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The Francophile’s Toolkit

Welcome to my toolkit. This is where I’ve put together, in one place, the websites, platforms and services I recommend most for every part of planning a great trip to France. I only list tools I trust and use myself.

The toolkit by category

Pick a category and click a logo to go to the site.

Hotels and vacation rentals
My top pickThe biggest choice in the worldDeals and secret pricesAnother good place to compare pricesGood hostelsFree nights rewards programReviews and price comparisonPrivate vacation homes

Tickets, tours and experiences
The flagshipTours and skip-the-line ticketsBest on your phoneMuseum and attraction ticketsTours and activities all over FranceCombined attraction passesPackages, tickets and toursCruises, cabarets and Paris tours

Flights, trains and buses
For getting around EuropeTrains, buses and flights in EuropeCompare flight pricesFlights, hotels and trainsIntercity buses

Car rental
Your car and your stay in one accountCompares hundreds of companiesCompare rental prices

Phone and eSIM
eSIM for FranceDiscount code: ZVI8757International SIM, no subscription

Taxis and transfers
Private transfers with local drivers

How it works, and why it matters to me

I started Francophiles Anonymous in 2013, and it has been free for everyone ever since: no subscriptions and no paywall. Every article takes hours of research, photography and writing.

What pays for all of this is a small commission I get when you book a hotel, an apartment, an attraction ticket, a train or a car through the links on the site and on this page. You pay exactly the same price as you would booking directly, and the commission is paid to me by the company you booked with.

So if the site helped you plan your trip, booking through it is the simplest way to say thanks. You book something you’d book anyway, and I get to keep writing 🙂

Three things to know before you book

  1. Use the link at the moment you actually book. If you found a hotel here, closed the tab and went back to Booking through Google a few days later, Booking counts it as a direct booking. The easiest fix: bookmark this page and come back to it when you’re ready to book.
  2. Finish the booking in the browser that opens. Switching to the Booking app (or the ticket site’s app) halfway through can mean the booking isn’t credited to the site.
  3. Canceled and booked again? Come back through the link. The new booking also has to go through the link on the site, otherwise it counts as a direct booking.

A few questions about booking through the site

Does booking through the site cost more?
No. The price is the same one you’d see going straight to Booking, Tiqets or GetYourGuide. The company pays the commission, not you.
What happens if I cancel my booking?
If you cancel, the commission is canceled too, and that’s perfectly fine. If you book again later, just come back through the link on the site.
I usually book in the Booking app. Does that count?
Usually not. The links on the site open in your browser, and that’s where you need to finish the booking for it to be credited to the site.
Can I support the site without booking anything?
Absolutely. You can share an article you liked with your friends or leave a review on Google.

Disclosure

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. That means if you choose to book through the sites recommended above, you don’t just get great services for your trip, you also help me earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). These commissions let me keep the site running and keep giving you good reading and planning material, all for free.