France is a huge country and a great destination for the solo traveller and backpacker. Indeed it is very easy to blend into the background sitting happily on your own with a good book in one of the many coffee shops. Where one might feel uncomfortable dining on their own elsewhere this is not the case in France.
French people are friendly and will generally be happy to help where they can. Knowing a smattering of French goes a long way with the locals. There are also heaps of other backpackers around the whole country, whether it be Paris, the Med or the Alps.
Accommodation:
France is loaded with accommodation that is geared to the solo backpacker.
In every city you will find numerous hostels and guesthouses all after your
tourist Euro. You will find in some of the hostels that there are communal
areas which are great if you are backpacking solo.
France has some superb camping in the form of top quality holiday style
parks as well as camping in the backcountry. Camping can also provide a
cheap method for getting a good night's sleep as you generally pay per
person as oppose to per tent which makes it as cheap for the solo as it
would be for a couple sharing.
Trips and activities:
Activities in France for the solo traveler are plentiful and offers great
opportunities to find like minded people.
The country has a diverse geography making it excellent at catering for all
tastes. There is winter sports activities in the winter in the famous Alps.
In the summer there is also lots of things to do in the mountains and
opportunities to join groups and trips.
The Atlantic coastline is the centre for water sports, in particular
surfing, windsurfing and kayaking. More gentle activities can be found on
the Mediterranean coast which is blessed with a year round mild climate.
Getting to France
France is a major gateway for Europe and therefore fairly easy to get to from all continents. There are always cheap flights to Paris available from major European hubs such as London, Frankfurt and Rome.
