getting around in provence & nice

The consulate didn’t tell you the "whole" story. Although you can’t drive in France with only a California license, you can go to your nearest AAA (American Automobile Association) and purchase an International Drivers License from them. They will take your pictures and make out the International License while you wait. The license is good for one year. While driving in France, you MUST have your valid California drivers license with you because the International License is not valid unless it is accompanied by a valid CA license.

Ergo, you can drive in France with a CA license. You just need the International license to go with it. We’ve done this for years and had no problems. We just got our Internationals renewed and it was around $10 each. Can’t remember exactly, but it was pretty inexpensive.

We’ve driven in France for years and it really is the best way to get around, especially in the south. If you are going for 17 days or more, I highly recommend leasing a car instead of renting. It’s much less expensive and your VAT is included in the lease-back fee. We lease a Peugeot 206 and it is fine for two people with a small amount of luggage. It has enough get up and go for the Alps but it gets great gas mileage. It’s big plus is that it’s small enough to park easily on the narrow European streets!

If you aren’t staying long, take the train from Paris to Nice and pick up the car in Nice. It’s a rather long, albeit beautiful, drive from Paris to Nice. We usually take two or more days so we can drive the back roads and enjoy the countryside. You have quite an itinerary set up so I hope you’re not trying to do this in two weeks!

Visit Monte Carlo from Nice, perhaps even book a tour because the parking in Monte Carlo is not fun. Enjoy your time in Nice. It’s a beautiful city. You could book six days in St. Remy and visit Aix, Avignon and Arles from there. It is a smaller town, easy parking, pleasant evenings and an easy drive to most of Peter Mayle’s Provence, including Les Baux. Do get to Les Baux early or parking is a nightmare. If it’s packed, skip Les Baux and instead visit Daudet’s Mill and the Abbaye de Montmajour just down the road. The Mill is fun and the Abbaye is stunning, as are the views from the top of the tower.

You can easily drive the Mediterranean coast to Barcelona and if you do, plan to visit the walled city of Carcassonne and perhaps plan a night in Perpignan, a French town with a distinctly Spanish side to it.

Have fun. It sounds like a great trip.

River123: Maybe its California drivers that the French are afraid of. I have driven with only a Massachusetts license with no problem and Hertz was the agency. They indicated the international AAA endorsement is OK but is not necessary – for Massachusetts drivers anyway. We are probably more skilled than California. The AAA endorsement, is exactly that – it translates your driver’s credentials into multiple languages. Its probably useful if you get into an accident or get a ticket from one of the gendarmes – it describes to them that you are in fact a qualified driver. Based upon what SalB has told me, California drivers are not too skilled so maybe you should get all the help you can. Donerail

Donerail, River123 is asking a legitimate question and is probably from California and may take offense at your comments. I’ve gotten used to your rudeness and although I find it annoying, I try to ignore it. I don’t think it is an appropriate way to greet someone new to the Forums.

You may think you’re funny but I don’t. It’s offensive and in this case, absolutely uncalled for.

I think you owe River123 an apology because your remarks were obviously intended for me and River123 will not know that.

BTW, the reason you need the International license is for the translation. Many police who may stop you do not speak English. This is a convenience for them. Their jobs are difficult enough without having to read drivers’ licenses in fifty foreign languages.

SalB: I think you need to lighten up a bit. Your defensiveness is getting to be quite annoying. Apparently you can’t enjoy the internet unless you are lecturing someone. In any event, if River123 is offended, I will apologize to him or her. And btw , SalB, the reason for the AAA license is exactly as I described it. You don’t have to enlighten me as you stated what I stated. Maybe it is a requirement for California drivers. But it is not a requirement for any other 49 States that I know of. It may help if you get you facts straight. I feel somewhat inadequate at this point. You have gotten used to my rudeness, but I haven’t gotten use to your defensiveness and rudeness. But I will try even though you make it very difficult.

