Table of Contents for this Episode
Category: Solo in France
565 Traveling Solo in France at 70 Budget Tips and Hidden Gems with Helena Fedorec (Sept 28)
Annie Sargent: This is Join Us in France, episode 565, cinq cent soixante-cinq.
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent and Join Us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational journey through the beauty, culture, and flavors of France.
[00:00:31] Today on the podcast
Annie Sargent: Today, I bring you a conversation with Helena Fedorec, who celebrated turning 70 in style. She traveled solo, she was incredibly savvy and she did it all on a budget.
Annie Sargent: You’ll hear her share her month-long adventure across France by train, bus, and foot, uncovering hidden gems, art, gardens, and the joys of slow travel.
Annie Sargent: She went from Nice to Chartres. You will discover how to explore France affordably, connect with locals, which she loves doing, and embrace the freedom of the open road.
Annie Sargent: There is inspiration for every traveler in this chat with Helena, who is a wonderful boot camper as well, so I know her in person. She’s an amazing human being.
[00:01:19] Podcast supporters
Annie Sargent: This podcast is fueled by chocolatine, coffee, and the generosity of listeners like you. You book itinerary consults, take my VoiceMap tours, join the boot camp, hop in my electric car for a day trip, or chip in on Patreon, and I’m so grateful for that.
Annie Sargent: Want to keep me going and skip the ads? There’s a link for that in the show notes, and to look up any of my products or services, go to joinusinfrance.com/boutique, and merci.
[00:01:52] Bootcamp 2026
Annie Sargent: Half of the tickets for Bootcamp 2026 are already sold. I’m surprised by this. It’s selling surprisingly quickly this year.
Annie Sargent: If you’d like to find out more about this event, browse to joinusinfrance.com/bootcamp2026. But let me tell you quickly that the dates are October 3rd until 10th next year, 2026, and you can join us in France for seven days of hanging out with fellow Francophiles, visits of wonderful sites around Toulouse and Occitanie, and optional language classes.
Annie Sargent: If this is the first you’ve heard of the bootcamp and want to know more, first of all, welcome to you, and you can email me annie@joinusinfrance.com.
[00:02:37] THe Magazine part of the Podcast
Annie Sargent: For the magazine part of the podcast, after my chat with Helena today, I’ll discuss why I’ve stopped recommending Komoot, the route planning app for hiking, cycling, and running, and switch to recommending Decathlon Outdoor instead.
Annie Sargent: I made the switch a few months ago, but since I release episodes several months after I record them, you haven’t heard me talk about that yet, and it’s time to fix that.
Annie Sargent: I’ll also talk about the closing of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. It’s closing for five years. And the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is also closed until October 2027.
Annie Sargent: The British Museum in London will display the tapestry, and I’ll give you all the details in the magazine part of the podcast.
Annie Sargent: There’s a website and a newsletter to go along with this podcast, and you can go there when panning for gold nuggets of information in preparation for your trip to France.
Annie Sargent: And the newsletter is pretty good too, joinusinfrance.com/newsletter if you’d like to sign up.
[00:03:48] Annie and Helena Fedorec
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, Helena Sweeney, and welcome to Join Us in France.
Helena Fedorec: Bonjour, Annie.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful to see you again, because we know each other from the boot camp, don’t we?
Helena Fedorec: We do, indeed.
Annie Sargent: Yes. And you’re coming back to the boot camp.
Helena Fedorec: I am. I had such a wonderful time.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. Wonderful.
[00:04:04] Planning a Budget-Friendly Solo Trip
Annie Sargent: But today, we are going to talk about a solo trip that you took. You were turning 70, and you decided you wanted to make it a budget trip. So we’re going to concentrate on that, on your preparation, on how you found your budget options, and also what were your favorite things to do.
Annie Sargent: You went off the beaten track a little bit on this trip, which is wonderful.
Annie Sargent: So, Helena, tell us about your preparation for this trip. How did you go about… Well, what inspired it and how did you prepare for it?
Helena Fedorec: Okay. So, turning 70 was coming up, and I really dislike parties and fuss made in gatherings. So I said to my family, ” Please don’t plan anything. I’m going to go away. In fact, I’m going to go away for a whole month, and I’m going to go to France, and I’m just going to do it by train or by bus or by walking, and just take it very simply and slowly.” And in a sense, just celebrating the fact that, you know, I’m still here, I can do all these things, and enjoy it.
Helena Fedorec: Now, I need to say that my family then promptly decided that they would turn up halfway through. So there were three days when they were actually with me, with their three-year-old granddaughter. And my lovely son came over from Australia. Complete surprise.
Annie Sargent: Wow.
Helena Fedorec: Most of the trip was by myself, but I can actually also tell you a little bit about what it was like being in France with a three-year-old.
Annie Sargent: Very good. Yes. And we should say that you are from Australia but you live in England right now.
Helena Fedorec: That’s right. Yeah. You can probably hear a mixed… I lived in Australia for 45 years and then about four years ago, returned to England, which is, that gives me access to France.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. All right.
[00:05:52] Traveling by Train in France
Annie Sargent: So how did you plan this trip? What tips can you share with listeners about how to go about that?
Helena Fedorec: Yeah. So I’m not one of those people who likes to plan every single minute of every day and make huge plans.
Helena Fedorec: But what I do do is look at if you like, a big picture. And beforehand, I knew that I wanted to travel as much as possible, but keep it manageable financially.
Helena Fedorec: And one of the most useful books I used was Europe by Rail. And that could show me some routes that are available on the main train lines in France. I decided against buses because often the travel times were too long, whereas the trains seem really efficient in Europe.
Helena Fedorec: So I planned a route, and I think I mentioned it to you and you gave me some ideas too, that would take me in a big circle. So I knew I was going to go to France by Eurostar. If you book long enough in advance from England, you can get to Paris for 39 pounds one way. So I had both going and coming back at a very cheap rate.
Helena Fedorec: So I knew my starting and finishing point would be Paris, and then I planned a route that took me from Paris to Nice, from Nice to Toulouse, could not miss out on Toulouse after being there for the boot camp, gorgeous city. Then to Bordeaux, then to La Rochelle and Angers, that was your suggestion. And then from there I went up to Chartres, I’d been there before, and then returned through to Paris.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. So, when you said you booked your Eurostar in advance, how far in advance did you do it?
