I know a couple who travel extensively with their folding bikes. It allows them to travel about easily while in a country and the folding bikes can be put on a train or bus or in a taxi or brought into an elevator with no issues. Usually they land at the airport and then use a bus to get to their hotels.
I would chose the bike based on parts availability in foreign countries. No reason not to buy the bike in France and many folding bikes come with lights and racks and fenders already installed. The Decathalon bike shops will even deliver the bike to you hotel when you buy one from them. Be careful as to the tire sizing and bring your own tubes and patch kit. A limitation of most folding bikes is the limited speeds, with most having 8-speeds which is far from ideal for traveling outside of the cities.
Folding Bike Manufacturer Directory - The Folding Cyclist