Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 206 Thinking about doing the Tour du Mont Blanc? On today's episode I bring you  a great conversation with Lachlan Cooke his experience doing the Tour of the Mont Blanc. This is an active vacation: it's not super technical mountaineering, but you need to be in good shape to do this. This is a great hike around the Mont Blanc that takes several days to complete. You'll be able to make it more or less arduous depending on choices you make as explained by Lachlan. Make Your Own Tour du Mont Blanc What's intimidating about a trip like this is figuring out where you can stay, how you can organize your hike, what you need to know in advance, possible pitfalls, etc. Lachlan has great suggestions on all of those. Take a look at the Show Notes, Guest Notes and Lackan's own blog for all the details. Active Vacations in France and the French Alps This is a great episode for those of you who are interested in the Mont Blanc and organizing a visit to the French Alps. Whether you make it a 2-hour hike or a 2-week hike, you'll be able to enjoy the striking vistas and peaceful feeling of the French Alps. Let yourself be inspired and start planning your own! Annie was a guest on Welcome to my Box Chatterbox #6, you should give it a listen!   Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. http://old.joinusinfrance.com/171 (apple podcast app does not display links embedded in words) Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 205 On today’s episode, I bring you a trip report with Jennifer Warner about the World War I sites she visited with her husband and sons earlier this year. The whole family has an interest in history. Her teenage sons particularly enjoyed getting a better understanding of what happened on these battlefields. In preparation for this episode, I read a wonderful book called A World Undone: the History of the Great War 1914 to 1918. But the history of this war is a tremendously complex subject. Our purpose was not to discuss the history in depth. Our intention was to learn details of Jennifer's visit to the WWI battlefields in France and what makes some of them better than others for visitors. Centennial Anniversary of the end of WWI WWI ended on November 11, 1918. Making this year the centennial anniversary of the end of the Great War. As a result, battlefield sites like Verdun and Vimy will be holding special celebrations and special events to mark the centennial. We don't go into any details these centennial celebrations, but if you plan on visiting, make sure to do some research to see if you can participate in some of them. You see rows upon rows of not just dead but also missing people. It is so sobering, even for teenagers. WWI Battlefields in France What are the must-see places you need to visit in order to get an overview of WWI or the Great War? In this episode we mention major WWI battlefields in the East and North of France. A sobering topic, but as you can see from Jennifer's report, also a wonderful family vacation. Discussed in this Episode Verdun Verdun Ossuary Fort Douamont Fort Vaux Ossuary Douamont Camp Maguerre Abandoned Villages Arras City and Tunnels Vimy Ridge Wellington Tunnels Thiepval Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

The Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 204 On today’s episode, I talk to Mary-Lou Weisman about the Best of the Vaucluse department and Provence. Not sure where the Vaucluse is? I bet you’ve heard about many of these towns! Mary-Lou is the author of a book called Playing House in Provence and her love for the area certainly comes through loud and clear in today’s episode. We discuss her book towards the end of the episode, but our focus today is to help you have a wonderful time in the Vaucluse. Ready to explore Provence and the Vaucluse specifically? Mary-Lou shares some wonderful tips that will make it easy for you to both enjoy the area and make efforts to fit-in like a local. Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 203 Did you know that there is a Medieval Castle just at the edge of Paris? Complete with dungeon, draw-bridge and moat. Meet the Château of Vincennes, one of the most surprising places in Paris! [04:29] Reasons You Might Want to Visit the Château de Vincennes [06:35] Château de Vincennes: a Fortified Castle [10:00] Charles V Made the Château de Vincennes a Royal Residence [12:16] Recent Renovations at the Château de Vincennes [13:00] King Louis XIII Was Raised at the Château de Vincennes [14:52] Vincennes Is Abandoned as a Royal Residence [16:01] Château of Vincennes Is Turned into a Prison [20:42] The Vincennes Arsenal [23:22] Restoration of the Royal Apartments [24:20] What's It Is Like Visiting the Château de Vincennes Today Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 202 In Paris you only have a few options to get between the airport and the city. In this episode I mention all of them and explain why a taxi is by far the easiest, and sometimes even the cheapest option for you. Comparing the Options from Personal Experience The question of how to get to Paris from CDG or Orly comes up at least once a week on the Join Us in France Closed Group on Facebook. And invariably, helpful group members chime in with their recommendations, which is great. But after getting a few dozen responses, the person who asked the question is probably is no better off than when they asked because the answers are all over the map. Do this! Do that! Don't get ripped off! Call this guy on my behalf! How is a person to decide when there is no consensus? Enter Annie.  