Helena Fedorec: I think I did it… They released the dates about, I think it’s between three and six months in advance, I think it’s three months in advance.
[00:07:33] Using Travel Apps and Discount Cards
Helena Fedorec: You can actually download the Eurostar app and subscribe, and that way you get notifications of when the cheap tickets are coming through. So they often have flash sales that last for three days or something.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh.
Helena Fedorec: It’s actually really worth just following it regularly and that includes trains not just to Paris but also to Lille, to Belgium, and Amsterdam.
Annie Sargent: Very nice. Did you purchase a discount card?
Helena Fedorec: Yes. So again, part of traveling by rail, because obviously I’m over 60, I learned about the SNCF senior rail card. And I forget how much it was, it wasn’t that expensive actually, it was under 50 pounds, way under 50 pounds. And you get a third off rail travel. And it was really useful. So again, there’s an app that you download on your phone.
Helena Fedorec: And there were a few times, when I was traveling, especially around the Nice area, that I would, on the spur of the moment, decide to take a train and I could book it on my phone, and I also got the discount. Andthe long journeys I got the discount. That was really worth doing.
Annie Sargent: Right, and this card, I think the full price is 69 euros, but the senior card goes on sale as well occasionally.
Helena Fedorec: I think I got it on sale.
Annie Sargent: There’s discount cards for different age groups, but every time you have to buy it and it’s worth it. If you just take a couple of train trips, it’s usually worth it. Especially if you can buy it at the discount price.
Helena Fedorec: Totally agree.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. And I assume you booked most of your tickets through the app? Did you use SNCF Connect or did you use another app?
Helena Fedorec: Okay. The major travel, getting from city to city, I bought in advance and booked in advance. And I used, good question, no, I used the SNCF app…. but I actually also have the Trainline app. There were a couple of times when I made spontaneous trips, like, you know, short trips to a little town or whatever, when I would actually it was easier to book on the spot with Trainline. Yeah, and it just depended which trains I was going to be taking. If that sounds vague, and it probably does sound vague, it’s because at the time I’d work out, “Okay, what’s the best one to do now, given the time that I’ve got?”
Annie Sargent: Right. Right. Yeah, and Trainline and SNCF app, SNCF Connect work well together because once you have booked a ticket, you have a ticket number and you can import it from one to the other. With the SNCF app, you can also put your ticket on your Apple Watch if you want to. So, you know, these are pretty nifty applications. I learned today, I hadn’t realized this, maybe it’s new, that you can also buy your metro tickets on the SNCF app. It’s a pretty good app.
[00:10:20] Exploring French Culture and Language
Annie Sargent: I run my phone in English, so it downloaded the app in English, and so there’s no complications for people who don’t speak French, and you do, but speaking of that, was it necessary for you to have some level of French seeing that you were not always in super touristy parts of the country?
Helena Fedorec: Okay. So, was it necessary? No. So long as you’ve got, you really do need those basic understandings of greetings. You have to say bonjour to people and show respect and, yeah, have a basic knowledge of the language. I do now speak fairly good French, probably better than I spoke when I was at the boot camp because I’ve started a French café, so every week we meet and speak French.
Annie Sargent: Bravo, bravo.
Helena Fedorec: I think that was one of the great advantages for me, that although I love traveling solo, I also like talking to people that I meet. And I got into some really interesting conversations when I was on a train or sitting next to someone in a café, couple of times sitting in a garden and there’d be someone working on the garden and we’d start talking.
Helena Fedorec: So, I think if people can work on their French before they go to France, it really pays off. One time in particular, the only time I had a problem with accommodation, most of the time I stayed in hostels, and there was one time when I stay, had a night in a hotel, and that, my booking had been stuffed up, and it was actually very useful then to be able to speak French.
Annie Sargent: Yes. Yes. I should say that you are a very sociable person. You enjoy the company of other people, you enjoy talking to people, and so it comes naturally to you, but I think it’s worth making an effort to chitchat with French people, if you can.
Annie Sargent: You know, it won’t be life-changing, okay? But it will be, it will make your journey more pleasant, that’s for sure.
Helena Fedorec: I often read on Facebook sites, people who feel very wary, and imagine that every person who approaches them is going to be a pickpocket. And you do need to be sensible,would never doubt that, traveling in any situation, but don’t expect the worst from people, you know? Just smile.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, smile. Be a real human being and try to talk to people, that’s excellent. Okay, so we know that you use the SNCF and Trainline apps. What else did you do to plan for this trip?
[00:12:39] The Joy of Slow Travel
Helena Fedorec: Okay. So the way that I do it is, once I had my cities in place, and oh, one thing with the budget is it’s, I find, is you’ve got to think, “Where do I want to spend my money?” So for some people, they would make eating out or trying different wines or exploring different shopping areas for example, a priority, and that’s really good.
Helena Fedorec: For me, I knew that the things that I really wanted to do were to see art galleries, to see museums, and I do have a thing about visiting gardens. So that was another reason why the places that I went to, I actually looked beforehand to what museums were there or what gardens were there. So with planning, I would always plan at least three nights in a location, and personally, I think five nights is worth it. Even in a place that people say, “Oh, there’s not much there,” because, I’m a huge fan of slow travel. If you take time in a place and explore, you actually really get a,you get a feel of how people have lived over years, what are the particular aspects of each town, and you discover some lovely little cafés.
Helena Fedorec: I mean, my idea of luxury is cup of coffee and a glass of wine, and the height of luxury is a cheese platter to go with it. So I had five nights in Nice, and then most of the others were either four or three. So what I would do on every day is pick out maybe two places that I would want to see during that day. I do an awful lot of walking. I prefer not to use, not to base things around having to do long journeys on metros or something like that. And quite often I would choose places that are maybe about two hours apart, two hours on foot, because part of what I enjoy doing is walking somewhere and looking at the buildings, looking at the gardens, all those things.
