France General
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You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
Bonjour! Since France is such a popular tourist desination, I reckon it's time for a France thread.
Ask questions about France here it share your travel experiences here.
Why don't french girls want to have sex with me?
I'm planning to go to the south of France for 3 or 4 days this summer, but I'm not sure where I should go. I'm thinking of Marseille or Nice, any advice on the subject?
>>1132818
The're all lesbians.
>>1132834
Toulon is nice. I'd go there before Nice imo, it'd an overpriced tourist city. Marielles is awesome don't believe it when people call it a shithole, it's definitely a little rough around the edges but totally worth a visit.
>>1132834
marseilles is awful. it's practically like a mini-brazil. you can't frequent even the thoroughfares at night or on public holidays when the police are gone because you WILL get robbed.
the problem with marsellies is the sheer number of migrants but also their proximity to the city center. unlike other french cities where teh criminals live in banlieueus, in marseilles the suburbs are right NEXT to the actual city.
despite the promise of liberals that proximity to the city center would relieve alienation, and therefore murder, rape, and drug dealing, it's actually increased all of the three.
do NOT go to marseilles.
nice is nice. it's the lost med that used to exist before the demographics turned the southern coast into a drug ridden hellhole.
bordeaux is still nice. as is lyon, depending on what you mean by "southern" france. the atlantic coast is also nice, but harder to get to for a tourist.
Is southern France overrated?
I'm thinking of booking a place in Colmar for 5 days and biking to other cities in Alsace for day trips. Anybody have any knowledge or experience of this?
How's Loire valley for first time France visitor with shitty french that isn't really useful anywhere? I'm really into wines, beautiful landscapes,hiking & rustic countryside
>all his whining over Marseille
There are more murders on a summer weekend in Chicago than there are all year in Marseille, but ofc the attitude around Chicago is "oh dont worry about the 3rd world murder rate, its totally safe!" while Marseille might as well Mogadishu in people's eyes. Comparing it to Brazil is a fucking joke. If you cant handle Marseille you might as well stay home, if it were in the USA it'd be the safest major city in the America.
>>1132950
>chicago
>out of the pot into the fire
no one remotely smart says chicago is safe. people are leaving marseilles because the drug traffickers control more territory than the police do, and the police don't have the authority to shoot drug dealers and gang members.
"totally safe bro" k man
>>1132932
5 days is quite a lot for Colmar. It's a quaint, pleasant and quiet little place, but one day is really enough. You'll be bored to tears for 5 days. If you want to do pure biking, I guess that's OK. The Vosges are right there if you want to try uphill biking and/or hiking. Quite nice in the summer, and I have seen old farmhouse guesthouses up the mountains. You could certainly go to the Rhine and back as well.
Still, if it were me I'd cut it to 3 days max. Try Mulhouse, Freiburg, all the way to Strasbourg if you want...
Thanks for this thread, was just gonna make a thread with some questions about France.
>>1132848
>bordeaux
I am a Eurofag currently planning to go here for a week or so in early August. I know it's high season, and not my preferred time, but alas that's when I'm free from work. I'm limited to 10 days max because my girlfriend has less time off than me.
Would Bordeaux be a good place to centre ourselves? I've looked a bit, but is the city itself interesting? How are the beaches nearby? A day or two laying on the sand is nice, but it's not all I want to do. Spending a night at some coastal village if it's worth it? I have heard of Arcachon and the Pilat Dune...
I have also always been rather geeky about ancient history and would love to visit one of the paleolithic caves if possible (I know the caves themselves are often off limits). Lascaux of course, but I know there are others. How easy are they to get to?
I've also seen some ads about canoeing on the Dordogne which looks cool. Or are there other small towns nearby worth visiting as day trips? Maybe a long shot, but is there somewhere kinda romanticand not too mega-tourist-resort?
The GF and I are both avid cyclists, though probably won't bring our own... but cycling past vineyards and medieval chalets and castles and shit looks pretty awesome.
