Hey there, JFC-ers,

Let’s start off by wishing happy (belated) Canada Day to all you wonderful readers over there in Canada, and likewise, a happy Independence Day to you lovely lot in the USA celebrating this weekend! I hope you’re all suitably sick of the sight and smell of barbecue by now. 

This week has been pretty exciting at JFC HQ, as we’re testing out a new feature — and you lucky Detour readers get to be the first to give it a whirl. As you know, we love hearing all your travel tips and feedback, so we’ve decided to open up The Detour to comments. 

To get involved, you just need to open this edition of The Detour in our Members Lounge and scroll down to the comments section at the bottom. You'll need to be logged into your JFC account to comment, which you can do in the top right.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Happy travels and safe landings,

I love Paris, but I don’t always love doing Paris. The long lines. The lukewarm café crème. The aggressive selfie sticks outside the Louvre. If you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, survived the Arc de Triomphe roundabout, and forced yourself to walk past another macaron, it might be time to get a little… unconventional.

1. Firstly: Swap macarons for Eugénies instead.

It’s time to introduce your taste buds to Eugénies — a delicate treat designed to offer a variety of sensations with each bite, combining the crispness of shortbread biscuit and chocolate shell with the smoothness of a melting heart. I am unable to pass a Ladurée shop without sampling one! (Highly recommend passion fruit or blackcurrant violet flavours!)

2. Delve down into Paris. Deep down.

The Catacombs aren't exactly a secret, but they are 5-storeys underground, and decorated with the remains of 6 million Parisians, so I’m counting that as niche tourism. If you’re tired of pretty pastel everything, descend into this shadowy labyrinth and embrace your inner goth.

Pro tip: Dress in layers; it’s cool down there in every sense.

3. Explore the Sewers of Paris.

Yes, this is a real museum. The Musée des Égouts takes you beneath the streets into the bowels of the city (literally). It's surprisingly fascinating, bizarrely clean, and offers a unique, slightly steampunk view of Paris’s underground world. Who knew waste management could be… chic?

4. Visit the weirdest French anatomy museum.

The Musée Fragonard d’Alfort is not for the faint of heart — or stomach. It’s filled with anatomical oddities and flayed bodies posed like they’re mid-opera. If you’ve ever wanted to combine medical school, Halloween, and a pinch of French eccentricity, this is your spot.

5. Ditch the stuffy Eiffel Tower dinner.

You’re welcome to spend $600 on a soggy foie gras tasting menu with a partial view of the Eiffel Tower if you crane your neck just right. Or… you could assemble your own feast: a crusty baguette, gooey cheese, perfectly French salami, fresh strawberries, and a bottle of wine (don’t forget the opener!!). Next: head to my favourite spot, a little walkway along the Seine with front-row Eiffel Tower views. As night falls and the Tower begins to sparkle, couples will propose, bottles will pop, and you’ll sit there thinking: this beats any rooftop reservation in town.

6. Live out your own fairytale.

Instead of a basic chain hotel, why not spend the night in an actual château? France is peppered with historic castles you can actually book. Some are luxurious, some are haunted, all are way more fun than your average Airbnb. Bonus points if you bring a flowing robe and whisper “ma chère” dramatically in the candlelight.

7. Swap Disneyland Paris for Astérix and Obelix.

Skip the overpriced churros and head to Parc Astérix, France’s delightfully oddball theme park inspired by the beloved comic book heroes. Think rollercoasters, Romans, and just the right amount of French absurdity. It’s got fewer crowds, more character, and you won’t have to pretend to enjoy waiting 90 minutes to ride It’s a Small World in French. Bonus: there’s actual cheese.

8. Day trip to Mont-Saint-Michel.

No matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for the dreamy view of this abbey-island rising from the tides. It looks like Hogwarts had a baby with a medieval French village. Pro tip: Plan to stay the night in one of the very few inns on the island to get the place allllll to yourself when the daytrippers leave around 6pm. Pro-er tip: Coordinate your visit around one of the super tides, when the abbey is completely engulfed by water.