River123: You might try the RailEurope website as they have a number of Rail/Drive potentials. If you are travelling with others and the trip is a week or so, there are number of possibilities. SalB’s suggestion of leasing makes sense if you are spending 17 days or more. Most of us non-teachers don’t have that luxury of time but if you do, leasing is the way to go. Donerail

You don’t need to drive in Provence! take the TGV to Nice. Along the way, it stops at Cannes, etc…From there, a different TGV is just 20 minutes to Monte Carlo. The bus system can take you to all over Provence. Driving there is rather insane. They drive like a bunch of damned Texans! or damned Italians, whichever analogy suits you better….

really, use public transport and you’ll find it easier.

Thank you both, esp. SalB for your wonderful information. From talking to other people, i realized that the consulate must have thought that I wanted to live in france, and hence asked about having my california license "exchanged" for a french license. See –
http://www.info-france-usa.org/visitingfrance/driving.asp

Massachusetts is also NOT listed as one of those states

I agree Donerail’s comment did "seem" offensive, although possibly unintentional, and i’ll accept his/her apology.

LaVieilleBranche, thank you too. In my post, i mentioned that routes like avignon to st.remy, or avignon to les baux don’t even seem possible via train. That’s why I probably still need a car. Is it really that bad driving over there?

Also, do i have to reserve those TGV trains ahead of time?

There’s a travel agency named Trafalgar ??? WTF ???

CRC

River123, I live in Nice and if I’m available at that time, I’ll be gladd to spend a day showing u around my great area. especially the 3 roads that connect Nice to Monte-Carlo are a must seen. Let me know u’re schedule at manunice@hotmail.com .

Hi all!! I’m back from my trip to Norway, it was a blast.

Driving is not bad at all in France. The Autoroutes (A routes) charge a pretty steep toll, but the other roads are excellent and don’t charge at all. Often when you have to change direction, they have a roundabout and you can keep going round until you discover which way to turn. That way you don’t have to worry about instant decisions. It takes off a lot of pressure!

The major cities are easily accessible by train, but you will need a car to get off the beaten track. Don’t be afraid. They drive on the same side of the road as we do and are very polite drivers. I’ve never seen road rage in France.

River123: I get all around France and I take the TGV, 2nd class. I don’t know where you’re from, but in much of France they drive quite normal and calm. In southern France they drive like Italians! I’ve been to Monte Carlo and the train is definatly faster. You might want to maybe drive to Nice, but then for the local sights, take the bus/train.

If you do take the TGV to Nice, reserve your seat. It costs a few dollars more but in this manner you’re guaranteed a seat. If not, you have to stand or sit on your luggage in the aisle the entire way if there aren’t any extra unreserved seats on the train. Those unreserved seats are on a first come, first serve basis.

The TGV trains are much faster than driving, and more convenient. You can get where you’re going much faster than driving. Don’t forget the price of gas is really expensive in Europe, too.

Do what makes you happy, I just prefer public transportation

River123: My apologies. In any event, this is what I would do. Get acclimatized in Paris and use the Metro/RER while there. Don’t rent a car in Paris or even think about driving in Paris. I would then go to Nice via the TGV. You would need to spend the extra $10-11 for "reservations" as I was told they were required for the TGV from Gare de l’Lyon. Check out the sncf website for timetables and costs. Then I would pick up a rental car at Nice as it looks like it would be more convenient for your itenerary. I would do Barcelona by high speed train as well. Plan, plan, plan. Remember that French drivers are highly skilled and – despite what SalB says – they have very little patience with inexperienced drivers. They don’t exhibit road rage as we know it, but they will exhibit their impatience. The roads are all first rate and extremely well designed. The signage – although plentiful – sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. A naviagator is almost essential. My navigator tends to scream a lot. But if you are on vacation and not on a ridgid schedule – who cares if you get lost every now and then. Its part of the experience. Just make sure that your navigator doesn’t have any weapons.

crc95: Yes, there is a travel agency called Trafalgar and it is actually quite large. Btw, you are going to be in big trouble once SalB learns what "wtf" means. I can use the "cloud cover."

