Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Join Us in France Travel Podcast This episode is a trip report with Debbie Raises who shares her insider tips for visiting Disneyland Paris. Debbie and her family live "close to the magic" and hour away from the Walt Disney World in Florida. They have a long history with Disney, she and her husband went on a Disney honeymoon, her husband works for Disney, and they know the parks inside and out. For today's show she has prepared a list of tips you won't want to miss to make your next trip to Disneyland Paris as successful as hers. Debbie and her family were at the resort for 3 and a half days in June 2017. Hotels recommended in this episode: the Sequoia Lodge and the Vienna House Dream Castle at Disneyland Paris   To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Toulouse is a great place to come stay for a few days because not only is it a lovely city, but once you're here, there are a lot of great places you can visit as day trips.  Most of those day trips around Toulouse require a car, and such is the case with the one we're discussing today: Sorèze and Revel: Great Day Trips from Toulouse (or Carcassonne)  What You Will Learn About in this Episode 2’ 03 This Join Us in France episode 156 aboutSorèze and Revel: Great Day Trips from Toulouse (or Carcassonne) 4’ Annie and Elyse argue about how to say the name "Revel" + the lake of Saint-Ferréol. 6’ The Lauragais area with rolling hills. A wheat-growing area, villages on the top of hills. 7’22 The first place you get to on our drive is Saint-Felix de Lauragais 8’38 Revel is a small town of around 10,000 people, which makes it a small city by French standards 9’50 Furniture-making in the Lauragais: they make good quality copies of classic French furniture styles 10’40 Biscuiteries and cookie makers in the Lauragais 11’20 One of the main reasons to visit Revel is to visit the Saturday Market. Revel is a “bastide” with an old covered market with a belfry at its center 13’44 Weighing stones at the Revel Market 16’ There is a great bakery in Revel, they make lovely “croustade” with apples and lemon. They call it “pastel” there 18’30 The Montagne Noire in the Lauragais 19’20 The village of Sorèze, a town founded in the 700s and famous for its “Abbaye-école de Sorèze”. Hughe Auffrey is a French singer who attended this school 25’20 Dom Robert the Benedictine Monk who became a tapestry artist, the museum in Sorèze specializes in tapestries because of him 27’ When is a good time to visit Sorèze to enjoy the artist colony side of things? There are craft fairs in the summer, try to 27’30 There is a small glass museum in Sorèze because there is a history of glass-makers who lived in the woods long ago 30’ The Saint-Ferréol Lake: Annie hates it, Elyse likes it, we’ll let you be the judge and let us know in the comments! This lake was created by Pierre-Paul Riquet to help bring water to the Canal du Midi to help it enough water in the canal year-round. 35’15 Why Annie hates the Saint-Ferréol Lake 39’ There is another, more wild lake nearby also: Lac d’en Brunet (or Lac de Belleserre) 43’30 Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse Got Feedback or Extra Information? Write a comment below or call the voice mail box! 1-801-816-1015   To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Every big sports event has to start somewhere. The Paris Marathon got its start in 1896 and it was tiny then! It had 191 participants, none of them women. Things have changed so much since then. Today's Paris Marathon takes as many as 50,000 runners, many of them women, including today's guest, Calee Spinney who ran the 2017 edition and comes on the show to tell us some of the things she wishes she knew before she ran it. If you're thinking about running the Paris marathon in 2018, you've come to the right place! Advice about the event, and all of the other things you can do while in Paris! What You Will Learn About in this Episode The transcript for this episode is available by clicking here 1'38 Congratulations on running the Paris marathon! 2'30 When did you sign up? What did it involve? 4'31 Why do you need a medical form? 6' Do you run through gorgeous parts of Paris? 7'52 Was it well organized? 8'30 How do it work on the ground? 9' Various extras you can buy at the Expo 11' Is the commercial activity surrounding the Paris marathon good value or rip off? 12'30 Running on cobblestone is hard on the body 12'50 What do you wish you knew before you went? 15' Food/water you can get along the route 17' The finishing shirt 18' What did you do besides running the Paris marathon? 19' Is Paris food good for marathon runners? 21' Was it your first time in Paris? Where did you stay? 23' How about safety surrounding the Paris marathon? 24'30 Any recommendations you can share? 