>>1132934
Really wonderful, spent a week 2 month ago there and it's really nice. Now it must be a bit more crowded so i don't know. But the place is nice.
>>1132962
bordeaux is quite a nice city. it tends to get passed over a lot, maybe it's better to live than to tour. It can require quite a bit of cash, if you're prepared for that it could make a decent vacation spot. I wouldn't personally allot much time to it, and it's also kind of out of the way to make a "base," in terms of seeing other things in the country. French small towns aren't quite like scandinavian or swiss towns in terms of being well set up to cater to tourists in terms of public lakes, public bathhouses, free and well timed public transport, etc.
there are TONS of small towns in the south though if that's what you want. it's just going to take some forethought on such a tight schedule. there are old cathar towns, some abandoned some not. beziers and carcasonne are probably the most famous. some are just small old abandoned towns that look like small italian or greek towns. QUITE worth it imho.
if you like cycling you'll like the central valleys. you will want to beware cycling in the south. there are routine kidnappings/ransoming murders of hikers and similar hobbyists in the south, where the criminals can easily flee to algeria or morocco.
have fun anon
>>1132848
Confirmed for pussy Parisian.
Marseille isn't that bad, some places are amongst the worst in the country sure but you just don't go there as a tourist.
Now if you can't stand the sight of arabs or blacks yeah you should avoid it.
>>1133031
you'd be doing god's work anon
I'm afraid I can't help you with scheduling. I've typically taken my vacations in july and august and never had so many problems. some towns are downright deserted, but simultaneously have very low capacity (lel labor laws) so might fill up fast. also crowds don't bother me, so I'm a bad person to ask. if you plan it out it should be fine. most high end restaurants require a reservation though. keep that in mind.
I camped on the atlantic coast. it was great. would do again. would not do with only 10 days though. the med was nicer in most respects though, before people started getting snackbar'd.
you might consider corsica? not france proper, but really safe, camping is available, beaches are practically tropical.
>>1132797
go to the Périgord région, renting à car would be the best, if not obligatory. rivers are crystal clear, there is Sarlat and Périgueux town which are beautiful. you are like 200km from Bordeaux (i'm shit in geography but i think it's it)
French Catalunia is cool.
I'm not a fan of the Côte-d'Azur but I can get the appeal. Same with the Var area.
How's bicycling in Paris? I plan on spending a week there in December and using their bike rental system as a main source of transportation.
>>1132797
>>1132797
Thinking about doing Erasmus at the IEP in Aix-en-Provence. I'm sure it's beautiful there, but I'm wondering if it's actually nice to live there as a student or if it's all about rich tourists. I mean, are the rents affordable for students without rich parents or is it Paris tier?
I do speak Frensh, I've already done Erasmus in Belgium as a Bachelor-student and did short trips to France from there, though I haven't been south of Paris so far. Unfortunately.
>>1132955
cool. thanks for the info. I probably cut it down to 3 days then. It seems like only Riquewihr and Ribeauville are the surrounding towns I want to see anyway. If I go elsewhere in Alsace I'll probably just train or bus it there
>>1132907
No
But fucking people only think of Provence instead of the whole deal
The Pyrenees are fucking great, the Massif Central as well and it's the least densily populated area of the country, the west has the highest concentration of medieval castles in the country, god tier food etc, but most foreigners overlook that for the Côte d'Azur. Which is great, but it's crowded in summer and I think the rest is more unique.
Basically Southern France is more than just Provence, and also Corsica is fucking heaven
Tell us more about Corsica.
I assume renting a car is a must?
>>1133227
>La Corse est un paradis
This, so much this.
Awesome beaches, great history, and a very unique part of france. The french all say that they're unique, but corsica really is it's own category.