Donerail

SalB, I will concur with what Goderail has to say about French drivers : actually, I had always thought that US drivers were much nicer compared to the French. The first time I drove in the US, I got honked at only once, and believe me I made more than a few mistakes. American drivers must be more religious and therefore may know the concept of forgiveness and understanding, something the French diver is totally foreign to.

CRC

donerail, I know what wtf means. I sat in the last row of the brass section of an orchestra for years. They were all guys in my day and they acted like guys.

Instead of the TGV, I would recommend the el cheapo airlines like Volare. They are far less expensive than the TGV and you are going so fast on the TGV that you can’t see the scenery anyway. Although it might be fun to take the train just for the experience.

I don’t have anything against public transportation per se. We use the Metro and RER in Paris and love it. We don’t pick up our car until we’re ready to leave town. But when we are outside of Paris, we like to go where we wanta go, do what we wanta do . . . (a commercial). It’s nice to set your own schedule and since I’m the navigator, we are often lost and have met some very nice people while getting found again.

Drivers in LA are evil and we’ve never seen anything like that in France. I’m sure they exist; we just haven’t seen them.

Yes, sometimes the road signs appear after you should have turned but you quickly learn to look ahead for them. If you go to the Riviera during high tourist season, the traffic is a nightmare. We once drove through the Antibes area at about 2 miles per hour with wall to wall traffic and people were walking faster than traffic was moving. You won’t run into that in late September. The kids will be back in school; the parents will be back at work and the only tourists will be old geezers like us.

If you’re comfortable driving in a large city in the US, you will have no trouble. Avoid rush hours in cities and realize that in the country you may get stuck behind a tractor or two. You are going at a very good time because vacation is over and the world returns to a semblance of normalcy.

If you are more flexible in your scheduling, by all means take the bus. We just prefer driving but realize it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Thanks for all your help again It’s reassuring to hear that they drive on the same side!

First of all, we have 8 full days to split between french riviera, and the provence.

I was wondering whether I would need a car while in Nice, the city itself, since I read somewhere that one could easily explore the city on foot or via bus. Is this true? I notice that most hotels do not offer parking, but indicate nearby parking garage, usually with fee. Does it mean difficult parking?

So far we have 3 or 4 days planned for Nice and its surrounding areas: 1 for excursion to Eze and monaco/monte carlo, 1 or 2 in Nice, the rest to nearby places such as St. Paul de Vence and cannes.

Thank you

river123:

You can explore Nice by foot. You don’t need a car in the city at all. I was there for 7 days and I certainly did lots of walking. There is also a public bus system that you can use to get around Nice, if your feet start to give out on you. If you go to the beach, bring some type of rubber shoe/foot covering that you can also swim in (i’m not talking flippers) as the beach is composed of golf ball sized white rocks that will definately hurt your feet if you walk on them for a bit without proper foot protection (I speak from experience here).

Bring your camera and don’t forget to climb the great big rock up to the top! you get wonderful photos of the Nice harbor with all the rich people’s boats, etc…and georgous views of the sea. Explore the Old Nice, the layout and architecture is very Italian in design. It’s especially fun at night with the nightlife and street scenes going on.

Watch out for tourist restaurants! They charge high prices and serve mediocre food. Read the menu posted on the outside of the restaurant before you go in. You might want to get out of the center of Nice to eat. The prices are more reasonable and the food is delicious. If you see locals eating there then you know the food is good. I have friends in Nice and they don’t go to restaurants much because they say it’s hard to find good food/fair prices in Nice.

When you go to Monte Carlo, take the train. They have a local TGV that runs to Monte carlo and it’s only 20 minutes. It’s an express train. Don’t take the "local" train that goes to Monte Carlo or it will take much longer as it stops at every town along the way.

River123: La Vieille Branche is very correct about most of things, get a local advice if u want to go to a restaurant, I specially know some beach restaurant at St Jean Cap Ferrat that worth the price they charge you for dinner, and me and my wife love to go to the restaurant but like LVB said, the good one are outside Nice. It is true that the train will bring you to Monaco in a very conenient way, but again u don’t want to miss the incredible sightseen of the road that connect Nice to Monaco, so please, do it with a car, stop at Eze Village to visit that Old village built in a top of a rock above the sea and make several stop between Nice and Monaco to enjoy the best Worldwide sightseen (and I did travel alot!). I live right at the harbor in Nice so I really know the place and the areas.

