Join Us in France Travel Podcast

In today's episode of the podcast, Annie and Elyse wonder how tours make a vacation better. Won't you have a great time in Paris or anywhere in France even if you don't take a tour? To some extent, yes. But we know from experience that tours make it possible for you to make the most of every minute by taking you straight to the best stuff. Tours greatly enhance the visit because we all like to know what were're looking at, don't we? There is no doubt that if you don't take a tour, you'll miss out. We give several examples of how that's happened to us in the episode! Tours Make a Vacation Better If You Are a Curious Person We know one thing for sure: Our listeners are curious about France! The best time to feed that curiosity is while you visit France and walking around the place you've heard about. Would you like to hear about the cool things that happened in a particular neighborhood? Of course you do! Would it make a difference to learn that historically significant people lived where you are? We know it does! But you'll miss out on a lot of wonderful experiences if you walk around with no help. We want you to feed your curiosity about France. Do you need to learn about the cool things that happened in a particular neighborhood? Of course you do! Some people, Annie used to be one of them, aren't in the habit of taking tours. They wonder will I get bored? Will it be a waste of time? Wouldn't I rather have the freedom to do what I want? Well, VoiceMap tours are designed not to be boring, they get to the point, they let you do what you want because you can pause and resume at will, and they are inexpensive! How to Purchase Annie and Elyse's Tours You can get Annie's Tours and Elyse's Tour directly from the VoiceMapApp or download the App and then unlock the tour by purchasing a code. Elyse also does in-person tours in and around Toulouse. Use the contact form on her website to inquire or email her: elysart@live.fr Download your Paris tours now! Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode [04:35] Rediscovering the London Theater District in London with Ian McEwen's tour on VoiceMap [06:05] What if you don't normally take tours? [06:52] Tours make the experience better [07:33] Taking tours where you've lived for a long time is surprisingly interesting! [08:00] Taking audio tours in Museums is interesting even for an art historian like Elyse! [08:44] You will miss a lot of stuff if you don't take any sort of tour [09:03] Paris is a big city with lots of distractions [10:03] VoiceMap tours give you maximal freedom [10:13} You can run VoiceMap tours without data because everything is downloaded to your phone! [11:08] Tours are great for curious people [12:02] Don't forget to look up! [12:34] Missing the Procope even though it has signs! [13:19} More on the complete flexibility of VoiceMap tours [15:16] A visit to the Royal Albert Hall with a "serious" guide [15:30] Some tour guides are actors and crack more jokes than anything [16:45] We understand why some people don't take tours: some live guides sound like robots! [17:30] Good in-person guides can adjust the tour to their audience [18:13] Are VoiceMap tours too cheap? [20:20] How to buy Annie and Elyse's VoiceMap tours and how they work [21:45] Elyse is working on a tour about the occupation and resistance in Toulouse [22:00] Annie has Paris tours about Île de la Cité Marais Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés [22:50] Talking to the people who are reluctant about taking tours [24:22] Audio tours enhance the experience [25:06] Don't be purely and Instagram tourist! [26:17] You can actually take Annie and Elyse in your pocket!

