France

Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:

Best: Renting bikes at the bike shop in Beaune.
Why: That was a real find. Sarah told us that you (Rick) had been in the day before and she was so excited to have met you in person (my husband compared the conversation to school girls gushing over the Beatles, but you can ignore that). Sarah is Canadian and married to the owner of the shop, so speaks English. We had a wonderful afternoon really seeing the country in an intimate manner we could never see by car or train. Workers waved and we stopped at a couple of small wineries. Probably on the best days of our trip.

gail argenbright in beaverdam, va USA 06/28/2008

Best: Acco-Dispo mini-bus tour of Loire Valley castles
Why: Our tour guide (Cécile) was absolutely wonderful: informative, cheerful, good command of English (and very understandable French pronunciation if you know some French and want to practice a little). My 21-year-old daughter says it was her favorite part of our 12-day vacation in France. We were traveling by train (no car), so this was a great, stress-free way to see several castles in one day.

Worst: Getting trapped in the RER station at CDG airport
Why: We took the RER to Charles de Gaulle Airport for our trip home. When we got on at the Denfert-Rochereau station, there was no agent at the ticket window, so we used the self-service ticket machine. We followed all the instructions as best we could and got our tickets (which cost less than expected; should have tipped me off). After a long, very hot and crowded ride, when we inserted our tickets to exit at CDG, the machine refused them, and there was no way to get out, and no agents/employees in sight. (Fortunately, a local showed us how to sneak through the handicap exit; otherwise panic would have set in rather quickly!)

Marian Ziegler in Drums, PA USA 06/26/2008

Best: Tour of cave paintings by Allo Phillipi - Dordogne
Why: Phillip was able to get us into the caves with no waiting and was a wealth of information. His insight and humor kept us entertained the entire four plus hours. I would highly recommend Phillipi to anyone who would like an English speaking guide in the region (there aren't any other).

Gary Owen in Seattle, Wa USA 06/23/2008

Best: Hotel de la Paix, Beaune
Why: The rooms are large, clean and nicely decorated. Breakfast is personally served by owner Fernand Madaleno and he takes pride in his hotel and the quality of service. Free internet access (1/2 hr. at a time), is a really nice feature. He was friendly, helpful and eager to assist.

Worst: Hotel L'Annexe, Paris
Why: This hotel, located in the 10th close to Place Republique, is a good value. The downside is the size of the rooms. Very cramped, especially the bathrooms (of course added to the rooms over time) but nonetheless it's a tight fit. The staff speak English and are helpful and gave good recommendations for nearby restaurants. Just be prepared for the lack of space in the room.

Bob in Norem, AZ USA 06/05/2008

Best: Beynac, Dordogne region
Why: The village is charming (cobbled streets, castle on the hill, great views, etc) and the countryside is gorgeous! Very rural, rolling hills, woodlands and river valleys. If you like the outdoors, this is a great area to spend time in!

Worst: Carcassonne
Why: The site was very disappointing. We had planned to spend the night based on the guide book and information from Backdoor staff, but decided to keep on going after an hour in the city. Tourists by the bus load, knick knacks galore--seemed more like Disneyland. Sarlat was much more interesting as an example of medieval architecture. Definitely would not waste your time in Carcassonne!

Nancy Musgrove in Seattle, WA USA 05/25/2008

Best: Amboise. Also, the street fair in Beaune.
Why: Amboise is a great place to stay in the Loire Valley. Thanks to your book, we planned our trip to be in Beaune for the street market, which was wonderful.

Karen Snyder in Parsippany, NJ USA 05/24/2008

Best: Honfleur, France
Why: Charming, friendly little town. Lots of fun little shops, restaurants, close enough to the Normandy beaches. Our B&B, La Cour St. Catherine, was wonderful-built in the 1600's-just a delight as is the owner, Liliane.

Suzanne Hannus in Bothell, WA USA 05/17/2008

Best: Victory Tour-D-day full day tour
Why: We had a car and could have driven ourselves but we never would have accomplished so much in one day and understood what we were seeing. The owner, Roel, is a one man show and has had a long passion for WWII history. He was a wealth of information and stories about Vets he has met. We always like to save money where we can but this tour was worth every penney we paid. We were also lucky as we were the only 2 people on the tour that day. Do not miss this experience.

Barbara and Trevor Law in Tierra Verde, FL USA 05/14/2008

Best: D-Day Beaches
Why: The magnitude of the invasion and the acts of heroism cannot be appreciated without visiting Utah, Omaha, Sword, Gold and Juno beaches. I also enjoyed visiting the battery at Merville, Pegasus Bridge, the "Grand Bunker" at Ouistreham, the museum at Arromanches, the battery at Longues-Sur-Mur, the battery at Point Du Hoc, the Amercian cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mur, the German cemetery at La Cambe, and the "Dead Man's Corner" Museum north of Carentan.

Robert Schiffner in Moses Lake, WA USA 05/11/2008

Best: Battlebus Tours and Palais Royal Courtyards
Why: Very informative tour of the D-Day beaches. Stories were personable, informative and educational. Enjoyed the small group.

Accidently stumbled upon the Palais Royal Courtyards which were a very pleasant surprise - nice quiet, relaxing gardens

travelfan in Washington, DC USA 05/10/2008

Best: Cathedrale d'Images AND wine tasting at Cave du Verger des Papes in Cateauneuf-du-Pape
Why: Can't explain Cathedrale d'Images. Absolutely fascinating, especially this year with the VanGogh exhibit. It was just fun tasting the wines at the Cave!

Worst: Glanum Ruins
Why: Expensive to get into--surprisingly the area around St. Paul Monastery was interesting (where Van Gogh was hospitalized)

Kathy and Mark Kelsey in Santa Clara, CA USA 05/02/2008

Best: AccoDispo chateaux tour in Amboise area
Why: Pascal is very knowledgeable and obviously in love with his home area.

