France Items

Great gap year job ideas

Planning a gap year is really exciting, especially when you're at the stage of picking destinations to visit. It's also worth giving some thought to working while you're overseas; so, we've put together a list of the top gap year job ideas below.

Oscars inspired gap years

The most important movie event of the year is almost here, the Oscars. This year’s Oscar nominated movies are set in variety of destinations across the world and many may even inspire your choice of gap year destinations, from a road trip in the USA, to language learning in France, exploring the landscapes of India or ‘finding yourself’ in Thailand.

5 films that give us destination envy

Ever watched a film that made you really want to visit the country it was set in? These are the top five films that give us destination envy...

The world's weirdest ice cream flavours

If you can think of a food – literally any food - you better believe that someone, somewhere in the world, has turned it into ice cream. From horse meat, to beer, pizza and beyond - we round up our top 10 weird flavours (and it's just a snippet of what's out there!).

3 of the best European road trips

Nothing quite beats the feeling of driving along the open road, stopping wherever takes your fancy and spending every evening in a different town. If that sounds like your kind of holiday, you should tackle one of these European road trips.

Enjoy an amazing gap year in Europe

Europe is a fantastic destination for those planning a gap year. With so many different countries and cultures to take in, you can be sure of having an amazing trip. However, while the wide choice of places to go can make deciding where exactly to visit difficult, it may be a wise idea to incorporate the following countries into your travel plans.

Hire a boat and explore Europe's beautiful waterways

If you're looking to travel around Europe on a gap year there are few better ways to see what the region has to offer than by hiring a boat and exploring the continent's beautiful rivers and canals.

Body language etiquette

As we know each country has its own customs and culture, but sometimes we are not aware that each place we visit has its own body language too. Here at mapthegap.co.uk we’ve compiled a list of a few to watch out for - you never know, this advice may get you out of some sticky situations.

A guide to learning French on your gap year

Why not take the perfect opportunity during your gap year to learn a new language? You could combine it with travelling, volunteering or even working abroad. Here at mapthegap.co.uk we’ve put together some guides for you on language learning during your gap year. We’ve already done one on Spanish and this week we will be focusing on learning French.

Interview with a backpacker

Each week mapthegap.co.uk will be talking to someone who has taken a gap year to get the low down on what they did, how they did it and to get their tips and advice for getting the most out of your gap year. This week we talk to one of our travel writers, Esme Fox to find out what she got up to on her gap year.

Enjoy Europe's culinary hotspots via rail

If you are a foodie, don't sacrifice your tastebuds to save money on your gap year. Rail Europe points out that many of the continents finest culinary hotspots are accessible via train, with some weird, wonderful options for adventurous types.

Feature: InterRail yourself around Europe

Nothing in the world is more exciting than some of the independent backpacking circuits of the world. These well-trodden trails are perfect retreats for alternative lifestyle living, short escapades into the unknown, and manic adventures in foreign lands.

Unabashed Brits willing to give the language a go

Embarrassment doesn't seem to be a factor for most Brits abroad, with the majority willing to give the local language a go, even if they don't have the vocabulary to avoid making fools of themselves.

Discover the world's weirdest festivals

Edible chocolate dresses, camel wrestling, giant water fights and extreme body piercing are just four of the oddities included in Hostelling International's list of the 10 most unusual festivals in the world.