Annie Sargent: So that’s a long walk. I mean, you know, if you are going to walk two hours between the venues you want to visit, and then back to your accommodations, what, you were walking for six…
Helena Fedorec: Yeah. I quite often do that though. I’ll set off early in the morning. Yeah, so it’s not for everyone, I think the point I’m making though, Annie, is not to think, “Right, I’m going to see this museum, and then I’m going to see that walk, and then I’m going to do this restaurant, and then I’m going to do this,” it’s just keep it very simple. But know where you want to go.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, you will always find somewhere to eat along the way if you’re hungry. Now, if it’s super-duper rural, like in my village, where there’s under 3,000 people in my village, if you don’t eat when the one restaurant is open, well, you’re not going to eat because there’s no grocery store, you know, you have to kind of be aware that there are places where your choices are limited. But most places, you’ll find something.
Helena Fedorec: And that’s really relevant because I stayed in towns. I didn’t stay in small villages because I was reliant on public transport.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh. Yeah. Tiny villages, you really need your own wheels. You need a bicycle at least, you know, so you can get around. Did you find that there were safety concerns any, you know, because if you’re walking for six hours during the day, did you sometimes run into places where you go, “Oh, I’m not so sure about this place”?
Helena Fedorec: No. No. No, I mean, I traveled on my own in places like India and elsewhere, and it’s… I don’t take silly risks. I really don’t. So in Nice, for example, no, I mean, I was staying in very safe cities. And I don’t go out late at night, that’s just me.
[00:16:07] Voice Tours and Audio Guides
Helena Fedorec: But I just, yeah, I mean, one of those things though with the walking is I’m a huge fan of voice tours. So that was, again, part of the planning. And when I was in Paris, your voice tours are absolutely amazing.
Annie Sargent: Well, thank you, Helena.
Helena Fedorec: I’ve done all of them and just love revisiting them. Some of them I checked, part of my preparation listening to podcasts was in particular Join Us in France, searching for the towns where I was going to stay, and seeing what episodes related to those places, or the interviews. And through that I came across Jeanie Oliver’s voice tours in Nice…
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Helena Fedorec: … both of hers, and that’s really interesting. And obviously, Elyse’s tour for Toulouse.
Annie Sargent: For Toulouse, yeah.
Helena Fedorec: And there were two more for Bordeaux. I can’t remember the name of the person. They didn’t come through Join Us in France. To be honest, they weren’t, you know, the outstanding ones. Your Paris ones were the outstanding ones.
Helena Fedorec: But when I was in Paris, the time that I planned in Paris was actually around your voice tour, in this case of, is it Les Halles? I always…
Annie Sargent: Les Halles. Les Halles. You don’t s- yeah.
Helena Fedorec: I always mispronounce that one.
Annie Sargent: No liaison on that one.
Helena Fedorec: I loved that tour. I really loved it.
Annie Sargent: Thank you.
Helena Fedorec: Because you can think you know a place reasonably well, but often with the voice tour, when it’s done well, the person will take you to places that you may not have noticed and tell you background stories. And you can stop and start as much as you want to. And if it’s raining, you just go and sit in a café. And it’s so much cheaper than doing one of the, you know, guided tours that often aren’t done very well.
Annie Sargent: A lot of the ones that you mentioned here are all on the VoiceMap app. And any town in France you go to, they’ve actually… VoiceMap is asking me if I would write tours for other cities. Apparently, there’s a ton of people searching for a tour of Lourdes and Bergerac.
Helena Fedorec: Yeah.
Annie Sargent: And I’m like, “Okay, I’m not too far from either one of these cities. I guess I could.” It wouldn’t have occurred to me, but people do search for these VoiceMap tours because they enhance your visit. Like, somebody has done the research. Somebody can take you to the right places. Somebody can tell you the stories, and the history, the La Grande Histoire et la petite histoire, as we say in French. You know, you have History with a big H, big events, and then you have the little histories that make it fun.
Helena Fedorec: So, and another one I’ll just tell people because I often see questions about this, in Paris, as I said, I did Les… Oh, I’m going to say it wrongly again. Les Halles?
Annie Sargent: Les Halles.
Helena Fedorec: Oh, always get that one wrong.
Annie Sargent: Les Halles. Just pretend there’s no H. Les Halles.
Helena Fedorec: That’s my problem. Les Halles. But I also, I was staying very close to Père Lachaise Cemetery, and I wanted to see Édith Piaf’s grave again.
Helena Fedorec: And, there’s a really good one, it’s free. It’s on Rick Steves’ app. And he does a tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery, and that was really useful for finding the graves that people wanted to see. And some that you’re probably not,or most of us aren’t aware are there. That was a really, really worthwhile one to do.
Annie Sargent: Very cool. Yes, Rick Steves has several free tours, that are also quite good. I’ve walked some, and they were fine, you know? And there are other companies that also do voice tours. If you just do a search for “Audio tour of XYZ place,” you will find different companies that provide these.
Helena Fedorec: Another thing I found that I needed to do, so, I started in Nice because, obviously because of the number of artists who lived and worked there in the museums. Check in advance whether the museums are actually open. I was fine because the Chagall Museum was the one that I really wanted to see. But I think there were three others that were actually closed at the time that I was there, which is fine because there’s so much to see. But that thing of checking in advance, especially because the number of public holidays or swappovers of exhibitions is really important.
Annie Sargent: Exactly. That’s one of the few reasons why it’s good sometimes to try to buy your ticket in advance, is because at least you’ll visit the website and if you try to buy a ticket and there isn’t any available, you might wonder, “Oh, why?” It’s a good thing to check.
[00:20:25] Highlights of Nice
Helena Fedorec: So in Nice, the first day I walked up to the monastery, I stayed in a wonderful, wonderful hostel and lots of people said to me, “Are you staying in the hostels in…” and this was in a mixed dorm, right?
Helena Fedorec: And it was full. And it was fabulous because it was in an old church, an old chapel, and the couple, they run it extremely well. I think it’s called La Maïoun Guesthouse. It’s right in the old city and they’ve traveled widely and they basically have taken their ideas from what they’ve experienced and what they would hope for.