Going to Paris by yourself? It's one of the best ways to see the City of Light! What are some unforgettable experiences you can have while visiting Paris on your own? My guest on today's podcast has lots of great suggestions for you! Discussed in this Episode Switching hotels in the middle of the trip [03:57] When traveling solo you can let the weather decide what you're going to do for the day [05:05] Learning what sort of traveler you are when visiting on your own [06:05] Do some planning because not all of paris is equally lovely or interesting [07:04] Ask yourself what YOU want to do [10:26] Places des Vosges for people-watching [13:08] Jardin des Rosiers on rue des Rosiers [13:15] Miznon fallafel shop [14:13] Edwart Chocolatier on rue Vieille du Temple [14:46] Merci concept store on Boulevard Beaumarchais [15:38] Best time to go to the Trocadero is early in the morning [16:47] Pont Alexandre III as a great photo spot [18:44] Le Bon Marché in the 7e arrondissement [19:37] Learn what's near you so you don't go all over the place [21:26] Don't miss la Tour de l'Horloge [22:42] It's easy to miss a lot of Montmartre if you don't take a tour [23:44] Don't stay in Montmartre if your children need a stoller or if you have mobility issues [27:28] Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a wonderful central area and easy to navigate [28:03] Place de Furstemberg [28:40] Jardin du Luxembourg a great place to read [30:18] Restaurant Treize in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and its non-smoking terrace [31:25] What would you do differently next time? [33:15] Arrive in Montmartre early especially on a sunny day [35:31] Butte-aux-Cailles and street art (pick your time carefully!) [35:31] Solo travelers get to see more because they don't need to compromise with anyone [39:18] Lauren got to use her French more because she was solo [39:36] CityMapper Paris [41:12] Pay attention to exit numbers in the Paris metro [43:35] TripCoin for keeping track of expenses [44:53] Orange Holiday SIM card [46:19] Email | Annie's VoiceMap Tours | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter   #joinusinfrance #soloparis #travel

On today’s episode Annie answers a question someone asked on the Join Us in France Closed Group on Facebook that generated a lot of conversation. The question was: “Where would you settle in France for a month? My husband and I are planning on a month in September in France to "live like locals". We both can stay connected to work via computer and plan to have our mornings and afternoons free to roam the town/area. We like markets, museums, gardens and cafe life. We won't have a car. I'd love any suggestions! Thank you.” Sounds like a nice plan, doesn’t it? There are a lot of things to consider, let’s talk about it! Email | Annie's VoiceMap Paris Tours | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter #joinusinfrance #likealocal #liveinfrance #travel #podcast

Annie and Elyse love a great assortment of cookies, but they also love a great assortment of French movies, which is what we bring you on today's episode! One of our listeners asked a thought-provoking question: what French movies portrait France well? And while we were thinking about that, several people pipped in with the name of their favorite French movies. The thing is, a French person's idea of a great French movie is not the same as what English speakers consider good French movies. The most popular movies in France are mostly silly. French people love nothing more than a good slap-stick comedy! My American friends love movies like The Hundred-Foot Journey. A feel-good movie that takes place in a mythical version of France. I went to Saint Antonin Noble Val to see where the movie was shot. I recognized nothing that looks like the movie at all. Having said that, Saint Antonin is still a nice place to visit. Email | Annie's VoiceMap Paris Tour | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter #joinusinfrance #frenchmovies #frenchculture #travel #podcast The Assortment of French Movies Discussed in this Episode We don't present the movies and TV series in any particular order, we just followed our train of thought :-) Le Père Noël est une ordure Les Bronzés L'aile ou la cuisse La Chèvre Le dîner de cons Les Visiteurs La vérité si je mens 100 foot journey Midnight in Paris Amélie Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis Les Intouchables Asterix and Obelix A Good Year Breathless (A bout de souffle) The Passion of Joan of Arc A Trip to the Moon (???) The Grand Illusion Chocolat Ratatouille Les Revenants (TV Series) The Chorus A Very Secret Service (Au service de la France TV Series) Versailles (TV) A French Village (TV) Les Aventures de Rabi Jacob Jean de Florette Manon des Sources Camille Claudel Cyrano de Bergerac Le Chateau de Ma Mère La Gloire de Mon Père

