This Iconic Region In France Offers Tourists Discounts In Exchange For Bus Ticket Stubs

The French are perhaps almost as famous for their lifestyle as they are for their gourmet food and fairytale-like scenery. But in addition to leisurely lunch breaks and unique social etiquette norms that might catch tourists off guard, the French are quite environmentally conscious in their lifestyle choices too. One of the ways they accomplish this is by using public transportation.

Since the metro in Paris is one of Europe's best public transit systems, the French travel far and wide on trains, buses, and even bikes. To incentivize its citizens and the country's millions of tourists to do the same, the northwest region of Normandy is offering discounts to visitors who arrive via public transportation. All you have to do is show your bus or train ticket stub (with the date of travel) to staff at tourist attractions and you will be rewarded with at least a 10% discount on admission. Over 90 tourism-related activities in Normandy are on board with the deal. You can even get this discount if you arrive on a bike. Simply show a photo of the bike or offer some other means of proof to take advantage of this deal.

Normandy is an inspiring part of France for U.S. history buffs. Its role in World War II remains well on display, from intact military equipment to museums and memorials. Plenty of incredibly moving sites related to this time period are on the region's eco-friendly discount list. Station Radar 44, the Falaise Memorial, D-Day Omaha Museum (Musée D-Day Omaha), and the Normandy Victory Museum (Musée de la bataille des haies) are just a few of the options included. Vikings were once in Normandy too, and you can use your discount at Parc Ornavik to see what their lives were like all those centuries ago. You can even get the discount on a Honfleur city bike tour through HonfleurTours.

France invests heavily in green energy efficiency and has shrunk its carbon footprint in recent years. Doing what you can to support France's environmental efforts as a tourist will show that you respect local values. Utilizing public transportation — even just to get a discount later on — might not sound like much, but as Europeans continue to voice concerns about tourism's negative impacts, keeping this guest mentality is more important than ever.