Helena Fedorec: So there’s a real emphasis on peace and quiet and very clear guidelines and everyone sticks to them, and beautiful breakfast in the morning. And I got to meet some really interesting people, but I could still go off and do my own thing, which is what I like doing.
Helena Fedorec: I went to the Monastère de Cimiez, which is a beautiful, beautiful eco-garden and then you can walk down the hill to the Chagall Museum, which is really worth visiting. Just stunning. And then from there, I could walk to the Russian Orthodox Church in Nice, and I mean, Nice is so rich in history, isn’t it?
Annie Sargent: Yeah. It’s a beautiful city. It’s a lovely city. And it’s well worth spending, you can easily fill five days in Nice. You could easily fill 10 days in Nice, really. There’s a lot to do. And I should mention that you sent me some very detailed notes of your trip, so there will be a page called Guest Notes. So if you go to the episode page for this episode and then click on the Guest Notes, you’ll see everything she sent me.
Annie Sargent: I mean, you had notes about check-in hours for the specific hostel and things like that. Or how long it would take you to walk somewhere…
Helena Fedorec: Oh, that’s part of my planning beforehand. I look at how I’m going to get from the station to the place. I know lots of people take Ubers and that’s fine, but I just tend not to, that’s just me. I love being able to use a bus or else to walk. But yeah, I do that.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And in France, Bolt is also a good possibility. You know, I’m trying to get away from Uber, if I have to I call a Bolt or a taxi.
Annie Sargent: And you, I assume you traveled light?
Helena Fedorec: I always travel very light. Yeah. So that I can walk and I now use, being older, look I’ve had this for donkey’s years. I think I’ve probably had it for 20 years. It’s an Osprey wheeled backpack. A small one, but it has an attached day pack that can come off and it’s light enough and small enough that I can pull it along or I can wear it as a backpack or I can put away the backpack straps and just carry it like a suitcase.
Helena Fedorec: And most important, and this is really important if anyone’s traveling by train, there is very limited luggage space on trains. So although there are the racks by the doors, and they would fill up absolutely immediately. And I don’t know that I felt comfortable, would feel comfortable putting a suitcase there anyway, but the Osprey backpack actually fits in the narrow luggage rack above your seat.
Annie Sargent: Wow. That’s nice. The whole backpack fits up there?
Helena Fedorec: Yeah. I took off the day pack and then it was narrow enough to fit up on the luggage rack.
Annie Sargent: Wow. Wow.
Annie Sargent: I never had any problems with security, and you do the obvious things like keeping your eyes on it… Right. I mean, trains are safe. Yeah, I haven’t heard of theft on the train, but you’re right.
Helena Fedorec: Common sense. Yeah.
Annie Sargent: It just takes one thief, right?
Helena Fedorec: Yeah. I just saw some people with very big suitcases and I just thought, “Why are you making life difficult for yourself?”
Annie Sargent: Yeah, because if you’re absolutely needing something, you can always get one. Yeah.
Helena Fedorec: I mean, France is very well-equipped. Yeah.
Annie Sargent: If you’re unsure about, “Should I bring this or not?” My answer is probably don’t because if you really, really need it, you’ll get it there.
(Mid-roll ad spot)
Helena Fedorec: So some of the places I managed to go, and a lot of it was you know, jumping on buses or walking or getting advice from other people. So, Porte de Vanse and the Fondation Maet… Is it Maet?
Annie Sargent: I’m not sure how they say that. It’s not a French word.
Helena Fedorec: Everyone should go there. Wonderful, wonderful collection of art. And also a collection of art books, so from different artists like Matisse and others. Absolutely stunning.
Helena Fedorec: And then from there, you can walk along a path, which is along a kind of ridge to Cagnes-sur-Mer, where there’s the Musee Renoir, where he used to live. And as you walk along this path, and most people seem to be taking buses or driving, rather than doing this walk. You come to locations where Renoir and others have done paintings and there are copies of those paintings in position, so you can see what the artist was seeing. It was just stunning walk.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful.
Helena Fedorec: Then Musee Renoir, I think was probably one of my favorite places.
Helena Fedorec: A lot of people I know, for good reason, go to Giverny. And I would say do the two, if you can.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. So also do the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Helena Fedorec: Yeah, absolutely. Especially, you know, to sit where his studio is and see the olive groves that, whom I painted, and film clips of one in particular of an elderly lady talking, and she was one of his favorite models when she was a child growing up. And she’s just describing the family life and atmosphere. Really beautiful.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful.
Helena Fedorec: Somewhere I didn’t like, but again, this is me.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Helena Fedorec: Is people talked a lot… Oh, right, if you’re going to go to Nice, you’ve got to go to, is it Eze?
Annie Sargent: Eze, yes.
Helena Fedorec: Eze, and theJardin Exotique, the exotic gardens there.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Helena Fedorec: I personally found Eze was a disappointment. There were so many tourists. The hostel owner told me that apparently it’s only recently that there’s been a car park put in.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Helena Fedorec: Such that the coaches can go there. And that since then you get very large groups occasionally going there when cruise ships are coming through. And there were just so many influencers taking photos. It was so irritating.
Annie Sargent: Wow.
Helena Fedorec: Yeah. But from there, if you do go there, there’s a walk that you can take down from Eze, and you go down the Chemin de Nietzsche, along the mountain. And I think that was one of the, my favorite experiences in the whole month. It was just stunning scenery. Very peaceful.
[00:26:51] Walking Sticks and Travel Essentials
Annie Sargent: Did you… Oh, did you have walking sticks?
Helena Fedorec: No. I kept thinking it. “If they would see me now, they’re going to be so angry.” I fell over twice. Don’t worry.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Walking sticks would be good. For me, if I was going to do that, I, this last time I was in the US, I… Okay, this is… this is so me. I was at Costco and I saw some walking sticks that look short enough to put in a carry-on suitcase, and I bought them and they do fit. And I’m never going anywhere without those walking sticks. If I know I’m going to take walks, I mean, if I’m going to Paris, I’m not going to use walking sticks in Paris, but other places, you know, always have them just in case.
Helena Fedorec: Oh, great. Oh, just one. Yeah. This path is where Nietzsche actually wrote or was inspired to write Zarathustra.
