Travel Tips

If you find yourself in one of France's heat waves, there are steps you can take to either avoid the heat or try to beat it, depending on your location. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

• Before departure: while you're booking your hotel, ensure it has air conditioning. Many older hotels and vacation rentals won't have it, or if they do, it may not have much power. A/C isn't as much of an issue on the north coast where it's generally cooler and profits from ocean breezes.

• Have a flexible schedule which allows you to spend the hottest days doing indoor activities, like visiting museums and châteaux. At the very least, try to stay inside during the midday peak heat. Embrace the siesta! 

• Research opportunities to take a dip on those days. France is bordered on three sides by oceans, and interior creeks and rivers are plentiful. You can find natural swimming spots and even amusement parks with pools. In Paris, you can swim in the Seine!

• French towns are dotted with fountains—both the large, decorative kind (great for catching a bit of mist if you sit nearby) and the drinkable kind. Cool off in the spray! Remember to bring a small water bottle.

• Head for the hills! If you are close enough to some decent foothills or mountains, you can escape to higher elevations for a breath of fresh air, yes, even in southern Provence. 

• You know who has air conditioning? Movie theaters. You can often find English films (just make sure they are subtitled in French, not dubbed). 

Not appetizers—I mean load your phone with applications. Next to your passport, the most important item on your packing list will be your phone. Technically, you could travel without your phone, but it would mean missing out on a lot of conveniences. To make your trip to France easier, be sure your phone has all the right apps to get you where you're going:

• Mapping. Google, Apple, Waze - whichever is your preference, type in where you want to go and it'll take you there. While walking, you can use Live View if you're turned around and unsure of which way to start. Use it before your departure to save locations you'll be visiting.

• Your airline's app is critical; watch it for flight/gate change alerts.

• SNCF and Ouigo for train voyage planning and ticketing.

• Your car rental app is helpful.

• Uber operates in France (Lyft does not).

• Flowbird is a common way to pay for public parking.

• Île-de-France Mobilitiés is for getting around Paris's transit system.

Using your phone all day for navigation and photos will drain your battery; don't forget to pack a portable charger in your carry-on! 

Travel shoes update here! I've talked to a lot of people throughout the years about practical travel shoes. My advice has always been to strike a balance between comfort and fashion. You need shoes that can absorb 15,000 steps a day. You also need shoes that allow you to step out in style for dinner. Up until now I've suggested you bring black or white sneakers, without a lot of other color, plus another pair that is still comfortable but is nicer for evening wear. (My biggest concern is to help you avoid being a target for scammers and pick-pockets by looking too much like a tourist. Blending in a little helps.) But guess what? In course of just a year, the shoe game has changed in France and almost anything goes. From my favorite basic white street sneakers to les baskets (sport trainers): wear whatever makes you comfortable! I'll still be in my basic whites—that way I can also wear them to dinner with a cute dress and only have to bring one pair with me

PS—My advice on flip-flops remains the same: save them for the beach. 

I highly recommend that you research and obtain insurance coverage. Note that I am not an insurance agent so I cannot recommend any particular policy. Be sure to understand what you are purchasing; here is a great article from Forbes Magazine about travel insurance versus travel protection. The nerds over at Nerdwallet have a good article on how to research and find the best policy for your situation. Rick Steves also has some tips and tricks on navigating travel insurance.

When you buy merchandise in Europe, you're also paying Value-Added Tax (VAT). The percentage you're paying varies depending on which country you're in and what you're purchasing, but whatever the amount, you're able to get back most of that tax back as a refund! There are some stipulations, for example: your purchase totals have to be above a certain amount, you're not supposed to use the items before you leave Europe, you have a three-month window to complete the transaction, this must be done in the last days of your travel, etc. The money experts at Nerd Wallet have a good overview on VAT refunds and more topics, along with some helpful resources.

The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is not a visa, per se, but it's important travel permission that you'll need to be approved before you visit the United Kingdom. According to the UK government, the the application process only takes a few days, costs £10, and is good for two years. Note that you'll need one even if you are only pausing en route to a different country! Perhaps you're flying into Heathrow, making a connection, and then heading to Paris - yep! Make sure you apply. The link above has all the important details. 