I have tried most of these modes of transportation between CDG and central Paris because I live in Toulouse, I have to fly to Paris several times a year. I also have friends who pretty much commute to Paris from Toulouse. So in this episode I answer that question based on personal practice. And we know that practice makes perfect, right? Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Bonjour podcast listeners You haven't heard from me in a while because I have been busy working on the new version of the Join Us in France website I am delighted to announce that it is now live and I am really happy with how it has turned out. It's not perfect, but it is soooo much better than the old one! I would love you to help me out and take a few minutes to visit the site using your favorite browser, type in joinusinfrance.com and let me know how it goes. If you see anything that doesn't work, or looks strange, or have suggestions on how to improve it even more, please shoot me an email annie@joinusinfrance.com or leave a message on 1-801-806-1015. Several of you have already responded to my request for feedback on the Facebook group, thank you so much, I would love to hear from more of you and I will fix things as fast as possible. I want to point out a couple of the features of the new site: Easier navigation: everything is organized around Destinations, Interests, and Resources. There is also a new map that you can click on and it will take you to all the episodes that have to do with that part of France. That feature used to be on the old website and it had been created by Matt, but it was complicated to me to update so it was woefully out of date. This map is going to stay up to date! Easier to read: instead of having one loooong blog post per episode, you now have a short episode introduction, plus a button for show notes, another for transcript and another that says guest notes. I'm working to provide that for all episodes, but as of this recording there are about 70 episodes where I haven't done it yet. But it's so much easier to read when things are split up nicely! My husband has taken a lot of time out of his vacation to help me with this and I must say I would have never gotten it done without his technical know-how and his encouragement. Thank you so much David! And while I haven't taken the time to release new episodes, I have recorded several over the summer and I will start releasing them soon. Promise, I'll stop tinkering with the site and will actually put out new wonderful trip reports with several of you. So, I'll talk to you again soon and please give me some feedback on the new Join Us in France site, you can help me make it even better! Au revoir!

Normandy and the sites of Operation Overlord are where amazing feats of courage took place that made it possible to liberate France and eventually defeat Hitler and his armies. But in a practical sense, there are so many important sites and so many parts to the history that it's hard to keep it all straight. The purpose of today's episode is to review the main events that took place during Operation Overlord aka the Battle of Normandy which lead to the liberation of Paris and France. Once you understand how the Battle of Normandy went, you will be able to plan out your trip out and, more importantly, understand the sites you're looking at. We've also found some great hotels that don't get enough love online and that we heartily recommend. Enjoy the show! Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. https://joinusinfrance.com/201 Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast — Episode 200 You are going to Paris with your children and wonder how to create the best experience for your kids? We've got suggestions for you in this episode! Going to Paris with boys 7 and 10 can be a challenge, but we've given this a lot of thought and we've put the itinerary to the test. In this episode Luke and Max reveal the Paris venues that we're pretty sure your kids will love too. With children, it's often more about not packing too much in while choosing highly engaging activities. Remember, doing Paris with boys 7 and 10 means you have to find activities that are at least as fun and engaging as video games!That's a tall order, but Paris is up to the task. So, listen up, we roll out the best Paris has to offer in this episode! Hotel Recommended on this Episode: Citadines hotel near Notre Dame Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. https://joinusinfrance.com/200 Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Each part of Paris has it own feel and understanding the vibe of Paris neighborhoods is important so you can be in the best position to choose where you stay. The question of where should I stay in Paris comes up a lot especially for first-time visitors. Those of us who have been to Paris several times have our favorites, but that doesn't mean that the rest aren't any good, it just means that you like to stick to what's comfortable to you! The neighborhoods we consider today are the Latin Quarter, Saint Germain des Près, Saint Michel, Le Marais, Montmatre, Montparnasse, the Eiffel Tower, La Défense, the Champs Elysées / Arc de Triomphe area. There are some Annie loves and others she does not. In this episode you