Helena Fedorec: And then you get down the bottom and the train station is there.
[00:27:47] Exploring Eze and Mont Saint-Michel
Annie Sargent: It’s really interesting what you say about Eze, because I have been to Eze but not since they opened this parking garage called the Parking Charles de Gaulle.
Annie Sargent: Which goes under the plaza, and I’m sure, because that was the major problem in Eze, was parking. And now that they have a parking garage, yeah,I’m sure it has quadrupled the number of visitors.
Helena Fedorec: And a lot of visitors who I don’t think realize how difficult it is to walk in Eze, because it’s steep and rocky, and they expect quaint little shops and so on, and they were just really struggling.
Helena Fedorec: There are so many beautiful places to go to.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Mont Saint-Michel is about like that as well, you know, people underestimate, especially the after 50 crowd, it’s cobblestone, it’s steep. It can be slippery.
[00:28:36] Visiting the Rothschild Villa and Menton
Helena Fedorec: But where I would recommend, and you can do this from Nice easily, I took a bus out to the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and I bet I haven’t pronounced that properly, the Rothschild Villa.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Helena Fedorec: And that is extraordinarily beautiful, also with very, very beautiful gardens. And that I’d say is far easier for people with any kind of mobility.
Annie Sargent: Yes, it’s flatter. I mean, you take the train and then you have to walk a little bit, but it’s not a super long walk or a difficult walk.
Helena Fedorec: No, I took the bus. You take the bus and it stops almost outside.
Annie Sargent: Oh, there you go. You take a bus afterwards. Okay. Even easier.
Helena Fedorec: And then from there you can take the bus onto Menton, which is just gorgeous, absolutely.
Annie Sargent: Okay. So you didn’t take a train at all to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, you took the bus?
Helena Fedorec: No, I took the bus. Yeah.
Annie Sargent: Ah, huh.
Helena Fedorec: So the hostel where I stayed had all the timetables and things like that, but you can find that information quite easily online. And it’s really easy.
[00:29:32] Navigating Nice with a SudAzur Pass
Helena Fedorec: Oh, sorry, another thing that I bought while I was in Nice, and we’re only on Nice at the moment, it was the, oh, what’s it called? Oh, it’s a card.
Annie Sargent: Like the day pass for the transportation?
Helena Fedorec: No, it’s not a day pass, it was a five-day pass, whatever it’s called, it’s in the notes anyway.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s in the notes. I’ll see if I can find it.
Helena Fedorec: I had two things that I could have bought. I decided not to buy the expensive one that I think was aimed more at tourists. I bought a local one and that was, it was just a tap on, tap off a lot of the time with it.
Annie Sargent: SudAzur Pass.
Helena Fedorec: That’s it.
Annie Sargent: And you said it was on recommendation from Lachlan Cooke?
Helena Fedorec: There you go. I did.
Annie Sargent: Hello, Lachlan.
Helena Fedorec: We listened. There you go.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. We listened to you. Uh-huh.
Helena Fedorec: We followed your recommendation.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Annie Sargent: Very good.
[00:30:20] Choosing Hostels and Accommodation Tips
Annie Sargent: Briefly, side track here, how did you pick the hostels where you were staying?
Helena Fedorec: So one thing that I do when,as part of the preparation, is before I go to a town, I’ll just put in a Google search… not a Google search, but a search on Facebook…. with the name of that town. And then I’ll put accommodation. And you’d be surprised how many posts come up under little Facebook groups, which actually have recommendations for different places.
Helena Fedorec: And there is a site, and I can’t remember it now because I don’t belong to it anymore because I’m not there, but it was something about visiting Nice in Provence. And somebody had asked a question about hostel accommodation. This place was highly recommended, so then I followed up and did a bit of research.
Annie Sargent: Ah-ha. Ah-ha.
Helena Fedorec: Or, I mean, look, I’ve got the booking.com app, and I did a lot through there. But I basically, I’d come up with a place and then I’d spent … I mean, I get quite obsessive about “hmm.” “Shall, shall I do that?” Yeah. And then I let it go, and go with the flow.
Helena Fedorec: But using some of those groups and just looking at what people are saying is quite handy. But recognizing what applies to individuals, like, you know, I’m not interested in expensive meals, for example, so I wouldn’t be looking for where are the good places to eat.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Helena Fedorec: It’s like, “Oh, look there, where’s a good art gallery to go to?”
Annie Sargent: All right, let’s talk about some of the other places you visited.
Helena Fedorec: Well, then I went on to Bordeaux. Oh, after Toulouse, where I met up with Elyse and said hello. It was just lovely.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, I was away, I couldn’t join up with you.
Helena Fedorec: No, I know.
Helena Fedorec: That’s alright. See you soon, at the Bootcamp.
Helena Fedorec: Then I went onto Bordeaux, and I think I said to you, it was real mourning that I’d left this beautiful Toulouse with the pink buildings and arrived in Bordeaux, and it’s the white limestone. And it was, “what?” I did a couple of VoiceMaps there, and then my family turned up.
Helena Fedorec: Maria and her wife, and gorgeous, gorgeous three-year-old granddaughter. We went for a meal to this vegan restaurant, and I’m thinking, “Why are we going to a vegan one? It’s my son who’s the strict vegan.” And then my son and his gorgeous girlfriend walked in. They had flown in from Australia without telling me, and it was beautiful.
Annie Sargent: Oh, that’s great.
Helena Fedorec: Even if it’s vegan, traveling in France, so what Savvas said to me about how he found this place, because he had insisted we go there, was, he uses an app called the Happy Cow.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Helena Fedorec: And it’s excellent for telling you where vegan … I’m not sure about vegetarian places are, but certainly vegan. And this place is called Monkey Mood, in the town. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It was delicious food. And I’m not vegan, I am vegetarian and it was beautiful. It really was.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. What’s your son’s name? You mentioned him, but I didn’t catch his name.
Helena Fedorec: So their dad is Greek, and so he’s Savvas. Savvas.
Helena Fedorec: S-A-V-V-A-S.
Annie Sargent: S-A-V-V-A-S? I have never heard that name. That’s pretty.