Related: a similar system will be implemented in most of Europe (including France!) sometime in 2026. It's called European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) The date keeps shifting so check before you go. It will cost €20 and is good for three years or until your passport expires. 

Let's talk about power.

• How many things are you bringing that need charging?

• Are you traveling with others, who will also need to charge their devices?

• How many outlets will you have in your lodging?

No matter if you stay in a hotel, hostel, AirBnb, or a regular B&B, outlets are very often few and far between. Or they are located behind the bed or other large, difficult-to-move piece of furniture. Bring a power strip! As long as you have a cord for each item, you can charge everything at once (phone, earbuds, watch, portable phone charger, etc). You can even use it for your curling iron!

At some point in mid-2025, the EU will begin a program called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System). It’s like a very simple visa and has a nominal fee for each applicant. People with American passports (and others) will be "...required to have a travel authorization to enter most European countries." You can find out if the country you want to visit requires an authorization and learn more details about the program. The date has been pushed back a few times, so we shall see when it truly goes into effect. 

Did you know that in general, it takes one day per hour of time zone travel to recover from jet lag? And for most people I know, the hardest travel is eastbound (like going to France). Switching from Central Standard Time to Central European Time is a seven hour chore! So my suggestion is to begin living in your new time zone while you're still at home. About a week before your trip, start setting the alarm clock earlier and earlier. At 15 minutes a day for 8 days, you can at least get 2 hours closer to your goal. The rest can be completed in France with many delicious espressos.

Want to extend your life span? Travel! Scientists from an Australian university discovered that the benefits of travel go beyond great memories, new recipes, and a sense of rejuvenation. "The positive experiences associated with trips — the social interactions, mental stimulation, physical activity and healthy cuisines — can delay the aging process, the scientists say." Conversely, the scientists also caution against the perils of travel, like accidents. Um, yeah - I've got travel stories like that, too! 😬

Who gets the armrest? The middle seat. The aisle seat gets freedom, the window seat gets - well, the window. In every travel article I've ever read on this subject the answer is that the middle seat is allowed priority access to both armrests.

I'm in the air a lot, for long periods of time, and have discovered some great ways to ameliorate my comfort while traveling overseas. Here's what I always bring with me:

• A specially-designed travel blanket. It's ultra lightweight, comes in a stuff sack that attaches to my carry on, snaps around my neck so it doesn't slide down, has pockets in all the right places, and even has a little compartment for my feet! Mine is from Gravel Travel

• Ear plugs. I've never tried noise-canceling headphones because I try to pack as lightly as possible and my Mack's ear plugs do the job for me.

• Eye mask. Because sometimes my seatmate wants to watch TV on those overnight flights.

• Travel pillow, and I have two kinds that I like. First, an inflatable one because it is really small when I'm not using it and I can make it as firm as I want. Second, one that wraps tightly around my neck, so whichever way my head flops, it's caught by the pillow. The brand I have is Wander +

• Slippers! Such a simple little luxury and they don't take up too much space in the carry on. They are also great in the hotel - they make me feel a little like I'm at home.

Yep, that's right. I'm an optimist in all ways except this one—I always expect the worst when it comes to lost baggage. Here are some ways to prepare:

• Personalize your checked suitcase. Buy a crazy color. Decorate it (ideas: ribbons and washi tape). Put your name on it! On both the outside and the inside.

• Travel non-stop if possible, which will cut down on the number of times your bag has to make it on to the correct flight.

• Pack your carry-on with essentials. Toothbrush & toothpaste, medications, one pair of undies, and anything else you MUST have in order to go to bed and then get ready the next morning should be with you on the flight. For me, that include contacts / glasses. If you have room for it, include a change of clothes.

• Take a photo of your bag. A picture is worth a thousand words, which will cut down on paperwork time if you have to file a claim!

• Track it yourself! Slip in a small tracking device like an AirTag or Tile into your suitcase. You'll always know where it is.

• Don't check it? The airline can't lose your bag if they aren't handling it. But using only a carry-on has its own hassles. Unless I'm going to the beach for a weekend and have VERY little, I always check a bag.