Harold Erath in New Orleans, LA USA 04/26/2008

Best: tour of the Dordogne region with Philippe
Why: He is knowledgeable, professional, yet very amicable and jolly. His new Toyota Land Cruiser is most comfortable, and he's quite flexible about designing the tour. It's an outstanding bargain for, say, 4 or 5 people. Far cheaper, easier and better than renting a car!

Harold Erath in New Orleans, LA USA 04/23/2008

Best: The Dordogne Region
Why: It was peaceful, beautiful, and historically fascinating. We stayed in Vezac, on the river, in a Rick Steves recommended B&B (Chateau Nineyrol). The hostess Anne was lovely and accommodating, the room was large and comfortable, it was quiet and peaceful and I slept like a baby. Within a very short drive in varying directions you could see the prehistoric cave art at Lascaux II, Cap Blanc and Font du Gaumme (all were exceptional), the castles of Beynac and Castlenaud (both interesting, the latter was really well done), the bastide village of Domme, which we drove to each night to watch the sunset, the river cruises from Beynac or La Roque (relaxing and beautiful, with visions of Johnny Depp in "Chocolat") and, not in Rick's guidebook, but exceptionally worthwhile were the Gardens of Marqueyssac (located on the hill above our Vezac B&B), where we spent an entire afternoon wandering and being amazed that it was not listed at a 3*** sight. I could have spent the entire day there. We stayed 4 nights in the Dordogne and were busy all the time. I would love to go back someday.

Barbara Ricciardi in Denville, NJ USA 04/21/2008

Best: Avignon
Why: I thought the St. Benez bridge would be cheesy, but it really wasn't. It was very impressive, in fact, and is great as a first sight when you get to Avignon because it gives insight into the rest of the sites in town.

Worst: Hiking from Seguret to Gigondas
Why: The road signs are not clear at all. Perhaps you could outline a better map for the non-drivers who want to walk from Seguret to Gigondas.

Elizabeth in San Francisco, CA USA 04/16/2008

Best: Battlebus tour of Normany landing beaches
Why: This company (our tour guide Jules) gave a brilliant, 8-person minibus tour of the American sights of D-Day. I wasn't a big buff before,but it was awe-inspiring. I felt like WE were getting briefed for the Dday invasion. The terrible weather in March 08 (storms) actually added to the ambiance. I recommend watching "The Longest Day" , "Band of Brothers", and "Saving Private Ryan" before going. I can't imagine a better tour. I want to go back and take more of their tours.

Also I want to commend Patrick Marpault in Tours for a nice private tour of the Loire Valley. We took a train from Rennes to Tours. He picked us up at our hotel (put our backpacks in the trunk), brought us to Chenonceaux, Chambord, Blois, and Amboise and then dropped us at the train station at St. Pierre de Corps to take the TGV train to Paris.

Worst: Jumping off the train at Bayeux
Why: We took the SNCF train from Gare St. Lazare to Bayeux on a saturday night at 940pm. As we approached the station, I expected the doors to open automatically . THEY DIDN'T !!! We had to open the doors and jump off as the train pulled away. I got a distinct impression this was a commuter train that expected the passengers to know what they were doing! My son thought it was cool but I was shaken up for several hours.

Also Bayeux was dark, and DEAD QUIET and there were no taxis. So you should call and arrange a taxi ahead of time, or get a detailed map of the city before you go there. We wandered around this town looking for the Hotel Churchill (a nice place)(which was supposed to be only a few steps away) but luckily a young local man showed us the way. By the way the French and the English don't pick up their dog poop!! Be careful.

Also...I was pickpocketed on the Paris metro which was totally packed. A teenage girl blocked my way as the door opened. I tried to get around her, then I noticed her accomplice with my purse wide open. Luckily I did wear my money belt! I lost a few euros but not more. Be careful and be patient, those metros are packed.

When you get to the train stations you are supposed to pre-stamp your tickets in a little yellow machine before you get on the train. Also be patient French trains do not always run on time.

Elaine Cheng in Downers Grove, IL USA 04/05/2008

Best: Pont du Gard, Nimes Amphitheatre and Maison Carree
Why: The Pont du Gard is magnificent, beautiful. our guide, David from Imagine tours took us to places where we could get the best photos. Nimes Amphitheatre had audio guides in English which did a superb job of explaining the history and purpose of the amphitheatre, and the various types of gladiators, what hey wore and how they fought and got rid of a lot of misconceptions. The Maiso Carree is just being cleaned and the part that is finished is beautiful. Inside you watch a 20 min 3-d cinema of the highlights of the great heroes of Nimes from ancient times.

Elizabeth Benham in Sable River, NS Canada 03/28/2008

Best: Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, Cluny, Orangerie
Why: Notre dame had been cleaned since I was last in Paris, 20 years ago, and had a beautiful mass with the pipe organs playing and singing - it was just beautiful. Saint Chapelle was also stunning and the first time I had seen it. Cluny has been reorganized with the Lady and the unicorn tapestries displayd much better, and Romand baths now excavated that can be seen. The Orangerie museum had Monet's water lilies fabulously displayed in round rooms where you sit in themiddle and turn to view the entire dispay - you feel like you are in the middle of the lilly pond, a really moving experiene.

Elizabeth Benham in Sable River, NS Canada 03/28/2008

Best: Sainte Chappell In Paris
Why: Just beautiful

Worst: D-day beaches
Why: The wind was blowing in 50-60 mph gust and just wasn't a great day to be there.

Whit in Wilkerson, NC USA 03/26/2008

Best: Battlebus D-day Tours
Why: We did the American Highlights tour and our guide was fantastic! The pace of the tour was perfect, spending very little time in the van and lots of time at the sights.

Karis in Cross Plains, WI USA 03/26/2008

Best: All of them!!!
Why: We did a two week trip thru France. We started in Paris and ended in Lourdes and then flew out of Toulouse. We had a car and saw so much of the beautiful countryside. The Frech people were wonderful---even in Paris. Thank you for the great guide. It made our trip very organized and efficient and thus enjoyable and stress free.

