Maybe it’s because the lights of Paris burn so brightly, but travelers often forget there are other cities in France. I suspect smaller French cities get skipped over on the way to the countryside, where people seek life-affirming epiphanies in a quaint, Provençal setting or for suntans on the southern [...]

The Paris-Plage (Paris Beaches) kicks off in Paris every year in late July, transforming riverside roads usually congested with cars into an urban oasis complete with sandy beaches, deckchairs, food vendors, outdoor concerts and Parisian woman eating ice cream in bikinis (see above). Your welcome. This year find the riverside [...]

Despite the fact the euro is hitting new lows against the dollar, chances are that any savings in the exchange rate are more than outweighed by the increase you paid in air fare to the Continent. With that in mind, check out Lonely Planet’s list of 20 free things to [...]

How can a city so revered for its aesthetic beauty and so dependent on tourism (Paris is the most visited city on Earth) have the worst airport it in the world? Perhaps it is for those very same reasons. An overabundance of attention spent on maintaining the city itself and [...]

I arrive at the entrance to the nudist colony on a beautiful late-September afternoon. It’s in the mid-80 degrees Fahrenheit so I figure there will be plenty of (naked) people on the beach. I’m no enthusiast, but I’m here because I have to be. I just moved into an apartment [...]

According to the most recent statistics from the World Tourism Organization, the top 10 most visited countries in the world was unchanged in order from 2008, with France leading the way, welcoming 74.2 million international travelers in 2009, a decrease of 6.3% from the previous year. As can be seen [...]

Paris may be known for its decadent, mutli-course meals, but nothing says delicacy like the grand finale: dessert. Actually, it’s not unusual in Paris to mosey into a patisserie or chocolaterie for a midday snack, but one so fantastic that you’d hardly believe it was just a quick bite. The [...]

By Maria Russo In her latest book, “Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves, Culinary Adventures in the Dordogne,” Kimberley Lovato explores the medieval towns, bucolic countryside, and remote villages of this southwest region of France through the fascinating heritage of its people, and the local cuisine that has kept century-old traditions [...]

Today, I am in wonder of the world. In a good way. I saw an article in a newspaper at work. I had to sit down a minute and really think about what it was that shook me. The headline read: “Paris Introduces Sparkling Water Fountains.” I then found a [...]

If you love Paris but despise the crowds, then August may be the perfect time to travel to The City of Light. Yes, it’s true that many restaurants, businesses, and cafés shut down during this month, but with half of Parisians leaving the city for annual vacations, you may just [...]