A French Mediterranean vacation with relaxation, scuba and sun!

Kent Tisher is a Palliative Care Doctor in Toronto Canada who loves to unwind and shed the stress of life by traveling in France. I first chatted to Kent back in April 2023 about his love of French vacations and it was fabulous to chat again as he arrived home in Canada on the same day that I arrived in Paris!

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Kent came to France this time for only 10 days. He caught the TGV direct from CDG down to the Languedoc region to end up in Pezenas near Montpellier. This is a game changer for me as I had no idea there was a TGV to access straight from CDG!

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(Tip from Kent: Check that you know the exact station you are either arriving at or departing from as many towns have more than one train station with very similar names!)

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Kent has lots of other personal observations and tips from his experiences during his travel that are key for anyone considering regional regional travel in France. I also have some considerations from my current trip to add to your list which we discussed in this episode!

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You may want to think about:

* car hire: size of car and type of hire arrangement;

*short vs long French sojourns (European/North American travellers vs Australian/NZ voyages);

*currency conversions;

*making specialty arrangements for things such as scuba dives;

*planning for where to go on road trips solo or with a group;

*packing light (which I always struggle with!);

*packing arrangements on a daily basis to assist with managing luggage on a road trip.

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Something else we discuss is the concept of visiting new places vs revisiting old faves. I am very aware of being fortunate enough to return to France on numerous occasions. Kent and I discussed how lucky we are, but also how we go without some things at home to enable these trips to our happy place. When visiting a new place there can be a sense of guilt if we don't make the most of every minute! But when enjoying a return trip there is a different energy about the visit. I always say to leave a reason to return and one of the reasons to return to the same region if you're fortunate to be able to do so, is to see it at a less frenetic pace!

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LFF listeners can book a time with Loulabelle to discuss your itinerary ideas and arrangements. Just head to the LFF website: www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com 

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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