Master the Paris Metro & Explore Secret Paths in Dinan | France Travel Vlog Week 7

🌟 Welcome to Week 7 of our French adventure! Join me as we navigate the bustling Paris Metro, explore the historic pathways of Dinan, and dive into the vibrant markets of Lamballe.

00:00 Introduction
00:13 Part One: Mastering the Paris Metro
02:02 Part Two: Discovering Dinan
27:10 Part Three: Market Day in Lamballe

🚇 Part One: Mastering the Paris Metro
Dive into the Paris Metro with our unique tutorial! Filmed from a lost tourist’s perspective, this guide provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to use the metro system like a local. From using paperless tickets and buying Navigo passes to navigating transfers, we cover everything you need to make your journey through Paris smooth and enjoyable. Perfect for those attending the 2024 Olympics or anyone visiting Paris this year!

🏰 Part Two: Discovering Dinan
Step off the beaten path as we take you on a walking tour of Dinan, one of Bretagne’s most iconic villages. We start on the thousand-year-old street of Rue Jerzual, venture down to the port, follow the scenic river Rance to the charming village of Lehon, and explore ancient ruins. Along the way, I share essential safety tips and planning advice for solo female travelers.

🍓 Part Three: Market Day in Lamballe
Experience the local flavor as we visit the marché in Lamballe. Learn how to maximize your market experience in France, from understanding the best times to visit to negotiating prices. I’ll share insights on how to fully enjoy French markets and discover local specialties.

📅 What You’ll Discover:

First-Person Adventure: Experience Paris Metro from the eyes of a tourist.
Hidden Historical Routes: Explore Dinan and its less-known paths.
Local Market Tips: Get the most out of French marchés.
Solo Travel Tips: Stay safe and plan effectively while traveling alone.

🎥 Why Watch?
Whether you’re planning a trip to France or just love exploring new cultures from your living room, this vlog provides valuable insights and delightful escapades, ensuring you’re well-prepared and inspired for your next adventure.

👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe!
Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if you enjoy the video. Your support helps others discover our content and join the adventure. Subscribe for more weekly travel insights and tips!