26' Meeting a super-friendly Parisien 30' Thanks and personal update To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and full transcript for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Introduction On today's episode Annie and Elyse discuss how to protect yourself from pickpockets in Paris. We give specific steps anybody can take that will make it less likely that you will be the victim of a pick pocket, but also also steps to mitigate the repercussions if you do get robbed. Let's not fool ourselves, pickpockets and magicians and they use the same misdirection techniques as magicians. A lot of them are really good at what they do! So if it's happened to you, don't feel bad, just do everything you can so it doesn't happen again. The only way to make sure nothing bad ever happens is to stay home and do nothing, but we're not going to do that are we?  So, listen to this episode and get some inspiration on how to protect yourself from pickpockets in Paris and go on your next trip full of confidence! Would you like to tour France with Annie and Elyse? Visit Addicted to France to choose an upcoming tour. What You Will Learn about in this Episode Look below the fold for transcript and time stamps. Remove as much as you can from your wallet or purse. Don't put anything in your back pocket. Don't put anything in pockets unless they zip or button. Only take one credit card and a little bit of cash with you, the rest should stay at the hotel. Don't have your driver's license on you. Don't carry your passport, only a photocopy. Photocopy the front and back of your credit cards and keep them in a safe place just in case you need to call to cancel them. Do not bring any checks to France, you can't use them. Notify your bank that you'll be travelling abroad. Don't bring your work ID. Bring a list of all the medications you take and bring enough drugs for your whole stay. Only carry one day's worth of medications on your person. Women should carry a purse that they can have across their torso. Cargo pants with buttoned pockets are good for men. Loose clothing puts you at great risk to be pickpocketed. Protect your phone, women should consider keeping it in their bra or in a zipped pocket. Put different things in different purse pockets. If you don't live in a large city in the US you are not used to being on alert for theft. Photographers need to consider using a holster system like the Peak Design Capture Pro  with its accompanying Clutch that Annie now owns and loves. Conclusion The only way to never have anything unpleasant happen to you is to stay home. But, if you're listening to this podcast, you probably don't want to do that. We agree with you! Paris isn't any worse than any other big city when it comes to pickpockets, and as a matter of fact, the police that this stuff very seriously, but there are no guarantees. In this episode we've shared some specific suggestions of things you can do to lessen the impact of a adverse pickpocket encounter. If it's going to happen, at least let's do things that will lessen the blow. We'd love to hear your feedback! Comment below or leave a voicemail on 1-801-806-1015 Support the show on Patreon. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and to see the full transcript for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook Introduction Renting an apartment in Paris is a great option, especially if you're planning on staying in Paris one week or longer. It is probably not ideal for first-time Paris visitors who don't know the area yet, but even for them, it can be a good option if they are coming with children or extended family. In this episode Phil Goldsmith shares the secrets to finding an apartment in Paris and he breaks it down into simple steps that anybody can follow. If you've rented apartments in Paris and would like to share your own nuggets of wisdom, call the voice mail line 801-816-1015. Also stay tuned until after the interview with Phil to hear from Inaugural Tour Member Sue Walsh. Enjoy the show! What You Will Learn about in Today's Episode 40" On today's episode, Phil Goldsmith shares his tips and secrets for finding an apartment in Paris. 43" Our next Paris Tour is scheduled for Oct 1 through Oct 7th 2017; we would love to have you join us in France, not only through the podcast but also in real life. 2'16 Interview with Phil Goldsmith starts 5'11 Why rent an apartment and stay at a hotel? An apartment gives you more of a chance of living like a local. Hotels are a lot more anonymous. Apartments are also more likely to be situated in a residential area rather than a business/commercial area. For instance there are few apartments for rent in the 2nd arrondissement, but there are lots of hotels there. When staying in an apartment you probably won't get your breakfast at a café, but you may walk to the local bakery and get a chocolatine while observing real life. 7' It is true that there is nobody living on the Ile de la Cité who is not either a millionaire or someone staying at a hotel. 7'34 Will renting an apartment save me money? We'll come back to this question later in the episode also, but renting an apartment doesn't so much save you money as it gets you better value for your money. Renting is cost effective for people who are staying for several weeks. 8'50 If you're going for just a few days, just get a hotel. Finding the right apartment takes a long time. There is no standard rating system for apartments, each agency does things their own way, you have to spend time looking into the place you are considering renting. 