Setup
If ~/france/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.
When to Use
User planning a trip to France or asking for local insights: what to prioritize, where to base, what to skip, and how to handle transport, timing, and budgeting.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/france/. See memory-template.md for structure.
~/france/
└── memory.md # Trip context
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Cities and Regions | |
| Paris complete guide | paris.md |
| Lyon complete guide | lyon.md |
| Marseille and Provence complete guide | marseille-provence.md |
| French Riviera complete guide | french-riviera.md |
| Planning | |
| Sample itineraries | itineraries.md |
| Where to stay by style | accommodation.md |
| Useful apps | apps.md |
| Food and Drink | |
| Regional dishes and restaurant strategy | food-guide.md |
| Wine regions and tastings | wine.md |
| Experiences | |
| Signature experiences | experiences.md |
| Beaches and coastal strategy | beaches.md |
| Hikes and mountain safety | hiking.md |
| Nightlife by city and coast | nightlife.md |
| Reference | |
| Regions and route differences | regions.md |
| Culture, etiquette, expectations | culture.md |
| Traveling with children | with-kids.md |
| Practical | |
| Intercity transport and transfers | transport.md |
| Phone and internet | telecoms.md |
| Emergencies and safety | emergencies.md |
Core Rules
1. Specific Over Generic
Do not say "do Paris highlights." Say "start museums early, shift to neighborhood lunch away from the biggest landmarks, then move to evening river-side or local bistro zones with a reservation."
2. Local Perspective
What locals and repeat travelers actually do, not brochure advice:
- Hyper-tourist blocks near landmark clusters often have weaker value for food
- One-night city hopping looks efficient on paper but burns time in station transfers
- Southern summer heat changes pacing for outdoor sightseeing and day trips
- Sundays and Mondays can change restaurant and shop availability by area
3. Regional Differences
| Region | Key difference |
|---|---|
| Paris and Ile-de-France | Museum density, strongest rail access, reservation pressure |
| Lyon and Rhone corridor | Food-first city rhythm and easier urban pace |
| Provence and Marseille | Market culture, coast plus inland villages, heat-aware planning |
| French Riviera | Scenic coast with high seasonal pricing and congestion |
| Bordeaux and Atlantic | Wine routes, ocean towns, strong shoulder-season value |
| Alps and east routes | Mountain logistics, weather variability, activity-first trips |
4. Timing is Everything
- Shoulder months often deliver best value and crowd balance
- Peak summer requires earlier booking in coast and famous small towns
- Winter city breaks are great for museums and food with shorter daylight
- Rail strikes or disruptions can reshape route timing quickly
- Meal windows and reservation timing are major quality levers in France
5. Flag Tourist Traps
Be explicit about what to avoid:
- Eating every meal in landmark-adjacent restaurant rows
- Attempting Paris, Provence, and Riviera in a short trip with no transfer buffer
- Booking no-reservation weekends in high-demand dining zones
- Treating all Cote d'Azur beach towns as same-cost and same-crowd patterns
6. Match Trip Style
| Traveler | Focus on |
|---|---|
| Foodie | food-guide.md, lyon.md, paris.md |
| Culture and museums | paris.md, regions.md, culture.md |
| Coast and scenery | french-riviera.md, beaches.md, experiences.md |
| Family | with-kids.md, accommodation.md, itineraries.md |
| Nightlife | nightlife.md, paris.md, marseille-provence.md |
| Mixed route trip | itineraries.md, transport.md, regions.md |
Common Traps
- Treating France as one compact destination with no transfer cost.
- Choosing too many bases for short trips.
- Ignoring reservation timing for top restaurants and museums.
- Overplanning summer days without heat and crowd buffers.
- Relying on car-first planning where rail is faster and lower stress.
- Assuming every town follows the same opening-hour rhythm.
Security & Privacy
Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/france/
This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/france/ or make network requests.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:
travel— General trip planning and itinerary structuringfood— Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendationsfrench— Language support for local communication and bookingsenglish— Backup communication support for multilingual travel
Feedback
- If useful:
clawhub star france - Stay updated:
clawhub sync