I started Google-ing the hell out of backpacking the French Alps around Grenoble. I knew I wanted to stay at some sort of hostel or campsite that had amenities. It was mid-September and the days were still quite hot, so a pool would be lovely too. It also has to be accessible via public transportation from the center of Grenoble. I was not about to drive a car through the Alps with my limited driving experience…

Grenoble is the gateway to the French Alps. It does not have the best train connections, so I had to be strategic about my plan. You can get there from Montpelier directly. The city is surrounded by the Alps though. It’s not something you can really grasp until you are there. Walking around the city, you see the Alps in the distance almost everywhere.

In planning my French journey, I wanted to take advantage of the new low-cost high-speed train system France has spent billions of euros developing. Known as OUIGO (like “yes! go!”), the SNCF developed this as a new product from scratch to compete with the discount airline product that is risking to takeover the French railway market.

The train ride to Macon was beautiful. My host was waiting for me in the train platform underpass. I wasn’t sure if it was polite or creepy. He gave me a hug right away. That was the beginning of the overly touchy behavior. In the summer he runs a B&B but he told me there was no guests and that’s why he wanted companionship. Well, that story changed quite quickly when he picked me up…