I always try to talk to friends and acquaintances about their vacations.  It is nice to find out what was great and pleasant.  It is also quite useful to find out what went wrong and for what reason and try not to make their mistakes! People that have taken organized tour usually have had a very nice time but come back exhausted and with the feeling that they were shown only the most flashy places and did not have enough free time. You should have some free time to yourself to be able to find out things on your own. In my opinion, you should not mix countries, unless of course the trip you are taking is going to be the one and only in a lifetime.  It will take a certain amount of time to know how to order food, ask questions to the locals and mostly understand their answers.  Do not be shy trying your French on them. They will have a hard time understanding you, they'll find the way you talk, funny, but you can laugh at them too when they speak English... Hotel star ratings are great but should not be blindly trusted.  A small hotel run by the owner can prove to be worth much more than the rating.  In large cities, hotels are usually more worn out that in the country side.  When reading guides and web pages, you can figure out quite a few things about accomodations wether hotels or bead and breakfasts places (B&B).  A charming old cottage may smell of mold.  The magnificent bedrooms you see on the photo were like that 10 years ago, they have not been touched since then and are starting to fall apart. Even if you are very careful, keep in mind that some day you may hit a place that is overpriced and worthless.  Run away from there and go to some nicer place. You can find here some general tips to organize your vacation no matter where you are going in the world, France, Switzerland or other European countries. Let's get more specific. A highly appreciated destination is Paris, France of course.  Paris is a special place.  Green guide to Paris by Michelin You may very well plan a special trip taking you only to Paris.  There are many places to visit such as museums, monuments and simply walking sabout in different areas.   You may want to see Notre Dame church, the Seine river,  Montmartre with its artists on the street and next to this, the Sacred Heart church...more... Another destination is Brittany   Green guide to Brittany by Michelin Western part of France, Brittany has a long coast line along the English channel and the Atlantic Ocean.  You will find beaches as well as cliffs.  The waether there can be cool but never cold.  It rains often but a very small drizzle, typical, known as "crachin breton".  Seafood is a specialty of this area.  Fish, Shrimps, lobsters, sea snails, crabs... When eating in restaurants, you should try to get local type fish.  Be ready to experiemnt, and ask them what the local specialty is.  They also have salted pancakes ("crèpes") with about any garnish you could think of. They serve them with eggs, cheese, ham positively anything. A place were they serve those is called a "creperie".   In good places,a pancake may be a real meal.  Traditionally, Apple cider is the drink of choice for "crèpes". Beware that this is fermented apple juice, it is fizzy, very refreshing but contains alcohol. More... next page   Loire valley