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cuckoo Darlings all right would you like to have some fun would you like to help others that are traveling to Paris for the first time and would you like to support yours truly if you answered yes to all three then you’re going to love the new video that I just published today it is the first in a series micro series I have worked so hard on this so many months of like research and planning execution to create this video and it’s super fun it is told from the perspective of a lot lost tourist I find the lost tourist in Paris and I help her out Ashley with my Paris portraits and I put this together and it was so much fun and the outtakes are hilarious we had the best time creating this and I really want this video to help others who are coming to Paris for the first time and there’s so many especially this year with the Olympics so what you could do is if you have one minute you can just go over to the video and like it if you have two minutes share it with somebody else that might be traveling to France for the first time and if you have 3 minutes or more perhaps watch it there are some tutorials that you might already know like how to use the Paris Metro app how to buy tickets but there’s lots of other fun things in there and again the outakes towards the end are just so much fun so many Giggles so many laughs I hope you like this video please go and check it out it means so much to me beus and I hope you have a wonderful day B weekend Darlings and thank you for your support okay so we’re going to do a few things today I am going to take you on a special tour this cute so I’m going to take you on a few different Adventures today we’re going to do a walk and talk I’m going to take you on this walking route that I’m pretty sure even if you’ve been to donon before you didn’t know about and uh then maybe a few other surprises but first we need to fuel up and we’re going to have a Breton specialty so I brought you here because this is actually something a bit hard to find in restaurants but it is a specialty that people love out here you can often find them at buvettes at like a V grer you know the garage sales and so I always look for them there so it’s a guette but inside there’s no cheese or ham or anything like that and the inside it is a sausage it’s called a guette sauces and of course with any guette a traditional thing that have a boule of cider this is from Vons which is a company near here on the Ron River and it is H sort of a hard cider but it’s not sweet generally in France the ciders aren’t as sweet as maybe you might find um in a different country so this is what a Gaia sauces looks like it’s a great little thing to take on the go sort of think of it like a burrito a French burrito [Music] [Music] it is an absolutely beautiful magnificent day here in Britney and I’m really excited to take you on this tour it’s a loop we start here at the top of R Jerel which is a very famous street here Road R in donon but the difference with this one is is that it’s got so much history over a thousand years of history but we’re not stopping there a lot of people do what you are going to see today is a loop a tour that we also take down to the port of donon and then along the river Rod to a really sweet Village nearby called Leon and from there we’re going to go through that I’m going to show you the ruins of an old chatau and we’ll end up back here in donon and on top of it all we’re going to do a Walkin talk about how to travel solo as a female in France let’s get started it is a Monday here so it’s a little bit quieter and tourism season hasn’t quite started yet so that coupled with the good weather is the reason why I’m taking you on this tour today you got to take advantage of the sunshine when it’s when it happens in springtime here in Britney isn’t this just so beautiful this street though is on a very steep incline with very old cobblestones I like to wear really basic flats that have a bit of a grip on the bottom especially if it’s raining because this can get really slippery for centuries merchants and people coming in from the river R trades people Artisans used to use this road to get up to the bis section of Dino in the 70s though it started to switch over to Artisans and galleries there’s also restaurants along this very steep Road for those with mobility issues I do not suggest this part of the trip It’s a Wonderful walk though and for photographers this is just a paradise to take come and take photos of these Old Stone Breton homes beautiful colors look at this Wisteria [Music] here right here’s a stop that I really enjoy all the time it’s uh two sisters that opened up a sweet little cafe the great coffee they sell books patisseries they have little tables here for you to sit outside it’s a great pause right in the middle of R jeruel this is port jeru and you’re going to pass through this on the way down to the port you’re at this point maybe about halfway down the road it gets a little bit steeper after this point it has been like the is almost as long as I’ve lived in Britney and it’s part of the ramp Parts but you can’t walk this [Music] section so while you can’t walk this section of the ramp Parts there are other parts of the donon ramp parts that you can visit as well as the Chateau what if you want to just do R jeruel and you don’t want to walk all the way back up to the top of here there are regular buses that run year round at the base here down near the port and there’s also a tourism train a tourist train that will run um during your Peak tourist season I noticed it’s already started and you can check online for those dates and prices [Music] [Music] the economic Hub of donon this street used to be home to Weavers and Tanners until the creation of an aqueduct Down Below in 1852 this time of year is sort of the beginning of the tour season because in the month of May in France there are a ton of holidays along with school vacations which then leads into June July August and that of course that’s really hot here as well my favorite time of the year out in anywhere in France is in September and October kids have gone back to school school a lot of the tourists have left for the summer the heat waves are pretty much over by midt and it’s just a beautiful crisp but not rainy time of the year [Music] [Music] [Music] hasn’t this been so fun already now we’re just getting started we’re about ready to head down to the port and then along the