Manu: You live right at the harbor??? I was there! I probably photographed your home! LOL

I should scan my pix and put them online and you can tell me which apartment is yours

You don’t need a car in cities. They all have good public transportation, either bus or subway. The drive along the coast is beautiful and since you’re going in Sept., you probably won’t have the very slow traffic people see during high tourist season. I really would take the train to Monte Carlo (actually I wouldn’t go to Monte Carlo because it’s just not our thing, but if you want to go, the train would be much easier). You can do the coastal route and visit places like Eze on a separate day and take your car for that.

I do recommend the car for trips to Vence, St. Paul, Grasse, etc. because the drive is so incredibly beautiful and you will want to get out and take pictures around every bend.

Technically speaking, the Riviera is part of Provence. I think we all separate the two in our minds and they are very different in many respects. We like the Provence most people associate with the word and that is the inland section with all the tiny villages, beautiful markets, antiques, ruins, footpaths, lavender, etc. When we hit the beach, we much prefer the section of the coast near Spain where you have a nice sandy beach instead of the rocks LVB mentioned. BTW, the beach in Juan les Pins near Antibes is sandy. Perhaps ManuNice can tell you if Sept. is too late in the year for swimming.

ManuNice, Do you know anything about Hotel Panoramique? We’ve booked two days there in October before we head into Italy. The web site looked fine and the view looked fantastic. We just want to get over jet lag before we head for Italy and it looked like a nice place to rest.

Just curious. Thanks.

Salb: email me or give me their web site I’ll take my motorcycle and will have a quick look if u like.

La Vieille Branche: Yes please scan the pictures lol, and I will edit it and put an arrow on it so u can see where i live!! Or better I go outside and I take a picture and I give u the link to see it… neway yes my building entrance is right on the harbor, as a matter a fact my adress is "8 Quai des Docks"… wich should be Dock of the Pier or something close…

It’s a Logis de France and their web site doesn’t seem to be working right now. The address is 107 bd. Bischoffsheim, Nice and the phone is 33 4 93 89 12 46

The photo of the restaurant on the Logis web site looks great. The rooms look pretty average but the location was appealing.

I misspelled it. It is Hotel Panoramic . . . the American spelling.

Ok I got enough info, I willo have a look I promiss!! (not today it is raining YAY!!! we needed it!)

The Logis de France web site is incredibly slow today but I finally got the web site for Hotel Panoramic. (I spelled it wrong before.) The URL is http://www.hotellepanoramic.com/ and it seems to be near the Nice Observatory.

You are so lucky to have rain. The last time we had rain was on Christmas Day. We were noticing how dusty everything is when we walked today. Rain would be lovely.

I’m looking forward to seeing your report. Thanks so much.

ok, I went to the hotel Panoramic. Beside the fact that the manager is a paranoïac sick it’s really charming…! It is a little bit outside of town (like 6-7 mn ride from the center) so if u’re by foot, u’re in trouble. I asked to see one room and they are pretty small but very clean, the guy told me that the rooms in september where around 60¬ per night. The manager refuse that I took pictures for some weird reasons, so i can’t show u the rooms and the inside of the hotel. So good point: it seems clean and charming with a breathless vue. Bad point: looks crapy from the outside, the owner is not very friendly when u ask question and u want to take pictures…!
Hope i helped!

ManuNice, Thanks so much. It sounds perfect. We don’t really care what it looks like. We’re just trying to recover from jet lag so we can drive into Italy without going off a cliff.

We will have a car so location is not a problem. The owner may be a bit strange, but we only have to check in and check out. He probably thought you were an inspector for something . . . perhaps Logis de France. I bet you scared him to death. LOL

If the rooms are clean, it’s fine with us. The view is a plus and we’ll enjoy it.

Again, thank you very much.

Thank you guys. Just got my ticket to Paris and I’m getting very excited already!

