France is the country of love, good wine, sexy women, and delicious cheese. It is one of the most visited places on Earth, and tens of millions of people cross its borders yearly. Unfortunately, this abundance of visitors has attracted numerous scammers and ill-intended people that set up tourist traps at almost every street corner.
If you don’t want your vacation to finish in tears, you might want to avoid these tourist traps in France:
The Nice conundrum
The Cote d’Azur boasts a collection of gorgeous towns and sea resorts. One of them is Nice, a beautiful seaside town with a long history. If you visit this place, you might want to stay away from the old city center. Here, you are welcomed with crowded restaurants, busy fashion shops, and overpriced souvenirs.
Instead of treating your Parisian friend to an avalanche of noisy, troublesome merchants, you should take her to the lovely promenade by the sea. This place is also the home of talented painters. A quick portrait or funny caricature is a better gift than a souvenir from Nice manufactured in China.
Mont Saint-Michel looks better in pictures
We’ve all seen fabulous photos of the Mont Saint-Michel castle, which strays out into the sea on the Normandy coast. This medieval building rises above the waves to create a surrealistic image of a water-born fortress. This type of depiction attracts millions of people every year who expect to witness in person the same grandeur.
Unfortunately, you and your friends will be highly disappointed when you get there. The weather conditions are so bad in this region that the fortress is observable in clear daylight only a few days per year. Also, the road that stretches to the castle is overcrowded with souvenir shops and taverns that cheapen the experience.