Yvonne Jahnke in Oconomowoc, WI USA 03/24/2008

Best: Orsay
Why: Beautiful works of art, but not crowded like the Louvre.

Worst: Paris Vision Tours
Why: My husband and I absolutely love your travel guides, website, and iPod tours. Because of your years of research, we have been able to plan some fantastic trips.

We do want to caution you, however, about one of your recommendations. In your France 2007 Guide, you suggest taking a Paris Vision Tour to see the city of Paris at night. Based on your trust of the company, we decided to take their combined tour offering of a night bus tour and cruise on the Seine River because it seemed like a decent deal. It was a complete disaster!

Our tour guide, who was not wearing anything distinguishing – not even a nametag – told our group that we needed to be on the boat by 20:00. This was going to prove to be difficult since we left the departure point so late. When we exited the bus for the docks, we scrambled to keep up with the indistinguishable tour guide and the rest of the group without knocking anyone over. As we approached the docks, hundreds of other tourists from numerous buses converged on the same dock, and everyone made a run for the single boat line.

When we reached near the front of the line, it was announced that the boat was full. I saw our tour guide and waved to her. She asked if we were on the tour, and I said, “Yes!” She turned and left. We never saw her again.

Those of us who were left behind were herded like sheep onto the next boat and completed our cruise. Once we docked, we all headed to the meeting point, where – to our relief – there was a bus waiting. We soon found out, however, that it was a bus for a different Paris Vision tour. Ours had not waited for us, nor would they come back for us. Not only had we missed the city tour, but we were stranded with no ride. The Italian and French groups left in disgust. We stayed behind with an elderly German couple. The tour guide of the “wrong bus” told us that we could go to the office in the morning to get a refund and that they’d drop us off near our hotel.

The next morning, my husband went to the office as instructed, but they said they had no knowledge of these events happening, so they wouldn’t refund us for the bus tour. They would only give us a voucher for a bus tour, which we squeezed in at the end of our trip. (As you suggested, that should only be taken at the beginning of a Paris visit. At the end of a trip, it's completely underwhelming and uninformative.)

We know that you are a highly respected travel expert whose reputation depends on the recommendations in your books. We, therefore, beg you to reconsider your recommendation to use Paris Vision, or at least qualify it by recommending only the night bus tour (and specifically state that tourists should skip not only their “pricier minivan night tours” as you wrote on page 123, but all others as well) so that others don’t experience getting abandoned in a foreign city.

Helene Segura TX USA 03/11/2008

Worst: Driving in Normandy on the coast road D-514
Why: Awful road. Crawls along, narrow.(OK I was in a hurry trying to get to incredible US Cemetery before it closed at 5PM!) Driving from wonderful D-Day museum in Caen to US Cemetery/Pt. Du Hoc/Omaha take N-13 through Bayeux to St. Laurent.

Jon T. Haugen in VANCOUVER, WA USA 03/06/2008

Best: Museum d'Orsay
Why: Free entry one hour prior to closing. Just great.

Jon T. Haugen in VANCOUVER, WA USA 03/06/2008

Best: 1. Louvre tour and 2. Christmas in Alsace
Why: I'm cheating -- we used the Paris book as well as the France book -- but being able to see the Louvre's "greatest hits" was a big help once I got into the overwhelming museum. One note: the guide book could be much clearer about the fact that there is a free coat check, and a SEPARATE free bag check nearby. Because I didn't see the latter tucked into a little corner, I carried a heavy shopping bag around one of the museum's wings -- unnecessarily, as it turns out. : )

2. We were enthralled with the Christmas markets and decorations, still up when we spent New Year's Eve in Colmar. Walking through those medieval, magical streets at night took our breath away.

Worst: Taittinger tour
Why: see below

Erika in Santa Barbara, CA USA 02/18/2008

Best: Location and owner
Why: This B&B is set in a fantastic spot. It owner is really kind and helpful.

Sam in New York, USA 02/15/2008

Best: Walking tours
Why: Needs a little more detail, but went past great sites, easy to walk

Liz Thompson in Ridgefield, wa USA 02/04/2008

Best: La Maison de la Riviere in Esperaza (Languedoc Roussilion)
Why: This b&b is not in your book but should be. Our room was huge, nicely decorated, very clean with flowered balcony overlooking the river, plentiful & great breakfast.. all for only 50 euros! But the absolute best reason to stay here are the English owners Roy & Jo Hayes. Both are very friendly and helpful and go out of their way to help you with anything. We had a delightful evening meal with them (20 euros/pc) that included their excellent local wine and the best chocolate pots ever! This is a wonderful, warm and cozy B&B that every traveler seeks. You will love your stay at La Maison de la Riviere in SW France. Website: hotelaude.com/NewFiles/index.html

Suzanne in Boise, USA 12/07/2007

Best: Museum d'Orsay & Rue Cler
Why: Although I am not big into art, the museum d' Orsay is filled with many paintings that I knew and admired. The Rue Cler had a great atmosphere. We stopped there for an afternoon crepe, which was fabulous, and then again for a quick dinner. We grabbed a bottle of wine and couple of sandwiches and watched the people go by. A nice relaxing evening.

Worst: Louvre
Why: This was my 4th art gallery of our trip, so maybe I was getting a little burned out. Other than the Mona Lisa, both my sister and I were very bored by it. The building's architecture was much more interesting than the rest of it. After I returned from my trip, I talked to a few people that had also visited Paris. They thought that it was over-rated also.