>>1133106
the bike rental system is cheap as all hell for sure, but Paris isn't exactly too bike friendly. You'll have some places with your own lanes, and when you find yourself in the less crowded areas you'll have a blast. But anything tourist (especially during the high season) and you'll just be a pedestrian with a vantage point.
>it's all bad
in truth, the experience varies
>>1132848
Lol, lived in Marseille for 7 years. Never had any fucking problem.
I have a survival command of french and everytime i talk to french i start by talking in french but they immediately change to english even before i ask what i want to know and such.
Is my french so bad that it makes frenchmen upset? Or are they glad i tried?
>>1133243
It's best yeah, since it's very mountainous there aren't many efficient trains and the roads are quite scenic
But if you plan on hiking only you can get by without a car, after all the purpose is to walk
Whats there to do in Lyon?
>>1133533
eat food, that's pretty much it. And there's the old town of course.
>>1132797
Only been there a few times for events up around Berck on the channel. Never really seen any of the rest of the country. But I enjoyed the time spent up there, the people were much nicer than I had been led to believe and the food was good. Plus, this pic made me laugh.
>>1133533
Well idk what you do in French cities, eating good food (Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France), visiting the monuments (cathedrals, Roman remains, lots of museums), the old town, shopping, seeing the new modern "just fuck my shit up" Confluence district. I don't know shit about the nightlife but it's France 2nd largest city and there are lots of students so I don't doubt it's decent
Also there are mountains neaby, the Alps in the eats and the Massif Central in the west both very different
It's a great city tbf, people sometimes say it's Paris without the inconvenients
>>1133629
Juste baiser haut le cul .
t. marseille
Any good recommendations for a social backpacker in southern France on the way to Switzerland?
I'm coming to Europe in the beginning of August and haven't decided where to stop in France on my way to Switzerland. Seems like the general consensus is that there's nothing in Lyon, Provence+Nice are too tourist flooded, and Marseilles is apparently dangerous.
>>1133737
Btw will be coming from Barcelona
>>1133737
how will you travel,
if you rent a car, try this route
Barcelona > Provence (Camargue, Martigues, Arle, les Beaux de Provence, Cassis) > Le Luberon > Manosque area
then you go up through the Alpes, it's wonderful if you love nature
by public transport, it'll oblige you to stay in cities though.
>>1132797
Heading to Dijon for a week in December... what do?
>>1133737
>Seems like the general consensus is that there's nothing in Lyon
What the fuck is wrong with this board
>>1133737
>Nothing in Lyon
m8 you just have to take a peek at wiki to see there are dozens of things to do, hell it's even UNESCO World Heritage Site
Frenchfag here. Live in Montpellier.
My advice would be
Paris and Provence are overated.
If you want the south, Toulouse is the OBVIOUS winner here and it's not up for debate. Pyrenees and corsica are awesome choices and more interesting than the marseilles-st trop-Nice meme.
The absolute jewel would be Lozere if you're into nature. It's the most obscure place to travel to in france and the local dish Aligot is one of the most amazing thing you'll eat if you try it.
The region around Lyon is literally the traditional epicenter of french gastronomy. It' s a lot like Paris. Cosmopolitan, relatively big for a french city, lots of shop and art. It's great for sports, historically the birthplace of cinema I think and plenty of other cultural stuff.
Strasbourg is an amazing mix between german and french culture. Great food and architecture once again. A definite place to visit.
Bordeaux is a little paris. Tries to be posh, very classical french architecture, very nice all around for a tourist.
Normandy's a classic.
The places I would not really recommend for tourism because boring less attractice or quirky with regards to french culture are the areas of Marseilles and Lille.