9'54 You get more room in an apartment than in a hotel. Apartments are great for kids or extended families too. Apartments make it easy to accommodate bigger groups. 11' Gite de France are made for families, they typically have mom and dad and two or three kids. Those are mostly in the countryside. 11'38 Because apartments are a little less expensive, you can leave the apartment for a few days and explore other areas nearby. 12'12 The disadvantages of renting an apartment: You have to do a lot of research to find an apartment. People sometimes wonder if this is a legitimate rental. You're better off going through a reputable agency than Craig's List! 2-bedroom apartments are harder to find, but it can be done. The apartment will be quirky or charming depending on how you want to look at this. 13'36 Some of the crazy places Phil has rented in the past: rickety tiny stairs and steep stairs without handrails or bathroom where you have to go out on the terrace to get to the bathroom. 15'30 Be prepared to deal with a security deposit. Different agencies handle this differently: some put a hold on your credit card, some what you to bring cash to give to the owner that you will get back when you check out. For some of the longer rentals there may be charges for cleaning and electrical bills. You know about this ahead of time if you read the website. 18' What you need to know about rental agencies: there are countless numbers of them. They are either direct rental platforms like AirB&B or managed apartments. You may have heard of VBRO or HomeAway, AirB&B, Home to Go: those are the big ones. There are also a lot of local Paris-based agencies that are in the managed apartment business. They manage the apartments on behalf of the owner. They all seem to have the word Paris in their name: Paris Attitude, Paris Stay, Paris à la carte, Paris Perfect, Vacation in Paris, etc. They know the Paris market better and their websites are designed for the quirkiness of the area. Their apartment descriptions are usually more detailed. 21'4 Some agencies will take the reservation with a credit card. Some will require an international wire transfer. Sometimes transferring money between the US and France is a pain, it can be done. 22'55 There will be some cancellation policy imposed by the agency. It's not usually unreasonable, but you need to understand it. With a hotel room you normally only lose the first night, with a rental you may lose the whole thing. 24'30 Where do you want to stay in Paris? If it's your first time in Paris you need to understand how the city is organized. Look at the map and learn what the arrondissements mean and why it matters. The Latin Quarter is close to everything you want to see. If it's your first visit to Paris, stay as close as you can to Notre Dame. 28' If you plan on taking the RER between the CDG Airport and the center of Paris, you have to know that it stops in the 5th arrondissement, so it's an easy transfer. So long as you don't have to change lines you should be OK. 29'35 The Ile de la Cité is a business area, in the day-time it is bustling. But at night it empties and you're left with just tourists. It is the opposite on the Ile Saint Louis. 30'50 You can choose a busy street or a quieter side street. You will also have the choice of facing the courtyard or the busy street. Pay attention to that. 31'43" Ask yourself what goes on at night on that street. You may pick a quiet street next to a night-club and if you're not used to city life you won't enjoy it. Make that choice carefully. 32'30 None of these apartments have parking. Take a walk of the neighborhood using Google Street View before you rent. 35' Once you've found an apartment you're interested in, you need to decipher the listing. It'll give you the number of square meters (multiply by 9 to get the square feet). A studio apartment might be around 35 square meters. By comparison, the average hotel room in the center of Paris is 8 square meters! 37'25 Most apartments are non-smoking and most do not allow pets. Many are not air conditioned. Some apartments can supply a crib if you wish. 38'15 It is important to Phil to know what sort of building you're staying in. Is it a Haussmann building? Is it more recent? That makes a lot of difference in terms of ceiling height, decor, and light. 40'25 Some of the buildings will not be lit well because French people are obsessed with saving electricity. There will be timers in the halls. Use your cell phone as a flashlight in some of those older buildings with stingy occupants. 42' The first floor in France is what Americans call the second floor. There may be some stairs involved even if the building has an elevator. If this matters to you, inquire about that. 43' Passcode lock: most places nowadays have a passcode lock instead of a key. Some of the listings have floor plans, most only have photos. Look at the photos really carefully. AC is rare in France but WiFi is common these days. French locks are very different from American locks. If you're not used to a simple American lock and don't live in a high security building, you will probably be surprised by what it takes to open a door in France. Most places have security locks.  