Scott and his fiancé Grant spent 6 wonderful days in the Dordogne and Aveyron, two neighboring areas in Occitanie in the southwest of France. And since that's home for me, it's a pleasure to report that they had a great time! Best Places in the Dordogne and Aveyron They visited Sarlat, La Roque Gageac, Beynac, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Belcastel, Najac, Toulouse and Carcassone so those were busy days and well planned-out days. They have great accommodations and restaurant recommendations too! In the episode we don't talk about Toulouse and Carcassonne because we ran out of time, but check out Scott's Guest Notes for information on those. Scott has been in France several times and loves lots of things about it  including food, wine, and French culture. Accommodations Recommendations They like to stay in one place for 2 or 3 nights and will pick either hotel or rental depending on what the area has to offer. These are the gems they found on this trip: Airbnb in Sarlat (Dordogne) Chateau de Belecastel (Aveyron) Airbnb in Najac (Aveyron) Restaurant Recommendations They only made a brief stop in Bordeaux but managed to find a great restaurant: La Tupina. This is a restaurant with a country feel and an open fire in the middle of it and they serve great local specialties. In Belcastel they really enjoyed the Restaurant du Vieux Pont. It's worth making a reservation to eat at this one-star restaurant because the other food option in Belcastel is a little touristy restaurant Annie tried that was nothing to write home about! About Renting a Car in France Don't let the car rental agency upgrade you to a bigger car, it won't fit anywhere! And also, don't follow Google Maps too closely. If it's taking you on a dirt road, don't go there unless you've been warned that the entrance gate is on a dirt road. You've got to hear what happened when they asked Google Maps to drive them to a parking lot in Belcastel! That starts at [34:27] And you also need to listen to that part because Belcastel is truly one of the most memorable scenic villages in France! Email | Annie's Voicemap Paris Tours | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter #joinusinfrance #Sarlat #sarlatfrance #SarlatlaCaneda #belcastel #travel #podcast #occitanie

Annie and Elyse discuss UNESCO World Heritage sites in France, that they are and why it matters. France has 44 sites inscribed on the list and several more are in the process of applying. Some UNESCO Word Heritage sites in France are man-made and others are natural sites. The fortified city of Carcassonne is one of the man-made sites while the Gulf of Porto in Corsica is a natural site. Some UNESCO sites are very well defined (Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris) others are harder to describe (the banks of the River Seine for example). Some are extremely famous (the Pont du Gard) and others not as much (the fortifications of Vauban). Getting listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site can have a big impact on a site. A great example of that is the city center of Albi. It was a bit of a sleepy town for a long time and since getting listed it get large numbers of visitors. The city center of Toulouse between the Saint Sernin Basilica and the Pont Neuf should probably be listed. But there are still some small medieval streets in that area that haven't been renovated in a long time and don't look great. What does it mean to be a UNESCO World Heritage site in France? UNESCO World Heritage sites must meet several criteria on a list of 10 that we discuss briefly. Then candidates must submit an application that details why they think they qualify. In France it is cities and Departments that decide to make such applications with the help of their region. The national government doesn't get involved officially #joinusinfrance #UNESCO #unescoworldheritage #unescosite #unescoheritagesite #unescoworldheritagecity #unescowordheritage #unescoworldculturalheritage Email | Annie's VoiceMap Paris Tours | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter

On today’s episode Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Denise Tham from Canada about her 10-day honeymoon in Provence. The newlyweds  stayed in Avignon, visited Arles, the Pont du Gard, Uzès, drove around the the Petit Lubéron (where they found a lovely bed & breakfast listed below), and ended in Marseille. How to Plan Your Honeymoon in Provence Listening to this episode will make your own honeymoon planning much easier because Denise did the hard work: she found great accommodations, great restaurants and she even figured out the best way to get around in Provence! Transportation in Provence Provence is tricky because there are places you can't get to without a car. And yet there are times when having a car in Provence makes everything difficult because there is nowhere to park! Denise and her husband used a combination of train and car rental, which is the best way to proceed. You definitely don't want to hold on to your rental car in large cities in Provence because parking will drive you nuts! On the other hand, parking in small Provençal villages in late September / early October wasn't an issue. The key is to plan ahead and book your rental in advance because last-minute car rentals cost a fortune in France! Is Marseille worth a Visit? In this episode we also discuss the age-old question: is Marseille a good place to visit in Provence? This conversation starts 35 minutes into the episode, but to summarize, we both think Marseille is a wonderful place if moving around multi-cultural environment feels natural to you. What if You Don't Want to Use Airbnb? More and more people are weary of using Airbnb. Denise found great places to rent through Booking. To find the gems, go to this page, then scroll down and on the left you'll see a lot of criteria, including Apartments, Villas, Hostels, and price range. It's worth mentioning because a lot of people don't know it's a possibility! Provence Accommodations Recommendations Great Apartment in Avignon Maison d'Ulyse near Pont du Gard Le Clos des Eydins in Bonnieux Restaurants Recommendations Denise’s husband is a chef, so they paid attention to restaurants and have great recommendations for lovely places to eat. La Fourchette and L'Agape in Avignon Lunch and L'Occitane Spa at La Maison d'Uzes Bistrot le 5 in Menerbes Le Petit Cabanon and Le Bistro du Cour in Marseille Click play to listen or if you'd rather read our conversation click on transcript. You'll also find Denise's notes by visiting the guest notes. Episodes about Honeymoons in France Email | Annie's VoiceMap Paris Tours | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter

In this episode of the podcast, Annie and her guest Michael Grove give you many reasons to fall in love with Corsica. Specifically upper Corsica or Haute-Corse. Michael spent a whole month exploring Corsica and wrote about it on his travel blog. He shares his favorite places, hidden gems that took his breath away, details about the food you'll find in Corsica and more. Hotels Michael Used on this Trip Bastia—Hotel Napoleon, 43 Boulevard Paoli Rogliano—Hotel U Sant Agnellu (perched village with great view from the dining room and from rooms facing Mediterranean Sea) Centuri—Hotel Vieux Moulin (overlooks small port and has good restaurant) Cargèse—Residence Roc E Mare Places Michael Visited He'll take us to (not necessrily in that order, see map in the show notes) Bastia, Rogliano, Centuri, Saint-Florent, L’Île-Rousse, Calvi, Porto, Cargèse, Corte, Patrimonio, the Calanques de Piana, the Réserve naturelle de Scandola, Pigna, Nonza, and Sant'Antonino. Great Foods from Corsica And the foods sound out of this world: brocciu, beignets au chaud sucré (ou salé), coppa, lonzu, figatellu. Don't know what those are? I didn't know either! Let Michael explain! If you're having a hard time with all the Corsican words, follow along with the transcript. I've done my best to spell all those names correctly 🙂 Corsica: Recipes and Stories from a Mediterranean Island The restaurant Michael mentions where he couldn't remember the name in Pigna is called A Mandria di Pigna. To see more of his restaurant recommendations click on Guest Notes below. Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Balagna Area [04:16] Bastia [10:04] In the high or medium season don't try to wing it with the hotels [11:34] Strong regional culture in Corsica [12:10] Prices in Corsica [16:12] Corte and the citadel [17:51] Nonza and La Sassa outdoor restaurant [20:32] Col de Teghime {23:06] Calanques de Piana [24:55] Réserve naturelle de Scandola [25:21] How to visit the calanques [26:12] Hicking in the Haute Corse [28:04] The village of Pigna [29:47] The village of Sant'Antonino [30:23] The gastronomy of Corsica: we mention a lot of local specialties in this segment! [34:05] Is Corsica a vacation for couples or families or adventure seekers? [40:31] How is Corsica different from the rest of France? [42:01] Thank you patrons and donors! [45:05] Annie's new Saint-Germain-des-Prés tour on the VoiceMap App [47:07] A little bit of a health scare [48:03] Quick update about the current strikes in France [50:42]