John in Minneapolis, MN USA 12/03/2007

Worst: Chez Yvonne restaurant in Strasbourg, France
Why: Recommended by Rick Steves and our hotel, we were quite disappointed that on this very raw, cold, wet day that upon entering they wanted us to sit at a table right in front of the door (drafty even w/ a drape) and would not seat us in the further room which was practically empty and told that is was full???? Anyway, we did stay but noticed that many of those who came in were very friendly with the staff and were shown into this "sorry we're full" room!!!! We were ignored for longer than usual and never got our second caraffe of house wine....they did correct our bill, however. I would not recommend this restaurant unless you get a free meal!!!

Marti Hawkins in Portland, Me USA 12/02/2007

Best: Wine Safari Tour, Provence
Why: We got a lot of bang for the buck on this tour. It ended up just being my husband and I for a half day tour of the Luberon region, what turned out to be more of a private tour at a fraction of what you'd usually pay. (We did travel during the shoulder season of Oct and had fantastic weather). Mike was knowledgeable and fun-loving, very passionate about wine. He seemed to have read my mind on what I would want from the tour. Highly recommend!!!!!

Kristin Dow in Shawnee, KS USA 11/09/2007

Best: Hallstatt, the abbey at Melk, Mt. St. Michel
Why: We were in Hallstatt at the beginning of autumn. The autumn colors were just starting their show. The setting is peaceful and we needed a small town rest. Although there were bus loads of tourists during the day, they didn't disturb our idyllic break.

The Abbey at Melk--The library was astounding. Can you imagine having a stray Gutenberg around the house that you can sell to finance renovations? Just the thought of the extent of the library collection is staggering!

Mt. St. Michel--After visiting Mont St. Michel, I am eager to visit along the Atlantic coast. I loved the countryside and want to see more!

Worst: Salzburg
Why: In Salzburg, there is a store that specializes in blown Easter eggs. No other explanation is necessary! (There is not enough beer in Austria to blot out that store window!)

Susan Gibb in Santa Ana, CA USA 11/02/2007

Best: Versailles & Mont St Michel
Why: I downloaded the Versailles audioguide you provide online, and it was great! As stated above, the two hour walk from Pontorson to Mont St Michel along hte river, even though I had to carry my luggage with me, turned the visit into an almost mini-pilgrimage of my own.

Worst: Acco-dispo tours from Amboise; Clos Luce in Amboise
Why: I had used Battlebus to tour D-day sights from Bayeux, and LOVED their vast knowledge of the sites and great interactions. Therefore, when I used Acco-dispo to tour chateaux from Amboise, I was disappointed. They weren't bad, but, mediocre at best. Basically all he did was drive us from place to place. He provided little useful commentary. It didn't help that, the day I was there, he stopped driving us on three different occasions so that he could take reservations over his cell phone, and that he collected a euro from each of us (for a total of 8 euros) for a toll road that only cost 5 euros to use. I felt more frustrated as the various unstated costs kept adding up. While I'd recommend Battlebus to everyone, I'm less confident about doing so to Acco-dispo. I must say that I didn't think that Clos-Luce was anywhere near worth your two-triangle recommendation. It was over-priced, and felt rather disneylandish to me - great if I had kids, but, not much of substance for the rest of us.

in Cambridge, MA USA 10/29/2007

Best: Omaha Beach
Why: Hotel du Casino have the only rooms overlooking the beach. I watched the sunrise from my window and cried when I thought about those about to land on D-day. The restaurant offer superior food also.

Worst: Paris
Why: Prices were double of those in the country. Town was filled with pick pockets to avoid. Everthing improved once you left Paris

Jim Reid in San Diego, Ca USA 10/20/2007

Best: Provence
Why: Rick's guidebooks were all right on the money. We had such an easy time traveling alone due to the quality of his advice that we will definitely return to Provence, something we usually do not do once we have been to a locale.

Worst: Antibes
Why: We went there to look into the archaeological and historical sites, but found very little information in English, even though we encountered many English-speaking tourists, and one enchanting young multi-lingual French woman guide at Fort Carre.

David Rohlader in Eagar, AZ USA 10/18/2007

Best: Using the TGV
Why: Rick's instructions and advice were very, very helpful, and made using this extremely comfortable, quiet mode of long-distance travel very easy for us. We got Senior Passes and tickets to and from locations from Rail Europe, and all went very well. Thanks, Rick.

Worst: Being hit by a bicyclist in Arles
Why: Clear of traffic, we started across the marked walkway only to be run into by a young woman who was not paying attention. Be aware that everyone does not pay attention to traffic rules.

Dave Rohlader in Eagar, AZ USA 10/18/2007

Best: Malcolm Miller at Chartres Cathedral
Why: His incredible knowledge of the cathedral is outstanding and yet he's humble enough to admit that after almost 50 years of providing tours, he learns something knew each day.

Worst: Versailles
Why: I know it sounds like blasphemy, but I found the Chateau rooms dirty....dust in layers on furniture and chandeliers, thick enough you could write your name on them, even in the Hall of Mirrors which just reopened 2 months before our visit. The gardens are perfectly wonderful, we wish we had spent more time there than in the chateau.

Susan Tucker in Ashland , VA USA 10/08/2007

Best: Hotel la Roseraie
Why: Our room was big, and well decorated. The lovely garden has seating so you can enjoy an afternoon coke, read, or write in you journal. The restaurant was excellent. So good we decided to return for another evening. The breakfast has fresh croissants that are wonderful.

Joanna Olmstead in Anacortes, WA USA 10/07/2007

Best: Overlords Tours of Normandie, Tour guide, Oliver
Why: Oliver was very knowledgable and enjoyed sharing with us. Provided excellent pictures of area during the war, and took us to a couple of private sights. We also had a wonderful traditiona lunch at a local farmhouse. There were only 5 of us in a minivan so it was nice size group.

Joanna Olmstead in Anacortes, WA USA 10/07/2007

Best: Normandy
Why: Did the drive and sites on our own with book and map. It was overwhelming and memorable.

Albert in Clanton, AL USA 10/02/2007

Best: The photo op for the Eiffel Tower
Why: We have perfect pictures of our special visit to the Eiffel.

