Seeing France: An Adventurous Way to Connect With You Study Abroad Country

Through study abroad, there is a lot of incentive to travel, after all, when else will I be living abroad and able to take myself to world famous destinations? Though I have visited some classic study abroad weekend destinations, one travel activity that I have enjoyed thoroughly is exploring the rest of France! 

Below are some of my favourite places I have had the opportunity to visit, outside of the PACA region where Nice is. I will also reflect, at the end, at what this has taught me about living in France as I explore the capital, Paris!

Annecy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 

I first saw this town in a French textbook at my first high school, and I have always been in awe of it. It’s such a cute little town in the French alps, with the quaint old-town opening up to Lac Anncey with gorgeous views of the mountains. I also had this fantastic cheesecake, and it was life changing. 

Mont Saint Michel, Normandie

Off season, this is a bit of a pain to get to. For me, I had a 5 A.M. train and then a connecting bus, eventually at the visitors center of the tidal island by 10:30 A.M. But oh my goddess, it is so worth it!

The island itself is this gorgeous bastion of gothic and renaissance architecture built on top of one another, coupled with a large number of tourists. With views all the way to England (well not really, but one can hope!), no kidding it's one of France’s most visited attractions. 

The best part, the Abbey at the top of the hill is free for EU residents under the age of 26, and as someone staying here with a student visa, that includes us!

Strasbourg, Grand Est

If I were to drop you randomly into Strasbourg, you will not be mistaken if you really wonder if you are in France! The beautiful Germanic style old town is flanked by the European Parliament – which is open for tours – and other major European institutions. I thoroughly enjoyed the city and dare I say, it has my favourite cathedral that I have visited.

Mulhouse, Grand Est

Mulhouse, just a stone's throw from Basel in Switzerland, has some of the best museums that I have ever been to. This includes one of the largest train museums in the world. I cannot recommend it enough. 

Lille, Hauts-de-France

Lille is where I had the olive bread I have had in my life. There is also some funny architecture here, from the prettiest modern mall I have ever seen in my life to a magnificent gate to the city built by Louis XIV. 

Paris, Île de France + The benefits of traveling in house

Oh Paris, the city of light, and the city where I have a list of 68 things I want to do or see. There is so much wonderful art, food, and exploring, and it's truly a special place but often many find it overwhelming and scary…the RER is not for the faint of heart! 

Through my travels to Paris, and while I have not stayed an extended time, I realized that I felt very comfortable and capable. Maybe it was because, unlike most tourists from the States, I did not just get off a red eye flight from the east coast. Yet, I attribute my feeling of ease to my current experiences living in France. From having a more confident grasp of the language, especially those used in day-to-day life and getting from a-to-b, to just understanding the culture of meal times and the type of food consumed (like small breakfasts!). The result was that it felt like a do-able city. Even when I got lost, I was able to regain my confidence, and then proceed as normal. 

Feeling that comfortable in an otherwise crazy city allowed me the opportunity to really slow down and appreciate where I was and what I was doing. It also helps that I am an art history nerd, so getting to see Monet’s Impression, Sunrise really made my day.