Join Us in France Travel Podcast

In this episode of the podcast Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin discuss tips for Paris visitors with mobility issues. The strategies we share would work for older visitors in Paris, but they will also help anyone who is coming to Paris with children. Kids don't enjoy walking 20,000+ steps per day the way we often do in Paris! So, you'll probably have a stroller and that makes mobility more difficult. Also consider that even if you're perfectly healthy, nobody likes to be totally exhausted at the end of a vacation day. So, let's share tips for Paris visitors with mobility issues! Latest news about mobility on the Paris metro and buses This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/346 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

Are you dreaming about visiting the city of Nice on the French Riviera? Welcome to the Join Us in France Travel Podcast where we look around France so you can best enjoy France as a destination. We talk about French culture, history, gastronomy and everything it takes to have a lovely experience in France. Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Elyse Rivin about the amazing city of Nice in Provence. We love the gorgeous bay and wonderful weather and think it's totally worth a visit and a good place to stay for a few days as you explore the French Riviera. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Discussed in this Episode Nice Nice self-guided walking tour A brief history of Nice Eze Vance Saint-Paul-de-Vance Menton Villefranche-sur-Mer Grace Monaco Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/345 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

Are you dreaming about growing roots in the southwest of France? Georgia Broome does and tells us all about it! Welcome to the Join Us in France Travel Podcast where we look around France so you can best enjoy France as a destination. We talk about French culture, history, gastronomy and everything it takes to have a lovely experience in France. Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Gerogia Broome about growing roots in the southwest of France. Georgia lives in England right now, but she grew up in France and has been on the lookout for a place of her own in France. She fell in love with a house she saw on-line, jumped on the opportunity despite the fact that this "maison de maître" needs a lot of TLC. Follow Georgia's adventures on her Instagram account.   Advice for People Looking to Buy Property in France Le Bon Coin is a wonderful resource. Find an estate agent you trust and remember that they can approach the seller for a home they don't list in their agency. Know what you're buying into: termites, lead paint, asbestos, be on the lookout for those problems. Tradesmen are expensive in France, more expensive than in the UK. Promptly setup to pay local taxes on-line so you don't incur any penalties. You can use TransferWise to move money around, and you can also use them before you have a bank account in France because they can give you a RIB (relevé d'identité bancaire which are your bank details). Don't read all the negative stories because you'll talk yourself out of doing anything that way. Ask around for recommendations on workmen. Links You'll Need if Buying a Property in France This website gives you prices of properties per zip code This is a big "for sale by owner" site for France Le Bon Coin is a great place to buy or rent everything, including properties The French government publishes the official actual sale price of real estate by zip code An AI that lets you see properties for sale based on your criteria More episodes about moving to France Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/344 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

What's new in Paris in 2021? Top of our list: the Carnavalet Museum! Annie and Elyse LOVED the Carnavalet museum in Paris. In this episode we explain why and we point out all the things you should not miss when you're there yourself! There is a lot more new in Paris such as La Bourse du Commerce and Le Musée de la Marine. Let's talk about it! #joinusinfrance #paris2021 This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Useful Links: Book your free ticket to the Carnavalet museum (Just FYI there are scammers charging for free tickets and they appear on top of the google search as I post this episode) Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/343 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

In this podcast episode Annie Sargent, Patricia Perry and Elyse Rivin discuss the new normal in Paris in the summer and fall of 2021 now that the Covid-19 is almost in the rear-view mirror. We're back in Paris after staying away for 18 months and it's so good to be back! #joinusinfrance #paris Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/342 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

In this episode of the podcast, Annie Sargent has a chat with Paulette Geragos about how things went when she bought an apartment in Paris. We go into the nitty-gritty details about what was strange about it, what went well and what didn't go so well. Paulette tells us what she wishes she had known about the process of buying an apartment in Paris. Links You'll Need if Buying an Apartment in Paris This website gives you prices of properties per zip code This is a big "for sale by owner" site for France Le Bon Coin is a great place to buy or rent everything, including properties The French government publishes the official actual sale price of real estate by zip code Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/341 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

On today's episode Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin take you on a stroll in the village of Auvillar in Occitanie. It is one of the most beautiful villages of France and (unlike a few other villages in that category) it is usually lively. Auvillar is remarkably scenic and was also a place where nuns protected Jewish children during WWII. A beautiful place all around, take a listen to the episode to see if you need to add it to you list! #joinusinfrance #occitanie This episode features my frequent guest and licensed tour guide Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. There are a lot of B&B, Gîtes and Chambres d'Hôte to choose from in Auvillar, as well as a few hotels nearby. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/340 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

In France, levels of education of girls have increased steadily since WW2, but it took us a long time to get there. As discussed in this episode with Rebecca Rogers, 210 years ago Napoleon Bonaparte put a big emphasis on educating boys while mostly ignoring the education of girls in France. But not entirely, he setup some fine institutions for the education of girls in France. Napoleon's "oversight" did not get resolved fast. In episode 79 of the podcast we discussed the difficulties Marie Curie encountered doing her research in the early 1900s. It probably would have been just as bad or worse in many countries, but Marie Curie was yesterday! Why did it take us so long to realize how important it is to educate girls in France? Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/339 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

