Day Trips

Traveling in France, or any foreign country, is a series of constant challenges, but the rewards are meeting the people, seeing the sites, and sampling the local cuisine. I would never presume to be an expert on European travel; however, I did learn a few things on a recent trip to the continent.

My biggest fear of going on a trip to France with my wife was being tangled in the barbed wire of the language barrier. Having never taken a French class, I do not have even a rudimentary understanding of the language. The French Made Easy CDs didn’t help much.

We carried pocket phrase books with us, but a helpful addition was a water bottle with commonly used words and phrases printed on the side. Developed by a Colorado teacher, the bottles translate important phrases like “where is the bathroom” to Spanish, English, or French (www.bottlesintranslation.com).

In Paris almost everyone spoke at least a little English, but they appreciated an effort to speak their language. An important thing to remember is that the French do not start any verbal exchange without saying “bon jour” and that “please” and “thank you” are important parts of any conversation. As they should be in any language.

We met a family from Seattle, Wash., near Jim Morrison’s grave, and the father complained that the French were rude. He admitted that he spoke no French and had not even tried the pleasantries. I didn’t take the time to remind him that he was in their country and that English must be as difficult for them as French is for us.

Once we got out of Paris, the natives spoke less English. In one small village we asked a man on the street for directions. He spoke no English, so he grabbed another man to help explain how to get where we wanted to go. As they tried to explain the turns we needed to take, the volume of their voices kept rising as if our lack of understanding was due to a hearing problem. I thought that was a totally American phenomenon.

Getting around Paris was easy once we figured out the bus and subway system. The public transportation pass we purchased through a travel agent in the states was a great convenience and value.

The train system in France is a wonderful way to get around the country. Trains leave from depots in the center of the city instead of requiring a long cab ride to the airports on the outskirts. The high-speed train, or TGV, was very impressive: clean, comfortable, and a very smooth ride. We traveled the 360 miles from Paris to Montpellier in a little more than three hours. Texas needs to invest in such a system.

Driving a car in France is not much different than driving in the states (they drive on the right) but may be a little more exciting. The auto routes are toll roads comparable to our interstate highway system, with three lanes of driving comfort at 130 kph (about 80 mph).

What I did learn about driving in France is that they religiously follow the courtesy of slower traffic staying to the right. The French engineers also love traffic circles. With anywhere from four to six roads coming together, the roundabouts can be a bit frightening as you dodge other cars and try to read directional signs in French. After a few tries, they can become rather fun.

Although France (210,000 square miles) is smaller than Texas (268,000 square miles), the country has a head start of several centuries when it comes to tourist attractions. There are so many interesting things to see in the country, but the best reason to visit is the food and wine. The French grow grapes like we grow corn. A good bottle of locally produced wine sells for about $5.

One stereotype about the French that seemed true was that French food is phenomenal. We did see a few McDonald’s and a couple of KFCs, but generally the restaurants, cafes, and bistros were owner-operated. With the large number of choices, even in the smaller towns, the chefs take great pride in their work just to compete.

This article appears in July 7 • 2006.