The Survival Guide to France. Part One: Planning and Packing

There are two essential to having a good vacation in France (or any other place): planning and packing. Whether you are going to Normandy, Brittany, Cote d'Azur Provence, Dordogne or some other less well known region, preparation is the key. The internet offers a vast array of information for the 21st century traveller and should be taken full advantage of. Our information pages are a good place to start

For first-time visitors the Eyewitness Travel Guides are a good resource. The information is complete and one picture is worth a thousand words. The Michelin Travel Guides, while geared toward the auto traveller, are often more specific in area and sights. The Lonely Planet Guides are my favourites for food and lodging especially lower price places. Lonely Planet also has "upgrades" at their site, up to date information that you can print and paste into their books. There are more guidebooks, and I have used them. Let's not forget the Article Archives on the France Direct website, another good source of information and one of my favourites.

Guidebooks are heavy. Look at them in a bookstore or, even better, in the library and pick one to take with you. Even better, copy pertinent pages out of several guide books and make your own. You can throw away pages when you no longer need them.

If you are going to do most of your travelling by train, get yourself a travel pass, it will make your life a lot easier. You can get one pass to cover the whole of France. Frtravel is a good place to start.

Speaking from personal experience, never pack at the last minute. You can't take too much time planning your wardrobe. Everything in France is uphill. I realize that there has to be some downhill, but when you're carrying luggage, the uphill is more memorable. Judith Gilford's The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-On Traveller should be required reading for people who think "more is better."

Staying in French homes taught me that the French do not have extensive wardrobes. They will wear the same skirts with different blouses and scarfs two or three times in a week. Wear everything before you go. You must however, pack for the region of France you are visiting. In the south, Cote d'Azur/Provence, Herault and Dordogne you may need lighter clothes than in say, Normandy and Brittany, where the evenings can be cooler. Meteo Consult is a great resource for weather in France. Just tap in the post code or town for a forecast. Comfort is a big consideration. Never "break-in" shoes on the road. French women wear high heels a lot. Take a pair if you must, but plan on wearing them only when you dine. Nothing ruins a vacation faster than sore feet, and cobblestones are rough on the feet.

Zip-lock bags were made for travellers; take several. Put dirty clothes, (especially socks) in them. Toilet articles that might spill go in them. In a pinch you can even use them to wash in: add laundry detergent and water and squish the bag around, then rinse and hang. Take a towel, bigger than a hand towel, but not large. Most hotels have one small one. When doing laundry, squeeze out extra moisture from clothing by wrapping laundry in the towel and twisting. Clothing dries faster. Take a laundry line and plastic clothes pins. Any electrical appliances from the states will require an adapter. Take extra contacts and glasses (very expensive in France), and if you're fussy about feminine hygiene products bring your own. Small packets of kleenex come in handy in a variety of situations. Don’t forget to keep in mind airport security when packing bags that aren’t going in the hold.

Companies like Travelsmith offer a variety of lightweight clothing and other travel conveniences. Their clothing is restricted to average sizes, but they have a lot of useful travel items, and they have on-line travel advice.

When you have everything packed, park at the far end of the mall parking lot, carry your luggage in and up at least two flights of stairs. Sit down and rethink how much you really need. Then repack and have a good time!

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

About the Author: France Direct have been in the holiday rentals business in France for 14 years and on the internet for 10 years with their website.

www.francedirect.net

Their travel website frtravel.com has some great deals on travel to France and World Wide too.

www.frtravel.com

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