Helena Fedorec: My daughter is Maria.
Annie Sargent: Very nice.
[00:33:30] Child-Friendly Activities in France
Helena Fedorec: I’ll just mention on Bordeaux, a lovely town to visit, city to visit is… once I’d got used to leaving Toulouse, having a three-year-old there, and this was rainy weather, so people often think, “Oh, what can I do with a child?” So this might be a good tip for people. Her mums had brought her little scooter with her, right? And the scooter has a strap on it, so when she’s scooting along or standing on the scooter, you hold the strap so you’ve got control, that she’s not going to go careering into people or into the pavement. It was ideal not having a pusher or a stroller to have to carry around.
Helena Fedorec: She loved it because the pavements are so wide and, you know, she felt in control. It was lovely. And there is so much for children to do. It was something that really impressed me in France, is that almost every museum that I went into has activities for children. Hands-on activities like having building blocks, or coloring things, or asking little questions.
Helena Fedorec: And in Bordeaux, we visited the Musée de I’illusion, the, you know, illusions thing. All the family really, really loved that. In the natural history, again, very hands-on, really interesting, and there’s a whole section just aimed at little kids. Another one that we visited on the Cap de Gers was the, there’s an exhibition with dinosaurs, moving models of dinosaurs. She absolutely loved it. And their hands-on activities like big tubs of sand and you could be an archeologist. She was given a bucket and some tools and had to scrape away. You had to find the bones underneath and then find out which dinosaur they matched, all those things.
Helena Fedorec: Or just in France, they have these lovely jardins publics with the playground areas. I was a bit worried about bringing a three-year-old there, and she probably had a better time than anyone else. She was very good at saying, “Bonjour” to everyone.
Annie Sargent: Yes. And people love that. Love a little kid who’s gregarious and says, “Bonjour,” and smiles and looks happy.
Helena Fedorec: It’s true. Yeah.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
[00:35:34] Discovering La Rochelle and Ile de Re
Helena Fedorec: And then, so once they’d gone, then I went onto La Rochelle. Can’t recommend that highly enough. Absolutely lovely little town to stay in. And I’m very old. I’m sort of mindful, we haven’t got much time, so I better not rave on forever. From La Rochelle I did a trip to Île de Ré, which I found a bit touristy, to be honest, but the history is very, very rich.
Annie Sargent: It is. Île de Ré and all of these islands around there, some of the smaller ones not so much because they’re harder to get to. But the ones that are easy to get to, I mean, Île de Ré has a bridge for heaven’s sakes. You know?
Helena Fedorec: Or your ride by bus.
Annie Sargent: Right, right. So it’s easy to get to, lots of people. And you were there, I don’t know if we mentioned, but you were there in October, you spent the month of October, I mean, it was still kind of shoulder season. There were still people, but not as many as…
Helena Fedorec: It was lovely. It was really lovely. Yeah, I think October’s a good time to go to France.
Annie Sargent: This last October was rainy though, so it was rainier than normal.
Helena Fedorec: Interesting. Do you know, Annie, I look back and all I remember is sunshine and no problems with weather. When I looked back at my photos, I thought, oh, hang on a minute. The day I was in Menton, that afternoon, it was actually monsoon type day, and the same in Bordeaux, all the time the family was there, most of the time it was raining. But we just had such fun, it didn’t… you know, I don’t remember it affecting us. And Thea, my little granddaughter, she had a whale of a time because she loved splashing in puddles.
Annie Sargent: That’s great.
Helena Fedorec: La Rochelle, there are a lot of covered passageways, so whether it’s too hot or too rainy, you actually can find cover very, very easily.
Annie Sargent: It’s a beautiful town. I mean, honestly, La Rochelle is a gorgeous city.
Helena Fedorec: Oh, absolutely. And again, lots for children, including a sandy beach.
[00:37:29] Exploring Angers and Chartres
Helena Fedorec: And from there I went to Angers where the Apocalypse Tapestry is that dates from… is it the 14th century it was commissioned, I think?
Annie Sargent: I don’t remember that date, that detail, but yeah.
Helena Fedorec: It’s absolutely stunning. It’s not until you actually see it, the actual tapestry, that you realize what an extraordinary achievement it is. And then they also have a museum in an old hospital which is Jean-Lurçat, I think his name is. And he did, a kind of modern version of the Apocalypse Tapestry after World War II, which includes the Hiroshima Man. And that is so moving. Really, really worth visiting.
Helena Fedorec: And again, Angers, a beautiful city. I mean, the modern section has this lovely shopping center and all those kinds of things. But it’s just a lovely city to walk around. I would definitely like to go back.
Annie Sargent: It is, yeah.
[00:38:20] Experiencing Chartres for Longer than a Day Trip
Helena Fedorec: And then Chartres, I was very lucky… Or, I mean, I knew it was going to happen anyway. I was there the last day that the labyrinth, which is in the center of the cathedral, was actually uncovered. The chairs are moved back so that you can walk the labyrinth. And the idea of the labyrinth is kind of a meditation, a journey. It’s a bit like the journey of life, that you’re walking towards and away from the center, and you walk alone but you keep bumping into other people as they’re walking in another direction. It’s a really beautiful experience. So I got there the last day that that was possible, about the 26th of October.
Annie Sargent: Right.
Helena Fedorec: And then spent quite a bit of time.
Annie Sargent: So, most cathedrals used to have a labyrinth because it was part of the meditative kind of pilgrimage. And a few have kept them, but even if they kept them, you have to know that there didn’t used to be benches or chairs in churches and cathedrals. This is a new-ish development.
Annie Sargent: In the Middle Ages, people entered the cathedral and walked around the cathedral. They deambulated, déambulatoire is what it is in French, and they would just walk, and if the priest came out to do Mass, they would stop some of them, but not necessarily. They would just keep walking.
Annie Sargent: It was just a very different way of experiencinga church. And the labyrinths, like you said, it’s going to the center of your life and then back out and then leaving. You know? It’s entering life and exiting life, is what it tries to signify. It’s beautiful. It’s a beautiful experience, yeah.
