About Us
He’s French, I’m American, and we met in the most unexpected way. I was on a girl’s trip in New Orleans and JP’s band was on tour from France. Not unusual for a Sunday afternoon in NOLA, a brass band was parading through the streets and while strutting to the intoxicating rhythms, the two of us crossed paths. You could say it was fate but we just consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have bona fide second line love story.
Since meeting on our own respective journeys and living in two different countries, it was clear that travel would play a big part in our lives. Even after many trips across the Atlantic and my eventual move to France, we continue to explore new destinations regularly and often (the major perk of working for ourselves).
During the pandemic, we bought a van so we could road trip in our very own backyard which lead us to the most incredible places and sparked the idea to create this website. We like to travel slowly with the intention of getting to know a place a little deeper, not simply rush through for a photo or to tick a box.
As an American expat and a French native, we think our unique and distinct perspectives will apply to all types of travelers with various tastes and travel styles. We’re enthusiastic about sharing our stories and inspiring other curious travelers like you. Ultimately, we hope that our one-of-a-kind travel guides will encourage you to get out there and experience the magic of independent travel!
Meet Megan
Megan is a native Californian, a small business owner, photographer and filmmaker. A self-proclaimed “analog nerd,” she loves to document the world around her with a 35mm camera and super 8 film. She’s a people person through and through and is known for her approachability and infectious laugh.
Although she’s a thorough planner and organizer, she tends to thrive in go-with-the-flow situations (like roads trips!). She feels totally comfortable “roughing it” as well as occasionally splurging on an incredible experience.
Since studying abroad in Europe at age 20 with a minuscule budget, a Euro-rail pass in hand and camera around her neck, travel has been a huge focus in her life. So the decision to uproot her life in NYC and move to a city in France that she’d never heard of, was a pretty easy one. She couldn’t feel luckier to live this chapter of life in this particular part of the world while sharing her discoveries with other indie voyagers.
Meet Jean Patrick
JP is a composer and musician specializing in piano, organ and keyboards. He’s got a collection of vintage instruments that takes up most of the space in their apartment but Megan’s ok with it since she regularly gets private concerts. He hails from Nantes, France but has traveled all over the world playing music and learning from masters.
Sustainability plays a big part in JP’s life and he dreams of living in a self-sufficient home someday. He’s taught Megan so much about saving the planet and has helped her change many of her American habits. One of his bonus traits—he’s an incredible chef and is often whipping up stellar meals for their friends and family.
Since their meeting, JP’s traveled to even more fantastic destinations with Megan’s insistence on venturing to sunny countries every gray winter (which he’s totally cool with!). One of his best travel skills is seeking out secret locations by way of the most remote routes. The journey can be slightly terrifying but the end result is always worth it!
Our Travel Philosophy
Go with the Flow
A plan can be great if you only have a few days but don’t get hung up on it… be open to taking a new road if it presents itself. You don’t need to tick the boxes for particular destinations (especially if you saw it on instagram). Be chill if things don’t always go to plan, that’s part of the adventure!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Be kind, respectful and polite to locals. Learning a few simple words or phrases can make a huge difference and a smile will almost always go a long way. Be mindful of cultural customs. If you want to take a person’s photo, ask them first. Always leave no trace.
Take Some Risks
When traveling, we always feel most alive when completely out of our comfort zones. Driving on the wrong side of the road, ordering from a foreign menu, getting lost in a strange town, taking the scary boat to that remote island. Times like these always make for the best stories later.
Food & Culture
Try as much local food as possible. And see as much art or listen to as much music as you can find. One of the greatest joys of travel is discovering delicious local cuisines, hearing wonderful music you weren’t exposed to before and bringing home regional products and handicrafts from your trips.
Easy Does It
We know not everyone has the luxury of taking a lot of time off but when you can, DO! Getting to know a particular area well is more rewarding and less stressful than racing through a ton of spots to check off your list. It’s nice to get into the rhythm of a place than just pass through it.
Be Grateful & Present
We can’t forget that we are so very fortunate to be able to travel. Do not take this for granted, especially now after having lived through a pandemic. Know how lucky you are, be kind, be respectful, go slow and enjoy the moment where you are here and now.
