3 trés chic ways to summer vacay like a French Girl

Whether it’s by emulating their eating habits, adopting their skin-care secrets, or searching for a chic (yet effortless) hairstyle, raise your hand if you’ve tried living comme une française. Everyone? Great. Now that summertime travel is top of mind, it’s natural then that you might be wondering: Just what do French girls do with their PTO?—you’re about to get your answer.

It’s no secret that Europeans pretty much hit the motherlode when it comes to vacation days. On average, the French get a whole month off every year, and that’s not even including national holidays like Bastille Day. During peak tourist season i.e. summer (particularly August), many city-dwellers make a mass exodus from Paris in search of new surroundings—think: sea swept villages on the coast and far-flung, international destinations. (One travel insider recently shared with us that the French are particularly fond of visiting U.S. National Parks this time of year, go figure.)

Interested in finding out how to put a Parisienne twist on summer trips, I spoke with Daphné Moreau, the French fashion blogger behind Mode and The City about her top travel tips—all of which will make you wanna say “oui, s’il vous plaît!” to a week or two out of the office. Keep reading to see her favorite three ways to wanderlust like a French girl.

Treat curating your travel bucket list like a passionate side hustle

French girls have a reputation for never being satisfied, and Moreau says that’s correct at least when it comes to travel. The blogger admits to always dreaming up new ways to change her surroundings. “Most of the time, I get inspired by my friends’ travels, or by images I see on Instagram or Pinterest…There’s so much beauty in this world,” she says.

Because of this, Moreau tells me she always has an ongoing list of destinations that just keeps getting longer and longer—and that’s just the way she likes it. As for this summer’s trip, she says she’ll be heading to Provence (swoon). But in true French-girl style, she already has her winter voyage to New York City on the calendar.

Use your trip as an excuse to show off your personal (Parisienne) style

“French girls will always try to look put together, even on vacation,” Moreau tells me. For plane rides, she sports a cotton tee (check!), a super-comfy pair of pants, a sweater, and—bien sur!—a pair of Repetto flats. The smart ensemble just foreshadows a vacation full of ‘grammable looks, she says.

To make looking trés chic a little more effortless, Moreau is big on planning ahead of time, too. “I am a very organized packer, and I prepare most of my outfits beforehand,” she says. “It saves me time to have all my outfits planned, and that way, I don’t lose any time in the morning.” But since a change in mood might make her feel more like slipping on a sundress than her pre-planned pair of jeans, the queen of mode (that’s style in French, fyi) says she’s known to pack an extra outfit or two—just in case.  

Temper your trip itinerary with an open mindset

To plan or not to plan, that is the globe-trotters eternal question. But if you ask Moreau, the answer is yes and yes: “I always have my travels planned at least a little, but I do like to go with the flow when I travel,” she says. While she’ll always book her hotels and museum visits ahead of time, she also makes sure never to overpack her schedule so that she has ample time to wander. Meaning, you could say that all her vacays have a bit of a laissez-faire vibe—but not too much.

When you jet set this summer, here’s a simple hack that will let you skip the line at customs. Plus, how to keep your gut happy when you’re crossing time zones.