Planning the Trip

Get out your calendar and see exactly how much time you have to spend in FRANCE. I tend to travel at off peak times - from October through April and in to May (the airfares are great or at least better than at peak travel times, you don't fight the summer tourist crowds (think long lines, too many people, heat) and you can stay in some of the best hotels for an off peak price - p.s. the weather is fine off peak and seasonal and even if it does rain - IT'S FRENCH RAIN AND SNOW). You'll usually arrive the day after you leave (I deal with first day do's and don'ts in the Travel Tips section), so plan on staying in the city of your arrival or somewhere nearby on your first day. Next, buy your ticket - knowing the day of arrival and the day of departure gives you the ability to fill in the gaps - and it's my job to help you fill in the gaps! If there are cities you know you must see, put them on your itinerary, I'll give you an idea of how much you can see and do and how much time you need to spend in each place (keeping in mind that you cannot see all of Paris in 2 or 3 days, but that may be all the time you have to spend there on your first trip and still include other points of interest - Provence, the Loire Valley, the Champagne region, the Cote D'Azur or the Dordogne to name just a few). If you're unsure of just what to do, I have set itineraries that can give you a good start and a good base to start making your memories...