Planning a Trip to France
This is how you plan a trip to France and have a remarkable time. I just got back to the USA from Paris and have new tips on France you can use for planning your trip to France, the most visited place on the planet.
France Itinerary
How will you get to France?
Transportation is the first thing to do. Fly into Paris, as this stunning city has 3 international airports and you can choose which one suits you best. Orly and CDG are the closest to the center of Paris.
Because French bee Airlines is well priced and has great food with delicious wine, and is a direct flight from San Francisco this is what I do. Also direct flights from LAX, NYC, and Miami.
Flying in and out of Paris when you’re planning your trip to France gives you options to search for the entire month on Skyscanner and see which plane fare works for you.
Now you have your ticket to Paris France!
Arriving in Paris: What to Do
Charles de Gaulle and Orly Airport both have public trams, trains, and buses to the center of Paris. Or you can take a taxi or Uber directly to your hotel. This takes 30 to 40 minutes for the journey.
Food in France
Certainly the first thing I want to do is eat. And have a glass of wine after an 11-hour flight. You’re in Paris, France.
Immediately jump into the joie de vivre!
Eating is my favorite activity in Paris next to walking and taking photos.
The above photo is from Casimir in Paris, in the 10th Arrondissement, 2 blocks from Gare du Nord. Convenient for train travel out of Paris after eating your delicious food. Address: 6 Rue Belzunce.
This dish is sublime. Roast pork slices with a delicate, delicious sauce and huge caper-like pickly green things fresh from Sicily where I’d just flown from; and it was thrilling.
Creative genius chef-owner, Eduardo, below, told me the name of these plump green things, wish I could pronounce it like he did.
Absolutely yummy with fresh from the oven bread and a glass of champagne I’ve never tried before. See the thing here is you can affordably get champagne by the glass as it’s sourced from right down the street in Reims.
And Reims was where I was going next, only one hour by fast train from Paris.
Yes, see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre but don’t forget to sit and have a long lunch at a cafe like the Parisians do, eating oysters and sipping wine on a Tuesday at 12 noon.
Yes you can Travel in Europe on a Budget.
This is what I love to do in Paris: walk, eat, and look at gardens. Luxembourg and Tuileries are my favorites. Lush, green, and full of flowers.
But you might want to explore museums, take a class, or go on a tour. Deciding what you most want to do is crucial for planning your trip to France.
Highlights of Paris is a post I did last year if you want to see beautiful sights and get guidance on planning your trip to France and what I saw and loved in Paris.
And you can do it with friends or solo.
Curious to know my top 5 countries for solo travel? France is one of them.
Savoring each stroll gives you secrets and surprises. This is the cafe I discovered walking to Gare de L’Est, the train station I was going to catch my train to Reims the next day. I sat down for an espresso but suddenly found myself wanting to stay in the sun and savor wine and oysters. Yes.
This Time I Discovered Tuileries Garden
And it was brimming with Parisians and tourists on a Saturday, enjoying the sun and scene. And a real Maillot bronze sculpture shown below.
It’s next door to the Louvre so when you get overwhelmed with art you can come here for the nature.
One thing I love to do is look on Google Maps and explore before a walk.
This is how I found the oldest street in Paris and discovered fresh pastries, chocolates, stunning produce, excellent quiche, and Parisians out buying stuff while walking their dogs.
Check this out in my short video here.
Rue Mouffetard Market: look it up on Google Maps, this is in the 5th Arrondissement, Latin Quarter.
Hotel near Gare de Lyon
France Itinerary: Cities to Explore in France
Taking the train to beautiful cities in France is a fun thing to do. And it gets you out of Paris and into the real meat of France. Yes you’ll be surprised seeing these gorgeous towns outside of Paris:
Reims is the heart of the champagne region and it’s only an hour by train from Paris.
Get your tickets online on Trainline.com or Omio. The lower ticket prices will be on weekdays; so plan ahead and buy your tickets far in advance.
Prices for lodging are about 40% less than Paris. And you can tour champagne caves, in this UNESCO world heritage site. I tasted champagne I’d never had before and it was a real education.
Also this town is more relaxed than Paris; you’re out of the big city hustle in Reims.
Veuve Cliquot Champagne cave tour and tasting is only $35 and it’s fun to walk through the caves and see how this magical potion is created.
But there are many more caves to choose from. The groups are a small size, so book ahead of time on their websites. You get your choice of English or French for the tours. Our guide was a professional champagne drinker and she had us captivated with her wisdom and skills.
This woman also taught us how to safely open a bottle of champagne. Here’s the short video.
Reims will delight you with its endless underground champagne caves, the fact you can walk from the train station to your lodging, and experience lovely gardens (Parc Champagne) and you get better accommodation at a lower price. But don’t go in the Summer, go in the Winter or Fall.
I booked an apartment for $50 per night near the center here’s the link: Reims Apartment
Lourdes France
Going to Lourdes in Southern France in the French Pyrenees was a dream come true. Flying from Palermo to Milan and then to Lourdes isn’t the way I recommend going but this is what I had to do. Because I was in Cefalu, Sicily for a month.
You can take the train from Paris or fly on Volotea Airlines.
This town will give you peace and prayer time because being here is exhilarating. Miracles have happened here. How?
Saint Mary appeared to Bernadette, a young girl who saw her apparition in the sanctuary in a grotto. I suggest you go and experience the soothing vibrations as it feels like a huge national holy park and I loved my 10 days here.
This is where many miracles of healing have happened to the sick and dying. Its documented in the Lourdes sanctuary. Sorry I missed the weekly candle lighting in a huge crowd but I did get the water healing ceremony.
Lourdes sanctuary is no longer allowing full body immersions, like my father did in the 1960s. But now you can sign up to get your hands and face washed with this holy water (with praying) and it does give you a healing.
I want to go back as soon as I can.
Food in Lourdes, France was delicious, from elegant lunches in the photo above for only 13 Euros to boulangeries with tasty treats to buy for low cost 3E to 5E.
Being in Lourdes I discovered wine from the Loire Valley and it delighted my taste buds. French wine is delicate and enchanting. I’ve had more experience tasting Italian and California wine but I’m now looking forward to learning about French wine and all its nuances.
You’ll have wonderful food adventures in France, guaranteed.
What does it cost for a trip to France?
Flights $1000 RT
Accommodation for 10 days, depending on the season (not staying only in Paris) $1000 to $1500
Transportation: trains and metro $200 to 300 per person
Staying in France for a longer time in the off season is the secret to lower prices. So don’t go during the Olympics or in August. Choose your time in France carefully and if you want help planning your trip to France get in touch for a one on one session so you can rest easy with all my recommendations.
Write me with your best times to talk
We can arrange a time that fits your budget.
Keep on Traveling the World and Discovering the Wonder of it All!
Au Revoir,
Mary