A Few of Our
Favorite Things
Hammocks & hot tubs
High brow & low brow films and TV shows
Soulful music & a funky dance floor
Taco trucks & trendy restaurants
Analog (super 8, 35mm, vinyl) & high tech gadgets
Modern art & vintage 70s design
Sweet & salty
Camper vans & boutique hotels
Staying in & going out
Big cities & wild nature
Reviews
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NANTES & BRITTANY TRIP
Megan and JP provided us with the most amazing week in France! Including but not limited to the perfect picnic spot next a slow moving river under a CASTLE, an excursion to a tiny island with no cars where we picked fresh oysters and stayed in a picturesque cottage by the sea, a bike ride thru the amazing city of Nantes, great live music spots, and over and over again tips to find UNBELIEVABLE food. If you want to get out of the tourist traps look no further—Megan and JP have got the INSIDE SCOOP. I cannot recommend them highly enough! We can’t wait to go back.
—Chase and Tate -
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DORDOGNE TRIP
Our France trip was on the calendar for fall 2021 and we began planning discussions with Megan in the spring, as the date approached. During the planning she interviewed us about our lodging, food and sight seeing tastes and preferences. Megan's services customized our road trip through France with special personal touches that made the trip extremely enjoyable. This made our journey feel personal and it fit us like a glove. Every restaurant, hotel or airbnb, city and sight was what we would have chosen. We had our own itinerary of friends to see, scattered across the country, then coupled with Megan's expertise, we were able to get a taste of the local culture in areas in which our friends resided. Many of these places were not known to our friends, so they benefited from Megan's knowledge as well. We highly recommend Megan's personalized/customized services to anyone wanting to get a taste of France off the beaten path.
—Jeff and Marlon -
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BRITTANY TRIP
After attending a friend’s wedding in the UK, I wanted to gift myself a little 41st birthday trip, but only had four days to spend in Brittany before heading back to the States. With Megan’s help, I fit everything I could’ve possibly wanted into that brief jaunt. I got lively culture, local history, incredible cuisine, and one thing I didn’t expect — the beaches! Who knew that some of the most beautiful water I’d ever floated in would be in the Northern part of France? I’ll tell you who knew...Megan. It was a long weekend to remember, every day feeling perfectly full but never rushed, and left me longing to get back for another personally curated French vacation.
—Amy -
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NANTES & BRITTANY TRIP
My experience with Indie Voyage was nothing short of AMAZING! I wanted a short trip to France to include a bit of a city action and country charm. With my itinerary I caught both in 5 days which felt complete and easy to manage.
Starting in Nantes I visited yummy local spots to eat, checked out local markets and got a concert in, too. There's so much to see in Nantes. Another trip will be in the future, for sure!
Then my trip brought me up to Brittany, the drive was easy and so picturesque. Within a short time, I was able to visit Saint Malo, Dinard, Cancale and the beautiful coastline. With the right tips, I felt I ate the best food, including amazing crepes and oysters!
All and all, the entire trip was smooth and I got to see and do everything I wanted. I couldn't be happier!
—Karina -
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NANTES TRIP
My husband and I visited Nantes in the summer of 2018. It was our first time visiting the city and Megan was brimming with ideas for things for us to do during our visit. Throughout our stay she was always happy and eager to make suggestions that catered to our whims. And we did a lot in a week—every day felt like a new adventure. From a meandering bike tour to some of her favorite hidden spots to introducing us the marvelous “Les Machines de l'île,” we even drove to one of the beautiful Atlantic beaches in the vicinity.
Megan’s restaurant recommendations were spot-on and thoughtful. I will never forget the meal at the fantastic Michelin-rated La Mare aux Oiseaux, where we dined in a beautiful outdoor garden in the company of the restaurant’s resident crowned crane. Such a fun and funny memory! And those desserts!
All in all, we came away from the trip feeling like we’d gotten a hearty taste of the very best Nantes has to offer. We’re already eager to get back, and when we do, we’ll certainly be contacting Megan to help us plan our next set of adventures.
—Daniel and Duane -
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CORBIÈRES TRIP
Megan helped us to find the perfect location for our vacation in the Corbières region. She listened to all of our wishes so that we could enjoy a great time with our family. We didn’t know the area at all but she gave us tips that we would not have found without her knowledge. Our wish was to find a place surrounded by nature with wild swimming in rivers and strolling through local markets and her suggestions were spot on. Thank you so much for making our holidays so great.
—Laura and Damien
