Exploring France

I'll be in Paris for a conference late September for 5 days and then plan to spend another 1 - 2 weeks in France before heading to Italy for 3 weeks. Pic related are my loose plans. Am I missing anything? Things I should skip? I like outdoors activities, don't really enjoy touristic things, and want to get to know french culture.

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Looks good, I'd skip Toulouse for some smaller towns in the Provence.
    Are you going to rent a car?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      No I won't be renting a car. What towns would you recommend? My strategy is to stay in the larger cities because I still need to remote work which requires good wifi and then explore the smaller surrounding towns on the weekends. But if Toulouse is nothing special then I'll take your recommendation.

      https://i.imgur.com/wbGkDO7.jpg

      You can skip Etretat, there's nothing there except rocks and sad post-WWII architecture. I don't really get why you would visit Toulouse either.

      If nature is your main goal, here are some unique things to check instead:
      -Volcans d'Auvergne
      -Gouffre de Padirac (picrel)
      -Dunes du Pilat
      -Basque surf spots

      The more I look at Etretat, the more it looks like a tourist trap. Okay, second post saying to skip Toulouse, it's pretty out of the way anyways. I'd say culture/people are #1, nature is #2. I live in San Diego right now so I do surf a little. Is the water even warm in September though?

      go to the dordogne, cevennes and volcanoes.

      Will take a look

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >Is the water even warm in September though?
        It's never warm, it's the Atlantic Ocean.

        There's one area with the whole package (culture, nature, history, food), as already mentioned, it's Dordogne.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Where would you recommend making home base in the region? Perigueux?

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Sarlat, from there you can visit all the castles around (Beynac, Castelnaud), old restaurants in the area, Lascaux 4, gouffre de Padirac, Rocamadour, hiking trails, kayaking...

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Imo the cutest towns in Dordogne are La Roque-Gageac, Limeuil (both of which are good spot for kayak), Beynac-et-Cazenac and Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. The markets of Bourdeille and Bergerac are also worth a visit. A bit further east you've got Rocamadour, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Cahors that are also cute.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              Sarlat, from there you can visit all the castles around (Beynac, Castelnaud), old restaurants in the area, Lascaux 4, gouffre de Padirac, Rocamadour, hiking trails, kayaking...

              Great, I have those places marked. Is Bordeaux worth a visit or stay? How is the internet situation in Sarlat and these smaller towns? I will need to be able to work during the week.

              As for the South and Eastern part of the country: I live in San Diego so I am used to nice beaches and cliffs which is why I didn't mark much of the riviera except for Eze.

              The high alpine areas around Annecy look interesting. Are any of the smaller towns like Grenoble or Chambery worth visiting or staying at? Also, is Lyon worth visiting?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Forgot pic

                If you want to visit Mont-Saint-Michel I'd recommand spending a day or two in Saint-Malo aswell.

                I'm hesitant on Mont Saint Michel because it looks like a b***h to get to from Paris and it's ultra touristy. It looks cool but not sure if it's worth the trek. Would probably be a weekend in the area before head down south to Dordogne.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                I went to beaujolais wine region countryside outside town of beaujeu, it was pretty comfy.
                i dont know anything about wine, but small towns in the rolling hills was nice

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Bordeaux is worth a couple of days to visit, so is Lyon. Avoid Grenoble, very ugly city which is only worth living in because its close to cool nature (Vercors, the Alps). Chambéry is expensive but nice.

                https://i.imgur.com/dSEUY47.png

                Forgot pic

                [...]
                I'm hesitant on Mont Saint Michel because it looks like a b***h to get to from Paris and it's ultra touristy. It looks cool but not sure if it's worth the trek. Would probably be a weekend in the area before head down south to Dordogne.

                From Paris you can take a train to Saint-Malo, and in Saint-Malo theres special buses that take tourists to the Mont Saint-Michel Bay. You spend the day there and take the bus back to Saint-Malo.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                https://i.imgur.com/da7UOSo.jpg

                >I'd say culture/people are #1
                So go to Toulouse, they mislead you either because they do not know this city or to troll you.

                https://i.imgur.com/CS0bqZz.jpg

                >I don't really get why you would visit Toulouse either.
                wut?
                Toulouse/Albi/Montauban/Cahors/Carcassone is worth visiting for sure.

                Okay so the two cities in the area that are of interest are Toulouse and Bordeaux. I could probably split the week down there but it's probably easiest to just pick one. Which one is better for a home base? And as the anon stated, I won't have a car so maybe Sarlat is off the menu for this trip.

                https://i.imgur.com/6KeRYhv.png

                While in Nice make sure to go the nearby village of Eze up in the hills.

