5 Things I Noticed When Visiting France

I love exploring the UK.

But, a few weeks ago, my wife Debbie and I, took my van across to France for a few days. We wanted to visit France, specifically Paris, and used the opportunity to visit Disneyland while we were there.

What I found, was quite unexpected.

Here are 5 things I think you’ll find useful to know…

5 Things I noticed, visiting France

1. From our short experience visiting France, everyone we met, whether that was in the Hypermarket, local shops, fast-food restaurants, and even street traders, was able to speak English. It’s polite to always start a conversation with “Bonjour, Parlez-vous, anglais?”(Hello, do you speak English?) And, most people, it seems, will be able to help you out 🙂

2. The roads (at least in the places we visited), are in excellent condition compared to our roads in the UK, and weren’t at all congested.

3. There are a LOT of toll roads! Although, it seems the roads are a lot better for it, and the cost is usually only €2-3 per toll. You can choose to pay each toll using a card, or you can get a Tag box for your windscreen This little box opens the toll gates on your approach, and simply sends you a bill at the end of the month. But, if you really want to explore the exceptional countryside (and steer clear of the toll roads), there’s always plenty of pretty routes to choose from.

4. Fuel prices can vary wildly. In the UK, supermarket fuel prices are usually a few pence cheaper than the major fuel brands. In France, that difference can be over 20c! We filled up at a hypermarket fuel station for €1.575 per litre. About 200 yards down the road, a ‘Total’ fuel station was charging €1.78 per litre. It’s definitely worth checking prices as you travel through.

5. France has loads of places to stop overnight that are either free, or cheap (aires). Many of them have access to fresh water and a place to empty your waste water.

Final thoughts

Three nights visiting France, clearly isn’t enough to give a full appraisal of the Country, or even of a single part of France. But, it’s definitely a place we’re going to return to.

Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. In fact, we were stopped at a local supermarket (‘Hypermarket’), and a local guy came up to me to ask if was enjoying the Country so far, and wished me a wonderful time.

I have to admit, before we left for the ‘Le Shuttle’ terminal in Folkstone, I was concerned this trip would be very stressful. Especially since I hadn’t remembered any French from my school days 46 years ago!

It actually turned out to be a very relaxing and unforgettable time.

If you haven’t been there, I encourage you to go 🙂