France

A Europe Itinerary for 2 months in Europe: Your perfect itinerary for Europe

January 10, 2020 by Karen 35 Comments

On my first trip to Europe, I made a lot of mistakes as I was trying to see many capital cities as possible in the shortest possible time. Halfway through my Europe trip, I was exhausted and I felt like I had barely seen any nature or small cities.

I’ve been very fortunate to have taken multiple European backpacking trips and I’ve been living in Europe for nearly three years now. I hope that I can help a bit with helping you create your perfect European itinerary that mixes capital cities with cultural centers and stunning nature to show you the best of Europe in two months! You’ll find a downloadable excel to help you plan your own European trip at the end!

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How to visit France on a budget: Thirteen cost-cutting tips for travel in France

May 25, 2019 by Steve 11 Comments

If you’re visiting France, you might be wondering how you can afford your trip between the food, the hotels, and the attractions. However, it’s definitely possible to visit France on a budget.

These are tips that I’ve perfected via my time living in Paris, traveling in France, and my dad’s recent trip around France. Traveling on a budget isn’t always about surviving on a shoestring, but cutting back on unnecessary expenses to splurge on the experiences that matter to you. I wrote this blog post together with my dad based on his recent trip to Provence and my travel around France. This post has been recently updated based on a recent trip. (April 2019).

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Your perfect South of France itinerary with cost-cutting tips

July 12, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Having taken my first trip to Europe over four decades ago, in numerous trips since, I have learned that many famous destinations are overpriced, or disappointing. The South of France (Provence) exceeds all expectations for its Joie de vivre (joy of living), beauty, food, people, and sites. After two trips in the past two years, I am counting the minutes until my next trip to this magical place. This guide to the South of France includes practical tips for visiting the South of France with an itinerary based on multiple trips and budget tips within each city!

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How to visit the South of France on a Budget: 10 cost-cutting tips

July 9, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Considering visiting the South of France on a budget? Experienced French traveler Steve has some helpful tips for visiting Provence on a budget for first-time visitors. We include tips on how to find cheap accommodations in the South of France, budget eating tips, and how to avoid the crowds in the South of France.

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A perfect 10-day itinerary for Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris

June 26, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

As an American who has lived in Paris, briefly Brussels, and Amsterdam, I know that one of the popular routes for first-time travelers (as well as experienced travelers) is to spend a week (or 10 days) traveling from Amsterdam to Brussels to Paris. This is a great route as there are great train and bus connections between all of these cities. I’ll be doing an overview of what to do in each city along with some helpful tips for planning your itinerary!

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Your neighborhood guide to the 14th arrondissement of Paris

March 20, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

I often write about travel, but travel is often about enjoying your surroundings. For most of my time in Paris, I lived in the 14th arrondissement. Although this arrondissement isn’t famous in the same way that other arrondissements for its attractions, there are many things to do in 14th arrondissement as well as some fantastic food. I hope that this neighborhood guide to the 14e arrondissement inspires you to stick around to explore a bit of this local neighborhood in Paris.

Shortly after moving to Paris, we found a charming apartment in a historic Haussmannian building in the 14th. It was small and I wasn’t sure what it would be like in the 14th arrondissement. Given how crazy the apartment market in Paris is, we took it although the apartment wasn’t exactly what we thought it would be (“CLEAN ME” written into the blinds). That said, I instantly fell in love with the neighborhood. Most people only visit the 14th for the Montparnasse Tower or the Paris Catacombs, however hopefully this little guide inspires you to find some good food after visiting the catacombs….

Five reasons why you should visit Arles, Provence’s surprising gem

May 9, 2019 by Steve 1 Comment

When I asked my late 97-year-old Father-In-Law about his years of military service in Europe during WWII, his most interesting memory was visiting Arles and Southern France. I had never heard of Arles prior to this point. After research, I discovered that Arles has been visited by Julius Caesar, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso and other notable figures in its history. Caesar would have called it Colonial Julia Paterna Arelatensium but today it is called Arles. I am in love with this city as this is my second trip in the past two years. I hope that this blog inspires you to visit Arles!

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Versailles Travel Tips: What to know about visiting Versailles from Paris

April 24, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

Are you planning on taking a day trip from Paris to Versailles? For fans of history as well as Marie Antoinette (the movie), Versailles is something that must be included on your Paris bucket list. Read tips for the best month to visit Versailles, how to avoid the crowds at Versailles, and how to get to Versailles from Paris.

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What it’s like to stay in a chateau in France and beautiful French chateaux to stay at

May 1, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

Each of us has a bucket list with experiences that they want and staying in a chateau in France has been long been on mine. While living in Paris, my husband and I took a weekend road trip to Normandy and I knew that this was my chance to stay in a chateau in France (also the clock was ticking). Keep reading for my experience of staying at a chateau in France as well as others’ experiences staying at French chateaux, and other beautiful chateaus in France that you’ll want to visit!

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Secret Montmartre: a free self-guided Montmartre walking tour

April 12, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

Planning your visit to Montmartre and tired of the crowds of Paris? This guide to one of Paris’ most famous arrondissements covers secret locations that you won’t read about on most other travel blogs with a complete self-guided walking tour of Montmartre with map.

I lived only a stone’s throw away from Montmartre during my part of my time in Paris, so I often wandered up to Pigalle and Montmartre. In this guide to Montmartre, I cover the history as well as the little villages/streets that make Montmartre truly special. The walking tour of Montmartre should take about 2 hours. The total distance covered is 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).

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