Some places have locks where if you don't move the door handle all the way up, it will not lock. You may have to have somebody show you how it's done if it's not immediately obvious. Make sure you have a number you can call if you run into a problem. 47' From the photos, take a good look at the quality of the furnishings. If there are slip covers or a sheet on the sofa, it indicates that it's not great. 48' Many rental apartments will not have an oven. Some will not have a microwave. Take a close look at what's there. 49' Bed sizes in France. In the description you'll often read that the bed is King, Queen or Double, but those descriptions are an indication of size, it will not be what you're used to. Double beds are the most common size you'll see. French size are 140 (double) or 160 (queen) or 180+ king. French people never have enough pillows in apartments. 51'40 Water closet is separate in France. The bathroom is where you'll find a shower or bathtub + a sink. The toilet is separate. This is because French people think it's filthy to go to the bathroom where you brush your teeth. 53'47 Take a look at the reviews, most people will say it was great, what's even more important is that this place has been rented in the past. 55' Checking in and out. There is no concierge or front desk, you need to make arrangements to meet someone. Allow enough time to get to the apartment from Charles de Gaulle airport (typically 90 to 120 minutes). Most apartment managers will ask you to call them when you are on your way. 56'44 Deposit in cash can be a problem because you'll have to carry the cash, but then what do you do with the cash when they give it back to you at the end? Ask if you can pay your cash deposit if dollars, so at least when you get it back you don't have to convert it back before you can use it. 58' There is usually a house rules binder in the apartment that will explain how things work in the apartment. Avoid using the small home dryers, they are awful. Just wash and hang dry. 60' There are very few American food items that you can't find at French grocery stores. Chili powder is one, coffee creamer is another. 61' When you checkout, set a time with the apartment manager. Some places will ask you to replace things that you finish. They may ask you to strip the beds and empty the garbage. 63' In Provence rentals are very expensive April thru November and cheap thru the winter months. 64' Annie's arguments against renting an apartment: If you're going the apartment route, you may be tempted to stay somewhere longer than you need to. Some place won't rent for less than one week and there are lots of places in France where the only way to make that work is if you rent a car and you use the apartment as a central point to go visit lots of things. For people who already know that they know and like France, it's good to stay a while, but if it's all new to you, don't stay too long in one place or you'll get bored. Conclusion Phil likens the process of renting an apartment in Paris to the fast, good, or cheap paradigm. You need to decide if it's most important to you to have your apartment with easy access to attractions (fast), how many amenities you want (good) or how much you're willing to pay (cheap). You can have two of the three, but probably not all three at the same time. With this episode you're now better equipped to decide which two matter most to you. There are more show notes for today's episode here. THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast To give feedback on this episode, call 801-806-1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook "People who have been to Paris before should not discount this tour because they are going to learn so much, my head got filled every day. And for people who have never been to Paris, what a great way to see Paris for the first time" --Steven Struck, Inaugural Tour member What You Will Learn About in this Episode 4'30 While leading the Inaugural Tour we ran into a lot of tour groups where there were so many people that it was just a one-way conversation.  It's like factory tourism. What we're doing is totally different because our groups are so small. 5'16 Touring with Annie and Elyse is like touring with family. 5'50 Because group members chose us based on the podcast, they were looking forward to it and knew what they were getting into. 6'20 We had group members from all over the US, we also had various ages, and it all worked out really well. 7'10 Our next Paris Tour is going to be October 1st through Oct 7th 2017 and we hope to announce 4 more Paris tours in 2018 as well. 8'50 Our tour started by going to a wine bar called Chez Nous, followed by a river Cruise on the Seine River. Next time we'll probably start a little earlier on Sunday and visit the Luxembourg Gardens. 9'45 Two guys who thought the Luxembourg Gardens were ugly. When you look at something with no context, it's hard to see the beauty or appreciate anything. 11'30 On Monday we didn't start too early 12' We lucked out on all the places we went to eat. Annie's goal was to keep it around 15€-20€ for lunch and 30€-35€ for dinner. We were looking for good value and we found it! 13' France is not a good place to keep a strict diet. No vacation is good for your diet, reallay, is it? We eat a lot of meat and dairy in France. Lots of duck and lamb, fish (fish is usually the "diet" choice on a French menu). But we also don't eat fried food very much in France. 