River123: pack me in your suitcase! I don’t take up much space!!

River123, How exciting. Congratulations!!

LVB, When are you going back to France and where in France are you going? We’re missing Paris this year . . . so sad. In October we’re flying into Nice which will be a new experience. We always fly into Paris. We’ll only be in Nice a couple days and then will be back to Provence in November after a long trip to Italy. We’ve been in Italy a couple times but just across the border so this will be different. We did go to Rome for a week last March but that was really part of the Oct. trip. We didn’t want to deal with a car in Rome. Glad we didn’t!

It took a couple trips to Paris before we discovered the car is best dealt with when leaving the city. On our second trip we paid almost as much to garage the car as we paid for our hotel . . . not quite!

SalB: It looks like I’ll be in France at Christmas again. I couldn’t go this summer because I needed to find a new job. That, and the fact that leaving my 88 year old mother alone for 6 weeks is not an option (unless my sister or her kids comes up to help out for a couple of weeks). The job being found (i had 3 job offers, waiting on 2 more, and in THIS economy!!!), I will make plans ASAP. I miss France

If I cannot go to paris I will go to Quebec City. I know of this wonderful place to stay. The price is reasonable for an apartment hotel, completely furnished, with loft style queen beds stuffed with feather comforters and down pillows. Breakfast is included in the price too! Every apartment is wired up with digital cable internet/tv. It’s a one price deal. I always make a choucroute on New Years Eve when I’m there because the temperature outside is usualy -10 Farenheit and the smell of a choucroute in the building during that weather is divine The vin chaud aux epices smells good, too

Of course, I could always fly into the Jura region and stay in Malbuisson for a week. It’s snow country and is much colder than Quebec City. The chalet I’m thinking of has a fireplace and is fully furnished in a French rustic/mountain decor. And the snow! The conte cheese! The smoked meats!

That reminds me, I went into NYC yesterday (Fricay) to run some errands. Went to a Murray’s Cheese Shop and got a nice piece of conte and a lovely strip of raw milk brie de meaux. Ahhhhhhhh……

Sorry for my ramblings. It’s hard to spend your entire summer season cooped up in a big house, just housecleaning and cleaning out closets/cellar.

I sympathize. My mother is also 88 but she put herself into an assisted living facility a few years ago and seems relatively happy. (She loves to complain so it’s hard to tell sometimes!) She also has a lot of much younger friends who cater to all her whims and often take her out to dinner and shopping. She’s legally blind and rather deaf but manages to keep herself occupied and to know everyone’s business within twenty miles. She’s a lot of fun and I think that’s the secret to everyone giving her so much attention. She’s kind of an 88 yr. old party girl.

She lives in Ohio so I fly out to visit a couple times a year. We built a room on our house about seven years ago but she refused to leave her friends and her home. We’ve turned the room into a library and told her she is welcome any time but she absolutely despises travel and refuses to even come and visit. I am expected to visit her and I dutifully do. It’s a pleasant break and often one of our daughters joins me.

Fortunately our son and his family live only a couple hours away so he’s always there in a crisis . . . along with her wonderful friends, of course.

Could you take a bus or subway out to The Cloisters? That might bring memories of la belle France! It’s worth a try.

SalB: Ohhh…i ALWAYS go to the Cloisters! I just drive there. It’s not that far away from me. Right now their medieval herb garden smells of cooking herbs and flowers

My mom is fine alone. I just don’t think it’s a good thing to leave her alone for 6 weeks. My neighbor up the street checks up on her every day. They’ve been friends for 34 years. Mom still drives a 1988 Cadillac Brogham! And drives quite well!!! has extremely quick reflexes. Sometimes I think her reflexes are faster than mine. She is a very young 88, however the age, and a little arthritis combined with a little osteoporosis can make life painful at times. Better if i just go for 1 or 2 weeks at a time. That is managable. I do miss my 6 week summer jaunts to France, though However, the rent in Mom’s house is free and I can save most everything i earn for many years now…that is a reason to hang around, too

BTW, Mom is 88 and I’m 41. Do the math….

good thing she had me! LOL

I don’t supposed your mom would be interested in going to France with you? That way you could make longer trips. Just a thought.

