We live the dream of spending most of our time in France. Let us share with you our experiences  to help you travel smart.
           
Frequent Flyers
Almost everyone belongs to at least one mileage program
Travel Smart Tip: 
If you are using frequent flyer miles, remember 331 days. 
This is the number of days in advance that most programs put their seats up for sale. Book early and you will have the most options for your trip.

Get the Best Air Fare
We have used all the big three: Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, and as with our houses, we like to seek the road less traveled or in this case flown.
Travel Smart Tip:
Try these alternatives.
Airfarewatchdog.com
A good source for last minute fare bargins.
Cfares.com
This site was termed "a Costco for Fares" in the November issue of Money Magazine. According to the magazine, cfares can save 20% to 50% of the cost of flights since the tickets sold are from "wholesale ticket consolidators that generally don't sell directly to the public." The site charges a $50-a-year membership fee.
Cheaptickets.com
A good basic site
Kayak.com
Let's you compare a number of fares from over 100 other fare search sites and can quickly give you a picture of available fares.
Vayama.com
Reportedly the first U.S. website dedicated exclusively to international air travel and featuring over 400 airlines.

If you want a prediction for future airfares try:
Farecast.com
Farecompare.com

Travel Green:
Consider selecting an airline that offers a carbon offset program such as Air France, British Airways or Delta Air Lines.
Climate Care offered by British Airways allows you to enter your flight information, calculates your carbon footprint for your flight and then offers you the option to purchase a carbon offset. While there is concern regarding the effectiveness of carbon offset programs, any efforts to address the environmental impact of flying is welcome.

Direct Flights to France from the USA
Atlanta: Air France and Delta
Boston: Air France, American and Delta
Cincinnati: Air France and Delta
Chicago: Air France and Delta
Dallas: American
Detroit: Air France and Northwest
Houston: Air France and Continental
Los Angles: Air France
MIami: American
New York: Air France, American, Continental, Delta and L'Avion
Orlando: Delta
Philadelphia: Air France and US Airlines
San Francisco: Air France
Seattle: Air France
Washington: Air France and United

Direct Flights from Canada
Calgary: Zoom Airlines
Halifax: Zoom Airlines
Montreal: Air Canada,  Air Transat,  Air France and Zoom Airlines
Toronto: Air Canada, Air Transat, Air France and Zoom Airlines
Vancouver: Zoom Airlines


Getting from Charles de Gaulle into Paris
Most international airlines arrive at Terminal 1 or 2. Taxis, vans and the Air France buses, which will take you to the train stations Gare de Nord or Gare Montparnasse, are readily available. However, if you arrive late in the day, the traffic congestion getting into Paris can make for a very slow trip and a late afternoon or early evening train connection all but impossible.
Travel Smart Tip:
Our favorite is option is the RER B3 train at Terminal 2 or at Roissypole from Terminal 1. 
The RER takes you into the heart of Paris avoiding traffic headaches with numerous stops in the city including a stop at Gare de Nord. You must transfer onto the Metro at either Chatelet or Denfert Rochereau to get to Gare Montparnasse. We often stay at a hotel near an RER stop the night before a flight to our other home, making for a very easy, stress free trip to CDG.
Travel Green:
If you are concerned about being as green as possible with your travels, the RER is an excellent choice.

Getting from Charles de Gaulle to the Rest of France
By Rental Car
Cars are readily available at the airport, but not all car rental agencies will give you frequent flyer mileage credit even though the rental company does at other locations, be sure to ask.
Travel Smart Tip:
Better prices are often available from European car rental agencies. 
Try Europecar.com and Kemwel.com.
Travel Smart Tip:
Rent a diesel fueled car with a manual transmission. 
The cost of petrol in France is legendary. Most rentals are manual transmissions with the availablity of automatics, which are often expensive, often limited and requiring special ordering.
Travel Green:
Rent a hybrid or a diesel-fueled car with manual transmission.

By Plane
If you need to get to Orly for a local flight, again, the RER may be your best choice as Orly is all the way across Paris to the south.
Travel Smart Tip:
Flights from Orly within France are often cheaper than from CDG. 
It pays to check.

By Train
At the same station at Terminal 2 for the RER you can also board the TGV, our favorite way to get to Sur Sarthe.
Travel Smart Tip:
There is a ticket office at the station, but if you prefer to purchase your tickets ahead of your travels go to raileurope.com.

Drive Like a Local
Driving in France, perhaps with the exception of Paris, is easy.
The French as should be expected and embraced, do drive differently. Consider the autoroutes, we drive in any open lane, not so the French.
Travel Smart Tip:
Stay in the right lane except to pass.  
Perhaps you have experienced a fast approaching car blinking their lights while you are crusing in the left lane. The moment you move over, they are likely to pass you very quickly and pull over into your lane, sometimes a little near to your bumper for your taste. This is French driving. 

Roundabouts are a great invention and often allow for much smoother traffic movement, once you learn the basic rules.
Travel Smart Caution:
Vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way. 
If you are approaching a roundabout and there is adequate space to enter the roundabout without causing a car already there to brake for your entry, to enter without stopping is very French, but by all means use caution and slow down. Go to the center only if you intend to go quite away around the roundabout before you exit. Remember, if you miss your exit just continue around and try again.

