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Discovering France by House Sitting
Many housesitters fall in love with France by house sitting. Discovering the remarkable countryside, the rich history and culture by housesitting somewhere completely new. Have you tried house sitting somewhere completely new in France? Tiera St Claire one of our regular housesitters loves traveling and recently spent a lot of time journeying through France, housesitting to save money during her trip. In this blog she shares some of her top tips on how to travel through France on a budget.
Photo by Tiera St Claire
A voyage of discovery – Find a New France by House Sitting
Top Tips – Travelling by train through France
One of the things I like to do is travel by train through Europe. The trains are used by everyone in France they are regular and fairly punctual so this makes it an easy way to travel. Plus. it’s surprisingly affordable and cuts your travel costs dramatically. More to the point in France, especially in the South you can buy a Zou Smart Card it works for trains and buses, and cuts 30% off your train ticket. It only costs Euros 30, per year and your companion can also secure that discount if they travel with you. So it’s a bargain really.
More to the point the train stations are usually an easy walk from the centre of town so the logistics are good too, whether you are arriving in Nice, Paris or Bordeaux, the train is great.
Another point to note is if you hop on a bus or train without a ticket or you think you have the wrong ticket, find the conductor and sort it out. You will pay just the price of the ticket. But if you forget to sort this out and the conductor finds you first you’ll pay a fine.
Top Tips – Free buses
I rarely take buses because I like to walk a lot, so for me walking around a city or town once I get there is a really key part of my trip. But if you like buses then look out for the free buses that take you to some of the landmarks or places of interest. They really do exist!
Another thing I want to point out is that by walking you trip across some charming places that are off the beaten track.
Photo by Tiera St Claire
Top Tips – Don’t miss the local landmarks
One of the big advantages of learning about a new part of France by house sitting is you can take time to look up and visit the local landmarks.
While in Nice last year I looked up a number of the spectacular villas and art museums, I just love art museums and make a point of looking them up where ever I am. Even small towns have them. And you’ll be amazed how often they are very affordable to visit. I am American and it constantly surprises me that there are free museums to visit. Don’t miss this great opportunity.
Top Tips – Don’t miss the Free Museums
One of my visits to Grasse, considered the perfume capital of France, was fantastic because I did the tour of the free museums in the town. They tell you the history of how perfumes were first made there, they describe the local harvests of jasmine, lavender and other scented flowers. It’s a real joy. And in the street they even spray you with lavender water on hot sunny days. Not to be missed.
Housesitting offers many wonderful opportunities to see the world – discovering France by house sitting in particular is a great treat that I try to enjoy at least once a year. Try it out!
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Further reading on housesitting, housesit travel and housesitters
At HouseSit Match we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters and house sitting in Europe useful.