Martha Brice in Bratislava, Slovakia 09/20/2007

Best: Paris
Why: Gorgeous historic city with so much to see and do. Great museums, great neighborhoods. We didn't want to leave Paris after a week there, even though we had so much more of France to visit.

Worst: Arles
Why: Parched, hot, dusty, windy. After traveling through green Normandy and the Loire valley, Arles was a brown, dry disappointment.

Kathy Healy in Manhattan Beach, CA USA 09/17/2007

Best: Marmottan Museum in Paris
Why: Best grouping of Monet in France (better than the Orsay in my opinion) plus a variety of other wonderful art. Not crowded and no pictures allowed which lets you actually enjoy the art. We would probably not have gone there if not for the mention in Rick's book.

Worst: Louvre
Why: Allowing flash pictures everywhere has turned the Louvre into a very unenjoyable experience for us. Most of the folks only seem to be interested in running up to the "highlight" pieces, taking a quick picture, and running on to the next "highlight." There is little, if any, real appreciation for the artistic value. Only being able to say "I saw the Mona Lisa and here's the picture to prove it." I plan to write a letter to the Louvre and suggest that they consider having a 5 minute per hour "no pictures" period at the main attractions for those of us who actually want to enjoy the art and not just take a picture of it.

Russell Smart in Greenville, SC USA 09/11/2007

Best: Wine Safari Tour - Cotes Du Rhone
Why: Loved our winery tour with Mike at Wine Safari. He took us to two great small wineries on the Cotes Du Rhone where we were able to meet the winemakers, have a great private tour (Mike was our interpreter), sample the berries off the vines and of course taste the wines. This is a great tour even if you know very little about wine. Mike will even teach you how to "taste" wine if you have never visited a winery before. Highly recommended!

Amy in Tacoma, USA 08/28/2007

Best: D-Day Beaches Victory Tours - Normandy
Why: My husband and I had a wonderful day with Roel on the tour of the D-day beaches. He is a very knowledgable and entertaining guide! He brings all the history to life. Victory Tours is a one man show so the tours are very small - there were only six of us - so we felt like were receiving a personal tour. Highly recommended!

Amy in Tacoma, USA 08/28/2007

Best: All Good!
Why: Your directions to get to each location were great! The Metro is unbelievably easy to get around - we went everywhere on it!

Sharon & Leo Marty in Olympia, WA USA 08/21/2007

Best: 360 film at Arromanches on Normandy coast
Why: VERY moving and well done film which indeed did set us up for the day.

Carol Emmett in Windermere, FL USA 08/13/2007

Best: Historic Core of Paris tour
Why: It captured exactly what I expected Paris to be!

Worst: Avignon in general
Why: Was too busy. I should have rented a car and stated in Uzes.

Heather Wills in Dallas, TX USA 07/18/2007

Best: Basque Museum in Bayonne
Why: For anyone who has any Basque heritage (or evenif you don't) this is a great little museum and we loved the town of Bayonne-have lunch at La Bayonne rest. right next to the museum-best meal we had in France

ANDREW FORSTER in CORAL GABLES, FL USA 07/16/2007

Best: Bayeux (after Paris)
Why: Bayeux's sights span the Battle of Hastings to D-Day, so there's a lot to engage history buffs. The town itself, with its large well-preserved core, is diverting and relaxing after a day at the beaches. We really enjoyed the Battlebus tour of American sights-- our guide (Stuart) was well-informed and a natural teacher.

Lisa in Albany, CA USA 07/10/2007

Best: the Rue Clare Neigboorhood
Why: It was a wonderful place to be after a day of sightseeing. We still had time to drink in the flavor of Paris. Loved the charming shops and restaurants.

madeline hanrath in gretna, la USA 06/29/2007

Best: Martel champagne tour and tasting in Reims
Why: Small group - very personal tour and very personable guide. Very interesting tour. Were suppose to have 3 tastings but someone wondered what one kind tasted like so we all got to sample it.

Worst: Cabes des Cordeliers
Why: This tour was nothing like it was described in "the book". We toured the cave by ourselves and then had a very impersonal tasting. We did not even receive the advertised "free" gift.

Lynda Pyzer in Kenora, ON Canada 06/21/2007

Best: Napoleon's Tomb and Rodin's Garden
Why: The opulence and decadence of Napoleon is overwhelming. Rodin's garden across the street costs only 1 Euro and you see most of his famous works in the garden.

Worst: Gare du Nord at night
Why: kind of scary and hard to find the taxi stand (around the side)

Julie Nelson in Calgary, AB Canada 06/17/2007

Best: Dordogne Valley
Why: Beautiful scenery, picturesque chateaux, and cro-magnon cave paintings too.

Worst: Provence and Riviera
Why: Nice scenery ruined by lots of old, ugly, dirty buildings (except fot the historic ones, of course). Graffiti too.

Carolyn & Daniel Manrique in Tucson, AZ USA 06/17/2007

Worst: Seine River Tour - Paris
Why: As we went under each bridge the French school children screamed in celebration, the commentary was done over loud speaker in over 5 languages, continually.... and then we had two bus groups of Asians who only wanted to multiple photos of each building, not listen, nor sit down, nor be quiet. In our 13 days in Europe.. it is the most painful zoo we found ourselves in. I would not recommend the tour during the day. Our river trip in Strasbourg, France was heaven and this was hell. My teeneager pulled his sweatshirt over his head to try to get out of the din.

Kaye Peloquin in Lititz, PA USA 06/08/2007

Best: Vaison's market
Why: Never seen such a big colourful market before

Nuggi Muller in London, UK 06/01/2007

Best: Le Petit Matin Pension in Bayeux
Why: This wasn't in your guidebook but it was one of our favorites in France. We had a lovely room, delicious breakfast included in the moderate room price, and a beautiful private garden that beckoned after a long day.

