Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Episode 187 In today's episode, Elyse and Annie give you and overview of Paris museums. Big museums, small museums, museums that present great temporary exhibits, museums that appeal to locals, museums famous for their permanent collection. Odd little museums around a specific topic, museum who are good for visitors who bring children, and museums that are good for people who don’t really love museums. If you’re preparing your first visit to Pairs, this episode is important for you because that’s how you’ll learn about what’s out there for you to enjoy besides the ones everyone has heard about like the Orsay and the Louvre. We don’t list all Paris museums, there are too many, but we do our best to give you a comprehensive review of the wonderful Paris museum scene. And if you don’t understand some of the names of the museums we mention verbally, read on, the list is all written out here! Don't miss our tip about the Museum Pass for children and teens at the end of the episode! 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/187 Click here to review the show on iTunes. 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 186 The question of today is how to visit the Mont Saint Michel by train from Paris? Lots of people want to know about this because if visiting the Mont Saint Michel is on your bucket list, it's a priority for you! The whole idea of this episode is how to visit the Mont Saint Michel from Paris on your own, so I won't go into booking a tour, but there are lots of companies that offer such day-trips between Paris and the Mont Saint Michel. The Mont Saint Michel isn't that far from Paris, but it's far enough that doing it as a day trip with a rental car can be tricky. We explore that option and I bring up all the things a visitor may not consider that are important. What other options do you have? Are there good train options? Yes, indeed! That's my favorite option. But there are good trains and bad trains. I tell you about both so you don't waste your time. Overall, getting to the Mont Saint Michel from Paris isn't so hard to do, but you definitely need to plan this out so it is a long wonderful day instead of a long painful day! 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/186 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

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Is renting a car in France worth the trouble? In other words, for my intellectual friends: To drive or not to drive, that is the question! Wise visitors will weigh the pros and cons of driving vs. finding another mode of transportation while on vacation in France. Fools will ignore this, do what they want, and get stuck in traffic. As you will find out in this episode, sometimes driving in France is no problem at all. A lot depends on where you are going and when you are going. In general, driving in France is surprisingly easy for most of the people who have talked to me about it on trip reports (see Related Episodes). But there are a few times and places where driving in France is a terrible idea and I want to tell you why because I am a local and I've gotten stuck in traffic myself many time! I also want to give you alternatives that probably won't pop into your mind naturally if you're a visitor from North America. Listen up! This episode will save you a lot of time and aggravation! 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/185 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 THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast When we do  a tour in Paris, we always start with the Luxembourg Gardens. Why? Because it's a haven of peace and simple joy for everybody we know who has ever visited it. Our tours also always start on a Sunday, and Sundays and Wednesdays are the best times to go to the Luxembourg Gardens, not that there is a bad time to go, mind you. In this episode of the podcast we explain how the Luxembourg Gardens came about historically and we list most of the things you can enjoy there today. The Jardin du Luxembourg is one of the best places to take a walk in Paris, and it is also something we recommend to everyone, even first-time visitors to Paris. 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/184 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 If I ask what part of France you want to visit besides Paris, you will probably respond Normandy or Provence. But if I ask French people where they’d like to move to in France, Toulouse is always at the top of the list. So what do French people know about Toulouse that most visitors to France don’t? Stay tuned and you will hear about it all in today’s Ultimate Guide to Toulouse! These are the things that can make any city wonderful to live in: a strong local culture, strong food and wine traditions, good jobs, strong high tech industries, good universities, great sports teams, proximity to both the sea and the ski slopes, and of course mild weather. Toulouse gets the check mark on all of those. Toulouse is also a lot more affordable than Paris and not as stress-inducing as Paris for everyday life. So yes, French people would love to be able to move to Toulouse and about 10,000 new people do just that every year, it is one of the fastest-growing areas of France. But what does Toulouse have to offer for visitors? That’s the question we answer with our ultimate guide to Toulouse. Here are a few of the reasons: Looking to see a lively yet laid-back part of France? Toulouse. You like great food and wine? Toulouse! You want to enjoy French culture through museums, art events and leisurely walks through Medieval streets? Toulouse, of course! Annie and Elyse are supremely qualified to talk about Toulouse, not just because we’re awesome podcasters who love to share the best of everything France has to offer, but also because Annie was born and raised in Toulouse, and Elyse has been living and guiding in Toulouse for 20+ years. We know the place! We know it effortlessly, like locals do. So, please come along with us on this Ultimate Guide to Toulouse! 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/183 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 Did you know that the people of Paris have always had a "thing" for lining up major monuments? They exported the idea to Washington DC with French-born architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant. And they definitely implemented the concept with gusto in Paris. Today we look at the monuments that make up the Paris Historical Axis and how you can get the best view of it for yourself! 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/182 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 On today's episode of the podcast Annie tells you the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the novel by Victor Hugo. Did  Victor Hugo really single-handedly save Notre Dame through his novel? How bad is the Disney version of the story? Who are the main characters and what happens in the novel? How did the story of the Hunchback become such a favorite for so long? 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/181 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 Notre Dame Cathedral is over 850 years old. Oh, the things it must have seen! The stories it could tell! But while Notre Dame cannot tell us all the things that happened within its walls, we can pay attention to what the art is telling us. So, let’s look around together and open your eyes wide.  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 What are the best things to do in Paris for first time visitors? What are the must-see attractions? If you're looking for info on the best things to do in Paris, we can hook you up. You may also be wondering where to stay for your first time in Paris. We have our favorite magical neighborhoods, of course! Because we're all on such tight schedules, some people wonder how many days are absolutely necessary? Well, it's Paris, stay as long as you can, but we explain why 4 nights is a minimum for people flying from North America. And, Annie's hobby horse: What do you need to prepare in advance and what can you leave to chance?  You need to know these things to make your first trip to Paris a great experience so you'll want to come back time and time again! 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/179 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 Don't spend your hard-earned dollars and precious vacation time on a trip to France at Christmas without listening to this episode! Some places are amazing at Christmas in France, others are meh, and we list them all. And for those of you not planning a trip to France right away, we'll answer the question What do French people do at Christmas that that they don't do the rest of the year? It turns out we do a lot of fun stuff! 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