river RS and that is where I’m going to share with you some of my travel tips for traveling alone as a solo female in France let’s go down and check out the port I love it it’s so pretty if you can believe it this port has been here since the 12th century and it was really important for a very long time in making hemp linen and those products were sent all throughout Europe [Music] now here’s R Jero that we just finished walking down and what I want you to do is to cross over this bridge straight ahead and we’re going to take a right this is going to connect us with a foot path that follows along the river Rong if you wanted to stop here the peti train comes down here and takes you back up the top of donon in this direction there’s also bus stops down here in the off seon we’re just going to cross over here and as soon as you’re over this little Bridge here we’re going to take a [Music] ride can you see the people waiting waiting at the bus stop right here that’s what you would be looking for but we’re going to move it away from the port here and right into this little alley starts us on a walk it is completely flat and only takes about a half hour to connect us between donon and Leon [Music] [Music] during Co my husband and I decided to just when things were starting to open back up to do a bike ride from Evon which is another town further up the canal and we biked all the way up to dard to the ocean stayed overnight and then bike back riding along this canal is so much fun and it actually goes all the way toen it’s a Fant if you like biking it’s a great trip as you cross under this huge Bridge you’ll just pass a little bit of a parking lot and immediately right here the path continues right next to the river as long as you’re right next to the river you’re actually going to just run into Lon so it’s super simple you can’t mess it up if you are interested in renting these boats they’re available for little day cruises I think they’re by the hour in the port of donon isn’t this just so beautiful and what a difference like you were just in the heart of donon 2 seconds ago and now we’re walking along this absolutely stunning canal and I just love how peaceful that transition is it’s also a great opportunity for me to talk to you a little bit about those tips I created this list specifically with France and mine I’m sure you’ve probably if you are a solo female traveler you probably know a lot of the basics like self-awareness and staying in safe places these tips though are a bit more specific about traveling alone in France which I do all the time my first recommendation for you is from a planning and strategic standpoint that if you’re traveling alone choose to go to the smaller Villages and towns Wednesday through Saturday that’s when most of things are going to be open you don’t want to spend all the money and travel time and go to places when everything’s closed up but that’s what happens Monday Sun sometimes Sunday sure Monday Tuesday even sometimes on Wednesdays like choosing to go to The Villages strategically the smaller towns on the days where you know most things are going to be open is important [Music] doesn’t that look like fun so where do I stay at when I am traveling in France by myself where do I [Music] stay just like that we’re already at Lon walk you through this super sweet Village I like to come here and instead of donon When the Crowds Are at their worst during the summer months so we’re on the back side of the Abby I’m going to show that to you what you’re going to do once you’re here is you’re going to just keep walking up just a little bit farther and then there’s a bridge that crosses you back over to the other side then you walk through the village and just on the other side of these trees is basically donon you’re not that far away so I prefer to stay in jeets jeets are kind of like bed and breakfast and they’re regulated as to how many guests they can have it’s technically a maximum of five bedrooms and 15 guests but a lot of them have just like a single guest house or a couple of spaces that they rent out I have to choose one that’s on the small side but that also offers like uh dinner [Music] services so why do I do that well one I like knowing that I am with a local staying in a secure place that doesn’t have a lot of guests they can be less expensive than saying at say a fourstar five-star hotel they’re more intimate they’re fun and I love that they often offer meals on site that way I’m not having to travel or go places at night I feel safest when I’m all checked in Coy at home in their home and I get a home-cooked meal so I’m on the side the ABY and looks like it’s getting ready to open but seasonally during the summer they have look at how cute this stce is is a fantastic place to come for lunch or grab coffee and in the evenings they do live music absolutely love this hot spot but it’s only open during the summer months at the end of of a day traveling I just love being in some of these jeets I’ve had the best experiences the families are super sweet you often have like a guest house or rather private space you’re not like in the mix or the thick of it especially if you’re introverted like me I want to be alone at the end of the day but a home-cooked meal very inexpensive where I don’t have to go out at night and search for a restaurant travel an you know additional time be out at night I love that the same thing for the morning because then I’m like not trying to search out breakfast it’s just right there for me it’s an inexpensive option I would say maybe a disadvantage is that a lot of my favorite jeets I’ve stayed at are tend to be out in the countryside so if you’re not driving what’s another Choice when I travel by myself I often don’t necessarily want to stay in like big budget hotels because there’s just a lot of people and I just don’t feel so secure what I do budget for is a uh relay chatau property I absolutely love this chain in France they also have restaurants on site and so you don’t have to leave for breakfast or dinner and yet most of the properties are character properties they have something unique going on with them and so they are a destination in and of themselves and I love that let’s go down and check out the church and the gardens the gardens here are medieval and a lot of them have signs so you can see what’s going what they’re growing what they were used for right next to the church public toilets so if you’re in need of a little resting stop