France is a mystical place. One that I have always wanted to visit. Recently the number of people I know who have traveled to France has increased drastically. I have always considered it to be an exotic and expensive location. One that I could not afford. That was my opinion till I ran into a friend recently.

Like me, Sophia loves to travel. We settled down in a café and decided to chat over a cup of coffee. It was she who told me about her adventures in France. I listened patiently knowing full well that I could not afford to do what she had done. In a way, it was torture. Intense torture!

That was till she explained that France wasn’t as expensive as I thought it to be. Ya! Right! I muttered. Sophia laughed and pulled out her phone. It took her little less than a minute to find the website that she was looking for. I humored her.

“Use this helpful tourism guide from france-voyage.com” said Sophia. I still remember her saying it.

I glanced at the page that she was showing me and I was hooked instantly. The website had so much information packed inside it. Best of all it even offered ideas on which places were good to stay at and which were the best places to visit. That however did not solve my problem. Finances!

Sophia however was not to be deterred. She insisted that the trip was possible. She said that since spring was in the air, she had taken just a bag pack with her. She had traveled from location to location using the local transport.

When I asked her about accommodation, she said that there were a number of local hostels and campsites that could suit my budget. I have to admit that I was skeptical. I was willing to consider it but the fear of it being expensive kept me away.

A few weeks passed before I dared to look at it again. I took a look at my finances and began to wonder if I could make it. I decided to call Sophia again. After a half an hour conversation with her I was finally convinced. In fact, Sophia volunteered to join me on my trip since there were parts of France that she was yet to see.

Between the both of us, costs fell significantly. Sharing when traveling sure makes the financial burden easier.

We decided to head to the south of France and enjoy the French Riviera. It was a choice that we did not regret. The fun, the sun and the sand sure took up our entire days. It was a relaxing holiday. One, which allowed me to bury my nose into my novels while working on my tan.

The French cuisine was great too! Fresh fish and lots of cheese filled our stomachs every morning, afternoon and night. Did it work out financially? Yes! It worked out pretty well. Maybe one of the reasons why was because Sophia already knew how to do things in the cheapest way. I don’t think I would have spent that much more if I was traveling alone either.