Travel in France & beyond

When’s our next trip?

Bill and I started making annual trips to Europe soon after we met. Because I was working for a British company at the time, those vacations were initially limited to within the UK. Sometimes, however, we were “daring” enough to venture across the Channel for a day trip to the coast of France that we eventually extended into Paris (Notre Dame in this photo) and beyond. With our discovery of self-catering holiday rentals, we could base ourselves in a town or village (like Saint-Jean-de-Côle above) and pretend for a week or so that we lived there. Given that we’ve been French residents for over 8 years, that idea obviously stuck with us. Those short visits always ended with a longing to return, typically discussing our next make-believe location on the flight back to the US. Based on a survey of other travel-loving Americans, we’re not alone.

Chartres

It didn’t surprise me to see a headline that included, “One in 5 Americans ‘Always’ Think About Planning Their Next Vacation–While On Vacation” since we were clearly within that 20% of the respondents. If you wait just one week after returning home, that percentage rises by an additional 27%, meaning that almost half of us are ready to repack our bags shortly after getting back. That timing worked well for us, providing the opportunity to choose an area to focus on, find a gîte (vacation home) to rent, and investigate what historical sites we could visit, all before airline seat reservations became available 11 months before our next flight. By planning ahead we could get those coveted 2 seats side-by-side at the back of the plane in a sea of 3 seats across.

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau

In those early days we generally rented a car and on a road map of France we would draw a 50-mile circle around our chosen town to keep the driving distances reasonable. On one trip to the Loire Valley where we did not follow this method, for a week we drove out daily to one castle in the morning and one in the afternoon. The term “château fatigue” is genuine, especially after you’ve spent hours in the car just getting to one part of your day’s activities. Now we most often use the train so even the designated driver, Bill, gets to enjoy the view and perhaps a glass of wine onboard.

On the subject of discomforts that vacationers want to avoid, we were in total agreement with the results from OnePoll. They cited shared bathrooms, uncomfortable beds, and cramped spaces as the top concerns. Long gone, for us anyway, are those tiny Paris hotel rooms where the bed fills most of the floor space and the bathroom is smaller than anything we’ve seen inside a camper van. That old joke, “My hotel room was so small I had to step out into the hallway to change my mind” was never more true.

Nice

Although important to 80% of those polled, we no longer find it vital to seek out a stress reducing, do nothing vacation, where you might sit on the beach or by the pool, reading a book and sipping a cocktail. Now that we’ve retired to our favorite vacation spot, we get to enjoy this quality of life every day. It’s time to plan the next trip!

12 thoughts on “When’s our next trip?”

  1. It’s so great – the flight being decided by when you can get the two seats – we do that too! I have followed you for over eight years as we were moving to France with our dog shortly after you in 2016. Sadly due to life circumstances we only made it six months back then but we have retuned for months at a time every couple years. I’m so happy to report we have made an offer on a flat in the Ariége and plan to go back and forth every three months until we put the work in for a visa. I hope someday to come have an apéro with you two to thank you for all the great motivation you have provided unbeknownst to you over the years. Melissa 

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    1. Hi Melissa, Sorry to hear that your initial move didn’t work out but your persistence seems to be paying off, congratulations! We’d be delighted to have an apéro with you 🍷You’re right, we have no way of knowing who is reading the blog so thank you for your kind words of encouragement–see you in France!

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  2. Ever since I moved to France, I find I have less desire to go to any other country. I do love traveling within France. Still, it’s nice to be able to get over to the UK fairly easily, and even more easily to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe, etc. There’s just so much to see in France, and the pleasure of driving through the beautiful countryside and villages is something I enjoy so much, that I find myself leaning more towards taking “vacations” somewhere in France.

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    1. We know just what you’re saying, Ron. With 35,000 communes in France there are so many choices right here–and as you mentioned, the rest of Europe on our doorstep 🛤️

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  4. Love it – and look forward to reading about your next destination! I’ve got a few trips lined up between now and the end of the year but I’m very much looking forward to an Alsace cruise to see the Christmas markets! There’s such diversity in the landscape of France – so much to see! Bisous mes amies, Janine xx

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    1. Hi Janine, Please stick around for next week’s post; one that you’ll know very well. Hint: canal, incline, Chagall, Meteor bière 😍 Bisous à toi !

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  5. The end of the month will find me in France for the first time, testing out an apartment I’m hoping will serve as a base camp starting next Summer to explore ancestral places in France, and decide if “the vibe” is right to stay longer than a year. Since the beginning of the year I’ve read all your posts here which enabled me to decide between Montpellier and Carcassonne as an initial location, and learn lots of good things all the way from navigating bureaucracy to how to manage the necessities and integrate into French society. I look forward to new posts, and I’m hoping to meet you both next Summer! Salut!

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    1. Great idea to test out the apartment. There’s nothing like being able to check out the neighborhood in person to see how close you’ll be to the bakery, bus stop, grocery store, etc. Good luck and we will see you in France!

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