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Travel guide
France
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to September
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Welcome
France, in a few days
One country that holds several: Normandy cliffs, Loire châteaux, the volcanoes of the Auvergne, the glaciers above Chamonix and the hill villages of Provence. A day on the train takes you from the Alsace vineyards to the Atlantic beaches, and each region works as a trip in its own right.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Mont-Saint-Michel · about 2 hA medieval abbey rising out of a tidal bay; walk up the Grande Rue to the cloister at the top.
- Afternoon · The Loire châteaux · a full dayChambord and its 426 rooms, Chenonceau spanning the Cher, Villandry's geometric gardens: the Renaissance at its most ambitious, one château after another.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Saint-André des Arts€120 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Paris and its great museums · a full dayThe Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Centre Pompidou, a few metro stops apart, with the Seine, the Marais and Montmartre in between.
- Afternoon · Colmar and the Alsace Wine Route free · a full dayColmar's Little Venice lines the Lauch with painted timber-framed houses; Riquewihr, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg lie along the wine road around it.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Grand Hôtel Lévêque€130 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Chamonix and Mont Blanc · half a dayThe Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs to 3,842 metres, facing Mont Blanc; the Step into the Void is a glass box above the drop.
- Afternoon · The Verdon Gorge free · a full dayLimestone walls up to 700 metres high above turquoise water, explored by kayak from Lake Sainte-Croix or on foot along the Blanc-Martel trail.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc€135 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Calanques, Marseille to Cassis free · half a dayA national park of white limestone inlets dropping into clear water; En-Vau and Sugiton are the coves most people walk to.
- Afternoon · The Dune du Pilat free · about 1 h 30Europe's highest sand dune, about 100 metres, between pine forest and the Arcachon Bay, with the Banc d'Arguin and Cap Ferret below.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Gabriel€150 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to September
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/france
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.