Donna Oliva in Yakima, Wa USA 05/21/2007

Best: Avignon, France
Why: We did a day tour with David (from Texas) with Imagine Tours and it was delightful. He goes above what is expected of his tour. We highly recommend his company.

Pam Rogers in Atlanta, Ga USA 05/20/2007

Best: Western Dordogne
Why: Had not been there before and love it!

Worst: Eiffel Tower
Why: Please warn your readers that to go to the top level takes an hour in a Disneyland-type line, even in evening off season. Horrible! Ruined the whole experience for us on our last eve in France! Tell then to skip the top level.

Judy A. Vosburgh in Atascadero, CA United States 05/15/2007

Best: Bayeux Tapestry/Paris Museum Pass
Why: I do embroidery and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the work. Also, Paris Museum Pass is well worth the cost!!!! We walked right into the Louvre using the group entry.

Melissa in Maryville, TN USA 05/10/2007

Best: le bistrot bourguignon in Beaune
Why: Great Food, reasonable prices. Owner, Friendly,Jean-Jacques, took us on a tour of Beaune and the vinyards. Even took us to visit his friends cave and sample the wine of his vines.

Elaine in University Place, wa USA 05/06/2007

Worst: Houseboating in Burgundy
Why: I've seen Rick on TV, sitting all relaxed and cheerful on top of a houseboat on the Nivernais canal, and immediately figured out that he was on a bigger boat than our two-person boat and that he must have had more folks along to deal with the locks. The two person boats don't have an upper level to simplify stepping off the top directly onto the lock side when the water level is low. We had to find a place to put me off early (not always available), or attempt to lasso bollards about 10 feet overhead, or struggle somehow to get secured each time we came jostling with other boats into the locks at low water. Sometimes folks from a larger boat travelling at the same pace would take pity and jump off to help us on the third or fourth lock of the day. Some lockkeepers were great, but they helped less than 50% of the time, so we couldn't count on them. On the day that we went through 11 locks, I just sat down and cried. We tied up at a wide part of the canal the next day and bicycled around after that. We would recommend, for two people travelling, pay the extra amount for one-way travel going down river -- south to north on the Nivernais toward Joigny -- as at each lock, the water level is high and all you do is casually step off, secure the boat, and you're set. It would make 100% difference. If you have only the option of a round trip and are only two people, I'd say just don't do it. Unless you're looking for a "worst experience" story to tell when you get home.

Rebecca in Gig Harbor, WA USA 05/03/2007

Best: Amboise; Hotel Blason
Why: A delightful find, thanks to your book! The desk clerk was super helpful,and acknowledged your book (which was in hand!); central location; good breakfast with adjacent restaurant. Highly recommended!

Worst: Hotel Grande LeVeque, Paris
Why: Rue Clare was wonderful; hotel undergoing renovations and odor of paint was unbearable; actually we were lucky we could not get a room; but it looked like a great place to stay!

Howard E. Glitt in The Villages, Fl USA 04/30/2007

Best: The Battle Bus Tour with Dale Booth
Why: The guide was extremely knowledgeable, articulate, and enthusiastic. We took the Band of Brothers Tour with him and it was very rewarding. I suggest packing your own lunch.

Worst: Touraine Evasion
Why: The driver, who was rude and never once introduced himself, dropped us off at the wrong city and refused to take us back. Throughout all the correspondence with the company, I have made it clear that we were staying in Amboise and would therefore need a pick-up and drop-off at the TI in Amboise. We even called the day before to say we were in Hotel Blason in Amboise. We were picked up at Amboise but the driver took us back to Tours. The owner of the company, Patrick, was disrespectful and did not even want to compensate us for the train tickets back to Amboise. Instead, he suggested that we take the train BACK to Tours to get the train tickets refund--which is unreasonable. He could have easily credited our credit card. Most importantly though, was the way he treated us. Definitely not friendly as was said in the book. The driver gave awful commentaries during the trip. I do not recommend this excursion company. Try Acco-Dispo--I heard from others that this company is more professional.

Chang in San Francisco, CA USA 04/27/2007

Best: Honfleur
Why: A very pleasant and relaxing town with a nice mix of local and tourist flavor. Harbour cafes great places to spend a sunny afternoon just soaking up the quaint atmosphere. Nice shops.

Worst: Rouen
Why: Not a good feel to the place. Kind of dead on a Sunday afternoon.

Richard Frank in Toronto, On Canada 04/26/2007

Worst: See Metro note above
Why: Cost us over $100 for that

Richard Druckenbrod in Durham, NC USA 04/24/2007

Best: Rue Cler, Rue Mouffetard, Musee d'Orsay
Why: I love the open air markets. The streets were so animated and the produce was delicious. I was really impressed by the art in the Muse d'Orsay. I just loved all of the Degas!

Danielle in Bloomfield Hills, MI USA 04/16/2007

Best: Saint Malo
Why: Your guidebook mentioned Saint Malo only briefly and I almost didn't go except that it made a convenient stop by train and bus (I didn't have a car). I enjoyed it far more than your guidebook led me to expect.

Yes it is crowded, particularly in the northeast bit where it's the worst. But I found it had a certain vibrancy beyond the tourist market. Here's why:

1. Complete walls surrounding the city, overlooking the English Channel.

2. Excellent audioguide walking tour of the city that does an excellent job of making the history come alive.

3. The fort attached to Saint Malo.

4. Boat tours around the bay and its islands.

5. The nearby castle, 4th century church ruins, and WWII bunkers

6. Dinard, which I didn't even have time to get to

Worst: Dinan
Why: Calling it worst seems strong, but it was just kinda blah. This was recommended over Saint Malo, but I don't quite get it. It was very sleepy inside what was left of the walls, and very modern just outside of them, and there was no English tour guide available, just a little map with brief descriptions.

Ethan Solomita in San Francisco, CA USA 04/05/2007

Best: All of it!
Why: Everything was different and exciting.

