France by Housesitting – Top Things to See on a Tour

One of our regular housesitters, Tiera St Claire, recently completed a long tour of France by housesitting and staying in local auberges. Read her account of this wonderful way to enjoy authentic travel, stay in homes, and see a new country from every angle. Housesitting reduces the cost of accommodation while travelling.

A Tour of France by Housesitting

Photo by Tiera St Claire

A great benefit of house sitting in France and especially all around Europe is that so many countries are easily accessible to visit and enjoy.  If your housesitting starts in the UK, France, Belgium or the Netherlands, the European continent is a simple train ride away.  Spain, France and Italy are easy to travel between by train, as are many countries in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

This makes a tour of France by housesitting easy and enjoyable. Some friends of mine came to London at the end of May, where I was pet Sitting, and we then went for a month’s tour in France occasionally, travelling by train between destinations.  Here are some of the highlights of our visits to the following remarkable cities:

• Lille
• Dijon
• Lyon
• Avignon
• Arles
• Nimes
• Aix en Provence
• Antibes
• Menton
• Beaulieu sur Mer
• Villefrranche sur Mer
• Cagnes sur Mer
• Frejus

Arriving in Paris for our Tour of France by Housesitting

From London, you can take the Eurostar to Paris, or to Lille if you want to see some of the delights in Northern France. If you arrive in Paris by Eurostar and travel on from there, you will most likely have to change train stations.  The easiest way to do this is by using the Paris Metro, as taxis and busses can get jammed up in the city’s traffic.

NOTE – Buy tickets for public transport in Paris online ahead of time

I hasten to add that the most difficult part can be buying your Metro ticket. So buy your train tickets to cross Paris online ahead of time if you can. Whether you want to buy tickets for the Paris Metro, the RER, bus or tram, then the t + on a Navigo Easy pass or on your phone via the Bonjour RATP app are exactly what you need!

Lille –

Located in the northern part of France, in French Flanders, Lille is a lovely place. It has a charming historic Old Town to walk around in and a wonderful park not far from the centre. There are two train stations in Lille, about two blocks apart.

On the Eurostar, you will arrive at the international station. When you book your next ticket, make note of which station it leaves from so you get the right one and catch your train on time. The other station is called Lille Flanders. Lille is definitely worth a few hours to visit, even if you’re in transit. Come into the city, go on a walking tour, and then book your outward passage for a little later.

Things to see and do when in Lille

• The Citadel – a 17th-century fort built by Vauban in a pentagonal structure, called the ‘Queen of Citadels.
• Eat Gaufre (waffles) – at Méert, the famous Salon De Thé
  
• Go see the Giant Chandeliers in the Palais des Beaux-Arts – they are enormous and simply stunning

Photo courtesy of Janine Marsh -The Good Life France

Dijon

Dijon is actually the capital of Burgundy, yet it has an aura of peace. It is a small city; I walked pretty much the whole of the Old Town on the first day. Since 2005, the historic city centre has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo by Tiera St Claire

As a food and wine capital, Dijon is famous for its culinary specialities, which include mustard, snails, crème de cassis, chocolate, and gingerbread.

This is a slideshow on the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon

Things to see and do when in Dijon

• Try Dijon mustard. Dijon is actually most famous for its mustard, which was first made in 1856 when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic “green” juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe.
• The Museum of Fine Arts is fabulous. It is quite large and is in a beautiful building.  I recommend going through the rooms in order, as I didn’t and then had to keep backtracking to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
• The Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the Duke’s Palace as it was closed.  I may have to go back to Dijon for that! Its origins go back to the 14th Century and is in the centre of the city.

Lyon

From Dijon, we took a train to Lyon, where we walked around for a couple of hours. I had expected to be more charmed by Lyon than I was. The fine arts museum was good, and I liked walking along the river. Other than that, for a pedestrian at the time of year we went, it seems a bit …eh. It is not a super long walk from the train station, or you can catch a city bus to the centre.

Photo by Tiera St Claire

However, I hear it has many other attractions that draw visitors.

Things to see and do when in Lyon

• Eat at a Bocuse restaurant. This city is a real food hub, and Paul Bocuse, the famous chef, has left his mark.
• Visit the Lyon Festival of Lights, traditionally held in December, which dates back to 1856

Avignon

From Lyon, we went to Avignon by train once again, where we stayed for about a week and made day trips.  Avignon is gorgeous, historic, beautiful and actually rather ancient.  We stayed at a lovely place about a 6 minute walk from the train station, making it easy to tour about. It is not a big city and very walkable.