I’m so glad you like The Cloisters. We were at Abbaye de St.-Michel-de-Cuxa in the Pyrenees once and discovered that The Cloisters has the rest of St. Michel’s cloisters. I read a book about the Cloisters when I was in high school and have been fascinated by it ever since. You are fortunate to be so close! I’m jealous . . . but not of your weather.

Herbs . . . That reminds me one of the things I like best about Provence is getting out of the car and walking along the roadside taking pictures. The reason . . . not the pictures, the smell. When you walk, you step on all the wild herbs and the smell is heavenly. (Of course, the pictures are nice too, just not the immediate pleasure!)

BTW, we’ve landscaped our back yard with rosemary as a ground cover and lavender as an accent, not to mention sage and oregano just for cooking. If it weren’t for the smog . . . . . . it would smell just like Provence. Ah well, it’s one of many good reasons to return to France.

SalB: Mom has no interest in going overseas. She would probably go if she could walk better, but she doesn’t have the stamina (in her mind) for any international trip. And she is afraid of flying since 9-11.

Whenever I need a little sanity and peace of mind, I go to the Cloisters! Such a lovely place. I will go this month during a weekday, before school begins again for me. New school district, new students, new teachers….

The herbs!! I was at a French museum right outside Nice, and there was a long, thick row of ROSEMARY hedges!!! The smell!! HEAVENLY! :-)))))

Growing all those herbs, huh? Now you can make your own bouquet garni

Our backyard is surrounded by rosemary. They use it for a ground cover out here. It’s tough stuff. Then my husband planted lavender around the palm trees. I keep sage and oregano in a planter and basil in a pot on the screened patio. I have to keep the basil inside because the snails eat basil. They LOVE basil. Unfortunately, I can’t cook without it. Wish I liked snails better. That would be the ultimate revenge. It’s odd but it’s okay to eat snails in a French restaurant, but when they are your own snails in your garden, the idea of eating them is repulsive. Shame. I’m sure they all taste like basil!

Hopefully, your new job will be with better teachers, parents, administrators and especially . . . kids! Good luck. Retirement is lovely.

Hi guys,

It’s me back for more questions! After all that discussion leading to my decision to rent a car and drive, I just now realized that I won’t be able to navigate at all b/c I don’t read any french! Are the signs complicated to learn in two days? Can anyone recommend a book or preferrably some online source for learning french road signs. Thanks!

River123: The signs are the same as we have in NJ…so it’s not complicated at all. Beware the traffic signals in Paris. They have this illuminated + that I still cannot fathom.

You might want to google exactly as i type it: "french road signs" or "french street signs" and see what you can find.

Check any guidebook. They should give you the bare details of road signs. The shapes are the same and "Stop" has been printed in English for years now. If nothing else, AAA can give you French road signs and they are also included in the Micheline France Motoring and Touring Atlas (which you should have to drive).

As far as finding your way around, the numbers are the same as ours and the directions are to the town name and you will know the name of the town you are visiting!

The only thing that is confusing is when there are multiple signs. Fortunately, the French use roundabouts so you just keep going around until you figure out which road to take. We’ve gone round three times on more than one occasion.

The first time we went, we didn’t speak much French either. Rather, I spoke quite a bit but couldn’t read it and my husband could read it but not speak. We were actually a good match for a first trip.

Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.

One little oddity I had forgotten. French street signs are not on poles like ours. They are little rectangular blue signs fastened onto the sides of houses (or businesses) on the corner. Look right above the first floor and you’ll see a little blue sign with white letters.

You can buy these as souvenirs in a few gift shops. They’re a fun reminder of your trip!

