My Trip to France

Hello Everyone!

I booked a flight to France for December and I can't wait for these few months to rush on by!!! December26th is the day I go on a plain for the first time on my own ... lol I'm 22 and scared ! .. anywho Any tips and tricks about France anyone wants to share ? (Besides To learn French lol)

My mission is to find a Pen pal before I come back

.. anywho Any tips and tricks about France anyone wants to share ?

Yes, read about France and what you want to see. Paris is a fantastic place. Enjoy it.

Sugestion: Paris is a feast (Ernest Hemingway)

Have a nice trip

I forgot, if you prefer movies: Midnight in Paris by Woodie Allen

I've been researching a lot and I picked up one travel guide but it isn't for France specifically. Thanks for the suggestions I'll look into them ASAP !!

what were your favorite places in France?

hi jen
first of all, welcome to the thorn tree.
how much time will you have in france ? i'm assuming that you will fly into paris ? after spending time in france, will you fly back to the US or continue to another country ? and most importantly, what are your interests, what attracts you to france ? what i like, is not necessarly what you like :).
to give advice / ideas, we need more information.

cheers, nathalie

My tips would be......

Buy or borrow a guidebook,and read it.See what interests you in France.And what is feasible in your timeframe,at that time of year,on your budget.No need to set it in stone,but useful to have some ideas before you arrive.

Try to learn a little of the basics of the language...just for politeness mainly;greetings and thanks will get you a long way.But also things like numbers and the time are useful to know.

Finally...asuming you are staying in Paris first?....if you want to meet other travellers,choose one of the larger 'social' hostels.St Christopher's near the Gare du Nord,for example.

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Hi Nathalie,

Thank you so much for replying ! and I am going to be out there for a week pretty much Monday-Saturday. I'm not sure what I am going to do yet honestly lol that's why I booked it all the way in December. I just knew that that is where I wanted to be. The one thing that attracted me was the language I ABSOLUTLY LOVE French I've been teaching myself for the past few months and I will be doing a few semesters in school before I go. I pretty much love everything but most importantly I'll be looking into nature sites as well as learning about French history. I plan to go every year. I am open to ideas since this will be my first time traveling. Thanks again Have a good day !

Hello Becca,

Thank you so much for replying !
I am also staying for five days and I am in the middile of planning it day by day my sisters boyfriend told her to give me this site to meet people like you ! I really appreciate this Parites aren't my thing lol but nature sounds awesome I've been on YouTube looking at travel guides and things of that. This site is an extra plus . Someone told me there is a train that goes out to different places outside of France I'm looking into that because Id love to visit other places in Europe. I'll definitely check out that site though thank you so much I plan to travel at lease twice every year so that would be awesome !!

Thanks again have a blessed day

Hello Lucapal !

Thank you so much for replying !!

I already know some French I've been teaching myself lately and I will be studying it in school for the next two semesters hopefully or at least one semester for sure (The summer semester might not have French sadly but if not the the Internet will continue to be my best friend lol)

I've picked up one travel guide but it's more general I'll be picking up a French one or if I find one for Europe and its entirety then that'll be and extra plus for me !! thank you so much for your tips and I will definitely look into St. Christopher's and hopefully other areas loaded with tourists I hope to get a French Pen pal also

thank you so much for sharing this information with me this is a major help trust me lol

Have a great day

what were your favorite places in France?

Paris is my favorite. There is so much to do and see, but the best is when you don't do much. I enjoy visiting places (last fall it was "Espace Dali" who fascinated me, but on other trips it was Victor Hugo house (free visit) it was "Le Musée Picasso" or "Le Musée Rodin" or Les jardins du Luxembourg or le Parc Monceau) but I try not to overdo it. I mean, I may visit one thing per day, and then I enjoy the atmosphère of the area I am in Paris. I find it extremely enjoyable just to sit down and have a coffe or a beer while watching people. I read in Parks almost every day.

Paris could be seen as a sucession of villages, each one with it's own atmosphere. For example, The Marais (3e and 4e) is completely different from the Quartier Latin (5e and 6e) or Montmartre.

Get a guide book and find what you like and want to see, but don't rush, don't exhaust yourself trying to see everything, you will fail. Paris is about living.

Since you ask my favorite, it is rue Mouffetard and La butte aux Cailles.

Have a nice trip.

with 5 days, i would stick to paris. paris offers so much in matters of museums, monuments, history, culture, great food, entertainment, fashion, shopping, markets, parks etc. you can easily spend 2 weeks in paris without getting bored for a minute.

france obviously offers much more than paris. but as you have only 5 full days, and also considering when you will be travelling (climate wise), i would stick to paris. for example, i love the provence and its wonderful in spring and autumn (and in summer, but then hot and sometimes too touristy). but i wouldnt visit in winter.

i agree, french is a beautiful language (although not always easy). i had the great fortune to grow up billingual (german and french), and speaking french (even if its basic), is a great plus in my opinion.

I forgot to mention the food. It does not have to be expensive. Every café has a "menu du jour" at different prices (between 10€ and 20€) and are good value specially at lunch time. Don't forget to enjoy it.

Also since you are going in December, the "chocolat chaud" will be your friend

very good post from ben (#11).

i also love to discover districts on foot, have a coffee or a glass of wine in a bistro and people watch, discover an unexpected gem, sit on a park bench in a park and read and people watch etc. bur a lot of that is done outdoors, and the end of december / beginning of january is normally not the best time for it.

With that timeframe, I'd also stay in Paris. ...there's a huge amount to see and do there.

Maybe you could take a day trip or two out,though it's not the best season for "nature" .

And,as mentioned. ..it's one of the greatest cities around for just wandering. ...people watching, sitting in a bar and having a coffee. ...

This is awesome I'll search up every one of them I appreciate this so much it's a lot to grasp at once though bare with me lol . so basically Paris is separated in different towns ? like how Boston has different parts like Roxbury and Dorchester ? I have another lonely planet app it has guide books I'll get one from there

I don't really want to be where all of the tourists will be for to long because it'll feel like I'm back in Boston. I'll start in Paris and venture out so I at least know a few different places for the next time that I go. I searched the climate and they said it's going to be cold as heck lol but I don't mind Boston gets cold also I'll pack very well lol next year I'll go in the summer and wow do you mind being my Pen pal Natalie ? that would be awesome

the season I picked does suck lol I know I'll just be site seeing and taking long walks and focusing on getting to know the language I will still be venturing out I don't want to feel like I'm going on vacation just to stay in one place although it has a lot to offer I want to see other places

Get the Paris Museum pass. Go to the website http://en.parismuseumpass.com/
it will have suggestions on where to go. And GO to the palace of Versailles (Not on a tueday) Either go very early or after 1. It will be one of the most amazing places you have ever seen.

I wash use looking at passes. I'd have to go on Monday when I arrive because I don't want to spend more than a day in Paris lol I want to see everything else

Versailles (the castle) is closed on Mondays: horaires

crap lol well that's a bummer I might have to save that for last then

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