Helena Fedorec: And next to the cathedral is Le Musée du Vitrail, the Museum of stained glass. And, I mean, one of the most special things about Chartres Cathedral are the windows. Are they the most completely preserved medieval…
Annie Sargent: I don’t know about the most, I mean, the Sainte-Chapelle are also extremely well-preserved. I don’t know of the most, but it… They are extremely well-preserved, yes.
Helena Fedorec: Yes, they are. And during the Second World War, they were taken down as a way of looking after them. And as lovely as they are in situ in the cathedral, there’s bits that you can’t really see very clearly.
Helena Fedorec: But in Le Musée du Vitrail, you can go in there and they’ve got each of the windows, copies of them, so you can actually look close up at the details, and they’re just fascinating. And then there are little films on how stained glass is made, the whole process, and then modern stained glass. And I found a window that I recognized from myhometown of Adelaide in Australia, and I was almost in tears just, “Oh wow!”
Annie Sargent: That’s great. That’s great. Yeah, that’s the difference between traveling as a, okay, check, I went to Chartres Cathedral. Check off to the next thing, and really experiencing a place for a few days, because if you stay for three days, you have time to go to the stained-glass museum. And you have time to just waste a little time on the beautiful little plazas that they have, where you could have a drink or a glass of wine or a meal or whatever you enjoy and, you know, just take it easy, enjoy the moment.
Helena Fedorec: I had done a day trip to Chartres, oh, probably about five or six years ago, so that was a day trip, and I used it well, but had not seen what I saw with staying, I think I stayed three nights in Chartres.
Helena Fedorec: And during, I don’t know whether it was just during October or whether it goes longer, but a lot of the towns had lumiere. So it was Chartres en lumiere, and there’s a whole walking trail that you can do to see the different buildings lit up and the bridges, and stories being told. That was fascinating. And I wouldn’t have done that had I done a day trip.
Annie Sargent: Right, you can’t do that if you just do a day trip. And yeah, to do that, you have to stay a few nights, at least one night, and you have to stay up until dark.
Helena Fedorec: Or get back very late at night, and I don’t do that.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, we need to bring this to a close. I’m sure you had many, many other wonderful experiences, but I will remind people that I will put your guest notes with lots of details about where you stayed and how you got around and things like that, because that’s going to save people a ton of time, or at least inspire them to go spend some time. Would you say … I mean, I know what you’re going to say, you’re going to say that it’s part of the joy of life to travel and take your time, right?
Helena Fedorec: I’m a, as I said, a huge believer in slow travel and encounter.
Helena Fedorec:
[00:42:58] Fontenay-aux-Roses, Parc d’Essoûrs
Helena Fedorec: Oh, I didn’t even tell you about Parc de Sceaux, which is, you know, surprising that I stayed in another hostel, student hostel, at Fontenay-aux-Roses, just outside the periphery but at the end of a metro line, for my last night. And then discovered this place Parc de Sceaux, which is a fantastic chateau and gardens. Really recommend going there.
Helena Fedorec: But when I was leaving Fontenay-aux-Roses, I was on the station platform, coming up in the elevator, and it was a tiny, tiny elevator, and there was a mother with three small children. She was wearing a hijab, and the children were probably three, four, and five. They were very close in age, very young. And we all squashed in this tiny elevator together.
Helena Fedorec: And the little girl looked up at me, and she gave this huge grin and then she made a heart shape with her fingers and she looked at me through them. And I laughed and replied to her in French, also in Australia when I’m traveling, and I laughed and I replied to her in French and said, “Ah, the children in Australia do that too.” And I made the sign back to her and I said, “I’m from Australia.” And then the mother started laughing and she said, “Ah, we’re all traveling, aren’t we?” And I thought, “Well, that really sums it up.” I mean, like, wherever you are, you’re traveling. You’re traveling. It’s the gift of, you know, encounter and connection and being open.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. Wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Well, Helena, you are wonderful. Keep traveling. You are an inspiration. I’m sure lots of people are going to say, “You know, I need to take that trip I’ve been hoping to take,” because …
Helena Fedorec: And do it their way. Yeah, you do it your way. Find out what interests you.
Annie Sargent: Right. Right. And don’t let budget be a… I mean, you know, you can do this, most nights you paid, what, €60 euros per night or something like that?
Annie Sargent:
Helena Fedorec: And I didn’t stay in the ultra-cheap places. I mean, you can do that, but I knew that I, at 70, you know, I don’t want the party hostels, for example.
Helena Fedorec: But yeah, it’s just doing it in a way … Every place that I stayed and I wanted … I looked for, “Can I make a cup of tea?” That’s my big thing when I’m traveling. Forget the glass of wine and a cup of coffee, give me the cup of tea.
Helena Fedorec: Yeah.
Annie Sargent: No, that’s true. That’s true. You have to understand what your needs are, and you have to make sure those needs are met. That’s true at any age. But as we get older, it’s even more true, I think.
Annie Sargent: Thank you so much, Helena. You have been a delight to talk to. I can’t wait to see you again at the Bootcamp. …
Helena Fedorec: So looking forward to Bootcamp.
Annie Sargent: And keep on traveling, my friend.
Helena Fedorec: Definitely. Definitely.
Annie Sargent: All right.
Annie Sargent: Merci beaucoup.
Helena Fedorec: Merci.
Annie Sargent: Au revoir.
Helena Fedorec: A bientot. A bientot.
Annie Sargent: A bientot.
[00:45:52] Thank you, Patrons
Annie Sargent: Again, I want to thank my patrons for giving back and supporting the show. Patrons get several exclusive rewards for doing that, you can see them at patreon.com/joinus.
Annie Sargent: And a special shout-out this week to my new Join Us in France champions, Abigail Merlis, Stephanie Bradley, Gina Layte Liston, Lauren, and Mali Le Doux.
Annie Sargent: And thank you, Robbie, for upgrading to yearly, it’s great for me, but it’s also good for you because you get two months off. Thank you so much everyone.
Annie Sargent: Would you join them too? You can do it for as little as $3 a month, but if you can afford it, I would love to have you pledge more so you can have access to more of the rewards.