Ana Martinez in Miami, FL USA 04/03/2007

Worst: Hotel Lorrain in Nice, France
Why: Crooks!!! Was going on a cruise with EasyCruise for a few days. Had reservations to stay at the hotel the day before and day after cruise. After arrival, I paid for both days. Since I speak French, I had no problem communicating. Since we would be arriving late at the hotel, the owner and I agreed upon a time to let me and girlfriend into the hotel. However after ringing the bell for an hour, no one came to the door. We had to stay at another hotel down the street. With repeated requests for a refund via email, no refund or response was provided. When I contested the charge with my credit card company, she contested the charge on her behalf.

Patrice in Fort Worth, TX USA 03/22/2007

Best: Franise
Why: Good food and the people

Worst: Le Le Plus
Why: Small tables

Lila in Ames , IA USA 03/12/2007

Best: The Le Plus Frais Partie Ile
Why: Great food they have all the things you can think of

katie in Iowa city, IA USA 03/12/2007

Best: Catacombs, Army Museum
Why: The sites you that would expect were very impressive. Here are some that you might not expect:

The Catacombs in Paris were amazing. Even though there is no English tour, it was the one thing in the book that I felt deserved a higher rating than it got, mostly because it was so different from anything else I've ever experienced.

The Army Museum at the Hotel Invalides was also really impressive for its detail and for the French perspective on the world wars. We wound up doing WWI one day and going back to do WWII on a second day. We wound up devoting far more time to this museum than we expected, even though we had done quite a bit of WWII in Normandy.

Worst: St. Chapelle
Why: Under construction, crowded, not worth three triangles.

Seth Resler in Providence, RI USA 02/25/2007

Best: notre dame
Why: One of the most wonderful churchs I have seen.

Jim & Sarah Stillo in Naperville, il USA 02/08/2007

Best: Le Mont-St-Michel
Why: Amazing and beautiful place. Nothing else like it.

Worst: St. Malo
Why: Extremely crowded

Calvin Hilton in Jacksonville, FL USA 12/26/2006

Best: Jardin du Luxembourg
Why: So much going on, beautifully manicured, lots of benches...we spent hours there. A visual delight

suzanne krueger USA 12/07/2006

Best: Millau Viaduct, Tarn River valley, southern France
Why: This is one of a very few "super bridges" in the world and it is drop-dead gorgeous from both an engineering and aesthetic standpoint. Stay in the town of Millau (about 70 miles northeast of Albi on the A-75) so you can see this thing in changing light and weather and be sure to drive over and under just to make sure that it's real and not some painted backdrop put up by the chamber of commerce.

Roger McClurg in Portland, OR USA 12/07/2006

Best: L'Isle Sur La Sorgue
Why: One of the most charming areas in Provence. Water wheels, quaint alleys, Sunday markets and beautiful antique and art shops. Easy to wander around without getting lost.

Jack & Sieni Page in Phoenix, Az USA 12/06/2006

Best: Paris
Why: I was utterly impressed by how friendly the Parisians were. How can someone not be awe-struck by the beautiful city of Paris!! We absolutely loved the electricity in the air, the beautiful and historic monuments, and the rich Parisian culture. We began our trip in Paris and actually altered our vacation plans just to end our trip in the "la Ville Lumière" to soak up as much of their rich culture before heading home. Thanks Rick Steves for making such a seemingly daunting city much more manageable.

Worst: Amboise
Why: I had high hopes going into the "touristy" countryside town of Amboise. I looked forward to great wine tasting, visiting beautiful chateaus, and enjoying the laid-back country atmosphere. However, my initial excitement immediately waned as my fiancee and I were treated like second-class citizens as soon as we set foot in the town. Being Asian Americans, we were subject to excessive finger pointing followed by undertone whispering and a constant echo of "Chinois." I may not speak French, but I understood what that meant. We think that future guidebooks should inform the traveler that Amboise is a town deeply set in its ways. We know that the townsfolk were not intentionally trying to be rude, but we were surprised that a town with such heavy tourist traffic would be ignorant of other ethnicities.

Jason in San Francisco, CA USA 11/23/2006

Best: Grotte de Font de Gaume, Les Ezyies
Why: We made a reservation and the people who are in charge there made sure all the English speaking people for that day were on the same tour and provided an English speaking guide who was very good.

Sally Griffin in Chevy Chase, MD USA 11/21/2006

Best: Chataneuf de Pape Winery
Why: The winery was located up high to see a breathtaking view of Provence! Jean Bautiste gave us an incredible lesson on wine tasting!

Rosemary Gomez in Sunnyvale, CA USA 11/16/2006

Best: Fontevraud Abbey
Why: We have seen abbey ruins in Britain but had never seen an intact abbey. This one was fabulous. The effigies of the Plantagenets was extra special. The village was lovely.

Worst: Papal Palace at Avignon
Why: I have mixed feelings about saying this. I enjoyed seeing it however, the audio tours were extremely confusing-to the point that I had a lot of difficulty understanding what I was seeing and I have a master's in medieval history. So, I knew what I was seeing in general but I was confused in the specifics.

Kathy Gabin in Natrona Heights, PA USA 11/15/2006

Best:
Why: For your information, that wine and eating along the seine was a one weekend only deal. It is a yearly event that celebrates artesinal and organically produced products...it is called festival of the markets.

Susanne in Fairfax, CA USA 10/22/2006

Best: The TI walking tour of Vieux Lyon
Why: The TI walking tour was very good. The guide was very knowledgable about the history and the significance of sites int he Vieux Lyon area. Also I think that visiting the traboule without a guide would have been more difficult and much less interesting.

