Turning your dream holiday into reality
How long should I go for?
The answer is simple…. for as long as you possibly can. For most people, holidays are limited to the amount of annual leave that they can take; however, if you can afford to take extra time, 6-8 weeks is just right in my books but can definitely be longer if you have purpose in your trip and have planned it well. If you are travelling to Europe, you need to take into account the cost of airfares from Australia. You want to maximise that cost. The shortest trip to Europe I have been on was 3 weeks. It was a fabulous trip but too short for me as the long plane trip to London was still fresh in my mind when it was time to return to Sydney. In order to make good use of your holiday, you should research and plan. The more trips that we have enjoyed, the better we have become at planning and finding the right balance between absorbing the moment and having multiple experiences in the one day.
Beautiful architecture to stop and admire
Do you want to visit many places for an overview or would you prefer to get to know an area well? Do you prefer the excitement of ‘on the run’ visits or to be based in one place, unpack and be comfortable? What interests you? Are you drawn to cities or to the countryside, inland or by the sea?
We have been lucky enough to enjoy a number of trips to Paris. We certainly have improved upon our first experience. We prefer to choose our own apartment where we can walk out of the door and start exploring in any direction.
If you want to get to know a place well, you could choose a base for between one and two weeks to really explore and to feel a part of the area. It’s hard to hear people say that they have been to Paris and hated it when what they have actually had is literally a couple of hours on a whirlwind coach tour. Okay, it’s better than nothing but they have not even scratched the surface of what Paris has to offer.
C’est moi in the town of Annecy, located in the Alps. It’s ‘picture perfect’ and a fantastic base for exploring the lake and the mountains. We enjoyed a fabulous walking tour here that was organised by the local tourism office.
Perhaps you might pick a city where you can walk, dine, visit, photograph, engage, sit and watch … the opportunities are endless. From there, you could take day trips to the surrounding countryside. Paris, Nice, Toulouse, Lyon or Bordeaux would all be great choices but so would some of the smaller centres; such as Beaune, Chinon and Arras.
When choosing your locations and accommodation, keep transportation options in mind.
If you would like to take day trips from your accommodation, consider that you will need transportation. For us, car hire has always been the best option because of the ease and flexibility. If driving seems a little daunting at this stage then, besides buses and trains, private day tours give you a fulfilling experience. We have thoroughly enjoyed the individual attention of the guides in both the Loire Valley and the Somme. You can see so much more in a day on a private tour than you can in the same time on a larger tour. An additional benefit of private tours is the possibility of an itinerary tailored to your requests. Day tours to Normandy, Brittany or Champagne from Paris make it an ideal base. However, your days will be very long so I suggest spreading them out if you want to do more than one tour during your stay.
Choose your areas. Look at local Tourist Office websites. Here you will be able to check on local events, which always make a holiday special and keep in mind national holidays, school holidays and festivals which could affect you plans. We missed out on a trip to the Louvre on our first visit to Paris because the free time allocation of our coach trip was a Tuesday and the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.
C’est moi taking time to sit and enjoy a long lunch in Chartres
What time of the year should I go?
This will depend upon what you would like to do. A lot of people travel in spring or autumn for savings on flights and accommodation. Also, the weather is not usually extreme and the crowds not as big. We prefer to travel in early summer for glorious smell of the morning … oh, and the Tour de France. Others may choose the winter months for skiing, the ambiance of a cozy fireplace and indulgent winter meals. Christmas markets are another special attraction of early winter.
Consider using Weather Underground for planning where and when would be the best time for you to travel. This website has historical weather records across all areas to use to predict temperature, rainfall, etc. for times and locations that you might like to visit.
Perfect early summer weather in Saint-Malo
Can I take leave from my job?
Unless you are retired or have your own business, you should definitely ask for leave before you start making any bookings. This is out of courtesy to your employer and to save disappointment. Travel insurance is unlikely to cover you when your boss says no. However you can always start making a plan and researching to frame up a holiday before you commit to spending money. What I have always done is get pre-approval for the approximate timeframe so that I know that, when favourable airfares are released, I can book immediately and then make my leave application official.
Travel insurance … do I need it?
If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. Organise your travel insurance as soon as you start making any bookings. You potentially have it as a complimentary inclusion in your credit card or local health insurance benefits. Ours is with our credit card.
Then take time to read the policy carefully so that you know exactly what is and is not covered, including the maximum amount of cover per item category.
If you need to see a doctor while travelling, it is suggested that you obtain a medical certificate if you wish to make a claim.
If anything is stolen, you will need a written police report in order to lodge a claim.
Patiently waiting at the huge péage (toll gates) near Montepellier. This looks very organised but we have also been here in chaos with no queueing at all.
How will I get around?
If you find the idea of driving on the other side of the road daunting, then consider train travel if you would like to remain independent. Alternatively, you may consider taking a tour. Choose carefully. These days there are are many more niche tours offering personalised experiences, rather than a big coach tour. There is a big difference between see, visit and experience and I will discuss in my next post.
Try to avoid spending a lot of your time travelling from one place to another. We have found that a minimum of 3 nights in one place is acceptable but prefer longer. Otherwise, you are constantly checking in and out, unpacking and packing, waiting for transport, driving distances, traffic congestion and locating parking. You will be on the go and not really absorbing anything. Have a base in which you can either relax or be very local or from where you can venture further on odd days. Consider travel modes and take into account travel times.
If you prefer to stay in the city then train travel is a good option between cities as you don’t have the inconvenience of finding car parking with its associated costs and the potential challenges of navigating. Choose a hotel central to the places in which you are interested in visiting and with easy access to the transportation hub. Keep luggage to a minimum. You can take regional trains, trams or buses to explore. You can also take short flights from A to B if this mode better suits you.
If you prefer to visit the countryside then you will need a car.
Train travel in France is fast and efficient, connecting you to major cities with ease.
What type of accommodation should I choose?
This can be determined by some of the questions you have asked yourself earlier. It will depend on the size of your travel party and your budget. I strongly suggest reading reviews and the fine print for any booking conditions. For hotels, on which floor is the accommodation situated and is there an elevator? This is important when travelling with a large suitcase and, perhaps, additional luggage, small children or a travel partner whose mobility is challenged. Look for room sizes. Paris hotel rooms are often tiny. Research exactly where the accommodation is located. A cheap price may not turn out to be such a bargain when you need to spend more money on taxis, Uber or public transport rather than walking to explore the city. In Rome, we were deafened by the noise from the trains in our conveniently situated hotel and, so, ‘moved on’ the next morning. Consider how comfortable you would feel returning to the hotel late at night, options for dining and noise. Google Maps has been my saviour many times. Use ‘street view’ to research all aspects of the local area.
Magnificent room from our accommodation with a spectacular view across the vineyard to beautiful village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie on the other side of the river
Our life in the French village of Cesseras included the romantic opening of the windows and shutters in our three-storey village house
Our most favoured booking method has been Booking.com. Being able to choose accommodation with cancellation policies has been a distinct bonus. Depending upon our travels we have also used VRBO, HomeAway, Gites de France and Paris Apartments. You can read more about these facilities in a future post about booking. One of our most special rentals was organised through a lady in our home town who owned this lovely village house in Cesseras (see the pictures above and below). This was a fabulous experience and we were able to immerse ourselves in village life. Keep your options open and be ready to embrace unique opportunities that will arise as you begin your planning.
Little compares to spending a week in a tiny village in south-western France. We rented this house in Cesseras in 2009.
Let’s all start dreaming about holidaying in France. Come back next time for ideas to put your itinerary together.
À bientôt.