Annie Sargent: So go to patreon.com/joinus and to support Elyse, go to patreon.com/elysart.
[00:46:49] Tour Review
Annie Sargent: Somebody left this review of one of my VoiceMap tours this week. Guess which one it was?
Annie Sargent: “A well-balanced tour with excellent information and guidance. Many steep climbs were avoided, which meant we could focus on the sights. Another outstanding and wonderful VoiceMap experience.”
Annie Sargent: So can you guess what it was? Well, it was Montmartre, of course, the place with a lot of hills and a lot of steps. VoiceMap is like taking a private tour with a human guide who lets you stop whenever you want, picks up again at your leisure, or even goes to a different point on the map, and you cannot do that with a real tour guide, not even with me.
Annie Sargent: I’m not that open-minded when it’s in person.
Annie Sargent: Podcast listeners get a big discount for buying these tours from my website, and it’s best for me as well because I get to keep more of what you pay instead of giving it to Apple or Google.
[00:47:45] Annie’s Itinerary Consultant Service
Annie Sargent: And if you’re planning a trip to France and want expert help, you can hire me as your itinerary consultant.
Annie Sargent: I will improve your plan if you already have one or suggest one if you’re at a loss. And you can book that at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
[00:48:01] Decathlon Outdoor
Annie Sargent: Let’s talk about why I recommend you use Decathlon Outdoor instead of Komoot. Both are route planning apps for hiking, cycling, and running. I’ve stopped recommending Komoot because I’ve stopped using it myself as I found a better option, and let me explain why.
Annie Sargent: In March 2025, Komoot was acquired by Bending Spoons. This is the same tech company that snapped up Evernote and WeTransfer and laid off massive teams. I also used WeTransfer for a long time and pretty much stopped doing it as well because they made it unusable, I think on purpose. Getting acquired by Bending Spoons is not good news for any company, in my opinion.
Annie Sargent: The first thing they do is start charging for basic services that used to be free, but that’s not the worst of it. About 85% of Komoot’s staff were let go, so the people who built the platform are gone. So I’ve switched to recommending Decathlon Outdoor instead.
Annie Sargent: It’s 100% free so far. Over 70,000 hiking and cycling routes are available in France with offline maps, audio and visual GPS guidance, altitude profiles, and a clean, easy interface. Community reviews, expert verified trails, and features like exit alerts make it reliable and safe.
Annie Sargent: Decathlon is a large French company that sells sports equipment all over Europe. That’s why they have a strong interest in helping us find great hikes and bike paths, et cetera. It’s owned by the Mulliez family, like they also own Auchan and Leroy Merlin, and the Leclerc family.
Annie Sargent: You’ve probably heard of Leclerc grocery stores, right? So a couple of the most wealthiest French families right there. And anyway, I see it as a more sustainable option that won’t lose 85% of its staff overnight, which makes Decathlon Outdoor a better choice in my mind and in practice.
Annie Sargent: I don’t have anything against companies making money, obviously, but information that’s meant to entice the public to enjoy the outdoors and stay active and has been shared freely by users should not be monetized forcefully.
Annie Sargent: It’s like this podcast. There are enough of you purchasing my tours and services that I can make a living without putting the podcast behind a paywall. There’s no need to be greedy, I think.
[00:50:36] Pompidou Centre in Paris
Annie Sargent: Let’s talk about the Pompidou Center in Paris. It’s closing its doors for five years to undergo massive asbestos removal and renovation work scheduled until 2030.
Annie Sargent: That means everything inside, paintings, sculptures, archives, even the library, has to move. We’re talking about 120,000 works of art. Some will travel around France, and abroad so the public can see them. Others are going into restoration before they settle into a new long-term storage facility being built in Massy, just outside of Paris.
Annie Sargent: It’s not just for the art collections, the Bibliotheque Publique d’Information, which is the most visited library in France, is also packing up and will relocate temporarily to another part of the city.
Annie Sargent: Behind the scenes, this is an extraordinary logistical challenge. How do you move fragile masterpieces or monumental sculptures safely? Specialized teams are already at work carefully emptying the permanent collection floors and preparing the treasures of the Pompidou for their journey.
Annie Sargent: For the next five years, the Pompidou itself will be quiet, but its art will be more visible than ever, circulating across museums in France and around the world until it returns home in 2030.
Annie Sargent: So if you see any of these pieces somewhere out there, please let me know. I like to hear where they’ve been because that’s always an exciting to find out about.
[00:52:15] The Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy
Annie Sargent: The Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy is now closed. It shut down its doors in September 2025, on the 1st I think, for major renovation work that will last until about October 2027.
Annie Sargent: This doesn’t mean the Bayeux Tapestry will stay hidden. For the first time the tapestry is going on loan. Starting September 2026 through July 2027, the British Museum in London will host the full 70 meter embroidery.
Annie Sargent: In return, some of Britain’s famed artifacts, including the Sutton Hoo Treasures and the Lewis Chessmen, will travel to Normandy. The move is stirring a debate, conservation experts warn the tapestry is fragile. It already has thousands of stains, holes, and tears, but French and British museum authorities say careful planning is underway. Special transport crates, climate control, shock absorbent systems, all part of this preparation.
Annie Sargent: For history lovers, this is huge. It’s a rare moment. The tapestry’s history, its story of the Norman Conquest in 1066 comes alive outside of Bayeux, and it reminds us of how art, travel, and heritage link countries across time.
Annie Sargent: And I’m glad to hear that it will return to Bayeux indeed and not be sent to Paris. Paris has forever asked for the tapestry to go in Paris, and I think that’s ridiculous because Paris doesn’t get to keep all of the pretty things, okay? We need some of them outside of Paris as well.
Annie Sargent: My thanks to podcast editors Anne and Christian Cotovan, who produced the transcripts and the audio.
Annie Sargent: Next week on the podcast, an episode about how to plan a memorable family trip to France with Heather Addison. There are a lot of things to consider.
Annie Sargent: Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you join me next time, so we can look around France together.
Annie Sargent: Au revoir.
[00:54:23] Copyright
Annie: The Join Us in France travel podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Annie Sargent, and Copyright 2025 by AddictedToFrance. It is released under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license.
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