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 […]
Travel Tips
51 posts
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 […]
An opportunity to visit New York in a few months means I’m not heading back to Paris until April next year. But the long lead time doesn’t mean I’m not in full on Paris planning mode. I love how there is always something to do in Paris, no matter how many times you have visited. […]
I’d been toying with the idea of posting ‘styling tips for a long-haul flight’ for a while now. But when Vicki Archer – one of my favourite bloggers of all time – put the idea out into the universe via this post, I knew I had to publish my thoughts sooner rather than later. Interestingly, Vicki […]
It’s well known that flying equals drying. And long haul flights – which is all we can do if we actually want visit anywhere outside Australia – can be particularly dehydrating. But despite the fact that I seem to spend half my life in airports, I didn’t realise how much flying could dry you out […]
If you ask me, a truly spectacular visit to France requires more than a little forethought. If you want to experience the best France has to offer and avoid disappointment when it comes to things like accommodation and restaurant reservations, you’ll want to do some planning. We covered all the reasons trip planning is important […]
Europe – and France in particular – holds such a fascination for so many people. You rarely come across someone who doesn’t love travelling there. At the moment I have two of my staff (from my day job) heading to European destinations and another one who has just returned. With our own trip now a […]
I’m one of those lucky people who enjoys the lead up to a big event almost as much as the event itself. I’ve been like it since I was a child. I adored the lead up to Christmas, and literally could not sleep on Christmas Eve because I was so excited. And you’ve got no […]
I’ve mentioned before that I love hearing about fellow traveller’s experiences of France. I’m intrigued by it all. Where they went. What they ate. How they travelled. And, most of all, what they learned. Which is why I’ve been so excited to have Distant Francophile reader Claire posting lately about her recent trip to France. […]
Some travellers suffer great distress when France, and most often Paris, doesn’t live up to their expectations. One of my closest friends – a very seasoned traveler – was very concerned before our first trip that France wouldn’t live up to my lofty hopes and I would join the ranks of those disappointed visitors. I […]
While many people might think rail is an outdated form of transport, the idea of belting through the French countryside at 300kmh on a double deck train with a café – or, if it is little later in the day, a bar – really appeals to Scott. Like you wouldn’t believe. Luckily for Scotty, the […]
The week before last, I attended a conference for women in finance where I was absolutely delighted to receive a Lipault Weekender bag. In a fine show of generosity the bag was actually the sponsors goodie bag – a definite step up from the standard cloth bag that normally graces that sort of event. Now […]
It is around seven months until we head back to France. While that seems like an eternity (I’m wishing it was seven weeks, or even better, seven days) I am in full on planning mode. While I’ve developed some fairly decent desktop research skills, I still can’t go past recommendations from people who have already […]
Last week, I provided the first instalment of a response to the question Which Parisian Arrondissement Is Best To Stay In?which was put to us by a Distant Francophile reader. Let’s be honest – it’s an extremely valid question. Paris is chock full of things to do and see, and it makes sense to locate […]
It was inevitable that one day Scott and I would spend time in Strasbourg. You see, Scott loves Germany almost as much as I love France so, given Strasbourg’s history, this very French city which is full of German flavour is almost the perfect destination for us. While we were confident that we would enjoy […]
How do you cope with the flights? That’s the question I get asked most often when I share that we are heading back to France. (Read how we deal with the other question we are regularly asked). Now, the question about coping with long haul flights is perfectly fair given we live in Melbourne. If […]
It has been years since we engaged with a travel agent to book our travel. The last time we did so, we received a stack of gift vouchers because we found the same flights on-line for a cheaper price than the agent could offer. After that incident, we decided to back ourselves and manage all […]
Last week on Facebook, Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat. Pray. Love. fame, and more recently the author of Big Magic, an inspiring book for creative souls posted a thought-provoking piece on how little we need to give up in terms of every day luxuries in order to fulfil our travel dreams. Liz’s argument goes something like […]