A trip to France can be big investment. Both in terms of time and money. Particularly if you are leaving from a far away land like Australia.
Given this investment, you’ve got to make the most of it. See as much as you can. Squeeze everything in. Isn’t that right?
No, it’s not right – it’s very, very wrong. At least from my perspective.
The best piece of travel advice I ever received was delivered to me long before I even started planning our very first trip to France.
In a nutshell, that advice can be boiled down into the following three points:
- Take it slowly.
- Quality over quantity.
- Savour everything.
So often, I am amazed by schedules that some travellers sign themselves up for. Sometimes, I get exhausted just listening to their itineraries.
The worst example I’ve ever encountered came from an American father and two sons who were in the line behind us at the Eiffel Tower. They were staggered that we were spending 11 nights in Paris. I was flabbergasted that they were spending a day and a half in Paris.
But I wasn’t surprised by the short time they were spending in Paris – I was only surprised because they were planning to visit the Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay during their visit. Oh, and they were also hoping to squeeze in a cruise down the River Seine.
I understand that we all travel differently, so I refrain from asking questions like “But when will you people watch?”
So tonight I want to share that excellent advice. Slow down. Enjoy. Savour. There is no hurry.
Until next time – au revoir.
