TRAVEL TIP: Transportation in and out of Paris

Paris is an incredibly accessible city; easy to get around and you can see nearly everything or everyplace right on the ground, that is by walking.

If you have to cross the city for whatever reason, meeting a friend or having dinner in a distant arrondissement from where you're staying, using the Metro is a blessing. And if you're staying in the city for any length of time, say longer than a week or ten days, you might want to consider picking up a Navigo Pass.

The Navigo allows you to just swipe and go through the turnstiles; and you can use any of the buses as well as the RER and trams that run around the inner periphery of Paris. You will need a photo (notice all those Photomation machines in the larger Metro stations?) and you’ll have to have a passable grasp of French to speak with one of the service reps. But once you have the Navigo, off you go! We've had our passes for quite a few years now and just top it off when we return.

The other Metro option is to purchase the “Carnet” or 10-pack of tickets. There’s also a 1-day pass but we didn’t find that as cost effective as the 10-pack. Still the 1-day might work for you so check it out before you buy.

Whichever way you opt to go, you’ll probably only need to buy tickets for zones 1-3; zones 1-5 will get you all the way out to the airports, Versailles and Fontainebleau, way out of the city in other words. . . Again check your needs before you buy. (The Navigo pass is good for all 5 zones.)

The official Metro site can be found right here: http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/visiting-paris/ Another very user-friendly site in English in Paris by Train: http://parisbytrain.com/paris-transportation-zone-map/

As for travel out of the city -- like we took to Giverny and to Lille --  you might find a small challenge in purchasing tickets. The official French railway company, SNCF, makes it very easy to purchase tickets online BUT if your credit card has a magnetic strip, which most American cards have, you won't be able to use the self-serve kiosks at the train station. That's right folks, you'll have to stand in line to get your tickets. Go figure but go prepared.

Finally, for getting to and from any of the airports -- we usually go in and out of Charles de Gaulle -- we used Paris Bleu Van shuttle this time. We’ve used them in the past and never had a complaint, although if you opt for the (cheaper) shared service you might find yourself in the dark early hours driving around and around Paris picking up other passengers. A 35-minute trip then becomes 60- or 90-minutes. . . You get the point. You can find Bleu Van online at http://www.bluvan.fr/

TRAVEL TIP: staying connected and using a phone outside the United States

Part of our trip planning for France 2016 focused on staying connected with family and friends, not to mention the internet. The internet part pretty much took care of itself since WiFi is widely available in France.

It was the phone side of the communication equation that presented the real challenge.

A large part of that challenge was met head on two years ago when we bought an unlocked phone with a Vodaphone SIM card in Great Britain, a phone we still have and which I will use during the trip. (It turns out that I had to buy a new SIM card, though. The process, which we did at the SFR store, was straightforward enough and went smoothly.)

For my wife, though ,we were faced with either buying another "burner" phone or using her Verizon iPhone. To use Verizon we simply added the least expensive international plan ($40/month), which gives her enough minutes and texts for the time we will be in France.

The other Verizon option, as I understand it now, is to unlock the phone's SIM card slot and then use a SIM card, preferably one purchased in France with a French phone number. I have labored under the belief, not well-founded apparently, that the phone was locked forever. That's not true.

You can indeed unlock the phone's SIM card slot and use a separate card as needed. (If you have the iPhone 5 or 6 you can see the SIM card slot on the side below the on/off button.)

Of course, this does not apply to ALL phones or all devices for that matter. And you have to request permission to unlock the slot.  Also actually changing the SIM card for anyone not used to doing such a thing can be a bit complicated. The first thing to do would be start with the nearest Verizon store to get the latest update about how to actually go about using a different SIM card overseas and how can install it properly.

That said, we will definitely explore using a local SIM card next time.

You can find helpful information on using a SIM card with your iPhone in Verizon right here.

Visiting the Megaliths in Southern Brittany

Brittany is known for many things: incredible desserts (and I'm thinking of Paris-Brest here), wonderful food (crepes and galette come to mind), and some of the world's most extensive megalith formations. Thousands of stones arranged in passage graves, tumulus mounds and the incredible alignments found in Carnac, where we stayed in early January of 2011.

So, if you've decided on a megalith tour of the Morbihan (or anywhere else in Brittany for that matter), here are a few general things to consider:

• Before visiting read up on the history, layout etc., of the various major megalithic sites. (Most good guidebooks have handy little historical sections for just that purpose.)
• If at all possible, visit the archeological museum in Vannes before visiting any of the sites.
• At the very least stop in at the Maison des Megalithes visitor center across from the Menec alignments.
• Use a good detailed map, especially if you're going to be walking any distance. Signage is generally good at many of the megalith locations but getting from one place to another can be a bit of a challenge. Do not expect to get any detailed maps at the visitor center, although you can find a good general guide map at the Maison des Megalithes in Carnac.
• Because there are so many sites, and they do vary in size, scope, location and importance, plan your itinerary carefully before heading off, and stick to it. I would also recommend you include your lunch stop as well.
• Remember you're often crossing and crisscrossing private property so always be on the lookout for propriété privée signs or anything that says interdit (prohibited).
• Many sites are located next to or along roads so do be aware of traffic.
• Always park your vehicle in designated parking or areas or any pull-off that is clearly intended for parking. Do not park in the road and certainly not in someone's driveway.

And a few specific items you might want to have along:

• Comfortable and heavy duty walking shoes or boots.
• Flashlight/torch.
• If your camera allows it, bring an external flash for inside the passage graves and tumulus mounds.
• Bottled water.
• Remember you're in rural Brittany and facilities and conveniences are scarce.

Bon voyage!

A few tips on traveling to Paris

A few things you've probably already read or heard about traveling to Paris but I'll reinforce them here anyway. I also be adding more over the next few days.

• When using the Metro keep your backpack securely sealed and if possible wear it on your front. Trust me on this.
• If you're going to be in Paris for at least a week get a Navigo pass for the Metro and busses
• If you don't use a Navigo Metro pass always carry plenty of Metro tickets with you.
• Carry a good pocket map of the city -- preferably a map arranged by arrondissement. You can find them for just a few euros at nearly any bookstore in the city. 
• Use your credit card when possible unless your fees are exorbitant but always have plenty of euros.
• Unless absolutely necessary do NOT use currency exchanges to get euros. Use your ATM card to get cash just like you would at home. You may have to pay a small fee but it's certainly better than the currency vendors terrible exchange rates.