17' We'll be looking for a good audio solution to use all the time. We had a whisper system in some of the museums, but even there, they limit you to a specific amount of time. So we'll be looking for a good solution. 17'50 Monday activities: Conciergerie (where Marie-Antoinette was held before she was beheaded), Sainte-Chapelle, restaurant Saint-Régis. 19' Annie being recognized by her voice, an eerie experience for sure! 20'41 Notre Dame, Place de la Concorde, the Orangerie. "Droit de parole" complications. They give you an appointment at a specific time, which is not always suitable. 22' Tuesday: Orsay Museum which isn't very big as far as Paris museums are concerned. Lunch by the big clock. Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées. In future tours we will do a drive by night that will include all the big sights of Paris by night. 25' Wednesday: Louvre Museum. If you want to have some peace in the Louvre you have to get off the beaten track and choose other pieces that are of interest to you ahead of time. There are lovely sections of decorative arts, music, Egypt, Roman and Greek, Babylonian, Islamic Arts, etc. Next time we do a tour we will spend a little time with each participant to help them decide about a good section for them so they can go explore that part and enjoy the Louvre with some peace and quiet. 29'30 Montmartre: Annie is not in love with the area, it's too touristy and crass. Elyse will plan a different itinerary where we don't spend so much time in the middle of the crowds. Wine tasting with a sommelier. Next time we'll take the time to have dinner right after the wine tasting. 31'20 Thursday: Opéra Garnier, Galleries Lafayettes, Musée Rodin, then we went to Montparnasse, ate at a crêperie, we got soaked that night. 34'20 Friday: Marais walk with Elyse, lunch at l'As du Fallafel, Picasso Museum, dinner at Bouillon Racine on rue Racine. 37'40 Saturday: we split up that day. Annie went to Père Lachaise and Steve from Florida helped greatly because of his surveyor powers. Elyse went to the Pantheon, Sorbonne, Saint-Eitenne-du-Mont church, the Cluny Museum and the Latin Quarter in general. Then we all met together at the Centre Pompidou which was an add-on, and had some free time. 45'30 Next time we will add more shopping time and we'll give people the choice of two different shopping areas. We'll also add some time at a flea market or food market and a drive by night Uber ride around Paris. Next time we'll choose a concert with more approachable music, probably not Notre Dame. 48'40 We will also add some excursions one day before the tour and another after the tour. We'll do a day at Giverny on the Saturday before the Tour and a whole day at Versaille on the Sunday after the Tour. For 2018 we'll set some dates for a Tour in April, another for May, then one in September and one in October. We won't do a Tour in July and August because it's too hot and June is too busy in Paris. 55' Annie didn't grow up wanting to be someone who evangelizes about France and a tour organizer, but Paris small group tours are so much fun, this is something worth investing time into. 56'38 Thank you for your support new Patreon donors Nancy Calkins, Todd Costella, and Stephanie Ellis. Thank you also Sophia Semensky and Paul Goess for tipping your guide. 58'37 Feedback on the previous episode on using Uber in Paris: using Uber between Disneyland and Paris city center. They had a really good experience using Uber in Paris, but it is true that most Uber drivers in Paris do not speak English. They had one bad experience with an Uber driver who never showed up at all and they grabbed a taxi instead. The Uber to get back to the airport to go home went well, but the ride took 1.5 hrs because the traffic was heavy. Feedback on the Inaugural Tour from Steven Struck, his impressions and experience as a tour member. He also shares about his experiences moving to France.   THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast If you've used Uber in Paris and would like to give voice feedback to be included in an upcoming episode of the podcast, call 801-806-1015. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook What You Will Learn in this Episode with Timestamps 2'52 The biggest difference between using Uber in the US and in France is the language barrier. 3'25 Uber Pool vs. Uber Black: If you use the Uber Pool option, because it's a big city, you will have a lot of people riding with you and it will add on to the time it takes to get where you want to go. Uber Pool is sometimes half the price of Uber Black, so it's worth it if you're not in a hurry. 4'05 No Uber Pop in France: Uber Pop is the Uber service with older cars. 4'30 To get an accurate bid you need to set your pin location properly. Sometimes you have to enter the address manually. 6'00 It's hard to get a good estimate of how long betore the driver will pick you up with Uber in Paris because of the traffic conditions. 7'10 Tips on what to do on May 1st in France. Blair suggests taking an organized tour on that day and going away from Paris with a group where everything is organized. 