When booking your train ticket, be aware once again that there are two train stations in the city: Avignon Centre and Avignon TGV.   We came into the TGV as the ticket was less expensive.  You can catch a 5-minute train to the Centre Station.

Avignon is upbeat and vibrant, and it is a charming old town. There are ruins of a medieval wall and a great shopping district, with loads of restaurants and cafes to sample local produce.

Photo by Xuan Nguyen

Things to see and do in Avignon

• The Museum Calvet is absolutely fantastic.
• The Palais des Papes – is fascinating! Get the virtual goggles so you can see what it used to look like. However, I was not impressed with the Petit Palais.
• The Other Bridge – You can walk over a bridge to get to the little Island in the middle of the Rhone River. Note – it is not the original Pont D’Avignon – that’s been missing a few arches since the 17 Century when floods washed away some arches. Alternatively, take a Ferry boat – it takes a few minutes and is free.  The captain and mate take a break mid-day, so plan accordingly.  On the island, you can walk around, and it is pleasant.  If you go left from the Ferry, you can walk to the bridge and go over to the other part of Avignon: Villeneuve-les-Avignon, where you can tour Fort Sainte-Andre on the top of the hill.

Arles

Arles is famous for a number of things, especially as a place where Van Gogh painted. However, the Van Gogh museum was a bit of a disappointment, as there were hardly any Van Gogh paintings! It is worth remembering that he wasn’t much liked by the locals and, in fact, never actually sold a painting in his lifetime.

Oldest living woman in 1990 remembered serving Van Gogh in her uncle’s shop

In 1986, Jeanne Calment became the oldest living person in France at the age of 111.^[12] Her profile increased during the centennial of Vincent van Gogh’s move to Arles, which occurred from February 1888 to April 1889 when she was 13 and 14 years old. Calment claimed to reporters that she had met van Gogh at that time, introduced to him by her future husband in her uncle’s fabric shop. She remembered that van Gogh gave her a condescending look, as if unimpressed by her. She described his personality as ugly, ungracious, and “very disagreeable”, adding that he “reeked of alcohol”. Calment said that she forgave van Gogh for his bad manners. Source Wikipedia

Photo by Tiera St Claire

Things to see and do in Arles

• The Arles open-air market is massive and crowded, and the walk along the river is pleasant.
• The old town is charming and offers opportunities for photos.
• L’espace Van Gogh has a lovely vibe. It has a little garden scattered with a few artists at their easels painting.
• Arles Roman Amphitheatre. Dating from 90 AD this ancient monument seats 21,000 and is still used today for all kinds of events.

 Nîmes

The best part of Nîmes was the first sight on coming off the train—a wide boulevard with manicured gardens and a fountain. The old town was not as charming as most of the others we had seen, and the imposing amphitheatre was closed for the day. We went into the Tourist information centre and found out about a bus to take us to Uzes, about 30 minutes away.

‘French Rome’ as it was known, is an ancient city, and during the Roman invasion of Gaul, it was one of the richest towns. It has preserved many of its Roman monuments.

Things to see and do in Nîmes

• Maison carrée – This ancient structure is extremely well preserved and is said to have inspired the Église de la Madelaine in Paris and the Virginia State Capitol in the USA.
• Les Arènes de Nîmes – Built shortly after the Colosseum in Rome in 100 AD, it is one of the best preserved Roman Amphitheatres in the world and is still in use today.

Aix-en-Provence

The TGV station is away from the centre in Aix, and there is no connecting train. You can catch a bus by taking an elevator down and going outside. It takes about 30 minutes, and you can get a round-trip fare. Take note of the bus number and the stall it comes into—it will leave from the same one or the one next to it.

Then it is a short walk into the centre of Aix-en-Provence, which is lovely, historic, and charming. Located North of Marseilles, Aix is the former capital of Provence and has the architecture and lively centre of a historic capital. There is a main boulevard with stalls and stalls of vendors and a busy, well-used market a few streets away.

Photo credit – Lamia Walker

Aix was famously the home to many artists over the centuries, in particular, Cezanne, whose family bastide is now a hotel. Other world-famous artists who called Aix home at one time or another include Picasso, Van Gogh, and Puget.

Things to see and do in Aix

• Museum Granet – is presented to visitors in two parts, and when you get a ticket, it includes access to both.  They are a few blocks distance from each other.  There is wonderful art on display in the permanent collection.
• Cezanne’s Studio – If you can, don’t miss this. See where he mixed his paints and contemplated the light before heading out to paint outdoors.

I found a few second-hand shops with great prices.  (You can find these on Google if you search for second-hand.)

