotspots and see the hidden parts of France.
Buried deep in the South of France, the medieval town of Carcassonne is a picturesque place ideal for a quiet getaway. Beautiful architecture and cobbled streets make for breath taking views; a great world heritage site not to be missed on your holiday I France.
Don’t forget about Besancon, set in the beautiful forested countryside of eastern France; it is an attractive picturesque retreat. Known as the greenest city in France, Besancon also boasts some of the most beautiful rivers in the country; it’s a canoeing and fishing paradise.
France is the world’s leading wine producer and has a wide range of different wines from each region. Wine tours are a great way to understand and taste French wines; costing around €50 per day you can experience a taste of France. If you are traveling to the Champagne region of France, Epernay is an ideal place to visit if champagne drinking is your thing.
Other useful tips:
- The climate in France differs in each region. Expect temperate weather with warm summers and cold winters. In coastal areas, summers can be very hot so sun cream may be needed. Expect rainfall year round, but check the weather before you travel to get an insight of what to expect.
- When greeting people you don’t know, address them with Monsieur or Madame. It is also courteous to say “Bonjour” and “Au revoir” when entering or leaving restaurants and bars etc.
- Kissing on both cheeks and shaking hands are the usual ways to greet one another in France but it’s not compulsory.
- Tap water is safe to drink all over France, but if you wish to drink bottled water, it’s very cheap and found in all local grocery stores.
Check it out:
Paris Walks, walking tours, Paris.
Cite Europe Shopping, Calais.