So many people who have done trip reports with Annie Sargent have mentioned Rocamadour as one of their favorite places in France! And she's  been there about a million times growing up in Toulouse because it’s a favorite for locals too. So it was high time to do a proper episode dedicated to Rocamadour where we explain why it's so amazing. For those of you who are new to the podcast and haven’t heard it mentioned so much, this is a really scenic village where much of the village and the church were built hanging on the side of a cliff. It's incredibly scenic and still an important place of pilgrimage. Resident tour guide Elyse Rivin will explain that in the middle ages in this part of France the ability to retreat into the cliffs was vital. There is a lot to see around Rocamadour as well and we go into the best there is to enjoy around there as well: le Gouffre de Padirac and La Forêt des Singes because the two that come to mind first. The largest city in this area is Cahors in the Lot and it is only about 30,000 people. When you're in Rocamadour you're not far from the Dordogne and the Haut Quercy. You can visit this as a day-trip from Toulouse, but it's really perfect as a week-end getaway to the countryside. This is a selection of hotels we'd consider for Rocamadour. You need a parking lot because there isn't much in terms of street parking. And, if visiting during the warmer months, you also need a swimming pool to keep the children happy and to cool off at the end of a long day of walking the up and down the hilly streets of Rocamadour. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/338 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

Categories: Burgundy Area, French Culture, French Food & Wine There is no doubt that Burgundy wine and gastronomy are some of the best in France. That's one of the reasons my guest, Ellen Shaunessy, decided to visit this part of France with a friend. Plus it's easy to get to from Paris on the TGV train and driving in this part of France is easy. Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | BookingPatreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking Ellen has a great advance over most visitors to France because she speaks French fluently from her work in Paris years ago. She knows how to ace a trip to France and has taken several trips with friends who trust her good advice. Let's hear what she has to say! To see the day-to-day details click on Guest Notes below. Tips for New Visitors to France Start your trip in Paris because that's when you have the most energy. If you have budge constraints stick with trains (car rentals, gas and tolls add up fast in France). Use the site Gite de France to find accommodations with locals outside of Paris (this is especially great if you intend to use your French!) If possible it's best not to plan anything on the day you arrive somewhere. Use the time to explore and get your bearings. In Paris you'll probably feel like you're always missing something because there is so much going on. Pick one activity for the day. For example a vineyard tour day or a cooking class day. Burgundy Wine and Gastronomy Tours Ellen selected a tour company called Authentica Tours so they could see some of the countryside without renting a car. This is a small company that runs their tours in a small van. There were only 4 or 5 people that day, so it's almost like a private tour. They drive you around the countryside, tell you about the history of the region (there is a lot of Roman history in this area). They do both wine and cheese tasting tours. Ellen and her friend also took a free walking tour of Dijon offered by the Tourist Office. Even if you don't find a free walking tour, going to the Tourism Office is always a good idea because they have a lot of information for you. Wine Tasting and Cooking Class in Beaune While staying in Dijon they took an early train to Beaune to be there in time for their market tour that started at 11 AM. This tour is only offered on market days. They had a chance to browse the market before they met up with the Cook's Atelier ladies. The ladies introduced them to local vendors. They cooked the food and shared a meal with them which was wonderful. Following the cooking class they went to the exhibit called Cave des Aromes. They learned a lot even though they mostly enjoy wine without being trained. They also went to the Hospices de Beaune, which is a must-see. What's interesting is that there used to be a boulangerie in Corgoloin (where they were staying at a gite), but it's now been replaced with a boulangerie truck! Have you ever seen one? They are common in rural France. This gite is an easy walk to the train station and provides bikes for people who want to explore on a bike. They went to Nuit-Saint-Georges on the bike. The area is pretty flat, so it's doable even if you're not an avid biker. Must Try Burgundy Regional Specialties Bœuf Bourguignon Coq au vin Poulet de Bresse Œufs en meurette Charolais beef – hamburgers are amazing here Gougères Escargot Anything with crème de cassis, including Kir (an apératif) Pain d’épices Époisses cheese More episodes about Burgundy FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Discussed in this Episode Dijon Châteauneuf-en-Auxois Vercingétorix Monument Semur-en-Auxois Tonnellerie Francois Frères [29:00] Château de La Rochepot Puligny-Montrachet Meursault Châteauneuf-en-Auxois Kir and Kir Royal Castelsarassin (Occitanie) Subscribe to the Podcast Apple Google Spotify RSS Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): The Rules of Driving in France, Episode 16 Wine Touring in Beaune, Burgundy, Episode 128 The Saint Vincent Tournante Burgundy Wines Festival, Episode 98 Southern Burgundy, Episode 61 Burgundy Region and Wine, Episode 57 Ellen (middle) and two of her friends in Burgundy. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/337