Antibes

From Aix, we took the bus back to the train station and went South to the Cöte d”Azur. We had decided to stay in Antibes and do day trips from there. This was a great choice, it turned out. We found a lovely place right in the old town, which is pedestrian-only and charming. Antibes is much bigger than I had expected, with a bustling new town to enjoy.

I walked uphill on a hiking trail and found a lovely area with a cafe and a few artists selling their artwork. Then I walked toward Cap d’Antibes. I opted to walk along the road rather than through the wooded path as I don’t like going downhill on rocks. I ended up at the Villa Eilenroc—stunning!

Photo by Tiera St Claire

From there, I walked to the sea, took a left and returned to the centre of Antibes.  Little did I know what I was getting into!

The views were spectacular. The terrain was very rocky, with many ups and downs, sometimes on rock stairs that were quite steep. Once I began, I had to keep going or turn back (no!). I estimate it took an hour to get to the road that goes along the coast, where I could then walk back into Antibes. This may have been even longer. It was quite a day!

Things to see and do in Antibes

• The Picasso Museum was located by the sea and was good. I didn’t go to the archaeological museum, but it is a little walk further along the coast.
• Villa Eilenroc, in Juan les Pins, Antibes, was designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera. It’s a beautiful historic villa that symbolises the luxury and show of beauty of the Belle Époque.

Menton

Menton has a definite flavour of Italy.  Everywhere you look, there are lemon trees. After doing some investigation, it makes sense as it was originally Italy, passed onto Monaco for 500 years, and is now a part of France.

I found terrific photo ops, a large market, and a cemetery up on the hill with wonderful views of the coast and pebbled beaches. Unfortunately, the museum was closed.

Things to see and do in Menton

• Lemon Festival Menton Feb- Mar – an entire two-week festival in celebration of the humble lemon. It has to be worth seeing.
• Jean Cocteau Museum – Dedicated to this multi-talented artist of the avant-garde, a leader in the Surrealist and Dadaist movements.

Beaulieu sur Mer

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothchild is absolutely stunning. It takes you back to the Belle Époque, with history, art, gardens, and beauty all around. I walked from the train station while my friends took a bus.

Photo by Tiera St Claire

Other places to visit in Beaulieu sur Mer

• Villa Kerylos – We were quite disappointed with the Villa Kerylos. It was meant to show a Greek villa, which it did, but there was no feeling, no soul. Visit and see what you think.

Villefranche sur Mer

It is small and lovely, on a hillside with photo ops and wandering.  A short walk along the coast from the train station.  Cafes and restaurants along the sea.

Photo by Tiera St Claire

Cagnes sur Mer

There are two areas. The lower part of the town is a bit of a walk from the train station, and there is not really much to see except the Renoir Museum and home. However, there is history, art, and beautiful grounds to explore.

Then you can go up the hill to the old town with its castle and charming winding streets. It is about a 20-minute walk uphill and lovely. The Château-Musée Grimaldi is a great tour, with art, history, and views.

Photo by Tiera St Claire

Things to see and do in Cagne-sur-Mer

• Visit Renoir’s House Museum – The museum is kept as he left it with personal artefacts and furniture, including some 15 of his paintings.

Grasse

Grasse is a gorgeous little town.  The train station is a ways away from the Old Town. I walked up the hill, and my friends took the bus.  The Provence Art and History Museum is fabulous, on a little side street from the main square.

Things to see and do in Grasse

• Jasmine Festival in August – It is reported to be a fabulously colourful/scented festival. If you are free that weekend in August, go!
• Fragonard Museum – I enjoyed the smaller (free) Fragonard Museum more than the large paid one. And the smells! If you love perfume, this is heaven.

Fréjus

We were going to St Tropez, so we took a train to Saint Raphael to get the ferry… However, we found that we were two days early in the season, and the boat was not yet running!

NOTE – Check published schedules before leaving home

I walked around and then up to the old town of Frejus, which was a great find.  Roman ruins, a cathedral and cathedral museum and a history museum, along with cafes and little shops.  I was impressed with the ruins of the Roman aqueduct, a short walk from town.

From the Cote de Azur, we went to Paris for a few days, and then I went to La Rochelle.

La Rochelle

A port town on the Atlantic coast, it has a lot of history. I stayed at Central Hostel, which is in an old mansion and very well run. The train takes about 2.5 hours from Paris, and the train station is 15-20 minutes’ walk from the station. There are also city buses.

There is a maritime museum with three ships to explore, a plethora of shops and photo ops and an island nearby to explore.

Final Thoughts on touring France by housesitting and staying in auberges

Housesitting offers many wonderful opportunities to see the world and be enriched with culture. I love housesitting in France and touring France by housesitting, for that matter.  I hope this little travel log has inspired some ideas.

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