One real danger is from vehicles entering on roads to your right.
Travel Smart Caution:
Cars approaching on a road to your right that do not have a stop sign, yield sign, or a dashed or solid line on their road HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY IMMATERIAL OF THE SIZE OF EITHER ROAD. 
As many kilometers as we have driven, we are still surprised at the times we forget this basic rule and encounter a honking car approaching at breakneck speed from our right on a tiny, often even hard to see, side road.
Travel Smart Tip:
Many gas stations are closed from Noon until 2:00 PM and few are open on Sunday.
Planning ahead for driving, particularily on Sunday, is important. Around some of the larger towns and at the rest stops on the autoroutes you can sometimes find open stations on Sunday.


Credit, Debit Cards and Cash
Travel Smart Tip:
Don't use traveler's checks as many locations no longer take or cash them.
Travel Smart Tip:
Don't get euros at your hometown bank. 
The exchange rate is usually  very unfavorable.
Travel Smart Tip:
Use a debit card to get cash. 
Check with your debit card issuer to see if they have a sister banking relationship with a French bank. For example, Bank of American's sister bank is BNP Paribas. If you get cash at BNP's ATM's using a B of A card, there is no service charge for the ATM. Since your are using a debit card, the exchange rate is often much more favorable and there is no interest as there would be on a credit card. An interesting aside, one of our friends has a debit card for their savings account and no French bank ATM they tried would honor the card. If you cannot locate a sister bank, withdraw as many euros as you need to save on multiple ATM charges.
Travel Smart Tip:
Let your card issuer know that you are going to be in France. 
Forget and you may find your card blocked. Give the card issuer a call a few days before your departure and while you are talking with your bank, get a direct number to call should you loose your card. We have found that the number on the back of our cards can often be out of date.
Travel Smart Tip:
Take any extra euros home with you for your next trip. 
If you convert your euros back to US dollars, you lose again on the exchange rate. We always return with at least 100 euros so that we won't need to get euros immediately on returning to France.

Phoning Home
As we recommend for all our houses, never use a landline phone for international calls unless you use an international phone card, as international rates from France Telecom are very high.
Travel Smart Tip:
Purchase a phone card at a local tabac shop. 
The cards are available for both local and international calls along with specific cards for use at pay phones. We also use phone cards purchased in the USA, but be sure to call the card issuer for the French access number prior to your travels.

Cell Phones
Many USA cell phone providers, such as T-Mobile, offer tri or quad band phones which will work in France. The rate per minute can often be high, which can be fine if you are just using the phone for emergencies.
Travel Smart Tip:
Get your cell phone unlocked before your travels and consider installing a French SIM card. 
Usually after you have had your phone for three months, you can get your phone unlocked for use in Europe. You might consider getting the instructions to install a French SIM card as the calling rates for the French SIM card are much less. The new SIM card will give you a new phone number resulting in you needing to call your old number to get messages. Since the SIM card change is a bit on the techie side, get instructions from your provider and stop by a French cell phone shop for their assitance.

If altering your cell phone sounds too complex or you do not have a phone that will work in France, consider the following:
Travel Smart Tip:
Purchase a French prepaid cell phone. 
While we have quad band phones, we use our prepaid phone extensively. Prices are cheap and the phones are available everywhere. Purchase just the minutes you think you will need and refill the phone on your next trip.

Dinning Out
Restaurants are typically open only for lunch and dinner and closed inbetween.
Travel Smart Tip:
Remember that most retaurants are only open for lunch between Noon and 2:00 PM.
Forget this basic tradition and you may not eat again until at least 7:00 PM.
Travel Smart Tip:
Most retaurants do not open before 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM for dinner.
Travel Smart Tip:
Reservations are always a good idea. 
Many of our favorite restaurants are located in small towns and villages and while  reservations during the week may not be critical, weekend reservations are often a must.
Most restaurants do not offer doggie bags.
Travel Smart Tip:
Bring some zip lock bags to take away any leftovers. 
Because the bags can be hard to find in France, bring some with you. 

Shopping
Whether going to the weekly town market, a local bakery or a favorite specialty shop, you will find no better way to immerse yourself in all that is French. 
Travel Smart Tip:
Always greet the shopkeeper when entering the shop and thank them when leaving. 
This seemingly small kindness should be paid to every shopkeeper and will not be forgotten.
Travel Smart Tip:
Bring your own bag(s). 
Many of the larger supermarkets will charge for their bags which are often plastic. A fabric bag lasts much longer, holds more and is easier to carry.
Travel Smart Tip:
Most shops are closed from Noon until 2:00 PM.
The French take lunch very seriously.
Travel Smart Tip:
Don't linger in a shop after Noon.
Again, the French take lunch very seriously.
Travel Smart Tip:
In towns with more than one bakery, one bakery will usually be open on Sunday morning.
Fresh bread is the staff of French life.
Travel Smart Tip:
Always keep a one euro coin with you. 
Shopping carts at the larger stores are available in the parking lot, but to insure that the carts are returned, a one euro coin is required to unlock the cart at the handle. When you return the cart and reattach your cart to the others, you will get back your coin.

Odds and Ends
Rest rooms are often located near the town or village square and while usually free, some at major tourist sites, train stations and airports charge a token fee.
Travel Smart Tip:
Carry some small change.
Travel Smart Tip:
Rest rooms often do not have toilet paper. 
Carry a small roll.
We always carry a water bottle.
Travel Green:
Use a refillable water bottle.
If possible, avoid purchasing multiple bottles of water. If presented with no other option, recycle the used bottles at the numerous recycle locations on the edge of most towns.

We are continually searching for travel smart tips, please share yours with us.

Copyright Dream Homes Abroad, LLC 2007