TLDR go to Strasbourg, Toulouse, Lyon, Mende and try aligot, Bdx, don't stay too much in Paris and avoid Lille / marseilles/nice
>>1133791
>Lozère
Now that's a good advice
>Least densily populated department
>Awesome nature, from grasslands open spaces that reminds of northern England to deep gorges, forests and mountains (half of it is a national park)
>Nice wildlife (people sometimes see wolves in their backyards, not dangerous tho)
>Unknown to foreigners so not crowded whatever the season
>Excellent food, lots of cheeses and saucissons/ham from there
>Typical architecture everywhere, all the villages are very well preserved, qt Roman churches, even the only """"big city"""" feels like a small town
I often say the whole Massif Central moutain range is underrated but Lozère is the cherry on top
>>1133801
Dumping some pics to illustrate my post
>>1133804
>>1133805
>>1133806
>>1133807
>>1133808
There, done
I'm biased because I used to spend my childhood vacations there but it's objectively one hidden gem in French
>>1133791
Also I want to point out what you said:
>The places I would not really recommend for tourism because boring less attractice or quirky with regards to french culture are the areas of Marseilles and Lille.
I've never been to Lille but about Marseille: the city itself has its problem, but the region is great. There is the Calanques national park nearby (pic related) and rural Provence is top tier. The coast is most famous so ultra crowded but the rest is comfy
>>1133812
Of course I know the region, I've been around. But as a whole, I just can't stand there and say straight faced that it's better than all the other places I've recommended. It's not.
I personally especially like grasse.
But it is undeniable that there is a seedy, conspicuous comsumption, dodgy shadow cast over the region. A tourist point of anchor for exploring all those pretty areas in provence is going to be Nice, marseilles, Cannes etc...
So you know, I'm not saying there is nothing to see there, quite the contrary but it's simply not worth following the popular advice of going there blindly when you could go eat cassoulet near toulouse. And navigate around the canal du midi.
>>1133819
>But as a whole, I just can't stand there and say straight faced that it's better than all the other places I've recommended. It's not.
I can get behind this, actually I agree with all your post.
I'm from the Hérault myself near Agde and currently living in Toulouse so I know there is more to the south than only Provence
Honestly I can't think of any region I dislike, I'm more about nature so I prefer the south but still
>>1133832
I'm the eurofag considering Bordeaux from further up. It's not so much Bordeaux city itself we're interested in, but the region. Dordogne, paleolithic caves, etc... but maybe we'd be better basing ourselves in Toulouse? Can you say a little more about what one could do in Toulouse or around for a few days?
We're most concerned now (after more research) with getting around. The busses and trains seem to be a bitch. Ideally we'd like to hop around smaller towns, and do some outdoorsy stuff. Is it much longer to drive around while avoiding major highways?
>>1133899
I've been to Dordogne it's absolutely dope. Beautiful countryside hilly and forested, a lot of medieval architecture, there are more than 1000 castles in the department alone. The river Dordogne is very comfy I did some kayaking 2 years ago. Also excellent climate, lots of caves if you are into that (including lots with pre historical paintings), and the food is excellent, duck being the main meat there.
Even from Toulouse it's not very far actually, even if Bordeaux is closer.
I'd say Toulouse is better if you want to feel more in Southern France. It's an emblematic city of Occitania, whereas Bordeaux is kinda trying to imitate Paris in architecture and "refinement" so to speak. Still an excellent city mind you, but more transitionnal than deep rooted in the south like Toulouse
But otherwise I absolutely back you on wanting to visit the Périgord (Dordogne), it's no wonder so many Brits retire there.
>>1133215
There are many more towns to be seen in Alsace honestly, you can see a great deal in your 3 days but rest assured there is much more to do
>>1133215
Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé are nice little towns but i wouldn't spend more than a few hours in each.
You should give Kaysersberg and Eguisheim a try, same kind of small towns, but with less tourists, and both more beautiful than Ribeauvillé imo, and both can be easily reached from Colmar by bike (pic related : Eguisheim).
If you're into hiking, the Vosges are beautiful in this time of the year and some of the best hiking trails are within reach from Colmar : thinking of lac du Forlet and Gazon du Faing or sentier des Roches and Hohneck
Bumping this out of interest