We all make mistakes sometimes. But when your vacation time is precious, it's best to learn how to avoid them! In this episode I am not talking about tourists who are totally clueless and unprepared. My podcast guests are typically well informed about France! And yet they still find themselves making the same mistakes. So, this episode is all about helping you make small changes in mindset that will help you be better prepared for your trip to Paris. What Are the 3 Common Mistakes Tourists Make in Paris? Here are the small snafus people commonly run into in Paris: #1 Opening and Closing Times [01:12] Check opening and closing times more than once because you will forget! This is especially true if you are forced to make last-minute changes and assume you'll push today's visit to tomorrow. #2 Beware of Distances Between Paris Attractions [06:16] You've heard your whole life that when in Paris you'll get the most enjoyment when walking. And while that is true, for those of us who are not athletes it's important to make good choices. You don't want to be exhausted by the time you arrive at the Orsay Museum! This map shows walking distances between metro stations in Paris. Even better, check walking times on Google maps before you decide to walk![/caption] #3 Don't Schedule Any Timed Visits on Your First Day [09:49] Flights get delayed. You might be terribly tired from the flight. Because things happen, it's best to avoid visits that require you to show up at a specific time. What can you do instead? Walk around your neighborhood, try some cafés Take a river cruise Take one of my self-guided walking tours with the VoiceMap App Show notes for this episode are here:  https://joinusinfrance.com/266 Email | Annie's VoiceMap Tours | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Today’s episode is a trip report with Michelle Donnell Adzhemyan on a trip to Paris she took late August 2019 with her husband and two preschool children. Paris with Preschool Children: Good Idea? You may have wondered if taking your 4.5yo and 2.5yo to Paris is a good idea, and it probably wouldn't be for every family. But sometimes it works out great as you'll hear from Michelle on today's episode! Since Annie lived in the US when her only daughter was born, she made the long trip home to France to visit my family on many occasions, and traveling with young kids is not something most people look forward to. But it can be done, with class and panache, and it can be a very positive experience for the whole family. Tips for Enjoying Paris with Preschool Children In the episode Michelle talks about why they decided to take their two children and how they prepared them for the trip. They asked themselves all the right questions but still ran into a couple of minor mistakes you should avoid. And how difficult will it be finding bathrooms in Paris for a little boy who is in the middle of potty training? It wasn't hard in Paris, but it was a little more difficult in smaller cities. Michelle gives some great recommendations for apps, books, children's camera, stoller rental, French music, and where you can store your bags in Paris while you wait for your apartment to be ready. Discussed in this Episode 3 days in Paris [06:21] Why did you decide to take your preschool children? [07:21] Preparing preschool children for a trip to Paris [08:12] Language Apps for children [08:39] Most French people react positively to young children [10:25] Learning about the Thinking Man before the trip [[10:44] Paris Hide and Seek book [11:18] Mission Paris book [11:50] Bringing Up Bébé book [12:47] Annie's Spotify French music playlist [[14:41] Teaching the kids about pickpockets [15:53] Getting cameras for the children [16:50] Debating about taking a stroller or not [18:01] Company in Paris that will rent you a stroller if you need one [18:37] Strollers are not cheap in France [18:53] Dropping off bags at Nanny Bag [20:04] Check opening and closing hours! [20:50] Kids loved Notre Dame because they had seen the Disney movie [21:10] Quick visit to the Sainte Chapelle [22:02] River cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf [22:03] Don't schedule anything on your first day in Paris! [23:38] Enjoying the Place des Vosges [24:58] Listening to Annie's VoiceMap Tour in advance [26:08] Getting food at Maison Plisson [27:07] Plan on dinners at the airbnb [27:41] The Louvre isn't good for preschool children [28:09] Great visit to the Luxembourg Gardens [30:03] Save your legs for the venues by using Citymapper [30:20] No walking on the grass at the Luxembourg Gardens [32:16] French people don't understand Mexican food at all [33:23] Do a photoshoot! [33:55] Pickpockets at the Eiffel Tower [34:54] Preschoolers love the Eiffel Tower [35:21] A lovely dinner at Qui Plume la Lune [36:18] The Rodin Museum is great with preschool children [38:04] Dinner at L'Entrecôte [38:16] Going to Bordeaux and the Gers [39:38] When traveling with kids it's good to get out of big cities [40:10] The price of Uber rides in Paris [40:35] L'Atelier des Lumières is great with kids [42:40] Potty training in France [43:06] Have a separate room for the kids [43:48] It was all worth it! [45:20] Thank you Patrons and Donors! [46:56] Annie's Itinerary Review service [49:06] Support the show without spending a penny more [49:56] Top 10 Join Us in France episode of 2019 [50:34] 2020 plans for the Join Us in France Travel Podcast [55:35] Share the word about the podcast! [58:39] Show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/265 Email | Annie's VoiceMap Tours | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter