An essential item when travelling in France

France is rightly famous for its wines, so it would be a crime to not sample them. Every corner shop and supermarket has a selection, and the prices start low – you can get very drinkable reds from less than 5€, about AU$8.

But don’t expect screw caps on wine bottles, cork (or a plastic version of it) is king here.

Most AirBnBs will have at least one corkscrew, but after borrowing from hotel receptions a few times I finally remembered to buy one – from a souvenir shop, because the supermarket only had large complicated versions.

So, pack a lightweight corkscrew – but not in your cabin bag, security might take it away..