Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Five Weeks Solo in Paris: 20 Museums and Hidden Gems, Episode 605

Five weeks solo in Paris. Twenty museums. Four monuments. And a whole lot of surprises. Annie Sargent chats with Larry Rosenblum to talk about his trip. Larry swims in the Seine. He watches a play at the Comédie-Français

Alexandre Dumas: Adventure, Scandal, and 100,000 Pages

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Alexandre Dumas Père — and it's a wild ride. His grandmother was a slave. His father was the French army's first non-white general. Napoleon destroyed that father, and D

Puy du Fou, Arles Bullfighting, and Getting Pickpocketed in Paris

Cas McIntyre has visited France seven times and speaks French well enough to land in real trouble, and real fun. She joins Annie Sargent to swap stories that go beyond postcard moments: two and a half days lost in the th

Vichy's Story and the Best of the Allier Department

Annie Sargent just got back from the Allier department, dead center of France, and almost nobody visits it. In this episode, she sits down with Elyse Rivin to talk about Vichy, Moulins and her trip. Annie shares what sur

What Your Paris Photos Are Missing (And How to Fix It)

Annie Sargent chats with Bob Soltys, a black-and-white street photographer who has spent decades capturing Paris. Bob shares what gear to actually bring, why night photography beats daytime almost every time, and which P

Who Was Coco Chanel Really? Her Life Story, Unvarnished

This is episode 600 of Join Us in France — a milestone worth celebrating. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Coco Chanel. Born Gabrielle Chanel in rural poverty in the Corrèze, she clawed her way into Par

Getting a French Mortgage as Americans and Buying an Apartment in Nice Sight Unseen

Antoine and Annie Ksadzhikyan bought an apartment in Nice, France, without ever seeing it in person. They did it from Los Angeles, over FaceTime, and they have zero regrets. Annie Sargent talks with them about finding th

Joan of Arc: The Real Woman Behind 20,000 Statues

Joan of Arc was not a shepherdess. She was a determined teenager who broke an arranged marriage, heard voices, and convinced a chain of noblemen to take her to the French king. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin of Toulouse G

Road Tripping in Northern France: From Flander's Fields to Agincourt

Craig Anderson road-tripped northern France after a week in Belgium. He loved it, and you will too. Annie and Craig talk Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Battle of Agincourt, and a spontaneous day trip to Amiens Ca

Viollet-le-Duc: The Self-Taught Architect Who Shaped France's Medieval Landmarks

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23 Nights in Southern France Without a Car

Annie Sargent talks with Sally Schokman, an Australian solo traveler who spent 23 nights in southern France without a car. Sally took the train everywhere — Bordeaux, Toulouse, Albi, Avignon, Nice, Lyon, and Paris. She s

Home Exchange Experience: The Good, the Bad, and the Moldy

Melanie Dixon loves France and has done home exchange multiple times, both as a guest and as a host. She joins Annie Sargent to talk about what can go wrong — and it turns out, quite a bit can. Moldy bathrooms. Grimy sin

France's Most Stunning Destinations: What's Worth the Hype (and What Isn't)

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin are back, and this time they're settling the big question: which famous destinations in France actually deliver, and which ones need a reality check? Listen to this episode ad-free They cove

First Trip to France? Here's What You Really Need to Know from 50 Years of Visits

First Trip to France? Here's What You Really Need to Know from 50 Years of Visits. This is what Annie Sargent explores in this episode with Nancy and Michael Armstrong, and it's packed with the kind of advice you only ge

Buying a Home in France: Lessons from a Real-Life House Hunt in the South of France

Buying a Home in France: Lessons from a Real-Life House Hunt in the South of France is the focus of this episode of the Join Us in France Travel Podcast. Annie Sargent chats with Juliana Linssen and her husband Craig abo

What People Get Wrong About French Food

French food has an incredible reputation around the world. Many people imagine elegant pastries, complicated recipes, and chefs carefully assembling perfect plates in restaurant kitchens. But everyday food in France is o

Moving to France: Realities, Challenges, and Rewards

The Guédelon Project: A Modern Take on Medieval Construction

In the episode "The Guédelon Project: A Modern Take on Medieval Construction," Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin explore the fascinating world of the Guédelon Project. They discuss how a team of builders, artisans, and histo

Taste of Gascony: Life, Food, and Tours in France's Hidden Gers Region

In "Taste of Gascony: Life, Food, and Tours in France's Hidden Gers Region", Annie Sargent welcomes Jenine Lurie, a New Yorker who swapped city life for the rolling hills and medieval villages of the Gers. This episode d

The Insider's Guide to Fractional Ownership in Paris: Is It Right for You?

This episode dives deep into a dream many Francophiles share: owning a piece of Paris without the full-time commitment or price tag. In this episode, host Annie Sargent sits down with Marie Tartar, a fractional apartment