France is home to the city of love. Everybody wants to have a dream vacation in Paris but don”t even realize that France is more than just the Eifel Tower. It”s home to a beautiful country that boasts of its vineyards and picturesque mountains. Paris isn”t the only part of France that makes you fall in love with life. It”s actually the entire country. However, like most countries, France is not an easy destination for the normal traveller. It can be too overwhelming for some to go on a trip to France. Luckily, here are some guidelines that may help ease the trip even by just a little:
Pacing
Don”t rush. Take time to appreciate and adjust to France. Go and take a walk around the streets for an hour. Take a short break in one of Paris” famous outdoor cafes to sip from your coffee or to drink a glass of wine. End the day with a moderately light dinner. Even such a simple day in France is enough to make the trip worthwhile. It”s because you”ll be spending a lot of time on the road probably driving or waiting in a train to get to your next destination. Take time to unwind and to pace yourself for what is going to be a busy trip to France.
Do it the old fashion way and use maps
Don”t use a GPS. Instead, use maps to know where you”re going and to also know what you”re about to see along the way. You can buy Michelin maps or even use Google maps. Go for the maps with the most detail to know what”s in store for you while moving from one place to another.
Be open-minded and flexible with your schedule and destinations
Not all trips turn out to be as planned. There will be diversions and delays depending on certain factors. If you dare to take the road less travelled, you will come to realize how beautiful France”s countryside can be and how great of an experience it is to have unplanned moments in your vacation.
Try learning and speaking the language
Though people in France may speak English, learning their language and trying to communicate with them in their native tongue will broaden your horizons and open doors. You can get to meet new friends, share stories, and mingle with locals if you know a thing or two about their language. Speaking solely in English may not yield the most fruitful conversations out of locals that can”t speak the language as good as you do. Instead, try mixing your English with a little bit of French to make your conversations livelier.
Take it easy when it comes to eating
Because of how good French cuisine is, it might be hard for you to not overeat. However, because of how much time you”ll be spending walking and touring, eating too much may lead to a bad experience. It”s better for you to only snack a little during the day and save the full meals for dinner after a long day. It”s also the best way for you to save money on food.
Go small. Try staying in smaller towns and smaller establishments
If you want to truly feel what”s like being in a foreign place, try staying in smaller towns and smaller hotels. Being in Paris and staying in four or five-star hotels means you”ll probably run into a lot of people from your country. However, if the majority of the time you spend in France is spent in smaller hotels outside the big city, you”ll get to truly feel what it”s like being in France because you won”t get to run into a lot of other tourists. Moreover, it”s a lot cheaper to do it this way.