that’s where you’ll find them let me peek in the door so you can see what it looks like inside that’s so pretty smells so good in there they hold Mass here on Sundays at 10:30 honestly relay chatau properties I’m not kidding you they’re my one of my favorite memories in all of my trips because no joke they really are a destination they’re often historic their character properties there’s some sort of unique aspect to them and they’re just absolutely beautiful I always feel super safe at those hotels they’re just they just tend to be a bit expensive but if you’re working your budget you know what to expect It’s a Wonderful way to travel because they in of of themselves are an experience and you know what is the price of your safety I just always feel like when I stay at Ray shat to all the staff are there to help me and I just feel really really comfortable and that’s important when you’re traveling alone I don’t always heed my own advice but I do try to not travel at night and I never travel in my car with a tank of gas that is less than half full sometimes you will come across situations where like you just have a really long distance between gas stations or you pull into one and you just don’t feel very comfortable so if you’re driving in France by yourself do consider always keeping your gas tank above the half full line when traveling by yourself in this country though maybe put the diet on pause and eat some of your favorite foods try some treats and consider it an opportunity for self-care I also really love to Deep dive into my own unique interests and passions that maybe you know traveling with others may not find to be so interesting right sometimes we all have our own unique Hobbies or interests Maybe something that you’re researching and studying right now and traveling with a partner they may not be so curious about that subject but when you’re by yourself you can absolutely Deep dive into those topics and build itineraries and travels specifically around those [Music] things I guess what I’m saying is that when you travel by yourself in this country it is almost an endless amount of things that you can discover while you’re here it’s really an important time to be self-indulgent do some self-care maybe visit a spa which the French are really good at the lassos so there’s the church right there all I did is I just come straight up here and right at the base of that little Hill right there is the castle Leon is very small so you could actually just walk it all and you know 30 minutes an hour for the most part and see how sweet this Village is and at the base is the castle so here’s the church that we were just at we’re right here we walked along this part of the river crossed over the bridge you can see Leon’s not that big right and I showed you where the Terrace was right here and we are right here there’s this tiny little path doesn’t take any time to go up and then you can see the old chatau and there’s some nice views up there it was a fortified Castle in about the 7th century and it was exploited they started using it as a quarry and then it was acquired by the city in 1905 [Music] I will leave the rest of the Chateau for you to discover there’s some fun other Secrets up here but you’re going to have to go on this walk in order to find out what they are I hope you had a great time on this walking tour of Donan the river R Leon as well as our walk and talk about ways to stay safe and happy when you travel solo as a female in this beautiful country I’m going to list right here all those tips one last time and there you have it I’ll see you maybe tomorrow PE PS to close the loop at the base of the chatau as you’re leaving Leon you’re going to take a right to go back to donon you can see the castle right there and the sign for Leone and you’ll want to move in this direction again you are taking a right as you’re leaving Leone and you know you’re going you made the right choice when you see that you’re moving towards this Bakery right here you literally just walk up the street a couple of blocks and you’ll be back in donon [Music] [Applause] [Music] goooo Darlings happy Thursday so I brought you into town today um there’s a city near me called lamb ball and they have a marhe every Thursday morning and after all these years have never been so I wanted to check that out um I’m going to kind of focus on the cost of things I’m going to like kind of try and zoom in on the prices because I get a lot of questions about the cost of living here so you can kind of price check um some of these fruits and vegetables and cheese and everything that all the pretty things we’re going to see and then also uh for those of you who are interested in this topic I actually have a full playlist on YouTube I’m going to tag it and the playlist is on unexpected costs when you first move to and I start off I think there’s 10 videos they’re only about a minute each and they’re a vertical format and this was something that somebody had asked me to do and so I created this whole series I start off with the most inexpensive things and then I go up to the most expensive unexpected expenses when you first moved to France so again here’s that playlist and let’s go shopping [Music] foreign spee spee [Music] foreign spe spe [Music] foreign speech speech speech [Music] to [Music] he [Music] now [Music] you hello [Music] I wish you could smell these they smell so sweet I can’t wait to try one here’s what they look like they’re like perfect strawberries they grow them uh he said about 40 minutes from Lambo near Ken and I it’s really kind of special so I plan on making this recipe for you and we’re going to cook together okay I’m going to share this recipe with you because I received permission from the publisher this is a very special recipe that goes back hundreds of years and is a collaboration between a particular Chateau and a publisher and both both of them have given me permission to share this wonderful spring and early summer recipe with you so you’re going to have to stay tuned for that because as you know my Vlogs go up every Friday so I hope you had fun visiting that Marche I will say that the one thing that I noticed was missing from it is a good pire uh fishmonger there was a couple there but they didn’t seem to have a lot and being so close to the ocean I was a bit surprised yeah I have one up near the ocean that I want to take you to pretty soon but until then I hope you had a good time and I will see you soon peus