Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has managed to snag the top spot as world's most cleanest airport.
15.04.2024 - 14:25 / lonelyplanet.com
France is not a cheap place to visit. Alexis Averbuck, one of the authors of the new Lonely Planet France guidebook releasing in May, shares her money-saving tips on how to experience the country without maxing out your credit card.
You don’t need a wallet-busting budget to cruise the Seine, glass of champagne in hand. Plan right, be a bit savvy, and it's possible to lower your costs when exploring France’s wonders.
Whether you’re interested in sampling the delicious food and wine for which the country is justly famous, touring the varied and gorgeous countryside or strolling through a bustling city or charming village, many of France’s pleasures can be savored for cheap – or even for free. Here’s how to enjoy France on a budget along with a guide to daily costs.
France’s largest airport is often the default arrival destination for visitors to France – but landing in the main hub can come at a premium. Instead, look into flights to Paris’ Orly or a regional airport. If you are headed to Provence, and without plans to pass through Paris, it might work out to book a seat on a discount carrier into, say, Marseille or Nice.
Trains and buses also crisscross France from countries throughout the EU. What’s more, train stations are usually smack in city centers, saving time and money on transfers.
Be inspired to take the train in France with these top routes
You will pay more to travel to France in the summer. If at all possible, aim for the shoulder and off seasons. The weather throughout France is delightful in May and September, and often in April and October, so consider a fall or spring trip. And if you’re willing to bundle up and see a different side of the France you know from movies, winter has its charms, too.
Ready to start planning your trip? Choose the right time to visit France with our seasonal guide
Different from its English meaning, le menu in French is a two- or three-course meal at a fixed price. It’s by far the best value in dining – and most bistros and restaurants offer the option, usually displayed in chalk on a board. Lunch menus – generally the best value you’ll find – occasionally include a glass of wine and/or coffee; dinner menus in gastronomic restaurants sometimes pair a perfectly matched glass of wine with each course. (Just remember that “prix fixe” in French is pronounced “pree fiks.”)
Lunchtime formules (two courses) and menus (three courses), plus super-deal plats du jour (dish of the day) in restaurants, cost a fraction of the price of evening dining. If you have your eyes on a Michelin-star meal, plan to go at midday.
With its bucolic scenery and outstanding produce, France is a picnicker’s paradise. Buy a baguette from the boulangerie (bakery) and fill it with
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has managed to snag the top spot as world's most cleanest airport.
The turn off is small and miss-able, shielded by trees and shrubbery even at the start of the year. As we start up the winding, rutted driveway, I anxiously reach for the Tarte Tropézienne my partner Laila and I picked up in Cannes and placed—carelessly, in hindsight—in the backseat of our rented Renault. The layered dessert is both for research and pleasure: I’m here to write my cookbook, le SUD: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and La Tropézienne is one of the recipes I’m aiming to perfect.
Trains and wine make natural partners, be it a glass of crisp white over a leisurely lunch in a restaurant car while cruising through the Alps or a rail itinerary that meanders through a region noted for its fine wines. Many of Europe’s most prized wine regions lend themselves naturally to exploration by rail.
For sports fans, Paris will be the center of the universe this summer — and with 15 million Olympic and Paralympic visitors expected, it will feel like it, with crowds and high prices. But Paris isn’t the only Olympic site in France: Nine destinations outside the metro region are also hosting events, giving travelers a way to catch some action without getting caught up in the crush.
Most commercial airplanes end their life in aircraft "graveyards," where they are disassembled and discarded or recycled.
Venice, a city of history and mystery, is once again at the forefront of the global art scene, hosting the 60th International Art Exhibition, titled "Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere." Curated by Adriano Pedrosa, this year’s Biennale extends beyond just an art exhibition; it is a profound narrative on cultural exchange, environmental sustainability, and the interwoven fabric of global identity. From April 20 to November 24, 2024, the Biennale transforms Venice into a canvas of multicultural dialogue, showcasing works that provoke, inspire, and unite. Here are the 10 pavilions and exhibitions that stand out in this year's compelling lineup.
Etihad Airways has finally reintroduced its beloved Airbus A380 superjumbo on flights to the US after years of uncertainty.
There is so much more to the small town of Calais in northern France than its port where cross-Channel ferries join the dots between dazzling white-chalk cliffs in Dover and the Côte d’Opale, and Brits on booze runs stock up on "cheap" French wine at hypermarchés to drink back home.
Northern France’s counterpart to the famed Côte d’Azur, one insanely scenic stretch of coast has it all.
This article originally appeared in the April issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
Over a third of Americans are planning to vacation in France this year and a third of those are going specifically for the great wine, according to findings from luxury tour operator Scott Dunn. The company’s latest Travel Trends Report names France as the “place to be” when booking a trip in 2024. If you want to be part of that champagne-popping, sauvignon-sipping crowd, here are destination recommendations from Ashley Hall, senior travel consultant for Europe at the company.
As Queer Eye’s fashion expert, Tan France built a reputation on the Netflix reboot for giving transformational makeovers, possessing sharp style sensibilities and leading a relentless campaign for people to French tuck their shirts.