hear exactly why with examples of what's wrong. What You Will Hear About in this Episode with Timestamps [00:22] What Paris neighborhood is best to stay in? [01:32] This episode is for people who don’t have a favorite Paris neighborhood yet. [02:56] Annie recorded this episode behind Notre Dame in Paris, recording in public is a first for this show! [04:03] Annie just completed the Versailles, Giverny, Paris and Normandy tours, they were great with great customers again. [04:26] What is the vibe of various Paris neighborhoods and how can knowing about that help you choose the best place for you? Let’s start with four neighborhoods on the left bank: Latin Quarter, Saint Germain des Près and Saint Michel. The Saint-Michel Neighborhood [05:06] Saint Michel is great for people who aren’t staying in Paris very long because it’s close to everything first-time visitors should visit, but it’s a loud neighborhood. Saint-Germain-des-Près [06:35] Saint Germain des Près is a little further, but not by much. It is quieter (fewer sirens) but still busy and very popular with visitors. A great place to rent or apartment or book a hotel, although it’ll be a bit more expensive than Saint Michel. The Latin Quarter [07:11] The Latin Quarter is a lot more subdued because it is the home of the Sorbonne which takes up a lot of the space.  It is a wonderful neighborhood but be prepared to walk a little more. The Luxembourg Garden Area [08:07] The Luxembourg Gardens are also a lovely area for you to choose as a place to stay, it is usually attractive to repeat visitors who have visited the area before. It is a little further out, but peaceful and upscale. Le Marais Neighborhood [08:46] On the right bank (I misspoke and said left bank in the audio) you can stay in Le Marais, a wonderful lively area, especially around the Saint Paul metro station. Montmartre, Watch Out! [09:58] Montmatre is a popular area that I don’t recommend. Why not? Because it takes too long to get to and from Montmartre, because it’s hilly, there are lots of stairs to deal with, and the elevator at the Abbesses metro station hardly ever works, it hasn’t gotten any better since the renovation. Montparnasse, More Genuinely  French [12:37] For those of you who would like to stay in a neighborhood with more French people than visitors, Montparnasse is highly recommended (I misspoke and said Montmartre several times, but I meant Montparnasse). The area has a lot of offer and is “real”. La Défense Area [13:38] Some people stay at La Défense when they get free hotels due to miles. There is nothing wrong with staying at La Défense but be aware that the area is lively during the day (when presumably you’ll be away enjoying Paris) and completely dead at night. I don’t recommend you stay there unless you’re going to Paris for work. The Eiffel Tower Area [14:20] The Eiffel Tower neighborhood is wonderful with good hotels, great apartments, a little bit out of the way, but not so much that it would become a problem. Champs Elysées / Arc de Triomphe [15:39] The Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe area is nice, but not as well served by public transportation because the people who live there are wealthy and never take the bus. This is a great area for people who take taxis everywhere they go. Episode Conclusion [16:24] Recap of what I covered in the episode and the vibe of Paris neighborhoods. [18:59] Thank you new Patreon supporters! [20:01] Quick recap of how the tours went, more to come in subsequent episodes. [21:31] Annie is going back to Paris to spend time with her sister-in-law and her two children and will be trying kid-friendly attraction. [21:44] Annie is getting a labradoodle puppy! [22:36] June 2017 was stifling hot and June 2018 has been really wet. Rant: Do Not Walk on the Road! [23:05] RANT: do NOT walk off into the road to take a picture of the Arc de Triomphe! [24:44] You can listen to the show on the Amazon Alexa, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and any podcast App you may wish to use on your smartphone. Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. https://joinusinfrance.com/171 (apple podcast app does not display links embedded in words) Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 198 On today’s episode, I talk to Oliver Gee and his fiancée Lina Nordin from the podcast Earful Tower. They are planning a wonderful honeymoon in France and I bet many of you are doing just that too! They plan to go all around France, exploring a lot of the country as they go along. They are calling their adventures Amour de France, which is so cute and clever, I love it! Discovering and Touring France on a Scooter So, where do you go if you want to see a little bit of every part of France? You’ll find out today. And what if you want to do it with a small budget a nothing much in the way of luggage? That’s what Oliver and Lina go into with me today. I mean, they are traveling light, really really light! The song says all you need is love, doesn’t it? Places mentioned in this episode: Paris, Giverny, Rouen, Caen, Rennes, Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Aix en Provence, Marseille, (potentially Nice Monaco), Grenoble, Lyon, Dijon, Nancy, and Reims +champagne country. Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. https://joinusinfrance.com/171 (apple podcast app does not display links embedded in words) Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook