This article is part of our airport food survival guide, which includes tips and tricks—even a hot take or two—that challenge the notion that airport meals are always dull, overpriced, and tasteless.
18.06.2024 - 11:57 / nytimes.com
The Canal du Midi, entirely hand-dug and hailed as an engineering marvel on completion in 1681, offers a refreshing alternate take on French travel: a bikeable path through the towns and landscapes of the country’s south. Traversing Occitanie, the canal gives cyclists of all skill levels access to parts of France that are rich in history, yet sometimes passed over by visitors with (only) Paris on their mind.
When I discovered that the canal was manageable for nonserious cyclists like me, I was hooked. Stretching from the city of Toulouse to the Mediterranean port town of Sète, the 150-mile waterway offers mostly flat cruising for the thousands of riders who take to its towpaths every year.
For nearly a week in July, I cycled upstream from Sète as far as Toulouse. I rented an electric bike and other gear from Paulette, a rental company that focuses on canal tourists The rental totaled about $400. I also took advantage of the group’s super-convenient send-ahead luggage service. That lightened my load to take on the canal, its large and small towns, and its historical undercurrents. I wanted to see its famous éclusesor oval-shaped locks, and the idyllic country scenes on the way. I didn’t really plan ahead — as a novice, I didn’t know how far my legs could take me. Given my fluid schedule, I opted to find accommodation via the canal’s abundant tourist offices after arriving wherever I chose to stay the night.
The road from Sète starts at the sea. The former fishing town, where I picked up my bike as well as side bags for the essentials I wasn’t sending onward, ranks as a low-key favorite among French and foreign visitors. I pedaled southwest out of town on a Saturday morning, the shimmering Mediterranean to my left.
Starting at one end of the original canal helped me appreciate the ambition of the waterway’s visionary builder. Pierre-Paul Riquet, born in nearby Béziers in the early 1600s, conceived of the Canal du Midi as just one section of a Canal des Deux Mers — a “two-sea canal” — connecting the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, and stretching from Sète as far as Bordeaux.
This article is part of our airport food survival guide, which includes tips and tricks—even a hot take or two—that challenge the notion that airport meals are always dull, overpriced, and tasteless.
As cycling enthusiasts gear up for this year's Tour de France, train travelers can embark on their own exciting journey through the heart of France. While the world's most famous bicycle race covers 3,500 kilometers over three weeks, Rail Europe offers a unique twist on the "Tour de France" experience - one that promises rich cultural encounters and comfortable travel.
The latest addition to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport? An airport lounge that aims to be un-airport-like.
A touch of French elegance has landed at Los Angeles International Airport — and it’s here just in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Air France revealed its new 11,840-square-foot lounge, the airline’s first at LAX and sixth overall in the U.S.
Air France is opening a new lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Tom Bradley International Terminal on Friday.
A sandy, 15-mile spit that reaches across Arcachon Bay like a protective arm, Lège-Cap Ferret, on France’s western coast, is that country’s answer to New York’s Montauk, albeit dialed back a decade or two. Cap Ferret — not to be confused with Cap Ferrat, the glitzy, southeastern French peninsula with almost the same name — is a 30-minute ferry ride from the seaside town of Arcachon and features a varied, contrary, landscape: oyster farms on the tranquil lagoon, or side, and a broad surf beach on the Atlantic side (“When there are waves, they are gigantic,” says the designer and architect Philippe Starck), which has attracted Parisians since the 1950s.
There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a festival. Great music, immaculate vibes, and memories to last a lifetime. But there is more to the festival scene than Glastonbury and Coachella, especially over in France. The ever-increasing prices and difficulty of getting tickets mean that people are casting their eyes elsewhere in search of a fun, memorable festival with excellent artists, an electric atmosphere, and great value for money. So whether you want to discover up and coming artists or are following your favourites on tour, pack your tents and hop on the ferry with DFDS to check out some of the amazing festivals happening in France this year.
New Orleans is one of the most vibrant cities in the world—full of rich history, diverse heritage, and mouthwatering cuisine. And the city’s Black communities and cultures have long been a driving force in shaping New Orleans, which was founded in 1718, into the city we know today. Visitors who only hit Bourbon Street for a hurricane cocktail will largely miss out on the unique and memorable Black experiences that can deepen understanding and appreciation of the very pulse of New Orleans.
Jun 19, 2024 • 4 min read
As one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, the question invariably arises: Do you tip in Paris? For many of us, tipping at restaurants and for various services is an ingrained habit, depending on our local customs. But as always, when traveling to different countries, we inevitably should learn and respect another set of rules—and that includes how much to tip. Fortunately, especially for travelers from the United States, tipping in Paris—and in Europe generally—is really quite simple: Tipping is not expected in French culture, at least not as much as it is in American culture.
The brand new Lufthansa City Airlines will take its first flight on 26 June, bringing new short- and medium-haul connections to Germany.
Paris may be on your travel bucket list, but it's bound to be packed with tourists as the 2024 Summer Olympics unfold in the City of Lights in July.