The Trekking Pawns' Diary

Some bus stops are easy to spot. Others are just a post, and we got lost trying to find some of them and ended up walking to the next stop.  --- Exploring Nice for just two days has already given us a unique glimpse into the rhythm of local life, especially as we’ve been relying on public transportation to get around town. There’s something special about riding the buses and trams here. Not only is it a practical way to move from place to place, but it’s also already become our daily dose of people-watching and immersion into the local culture. One of the things that stands out to us is how integrated the public transportation system is with everyday life in Nice. In the mornings, we often see parents taking their kids on the bus to school. There’s no separate school bus system here; kids hop on the same buses as everyone else, sometimes with their parents, and sometimes on their own. They’re so confident, weaving through the city like seasoned commuters. It’s clear that public transpo

We got cute notebook books for class in our welcome bag! --- Que Sera Sera Before coming to Nice for our French course at EF, we both had a pretty solid streak going on Duolingo—over 700 days! But here’s the catch: he was far more diligent. He was watching videos, learning French basics, and practicing pronunciation, while I just did the bare minimum—one lesson a day. I still remember the hilarious satire article we read when we first started Duolingo. It joked about feeling like you’ve mastered the language through an app, only to freeze up completely when talking to a real native speaker. It was funny at the time, but as we prepared for this course, I couldn’t help but relate to that feeling of panic! He took it as a challenge and doubled down on his learning, even getting into " Learn French with Alexa " on YouTube (check it out if you’re learning, she’s great!). Meanwhile, I sat back, watching the videos and avoiding practicing. I’ve always been more on the quiet side, bu

(In the upper right corner, click the flags to change to the language of preference.) As part of our ongoing adventures here in Nice, we’ve been experimenting with different ways to navigate the city’s public transportation system, specifically the Lignes d’Azur metro and bus networks. While playing around with the Lignes d’Azur Tickets app, we discovered some interesting pros and cons, especially compared to other transit systems we've used (looking at you, Paris Metro!). The Lignes d’Azur Digital Metro Card: A Pleasant Surprise One of the standout features of the Lignes d’Azur app is that the digital metro card doesn’t require data to work. This is a game-changer for us! Normally, when traveling, we try to limit our data usage to keep ourselves more immersed in the moment rather than constantly scrolling through social media or updating ourselves on the latest news. The fact that we could access and use the app offline meant one less thing to worry about and more time for explo

(I couldn't resist, I absolutely love the view from our window!) *** Bonjour from Nice, France! The Trekking Pawns have officially started our immersive French adventure, and what a journey it’s been so far. Our trip started with a layover in Montreal, and although it was just five hours, we had a surprisingly good time at the airport! We debated leaving the airport to explore the city—after all, Old Quebec looked incredible from what we’d seen online. However, considering the hour-long trip into the city center and the fact that our layover was from 4 pm to 9 pm, we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in immigration or missing our flight back through security. A hop on hop off bus would have been a fun easy way to quickly see all the big spots! Instead, we decided to stay put in the international terminal and made the most of our time there. Montreal Airport Fun The international section of the Montreal airport has quite a bit to keep you entertained. There was a little putting act

As The Trekking Pawns, we’re all about making the most of our travels—and that includes figuring out the easiest and most affordable way to get around! During our time in Nice, France, we discovered a few public transportation options that made exploring the Côte d’Azur a breeze. With the city’s modern contactless cards from Lignes d’Azur , getting around has never been easier. Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned and how we plan to use these options during our French adventures. 1. "Ma Carte" : The Ultimate Go-To for Regular Travelers We love the convenience of the "Ma Carte"! This personalized contactless card can be reloaded with ease and comes with your name and photo, so it feels like your very own travel buddy. For just €2, you get a reusable card that allows you to purchase and top up occasional tickets or season passes. Plus, if you ever lose it (we’ve all been there), you can get it replaced along with all the tickets you’ve purchased. Super convenient

 We are so excited!! Choosing EF for our French language journey was an easy decision for us, and here’s why. French isn’t just a beautiful language; it’s one of the most important languages in the world. From the United Nations to the International Olympic Committee and the Red Cross, French is a key language in international relations, business, and humanitarian work. It’s spoken across continents, from Canada to Haiti and North Africa, making it truly global. We wanted to learn a language that would not only enrich our travels but also open doors to new cultures and connections around the world. When it came to choosing where to study, EF offered us the perfect options: Paris or Nice. Both cities are incredible, but we decided to immerse ourselves in Nice. Picture this—learning French in a place where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Alpine foothills. Our days are filled with intensive French courses that build a solid foundation, but we also get to practice our French in real-world

As travel bloggers, we often get asked how we plan our trips and which sites we trust to book everything from flights to activities. It’s a great question because, let’s be honest, the internet is overflowing with options! We’ve found that using a few trusted sites makes travel planning so much easier, and we’re here to share our go-to platforms for booking flights, hotels, and activities. When it comes to booking our flights and hotel stays, we love using Booking.com and Expedia . Both platforms are incredibly user-friendly and allow us to quickly compare prices and check out flexible dates, which is crucial when we’re trying to squeeze in an extra day or catch the cheapest flight! It’s also handy to have everything in one place—hotels, flights, and even car rentals—so we’re not juggling a million tabs. We’re also big fans of both sites' cancellation policies. Let’s face it, plans change, and it’s nice to know that we can cancel or modify bookings without stress. Having that peac