9. Go guinguette hopping along the Seine.

Under the summer sun, Parisians beat the heat by flocking to guinguettes — riverside open-air bars with live music, cheap drinks, and a retro French vibe. Head out to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont or Joinville-le-Pont to dance, picnic, or just sip rosé with your feet in the water. It’ll make you feel like a real Parisian, not to mention that it'll give you an excellent excuse to dress up.

10. Visit the vineyard hidden in Montmartre.

Tucked behind Sacré-Cœur is Clos Montmartre, a tiny working vineyard in the heart of Paris — because of course Paris has a secret vineyard. It’s not always open to the public, but you can peek through the gates or time your visit with the annual Fête des Vendanges, where the wine flows, the locals get festive, and things get delightfully weird (we’re talking about a celebration of marriage proposal rejections here, people).

11. Take a cheese class in a real fromagerie.

Sure, you could stare blankly at stinky cheeses at the market — but why not get a PhD in brie instead? Book a cheese tasting or workshop at places like Paroles de Fromagers to learn proper slicing, pairing, and how to casually drop phrases like “triple crème” and “washed rind” into conversation. Très cultured.

If there's one thing that's clear, it's that Paris is a city that rewards curiosity. Veer left when everyone else turns right. Go underground. Sleep in castles. Sip wine in secret vineyards. Dance beside the river. Nibble your picnic on your own terms. 

And always, always pack a bottle opener.

I made a plea for some travel intel a little more off the beaten track in last week’s edition. More specifically, I asked for your wisdom on North Macedonia, where I’ll be heading for a week this autumn. 

You may be wonder why on earth I’ve decided to go there, and honestly, it’s the curse of a life of flight finding. Back in my early days at JFC, when I got to spend several hours every day digging around the dark corners of Google Flights, intrepid budget airlines started popping out new routes to corners of Eastern Europe I’d never heard of. Among those corners was Ohrid.

It didn’t take much Googling to know that this was a place we should tell people about, because frankly, one picture was enough

From there, I began reading more about the country. Where Ohrid, on the North Macedonian side of UNESCO listed Lake Ohrid, oozes history, charm, and gorgeous nature, the capital city, Skopje, has a different story to tell. With years of communist rule and a devastating earthquake taking their toll on the city's buildings, it has ended up somewhat… well… confused?

Detour reader and fellow Lupine Racer Doug (whom I met last year over a pint in a rather soggy Rothenburg ob der Tauber en route to Tirana) sent in his impressions from a visit last year: 

Thanks so much, Doug! This is exactly the vibe I’ve been picking up from all my North Macedonia research, so it’s great to hear that it lives up to it in real life, too. I’m certainly looking forward to warming up my brutalist taste buds en route to Tallinn next month, but there’ll be plenty room for more by October. 

And now we’re throwing it back out to you guys for your thoughts on a different destination — one that’s just a tad more traditionally alluring, yet even more unlikely that the majority of us will ever get there… Fiji!

Excellent question Salvatore — we see great flights to Fiji now and again, but they’re super rare, and usually for the lucky JFC-ers over in North America. Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to get over there and test it out myself.

That said, our very own Flight Finder Larissa is also planning a trip to Fiji later this year, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled more than ever. And when we find those great flights, we’re definitely going to need some awesome travel tips to go with them! 

So, dear Detour readers, have any of you been fortunate enough to visit Fiji? Did it live up to the island paradise hype? And what are your tips for avoiding the package resorts and saving a few pennies while there?

Help Salvatore and Larissa out in our shiny new comments section by logging into your account on your browser or our app and heading to the comments in this edition of The Detour. Or, if you’d rather stick to the inbox, just reply to this email as usual.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.

• The European Parliament has officially ruled that airlines must allow passengers to take a 7 kg carry-on bag onboard in addition to their under-seat personal item. Of course, our no-frills favourites strongly disagree with this decision, so watch this space to see how the drama unfolds...
  
  
• We flight nerds love a fun airport code, but this one really SUX!
  
  
• Unfortunately, it's that time of year again when some of Europe's most popular summer destinations are hit with wildfires. If you're travelling to Greece or Turkey soon, here's what you need to know.
  
  
• And finally, if you're still in the market for a summer read to whisk you away to distant lands, let yourself fall down a goodreads rabbit hole. It probably won't surprise you that you'll be able to find me heading off Around the World in 80 Trains