Long time readers will know how much I adore French style. There’s nothing more fun for me than setting myself up for a little bit of style spotting. And this trip was no exception. Thankfully I had plenty of opportunities to watch the world go by – and I was very excited by what I […]
What To Pack
42 posts
I’ve really been looking forward to writing this blog post. Why? Because I love it when the Distant Francophile community reach out with a specific question for me to play with. And I had a super question come up recently in the comments of My Top French Travel Tip post. Denise is a long time […]
When it comes to packing, there’s one area that challenges even those most committed to travelling light. I can almost hear some of you yelling out the word ‘shoes’. But I promise that packing shoes isn’t that much of a problem. Not when you compare shoes to beauty products! Beauty products and travelling light. These […]
I haven’t really talked about it that much here on the blog, but it’s not that long now before we head to France for two whole months. (Over on Instagram it’s another story – I’ve been subjecting my fellow francophiles to the longest countdown of all time. But I digress.) We’ve been lucky enough to […]
Well, spring has bloomed in Paris. And, as a result, my social media feeds are full of ‘soon to be travellers’ sharing their plans. For some it is their very first visit to Paris. Others have made the trip many times before. But all are united by the sense of excitement that can only come […]
‘If you could recommend just one thing to pack for a trip to Paris, what would it be?’ This was the tricky question that was casually tossed my way recently by a friend. And it sent my brain into a tailspin. Seriously, did she really want me to narrow the focus to just one thing? […]
As I promised I would be, I’m continuing to ponder the stack of questions I’ve received recently from Distant Francophile readers. One query that I realised I’d better answer in a hurry was around the success – or otherwise – of my most recent vacation packing efforts. I was also asked to share the […]
Well, our countdown is finally over and I’m writing this post as we travel to Europe, and our first stop, Prague. I promised regular readers that I would let you know the outcomes of my packing decisions, which I’m pleased to report were super easy after I’d sat with my Step Four questions for a […]
Packing for Paris. Once upon a time, those words made me feel more than a little apprehensive. It’s such a stylish city, and it is easy to feel like you might muck it up. Thankfully, visiting Paris at least once a year for the past decade has removed my packing nerves. But I won’t pretend […]
With snow falling recently on the normally balmy shores of the French Riviera, it is difficult to believe that spring is knocking loudly upon northern hemisphere doors. Spring is a magical time for travelling. The days are getting longer, the crowds aren’t the bother that they can be in summer and the parks and […]
So far in this ‘Stylish Travel Essentials’ series we’ve explored two of my ‘must pack’ items – comfortable shoes and the cross-body bag. This week, I’m keen to examine a group of items that can take your travel wardrobe to a whole new level – accessories. Now, many definitions of accessories include both shoes and […]
I won’t go so far as to say that that travelling stylishly takes work. In fact, I’d argue that it can be incredibly easy. But elegant, graceful travel does require a strategy or two. Last week we took a look at my first stylish travel essential – comfortable shoes. This week, it’s time to explore […]
If you are reading Distant Francophile regularly, there is a better than good chance that: a) You love to travel (especially to France); and b) You’d prefer to travel stylishly. So with those two points in mind, I thought we should start this year with a little series on the essentials that make it easier […]
Scott and I have not long returned from our very first visit to the United States, where we spent two weeks in New York. We had an absolutely wonderful time. We did all the things you are supposed to do when exploring a new city. You know, things like walking for miles, eating more than […]
I love travelling. From the moment we leave the house until the cab drops us back home, I’m in high energy mode. Right now, we are exploring New York for the first time (one word description of our trip so far – sensational). And we’re in full planning mode for our next visit to France. […]
A friend of mine is facing a packing dilemma. You see, he has agreed to go on a holiday with a large group of friends to celebrate a 40th birthday. He is very close to the ‘birthday girl’ and doesn’t want to miss her special day. But he is struggling a little. Because the holiday […]
A Distant Francophile reader got in touch with me recently. She is in the enviable position of heading to Paris during December and January and was looking for some advice on what to wear while experiencing the magic of winter in Paris. It’s no secret that I’ll happily travel to Paris at any time of […]
Long-time Distant Francophile readers will know that it has been ages since I shared one of my ‘Finding French Inspiration’ posts. My reasons for moving away from creating this form of content were many and varied. And they ranged from wanting to provide relevant pieces for newcomers to Distant Francophile through to overthinking what type […]
While I, like just about everybody on the planet, adore travelling to Paris in late spring and early summer, it is a notoriously difficult time of the year to pack for. The rather fickle weather can – and does – throw just about everything at you. You feel like you need to be prepared for […]
It’s around seven weeks now until we head back to Europe and it is safe to say that I’m very excited. I’m absolutely in planning mode, especially when it comes to the clothes I want to take with me. In fact, I think I could just about pack, if it wasn’t for the fact that […]