8'33 When using Uber in Paris you will get to use your French, and it's good to also have the Google Translate App. 9'15 Uber Pool is a better option in the US than in Paris, that could be that it's because there are fewer Uber drivers in Paris. 9'40 Uber in Paris is cheaper in August than during the rest of the year. That's probably because it's mostly tourists calling Uber in August, demand goes down, so prices go down as well. 10'25 Uber is worth it if you have more than two people in your party. To go from one of the Paris airports to either the city center or to Disneyland Paris, it's definitely worth it. A taxi between CDG Airport and the left bank will run you over 60€, the same ride on Uber is at least 15€ cheaper. 11'35 Comparing the price of metro tickets to Uber in Paris. Blair and her husband took 20 trips with Uber in Paris. Twenty metro tickets for 20 trips for two would cots 60€ if bought in packs of 10 (it would be 76€ if buying single tickets). Those same trips with Uber cost them 185€. So Uber is about 3 times the price of taking the metro. 13' Install the Uber App before you come to France, you will use the same App with the same credit card. 13'40 French cars also have a license plate on both the front and back of the car, so it's easier to recognize the car if you don't know European cars. 15' Basic French phrases you will need when using Uber in Paris: c'est à gauche = it's on the left c'est à droite = it's on the right allumez la climatisation s'il vous plaît = turn on the AC please 16'30 Some things Blair and her husband enjoyed in Paris: Paris Picnic. Blue Bike Tour was great too. 19' What else did you wish you knew before you went? Uber in August is cheaper, if you go the rest of the year consider mixing things up and maybe using the bus system (see our episode on comparing the Paris Metro with the Paris Bus and details on how to use them both). 19'50 To go back and forth to the airport definitely use Uber. Here is information from the Uber website on where to wait for your Uber at CDG: from terminals 1, 2A, 2C, 2D and 2F, exit on the departure level. From terminals 2E, 2G and 3, exit on the arrivals level. Head outside and wait at the curb. Then enter your terminal and door number so your driver knows where to find you. 21'45 Air France buses between CDG and Paris city center.  

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Places Mentioned in this Episode: Lubéron, Ansouis, Lourmarin, Mérindol, Pertuis, Gorges de Régalons, Gordes, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cassis, les Calenques de Cassis, Marseille soccer, Cucuron, Bonnieux, Roussillon, Abbey de Sénanque Some people have all the luck: Heather Long got to spend a slice of life in the Lubéron and comes on the show to share her experiences and some delightful cultural misunderstandings that she experienced along the way. In this episode we chat about restaurants and places she particularly enjoyed and why she recommends them. She also explains why you should not let yourself be intimidated by difference and that French people are a real and eager to get to know you and share their culture with you. Life in the Lubéron is simple and satisfying in ways that will surprise you. A Slice of Life in the Lubéron with Heather Long What You Will Learn in this Episode with Timestamps [1'25 ] Thank you for joining the Patreon support Mike August and a shout-out to your husband's most excellent podcast Scriptnotes. [3'18] The Inaugural Paris Tour is happening this week, if you'd like to follow our adventures, ask to join our Facebook Group. To learn about our most current tour offerings go to Addicted to France. [4'47] This whole episode is going to be about making other people drool about what you did in the Lubéron. [5'17] The village of Ansouis, do you say the "s" or not? [6'17] Heather introduces herself and why she and her husband spent two months in the Lubéron. This village was a good place to experience full immersion. [7'51] How did you pick this lovely place in particular? [8'25] One criteria was a walk-able town. [9'55] The difference between a "maison de village" and a "lottissement" . [10'20] A long-long time ago in many "maison de village", the ground floor is where the animals used to live and people setup their house above the barn. [11'26] On a different trip they stayed in Mérindol where they farmed silkworms. [12'26] Let's locate Ansouis and the Lubéron on a map. [14'25] Scenic drive between Lourmarain and Gordes [15'46] Books by Peter MaillePeter Maille made the Lubéron famous in the English-speaking world. What makes this area so charming. [17'58] Why is France so scenic? There is a reason for this! [19'22] Great books and movies about the Lubéro: Manon des Sources, Jean de Florette, and other books by Marcel Pagnol. Another good one is Les lettres de mon moulin (a collection of short stories, including "le curé de cucugnan" that Annie mentions). Uncorked is the book we'll be reviewing soon on the podcast. You join the Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads if you're a reader. [21'57] Playing "pétanque", the bacci-like game. [24'54] The unspoken yet very rules rules pertaining to