                I was really only interested in Eze within the region. Not sure if its worth going on this trip considering it's the only place down there that I'd want to go and its out of the way from everything else. I have pretty nice beaches here in san diego so beaches aren't much of a priority on this trip.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                > I could probably split the week down there but it's probably easiest to just pick one.
                If you are doing Dordogne then Bordeaux is the logical next stop. While in Bordeaux you can visit vineyards/chateaux(daytrips), the Arcachon bassin and Dune du Pila.
                However the last two ones are a bit in a beach setting so you might not be interested as you mentioned.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Did you understand that he didn't have a car for this trip?
                SO no vineyards or chateaux near Bordeaux or Dordogne!

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Mediterranean beaches can be quite rocky, and the best ones are out of the way so you might need a car or a boat. Late September might not be the best time to visit Provence anyway. Eze is pretty but its too out of the way of the rest of your trip

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                > I could probably split the week down there but it's probably easiest to just pick one.
                If you are doing Dordogne then Bordeaux is the logical next stop. While in Bordeaux you can visit vineyards/chateaux(daytrips), the Arcachon bassin and Dune du Pila.
                However the last two ones are a bit in a beach setting so you might not be interested as you mentioned.

                I'm contemplating cutting out Bordeaux/Toulouse and the south regions from this trip unless they are really worth it. I want to limit myself to 5 weeks for this trip and I'd rather split it 2 weeks France/ 3 weeks Italy, especially given the time of year and changing weather. Also, getting to Annecy from Bordeaux looks kind of like a pain in the ass and alot of travel.

                Right now I am thinking I'd do 1 week in Paris + Mont Saint Michel on the weekend and then settle in Chambery/Annecy for week 2 before heading off to Italy for the next 3 weeks.

                I will be seeing the dolomites and staying in that region for a week. Are the French alps redundant, or worth it?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Bordeaux is really great, but I’m not sure how good for tourism. I lived there and it’s a very nice city to live in, but visiting would probably not have the same appeal. Unless you’re interested in vineyards, there is probably not much on offer in Bordeaux for a solo tourist.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >I'd say culture/people are #1
        So go to Toulouse, they mislead you either because they do not know this city or to troll you.

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You can skip Etretat, there's nothing there except rocks and sad post-WWII architecture. I don't really get why you would visit Toulouse either.

    If nature is your main goal, here are some unique things to check instead:
    -Volcans d'Auvergne
    -Gouffre de Padirac (picrel)
    -Dunes du Pilat
    -Basque surf spots

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >I don't really get why you would visit Toulouse either.
      wut?
      Toulouse/Albi/Montauban/Cahors/Carcassone is worth visiting for sure.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      You won't make any local friends
      if you go to
      >France

      Th French will never attack,
      they will always
      >Etretat

      https://i.imgur.com/4MMOCRo.jpg

      Why do you talk people out of visiting Toulouse, it's a very unique-looking city from what I've seen.

      The French don't know how to win
      they only know how
      >Toulouse

      https://i.imgur.com/6KeRYhv.png

      While in Nice make sure to go the nearby village of Eze up in the hills.

      I went to southern France once
      but it wasn't very
      >Nice

      [...]
      [...]

      Okay so the two cities in the area that are of interest are Toulouse and Bordeaux. I could probably split the week down there but it's probably easiest to just pick one. Which one is better for a home base? And as the anon stated, I won't have a car so maybe Sarlat is off the menu for this trip.

      [...]
      I was really only interested in Eze within the region. Not sure if its worth going on this trip considering it's the only place down there that I'd want to go and its out of the way from everything else. I have pretty nice beaches here in san diego so beaches aren't much of a priority on this trip.

      Getting scammed in France is not hard
      it's actually very
      >Eze

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Play on words is the lowest form of humour.
        I, in the name of the people of France, do not salute you.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        kek
        Too bad most of them don't work if you speak French.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Specially the one with Etretat, not sure it works in english too

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    go to the dordogne, cevennes and volcanoes.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Seconding Dordogne. Much cooler than Toulouse.

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Why do you talk people out of visiting Toulouse, it's a very unique-looking city from what I've seen.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Agree with this anon, but it's my hometown tbh

      Sarlat, from there you can visit all the castles around (Beynac, Castelnaud), old restaurants in the area, Lascaux 4, gouffre de Padirac, Rocamadour, hiking trails, kayaking...

