This trip is best for
- Solo travel
- Couple
- Groups of friends
Getting there
For myself and my partner, the road trip in our own car was such an exciting part of the holiday. For us, it’s more about the journey rather than the destination. A couple of the places we chose to stop off at were Guines and Agincourt, which is an interesting place to call in. It has a fantastic history museum, Centre Historique Médiéval d’Azincourt, focusing on the battle of Agincourt which took place on 25th October 1415 (one of the English victories in the Hundred Years’ War).
Where to stay
We generally stay in B&Bs. Staying in these types of accommodation is such a great way to immerse yourself and experience the French life. It’s also a great way to interact with the locals, challenging yourself by trying to speak the language (I only have “school boy” French…mainly words, not sentences! With a bit of sign language, we understand each other. It is great fun and you learn a lot too!).
What to do
The jewel in the crown of our trip was the Palace of Versailles, it is unbelievable! It should definitely be one of your top places to visit. If you have the pleasure of going there, appreciate it - not just inside the palace but the grounds too. There are surprises after surprises throughout the day and into the evening, particularly if you pick a day when there is a ball in the evening. You don’t need to attend (unless you want to!), but you can people watch during the afternoon as they parade in period costumes. These people are not actors, they are paying guests… although they do like people to take selfies with them! Visiting the Palace of Versailles was just such good fun. Tip: book a breakfast there, great food, reasonable price, live like a king for an hour and you don't have to queue. Win win! During our holiday, this was one of our favourite places to eat, as well as stopping off at various restaurants to enjoy oysters and mussels.
Our last tip: try to not stay on the South coast of the UK before taking the Eurotunnel. Drive through and have your first night in France. Why? Because as you go into France you lose an hour, so you can get the time difference behind you. You also get to start off your holiday in France.