River123: The signage and symbols are mostly straighforward. Here’s a valuable tip: Download and print the symbols with a color printer. Then tape the sheet to the Hertz dashboard. That will get you thru it until you have remembered or encountered the signs as a matter of course. I can’t remember the site that I downloaded from. USAA insurance might have been the one. Once you adapt, you will find the signage to be a lot more logical than what we have. Reserve the car in advance from over here in the USA. It will be a lot cheaper. Request a diesel as that will be really a lot cheaper. One neat trick they have on the main drags ("Autoroute&quot is the spacing of the white hash lines varies with the speed limit. They become longer as the speed limit increases. There are some highways that have the overhead message boards. I have been able to decipher about half of the messages that I encountered. Usually road construction or some other national calamity. Donerail

Thank you!

donerail, We have the overhead message boards in California too. They are mostly used for Amber Alerts when a child is abducted. Occasionally we have construction or weather problems, but usually kidnappings. Good old California . . .

BTW, the CA AAA put out some stats this month. The average speed on LA freeways is 37 mph. Not too many speeders here!! I can remember looking at our speedometer and calculating it would take us 3 hours to get someplace at our current 7 mph. Usually when it gets down to about 40 mph, we get off the freeway and use faster surface streets (if that makes any sense at all). The only problems are when there simply are no surface streets to get you where you want to go.

At any rate, you would have lots of time to read the overhead message boards unless you read exceptionally slowly.

Moving onto hotels here… where is the best place online to book hotels? Thanks!

Can anyone recommend a tourbook for Riviera and Provence?

– lonely planet
– frommer’s
– eyewitness travel guides / DK travel writers
– michelin’s green book
– ??

Thanks!

Hi. The different books cater to different audiences. We prefer the Michelin Green Guides and never go anyplace without one or more. We also like the Eyewitness guides but don’t take them with us because they are so heavy . . . all those lovely photos weigh a lot!

I don’t recall your age if you mentioned it before, but Lonely Planet seems to aim at younger readers. We used it years ago when we were camping in France. There are all sorts of crazy guide books. You might want to go to your local bookstore and take an hour leafing through a selection of guide books to see which ones give the information you particularly want.

If you want night life, find one with that. If you’re interested in history, look for that. (Michelin Green Guides are good for history.) There are some that give short tours and others budget information. There is almost too much information available these days but do take advantage of it.

We always take the Michelin Green Guide along with the Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas. You can pick up other information at the local tourist information bureaus and do ask at your hotel because the people who live there are a font of information. We’ve gotten some of our best tips from waiters and desk clerks. We’ve been to weddings and baptisms and once to a confirmation all at the invitation of hotel or restaurant personnel who wanted us to see the "real" France. These were all in tiny little towns way out in the country and everyone was so nice. Guidebooks are useful but they never take the place of the people who live there.

Hopefully others will weigh in on their favorite guide books.

SalB thanks! You’ve been very helpful. Good idea. I’ll go to a bookstore tomorrow. Also I posted a question to find out if there is a good place online for booking hotels. I know of expedia, but I’m not sure if that’s the best for this particular area of france. Do you have any recommendation?

I’ve never tried Expedia for hotels. We use https://visitfrance.travel (this site) for Paris hotels and often for other large cities. Just click on the blue and red France.com at the top of this page and you will find a Hotel search underneath the "Search" window on the top left side of your screen. They cover the larger cities and quite a few smaller ones too. We’ve booked through them for years and never had a problem. They show photos and prices and they also print reviews by people who have stayed at these hotels.

In the countryside, we use the Logis de France chain. Their web site is http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/ and it is in English. They give pictures and prices and often a web site directly to the hotel. Most of them have a fairly nice restaurant attached. They don’t have reviews, but if you want reviews, you can probably check venere.com or slowtrav.com for those. We’ve also used Logis de France for years and never had any problems with them either.

Other sites I’ve seen recommended are Relais & Chateaux at http://www.relaischateaux.fr/site/us/
Relais de Silence at http://www.silencehotel.com/
Alastair Sawday’s at http://www.specialplacestostay.com/
and Karen Brown’s B&Bs at http://www.karenbrown.com/france/

I haven’t used any of these so can’t recommend them but I strongly suspect they are reliable. I do highly recommend France.com and Logis de France. We’ve had excellent service from both.

Good luck.