      These places are worth a visit but YOU NEED to rent a car for this trip and OP specified

      No I won't be renting a car. What towns would you recommend? My strategy is to stay in the larger cities because I still need to remote work which requires good wifi and then explore the smaller surrounding towns on the weekends. But if Toulouse is nothing special then I'll take your recommendation.

      [...]
      The more I look at Etretat, the more it looks like a tourist trap. Okay, second post saying to skip Toulouse, it's pretty out of the way anyways. I'd say culture/people are #1, nature is #2. I live in San Diego right now so I do surf a little. Is the water even warm in September though?

      [...]
      Will take a look

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Summer season will be over tho, so some sites will be closed.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If you want to visit Mont-Saint-Michel I'd recommand spending a day or two in Saint-Malo aswell.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    While in Nice make sure to go the nearby village of Eze up in the hills.

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I personally like the area between Avignon, Nimes and Montpellier. The alpilles natural park is cool but it's cooler Pont Du Gard, you are still in time to swim in it, I also saw them organizing kayak tour on the Gard.
    I would also recommend cities like Metz (pic rel) or Chambery, comfy lakes around it and it's close to Annecy

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    What route from Bordeaux to Switzerland is the best to avoid undesirable people

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Alright bros, it's happening.

    I'm skipping all of south France, Mont-St-Michel, etc. I figure that shit is better at a later date. I am frothing at the mouth for mont blanc, so I'm heading straight to Chamonix from Paris for the weekend then living in Annecy for the next week before heading to Milan.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      For the Mont Saint-Michel I understand but it's a shame to miss the south when you have time.

      I'm not sure if the mountains around October are such a good idea. It's already cold there and the lifts are closed and in Annecy it will be cold and humid. What are you going to do during all this time?

      Nowhere in central Paris is really that bad but nowhere is really that good. Paris Syndrome comes from this defaced quality that the place has. Beautiful buildings from 200 years ago, built when the French were clearly proud of themselves, but african kids tagged it. Station outside a park with beautiful stained glass lettering spelling out "Metropolitan" from the gay 90s but it's full of gypsies, Romanian drug pushers and smells like sewage. You get the idea. There's just this defeatist sentiment about the place like the French live in the ruins of their former civilization. It's still a cool city like nowhere else though.

      Classic /misc/ LARP

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Well I have be be in Paris for my 1st week and I figure if I want to experience the alps, the earlier I do it the better. I wanted to do south tyrol and the dolomites when I go to Italy, but it will be early/mid October and probably even colder.

        It's like 80 - 90 degrees in Annecy right now, I think it will be ok.

        What will you do in Milan?

        Taking the train to spend 3 weeks in Italy.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Yes because it's summer but next month the temperatures will drop and it will rain.
          It's in August that you have to go to the Alps to enjoy it.

          The temperature will be milder in the south at this time, that's why we advised you to go there instead of staying in the north.
          If you are interested in Italy, go there directly after Paris to enjoy it. There are also a lot of things to do even if you still haven't specified exactly what you want to do there.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >Taking the train to spend 3 weeks in Italy.

          I can't imagine the management you will have to do, booking every train date by date in both French and Italian.

          Did you ever do this before or is all this thread just fantasy?

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            What are you talking about, it's easy as shit with SNCF.

            Have fun with the SNCF in september, HAhaHAhaHA (evil laugh).

            y?

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              learn to plan Black person. I already booked my French trains and stays. Gonna do Chamonix/Annecy and then go to Italy.

              Looking at your dates, you're fricked, kek.
              There's a global SNCF strike starting september 29, and it will be a big one.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                lmao thanks for the heads up. fricking french. This will only effect my train to Milan. Guess I can easily get a flight out of lyon.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            >all this thread just fantasy?
            Prolly or else it's an anon who didn't prepare anything and comes asking for advice on this board in the middle of summer. He doesn't even seem to know what he wants as he posts in every topic like this one

            [...]

            and changes his mind all the time. It's pretty sad.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              learn to plan Black person. I already booked my French trains and stays. Gonna do Chamonix/Annecy and then go to Italy.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Learn to quote, I'm

                Yes because it's summer but next month the temperatures will drop and it will rain.
                It's in August that you have to go to the Alps to enjoy it.

                The temperature will be milder in the south at this time, that's why we advised you to go there instead of staying in the north.
                If you are interested in Italy, go there directly after Paris to enjoy it. There are also a lot of things to do even if you still haven't specified exactly what you want to do there.

                and

                Agree with this anon, but it's my hometown tbh

                [...]
                These places are worth a visit but YOU NEED to rent a car for this trip and OP specified [...]

                not

                >Taking the train to spend 3 weeks in Italy.

