My honest thoughts on France

France is a diverse country of natural and man made beauty a country with many cultures and places to see so from my experience here's what I'd do again and the places I'd miss.

Lyon

Something all people must learn about France is the worst part of the country is the people that live there. For me France would be the best country in the world if there were less French people in it. My experience of Lyon is a strange one due to the fact I was only there a day and didn't get to see too much of the city. In my limited time there however we had many unpleasant encounters and had a friend harassed and followed from a bar. People say Frenchmen are forward this was found out to be more than true in Lyon.

When we pulled into Lyon on the coach the first words that left my mouth were what a horrible place. While I appreciate all cities have their good bits and bad bits the part of town we stayed in did not leave a positive impact on me. Rats, graffiti and some of the angriest people I have ever encountered. I would not recommend walking the city at night if not a large group.

While it has its negatives it is a very beautiful city and if going around France I do think it is worth a visit. The city centre has beautiful architecture and a very nice stream of water running through which adds to the city in my opinion. High end restaurants on cobbled streets and some of the biggest brands in the world of fashion and shopping are some of the positives. Lyon is a city littered with history and culture and is a staple of France. The food of Lyon was fantastic French cuisine is known around the world for its high quality and Lyon lives up to this with tender meat and amazing vegetables. Lyon is a cheap alternative to Paris if visiting France is on your list however I do not recommend more than a few days here. I feel like there is enough to fill 2-3 days but I would struggle any more than that despite only spending 1 day in Lyon I feel I saw everything I wanted to and would not consider going back.

Paris

Paris is the capital of France and is classed in many people's "big 4" of places they want to see before they die. I have been to Paris twice and have thoroughly enjoyed it on both occasions. With it being the capital of France it is the most expensive city in the country and one of the most expensive in all of Europe. Paris is often considered the home of fashion and because of this the high street has the biggest names in fashion similar to Lyon but on a much larger scale. The restaurants of Paris are once again known across the world for their high standards and delicious food I once again found this to be true.

While in Paris there are many bucket list activities that I was able to check off: seeing the Eifel tower shine at night, watch a cabaret in the Moulin Rouge, see Notre dam and go to the Palace of Versailles. While I was in Paris the Paralympics were going on which added an incredible vibe to the city large groups of people walking throughout the city from all over the world to support their athletes was an amazing thing to see, although it did make commuting the city a nightmare. Paris is a city I recommend to everyone keen on travelling for its culture, landmarks and nightlife.

I cannot speak highly enough of the public transport system in and around Paris. The availability of buses and trains made commuting the city and its surrounding area a simple task. We were able to cheaply and reliably travel around the city and get to places outside like Versailles which made the trip more enjoyable. The Palace of Versailles is for me a must see with timeless art pieces, amazing history, an exterior decked out in gold and a view of the surrounding area. Tickets to the palace are not too expensive either with them coming to about £20. The most expensive thing that I did in Paris was the cabaret which set me back around £90 it was an interesting show however I did not particularly however I do recommend the experience. The Eifel tower is of course free to view but will cost money to climb I did not climb the tower because I did not feel the need however I have heard the view from the top is worth it.

French Catalonia

For me the best and most beautiful part of France is the Southern Spanish border it has a fascinating culture, beautiful landscapes and my favourite part of it is its lack of French people. The people here are Catalonian which is the coolest people in France they speak Catalan, French and Spanish which makes them easier to communicate with. This part of France has beautiful mountains and rivers as well as cultural cities. The Ardeche is the most beautiful part of all of Europe from my experience clear rivers and magnificent mountains on either side as you paddle through. I spent 3 days camping and kayaking across the Ardeche and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I cannot recommend this part of France enough.

The beaches here are equally beautiful while I was staying in Perpignan I was within touching distance of a beach with a market town where I spent many hours. The activities I did here was play rugby with the locals who were by far the friendliest group of people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, kayaked the Ardeche, biked through the towns, explored the market towns and relaxed on the beach. There are not many places in the world where I think I could spend longer than a week however the 2 weeks I spent in the South of France were some of the best 2 weeks of travelling I have ever done. Perpignan was for me a highlight of the trip there was a lot of things to do while there we went to waterparks and took in the culture of the town.

While in this area I also recommend visiting the old town of Carcassonne which is one of the oldest towns in all of France. Carcassonne is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site which shows the cultural and historical relevance of the place. Carcassonne is a fortified town behind walls and there is culture and history on every wall the church there was a highlight for me one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture I have seen. The main downside of Carcassonne is the fact that it is a small town and is filled with tourists the most obnoxious of which I found to be Americans with a total lack of respect for the history of the place.

Overall

From my experience France is a country so vast that no two places are the same so it is a place I will no doubt find myself returning to once again. For me the French South is a place I will be returning to 100% because I loved it so much. On the other hand I cannot see myself doing Paris or Lyon again I think I have seen everything to be seen in Paris and Lyon disappointed me greatly.

Thank you for reading