Loulabelle's FrancoFiles episode 165
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I have just returned from 2 months in France, road tripping through various French regions and loads of plus-beaux-villages. Regular listeners to the podcast will know how much I love a road trip! Every chance I get I will take off from Australia and drive around France!
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The first road trip I took this time was with my husband Paul across Normandy and Brittany, with the second road trip through more of Normandy, the Pay de la Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, Burgundy and the Champagne region with a dear friend Trudy. (In the middle I stayed at the beautiful Château du Jonquay for the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles Normandy Retreat which will be the subject of podcast chats in the future!)
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In this LFF episode I outlined a number of tips. How can we allow for the magic to happen, but still be well planned enough to enjoy ourselves without stress and pack in the fun? There are some ideas for car considerations, planning time frames, accommodation research considerations and tips for how to enjoy regional France in the best way possible.
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These are some of my tips from these road trips, in no particular order:
- Don’t forget luggage allowance when deciding what size vehicle you require. Your car is not just for the amount of people you wish to carry. Also consider the size of most of the roads you will be driving on. A huge people mover will be a challenge on the tiny country lanes and getting a Mr Bean style tiny car probably won’t cut it if you’re thinking of doing loads of tollway driving!
- Leave time for magic to happen! Don’t over plan and strangle your itinerary! Get off the main freeways to uncover the hidden gems.
- Communicate with your accommodation provider for the things that are your high priorities, even if the questions seem obvious.
- Make sure all the road trip members have something to fill their particular soul. Compile a little list of everyone’s faves before you even start making the road trip plan. This is especially important if travelling with children, to keep them from turning feral!
- Eat food from local village markets. Buy a freezer bag and bring freezer blocks from home (they weren’t easy to find in regional France) to take food with you from place to place on your road trip. This not only saves money as the markets are much cheaper than eating out every day, but also exposes the road trip members to various local specialties which can be quite different from region to region.
- Visit the local visitors’ centre or tourist bureau for up to date knowledge of things to do when arriving at a village or town. Last minute gaps in your itinerary can instantly be filled with wondrous delight!
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The extra little oooh and aaaah moments with squeals of delight can’t always be planned however. I regularly recommend to get off the freeways and take the back roads. The little places sometimes found along the way can be the difference between an exceptional vacation and one that is probably quite lovely, but only what you’ve planned for… I don’t think anyone can plan for the magic to happen, especially in France.
More links to come…
