-Charles de Gaulle
“How can anyone govern a nation that has 240 different kinds of cheese?”
France is always been a place that intrigued me a lot. Although Paris never been one of my favourite cities, I find the French countryside wonderful. I have a particular passion for little medieval villages that look straight out of a fairytale and coastal cities that are blessed by the sunshine. One of my next travel objectives is to visit as much as I can of France in the near future. I recently had the opportunity to visit the French Alps during the ski season and I loved them too! In this page you will find some inspiring travel guides to France to plan your next trips!
Ceci n’est pas une française
I started learning French in middle school. My first teacher wasn’t exactly the type of person who makes you love the subject (neither the person I would say), same with the rest of the people who followed up to my university years. At that time, I was already speaking French fluently enough to have a full conversation without sounding imbécile. Nevertheless, I felt always distant from this country. Almost as I couldn’t understanding it at all. After all these years, I learnt that to understand the language, the country, and maybe even the people of France, you need to turn into a French yourself. This of course, it’s not an easy task and requires years of practice. Indeed, that classic French soupirer, which will traduce your face in between the annoyed and indifferent at any topic you might encounter it’s not easy to replicate.
When you’ll learn to mastering that, possibly you can get a grip about how complex and beautiful is this country. Until then, you can love or hate French as most of people do.
France Travel Information
Paris is the capital city of France. It is also the largest city in the nation.
France’s currency is Euro. You can obtain Euro from any currency exchange office or ATM around the country. It’s always better to have some currency before arriving in the country, in case you need to buy anything or take a bus from the airport.
The official language of France is French. Despite France is quite close to the UK, English is not widely spoken, particularly in the countryside. Learning a few words and phrases in French can help you navigating the country. Although, it’s almost sure that French people will pretend to not understanding you (confirmed by a French friend) LOL.
France has two different types of plugs. Type C and E. If you are traveling from the UK or any other nation outside Europe, it’s worth to invest into an universal adapter so that you don’t need to buy one for every destination I visit.
Booking your hotel in advance is essential to avoid last minute scams and stay at your preferred accommodation. I always get the best rates on Booking.com and I booked here all my stays in France. Booking largely in advance is particularly recommended for the high peak ski season in the French Alps and summer in the French Riviera.
Like any other European country, France is relatively safe. However, pickpockets in large cities like Paris or Marseille may be frequents, particularly in busy, touristy places. A great safety tool I recommend to store your passport and cash in the Invisible Money Belt. My best suggestion is to keep on your wallet only small pieces of cash and hide the rest in the money belt. Indeed, this is very discrete and will ensure you can go around safely and without gaining unwanted attention.
Where I have been in France
Latest France Travel Guides
