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| Photo Courtesy of Morgue File |
There are some quirks to traveling in France that you need to be aware of or you might end up stranded and homeless for a few days. Although the French aren’t the most religious people in the world, the one part of their faith they cling to is their religious holidays. We arrived in France in late May and headed straight to a great hotel recommended to us in the Loire Valley. The room was beautiful, the food was great and the owner was charming. It was a great start to our trip.
Unfortunately, when we tried to extend our stay the owner said we could only stay one night because he was booked for the Pentecost. He tried diligently to get us reservations elsewhere but every place was booked. The next day after visiting a few chateaus in the Loire we went off looking for lodgings. We spent hours looking in the Loire Valley and finally ended up getting a room in Tours, a major city near the Loire Valley. From there, we headed toward the Dordogne and were lucky to find a place in some god forsaken village around 8pm the following night.
During holiday periods and especially in July and August, train and hotel reservations should be made as far ahead as possible. Through personal experience, I’ve learned that there are holidays in France you never thought of that make it almost impossible to get a hotel room and maybe problems in getting a seat on train. Holidays to watch out for include: Labor Day (May 1), VE Day Europe (May 8), Whit Monday (May 19), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter), Pentecost (50 days after Easter.) Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15), all Saints Day (Nov 1) and Armistice Day (Nov 11).
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