drinking wine in France (and alcohol in general). [25'15] Cooking with local foods: duck, rabbit, oysters. Eating outside by candle-light. Buying Paella and Rotisserie chicken at the market. [29'31] Getting to know local markets when you stay for a while, and finding the ones that are more to your liking. [30'34] Pizzeria Nonni in Lourmarin. [31'] Some of the funny things that happened to them in France. Grocery shopping in Pertuis and how French grocery carts are different in France. How you should weigh fruits and vegetables before you get to the checkout. Feeling like a dumb American tourist. [36'] Don't be intimidated by difference, try things even if it's new and strange! [36'38] Attending a celebration  in the village and misunderstanding how village celebrations work. French guys trying to get the American visitors drunk. [41'45] Spectacular fireworks display and getting to know people in the village because they weren't afraid to attend this village celebration. [42'] French people can come across as unfriendly because they don't smile at you on the streets and they don't talk to you on the streets. [43'16] Bring your own bags at the grocery store! Using bio-degradable bags for loose produce. [45'22] How did you find the house you were staying in? [46'47] What are places you visited that you recommend? L'Art Glacier near Ansouis Château la Dorgonne in La Tour d'Aigues and the way they do the visit is original and delightful, they send their two dogs along and you can see the vines and the olive trees Château Constantin now owned by William Chase in Lourmarin Hiking in the Lubéron following path markers Mushrooming Gorges de Regalons near Mérindol (walk through a crevasse, many caves too, you can come up on the top of the mountain if you keep going long enough) The scenic town of Gordes with art galeries Vacqueyras and Gigondas, great places for wine, not as well-known as Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Vacqueyras has a great wine cooperative where you can buy the wine on tap [50'] Americans may think that French people are fancy when it comes to wine, but we're actually not for the most part. French people don't drink wine at the wrong time of day, but it doesn't matter if you drink it out of a plastic jug. [60'] In Vacqueyras you will see the street lined with big "platane"(plane) trees and the Café du cours (not "coeur" as I said on the show) where they have a great duck barbecue dish. [61'] Pizza trucks are dangerous in France! [62'] Vietnamese food in La Tour d'Aigues, La Perle de Jade, they make great Vietnamese hot pot or fondue [64'] Les Calenques de Cassis which are more difficult that it seems they should be. [65'] Soccer match in Marseille where the fans are extremely intense: the sing, they chant, they dance, you can't hear the person next to you talking. [66'] Camargue to see the flamingo, the horses, the salt bays. [67'] Cucuron is a delightful little town with a great market—funny name, it sounds like "rounded behind" in little French kid parlance. [68'] Little wine bar called in Mérindol La Cave à Aimé. [72'] Fontaine de Vaucluse, natural pool that floods the area around in the Spring, but it's a dreamy beautiful blue the rest of the year. There is also a nice market there and the town is lovely too. [75'] Bonnieux, it's along the Gordes drive and it's worth a stop. You can drive almost all the way to the top and then walk, there are beautiful trees, it's a lovely place to stop for a picnic or stop at a restaurant. It's steep and it overlooks the valley, so it is picturesque. [77'] Roussillon and the red rocks. It's a pleasant town to walk through, it's a lovely place for a hike because it's so different from other places in France or even in the Lubéron. Don't just go through the town, but do hike around. There is a place in the city where you can pay an entry fee, but you can see the same things on other hiking paths. [79'] Abbey de Sénanque, the most photographed lavender fields in Provence, the products the monks make there are wonderful, truly potent lavender products. The right time of year to see the lavender fields in bloom is late June to mid-July. [81'] The light and scents of the Lubéron are what make it special. The environment there is unlike the rest of France. You get the sequedas, the dry air, lavender, thyme, rosemary, that grow wild, and when you step on them as you hike you get wonderful sensations. That's why Van Gogh and Cézanne painted there, the light is gorgeous there. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast It's one thing to dream about going on a cycling tour in France and it's quite another to actually do it! Jim and Ilona share how they did it even though they're not athletes. It takes some preparation and a love for adventure and off they went! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [55"] Thank you new Patreon Supporters Lauren Wetterhahn and Alexander Schraff. Thank you also  Lorin Sandoval and Wayne Fella for Tipping Your Guide via PayPal! [1'44] Submit praise for the podcast to annie@joinusinfrance.com with subject line Praise. I need your words, your city and state as well as a photo that shows your face. [2'49] The Inaugural Paris Tour is coming up very fast, I am very excited about it. I am also excited about the upcoming South West Tour. To check out our Tours, go to Addicted to France, our sister site. [3'27] Podcasting News from Edison Research. If you want to help someone listen to a podcast, read this. [5'06] Visiting the Grotte de Niaux, la Rivière Souterraine de Labouiche and Carcassonne. [6'01] It's great to see how many of you talk about visiting the South West of France on our Facebook Closed Group. [6'37] You can connect with me by emailing annie@joinusinfrance.com or call to leave a voice mail: (801) 806-1015. This is a US number that we only use as a voice mailbox and a great place for you to leave your questions or comments about the show. [7'47] Cycling trip around Provence in October 2016. Ilona and Jim are not Spring Chickens, they've been married for 35 years, and they took up cycling 4 years ago. [9'26] They do have a fair bit of training, but they worked up to 70 or 80 miles per day slowly. [10'31] In France cycling is huge, there are cyclist all over, especially in rural France. Marion Clignet was on Episode 52. [12'28] Why did they choose Provence? Comparing the level of difficulty between different regions of France. [14'43] Choosing bigger roads to go longer distances. Doing day-trips from a central location instead of a circular route. The issue of luggage. [16'52] Renting bicycles from L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. [18'18] What happens if you run into a problem like a flat tire or a mechanical problem? [20'20] Did you consider joining a group of cyclists? No, because we love the planning process. More freedom if you ride alone. [21'40] Vélo Loisir Provence Association [24'40] Are French drivers considerate to cyclists? [26'] What GPS did you use? Garmin and Ride with GPS, some D roads are busy, especially around Avignon [27'] French roads classification: A for Autoroute (freeways), N for National, D for Départementale. Have you used Google Maps' cycling option? Ride with GPS is better because it's more of a community where real people share experiences of cycling. [28'31] How often did you get lost? Letting Garmin select dirt roads as an option. [31'] Getting lost is par for the course when riding or hiking. [31'51] Provence cycling tours day by day itinerary [32'] Fly into Paris CDG, RER train into the city of Paris, then the TGV to Avignon, then a bus to Saint-Rémy de Provence. [32'40] The first leg of cycling was north through Avignon, with Chateauneuf-du-Pape as their destination for the day. That was a lovely ride with lots of vineyards, small roads, beautiful views onto the Rhone Valley. [35'] How did you plan your lunch stops? [36'] Stop at the restaurant Le Pistou in Châteauneuf-du-Pape [37'] Long riding day on Saturday at Lisle-sur-la-Sorgue, Gordes, and Roussillon, which was challenging as far as elevation is concerned. [39'47] Running out of daylight and trying to pack too much into one day because it means there isn't enough time spent at each location. [40'26] Planning overnight stays in a few select places so there's enough time to see it. 75 or 75 miles is too far for an out and back. [41'55] Les Baux-de-Provence, mistral wind and needing to walk. [43'48] Riding to Arles. Valley roads and river roads tend to be flat (unless it's a gorge!) [45'11] Stumbling upon random Roman ruins because you're cycling. Walking and cycling are probably the best way to see France. [46'15] Giving up on cycling for one day because of the wind and weather. [46'44] Bus driver refusing to back her bus up a few inches to open the bay on the cargo bus so they could take their bikes on. [47'40] Learning French [49'14] Uzès and the Pont-du-Gard [50'20] Planning another trip around Bordeaux: stay in Bordeaux and doing over-nights in Médoc, Saint-Julien or Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Emilion, cycling association in Bordeaux called Les Dérailleurs. [53] Paris for a few days where they took a walking tour and a dinner cruise, picnic at the Tuilleries. [54'09] General tips for people who want to go on provence cycling tours. Try things so you can have realistic expectations, but don't be afraid to try. Plan out where you are going to eat and bring snacks. [56'] In rural areas you have to bring food and water because stores close and keep strange hours. [59'] Balancing pleasure with sports, taking your time to see things and yet not stop all the time to take photos! [61'] Bring battery backup power and put your phone in airplane mode when not using it. Little battery packs are vital if you're going to be away from your hotel all day. Sometimes you can plug-in at the restaurant. [64'] Signup for a France data plan with your provider. Buying a local SIM card is not worth it any more. [63'] France is so gorgeous that you could take a cycling vacation every year for the rest of your life and not see it all! To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

What is Going to Be Open on May 1st in France? To read the original post for this short, visit Addicted to France   Episode Highlights No city public transportation anywhere besides Paris Most museums will be closed Most stores will be closed Some restaurants will be closed Plan your day carefully!