Why not spend a week or two in France? Or more? There is a lot to see. It's the biggest country in Europe, besides Russia and Ukraine of course. With mountains (the Alps), amazing coastlines (the Mediterranean and the Atlantic), rivers (the Seine and Saone among many) and rolling hills of picturesque castles, farmland and adorable villages, it is a jewel on earth. And it has been kept that way by the people themselves, who cared about their crops, their way of life and their customs long before national preservation led the way in creating UNESCO sites and the like. Did French history preserve art and wine or vice versa? You could argue both. Your average smart invader looked around...
Traveling to Europe with Kids and Teens by Laura Glendinning In my childhood we did vacations but they generally involved visiting relatives or showing relatives around when they visited us. That meant three destinations. Somewhere in Texas (we lived in Houston). Somewhere in Michigan (where my grandparents lived), or Wisconsin (where my cousins lived.) We saw the Alamo a lot, visited the Kellogg’s cereal factory in Battle Creek and ate cheese near the shores of Lake Michigan. And there was one family trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras thanks to the neighbor girl and I being fast friends. Her family was from Baton Rouge. Her big brother could spit ten feet! He said “thow” instead of “throw”. It was...
All of Europe lives on bread, cheese and some form of ham and sausage. So why is it so fantastic in France? Why is France above the rest? Pipe down, Italians, you know it’s true (even though I've never had a bad meal in Italy!). I love focaccia, but who thought of the croissant? No one but the French. Spain’s mancheca cheese is awesome. Plus tapas. But the sheer variety and fancifulness of French food is beyond compare. As for pastries. Sorry Britain, ten types of custard and mince pie is not even on the scale. Germans, you have strudel. Anything else? Not really. Austria has creamy coffee thingies in Vienna. Yes, that counts. But in France we are talking about a country where every single region has...
Traveling to France – Current Info
"France will also gradually open its Schengen external borders from July 1st."
As of July 1st, visitors from the United States have not been cleared for travel to France.
The Schengen zone consists of the 26 countries in Europe that operate as a "borderless" area. Obviously the United States isn't one of them, but we will be included in the countries from July 1st onward that will be able to travel to France.
No further information on any precautions or exact dates yet.
France will be opening again sooner rather than later - that is the important takeaway.
Check out our Top Five Day Trips from Paris.
Paris, like most European cities, is built around a river. Ships and barges were the only game in town before rail, plane and car, after all. In Paris, the Left Bank is the funky, perpetually gentrifying part of the city. The Eiffel Tower is on the Left. The Right Bank is posh. It's where the Louvre, the Presidential Palace and Champs Elysees is located. The shopping in Paris reflects that. On the Right Bank you have the Triangle d'Or - the Golden Triangle - where the most famous brands have their flagship stores. But there are the actual couture ateliers and those require appointments and private guides. We book that. Let us know. Quite different is the shopping...
