What Gallivanting is Like

I named my travel business Gallivant & Traipse upon inspiration from the French word flâneuse. There’s really no direct translation into English for this word. Une flâneuse is a woman who strolls, who lingers, who isn’t in a hurry. She stops to smell the flowers; she takes her time over coffee. So while I have to do some advance planning because certain things require tickets or reservations, I try as much as possible to leave lots of flexibility, and lots of time for discovery. 

• Small groups. With only 4-5 travelers, we can make meaningful connections, traipse about in our own car (that I drive), and stay in smaller, boutique lodging. 

• Flexible. Are we tired of an activity and want to move on? Do we want to spend more time at a location? Are we suddenly hungry and need a snack? We can do any of that.  

• Immersive. Our small groups make only a small impact on France. Without overwhelming the environments we’re in, we have the ability to experience deep interactions with our French hosts. 

• Restful. Our pacing is reasonable: we plan only 2-3 activities per day, with extra options depending on time and energy. Coffee at 8, lunch at noon, rest at 5, bed by 10. 

• Comfortable. Don’t speak French? I do, and very well. Like your own space? You’ll have it—everyone gets their own bedroom and bathroom. 

The Gallivanters

Our travelers are curious types of women, interested in other people and having new experiences, perhaps learning a thing or two. We are kind, seeking to understand by asking questions to learn about another culture rather than passing judgement. We are seeking more joy in our lives by embracing novelty. And we are not just there for what I call check-box tourism. I promise you will see amazing sites and get plenty of photos, but we definitely won’t have time for it all because we won’t be racing around trying to fit it all in. 

Let me introduce you to a couple of women who have joined me for past gallivants. If you would like to talk to anyone for a testimonial, I can put you in touch. 

The Trust Factor

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve traveled around France. Throughout the years, I’ve taken friends, families, and clients, many of whom have trusted me enough to go back multiple times! With my past planning and execution experience, fluency in French, and flexibility, we always enjoy a good time.

 Do things always go perfectly? Nope. Want an example?

One morning, while cruising along the coast of the Côte d’Azur, the rental car I had just picked up started behaving erratically. Like sputtering, and choking, almost stopping in the middle of the road. We entered the autoroute, but I was only able to drive it at half speed, which was pretty dangerous. I pulled off the road and into a rest stop with a gas station and proceeded to contact the rental car company. Minor brag incoming: my clients were impressed with my faculty with the language of broken-down cars in French! Eventually we were towed to a service station, took a taxi to get to our destination, and enjoyed the day that we had planned, though it was cut short by a little bit. The best part was the vehicle upgrade we got the next day: we went from a little Citroën to a luxurious, upscale BMW!

We may have to go around a roundabout a couple of times, but I’ll get us to our destination, singing along to one of my awesome playlists while we go.

 What else do you want to know? Reach out—I’m at your service!