                I can't imagine the management you will have to do, booking every train date by date in both French and Italian.

                Did you ever do this before or is all this thread just fantasy?

                am I not allowed to visit chamonix and annecy now? bro they are on the way to Italy and I already booked it. I'll come back to your gay country and visit the south another time, don't be mad

                OP thread : Exploring France
                >I'm in Paris then a little hop to Chamonix and go to Italy
                The anons took time to inform you and the first time you use a "thank you" in the entire thread is for a story about a strike that was scheduled 3 months in advance.
                You're just acting like an ungrateful little brat

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                OP gives major douchebag vibes

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                no it's called priorities. Trust me, I would love to spend a full month in France. I just have other priorities for this trip. I am keeping a list and will probably visit in 2023 and spend some real time in the southern region.

                [...]
                Looking at your dates, you're fricked, kek.
                There's a global SNCF strike starting september 29, and it will be a big one.

                I looked up what little information there is about the strike and it is an "interprofessional" strike so it doesn't look like it is SNCF specific. Hell, it could effect airlines, I have no idea. I was going to cancel my ticket and book a flight from Lyon/Chambery to Milan but it looks like that won't really save me from a potential strike delay.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Aren't you supposed to arrive in Milan on October 2nd, anon?
                So why worry about a strike 3 days before?

                On the other hand there is a strike of the Italian air sector on October 1st, just sayin'

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                I assume a strike will last more than a day but I don’t know how the French do it. Either way I’m too lazy to reschedule that leg so I’m going to just stick with the train. Trains are more comfy anyways

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                >I assume
                >I don't know
                So don't assume and ask! You ask for advice and places to visit for your trip but you are unable to ask for information?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      What will you do in Milan?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Dude go directly to Italy it seems you don't really want to stay in France it's okay.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        am I not allowed to visit chamonix and annecy now? bro they are on the way to Italy and I already booked it. I'll come back to your gay country and visit the south another time, don't be mad

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Unusual question, but … where can I experience a bad area of Paris (Paris syndrome) without a high chance of being mugged / assaulted? Like an area that’s shitty but without horrific crime?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Area around Gare du Nord.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Nowhere in central Paris is really that bad but nowhere is really that good. Paris Syndrome comes from this defaced quality that the place has. Beautiful buildings from 200 years ago, built when the French were clearly proud of themselves, but african kids tagged it. Station outside a park with beautiful stained glass lettering spelling out "Metropolitan" from the gay 90s but it's full of gypsies, Romanian drug pushers and smells like sewage. You get the idea. There's just this defeatist sentiment about the place like the French live in the ruins of their former civilization. It's still a cool city like nowhere else though.

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Have fun with the SNCF in september, HAhaHAhaHA (evil laugh).

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >Am I missing anything?
    The Provence, my friend
    > Things I should skip?
    Paris
    Anyways, if you do a detour by Switzerland it's cool too

  14. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Where would one buy a little weed in paris/Boudreaux?

  15. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You are missing out Alsace. Strasbourg/Colmar.

  16. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    First time on Europe this November, gonna spend 5 days on Paris with my Girlfriend and we really apreciate any help with the lodging.

    Is Airnb the less expensive option? We aim for a room with private bathroom and maybe a kitchen or some sort of breakfast and im not sure where to look.

    Sicen we are gonna be doing the usual route of eiffel, lovre, etc. We are looking somewhere around. Sacre Cour seem a good place.

    Any tips, recomendation?

    Thank you

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >reddit spacing
      >misspelling most proper nouns and typos every two words
      >capitalizing Girlfriend
      Phoneposters are dumb as shit.

  17. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    My GF and I did a 2 week roadtrip around Provence in September of 2018. It was amazing. Nimes, Orange and Arles have epic Roman ruins and we were practically the only tourists there. We drove down to Cassis and hiked the Calanques. The best day of the trip was in Cassis when rented bikes and rode around to all of the wineries. Aix in Provence was gorgeous. We would explore the city all day and sit outside in the square drinking wine at night. We also did Avignon and a couple small little castle towns like Gourdes. We never really saw many brown skins except the one day they ran the weekend market in Arles. But they all cleared out when the market ended. People in the south of France were helpful and friendly, not at all like the bastards in Paris. We had perfect weather. It was 75 every day and it never rained once. I was skeptical that I was going to like southern France, but I highly recommend it.

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