Worst:
Why:

Gary Johnson in Livermore, CA USA 10/21/2006

Best: Victory Tours - Bayeux, Normandy
Why: We never would have found our wonderful tour guide, Roel, if not for this guidebook. He was amazing and made the experience of seeing the WWII sights even more profound. His passion for the history and his personal experiences and the experiences of the vets he has come to know over the years really brought this period to life for us. I wish we were in Bayeux for longer so that Roel could have shown us even more. If you are planning to take a WWII tour, do yourself and big favor and book with Victory Tours.

Shannon in Los Angeles, CA USA 10/20/2006

Best: Tour Azur in Nice
Why: We did a, "View the whole Riviera in One Day" tour. It was recommended to us by our concierge. It took 9hrs. but it sure didn't seem like it. We had a wonderful time and we saw Cannes, Antibes, Old Town Nice, Eze and Monaco/Monte Carlo. $85 EURO

Susan Rohde in Shoreline, Wa USA 10/15/2006

Best: We enjoyed all the places we visited, but Honfleur and Roussillon were especially wonderful.
Why: Honfleur had so many wonderful places to walk and visit. It was peaceful, restful, and extremely scenic. Roussillon was a fabulous place to end our trip. The red ochre hills were breath-taking and the village was a delightful place to just meander and relax. Being there early in the morning and late at night, without the day-time tourists, was a wonderful treat. The view from the overlook atop the village at night was beautiful. You could see all the twinkling lights from the other scattered hilltowns off in the distance. October was the perfect time to be there.

Worst: We enjoyed Arles the least.
Why: Having to constantly jump out of the way of cars screaming down the small medieval streets became very tiring and scary. The Hotel du Musee we stayed at was very nice, but quite difficult to get in an out of -- both with our car and on foot. Arles is an exremely frantic place and some of what we wanted to see was not available because of the lateness of the season. It was one of the few cities we didn't feel particularly safe walking around in.

Hal and Karen Phillips in Edgewood, WA USA 10/13/2006

Best: Oradour sur Glane
Why: This site of the Nazi massacre and burning of an entire town is definitely a must-see located not too far out of the way on the highway between the Loire and Dordogne.

Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/13/2006

Best: Colmar
Why: It is a beautiful, old cobbled town - gorgeous flowers everywhere. Being on a small river ( Little Venice, it is called), the cafes etc. were quaint and picturesque. You could walk the entire town without difficulty, and everywhere you looked, it was fantastic. The architecture was well worth noting.

Bob and Janet James in Smiths Falls, ON Canada 10/11/2006

Best: Fond de Gaume
Why: A unique experience and our guide was wonderful. Explained the mysteries and unknowns - and then was quiet while we took it all in. We were lucky in that all 12 people in our group preferred English so the guide didn't have to explain everything in two languages - he was excited to be able to take his time and give us a good experience, and his passion was contagious. Certainly an memory that will be long cherished and remembered.

Worst: Combarelles
Why: Please mention the opportunity to buy tickets to Combarelles at the same time as Font de Gaume - with a warning. If you don't speak French, be satisified with a visit to Font De Gaume. Our guide spoke no English (which is OK - we were the visitors and French is the local language - our fault that we don't understand it), however, there were only 6 in our group - the other 4 all spoke English and French and were more than willing to translate for us. While I understand that time wouldn't allow for complete translation, our guide wouldn't even let them give us the barest of information. The nice man next to me took to muttering under his breath "bison", "two women figures", etc. just so we at least had a clue. The guide talked non-stop for a full 80 minutes - never took a breath and ignored his two English speaking guests the whole time. Our experience at Font de Gaume was fabulous and worth the whole trip to France. Our rude guide at Combarelles was the only disappointment - offset by the sympathy and chagrin of the 4 French tourists who were obviously embarrassed by his behavior.

Sally Wagaman in Glenside, PA USA 10/08/2006

Best: Normandy tour by Battlebus
Why: It was well planned and informative. I wish we could have spent more time in Normandy, but it was a marvelous experience. We stayed in Hotel Churchill, a hotel we loved.

Margaret Hansen in Silver Spring, MD USA 10/06/2006

Best: Chamonix
Why: Absolutely breathtaking. We went up the mountain at 8:30 am and had the very top to ourselves for about 30 minutes. Amazing!

Jillian in Kingston, ON Canada 09/28/2006

Best: Monet's Gardens
Why: Flowers were still blooming, vibrant colors. Water lilies pond looked just like photographs

Worst: Metro Stations
Why: While riding and navigating the metro was easy finding the stations proved difficult at times.

LAURIE MEIER in ST. LOUIS, MO USA 09/27/2006

Best: Overlord D Day tours
Why: If you love history, its refreshing to find a guide who knows their stuff. Frenchman, Alain Chesnel, has a detailed knowledge of the area, and full appreciation for the American sacrifice.

Sherry Elkins in La Mirada, CA USA 09/10/2006

Best: Jardin de Luxumburg
Why: Kids loved, loved, loved it.

Worst: Jardin d'Acclimitation Amusement Park, Bois de Boulogne, Paris
Why: I know this is not covered by your guidebooks, which is lucky as it is an extremely overpriced tourist trap.

Kim Bomar in Stanford, CA USA 09/09/2006

Best: Paris
Why: Endless sights and entertainment. Museums, concerts, food, Cathedrals

Richard Doremus in Newport, NH USA 09/05/2006

Best: Paris boatride at nighttime.
Why: The weather was perfect, our guide gracious and well informed.

Worst: airport and train station
Why: As above, the airport was just filthy. The woman at the information desk was rude. The train station was filled with graffiti, armed guards, signs about dangerous people and situations.

Jane in North Mankato, MN USA 09/03/2006

Best: Musée de l'Orangerie, Pairs
Why: We didn't really know what to expect from this museum (recently rennovated), but were absolutely blown away. We were the first ones inside (thanks to the Paris museum pass!) and literally gasped when we entered the first room. Four huge Monet murals cover the walls in a white oval room, with natural lighting pouring in. When we were finally ready to move on, we discovered a second, similar room! And don't miss the fantastic Impressionist collection downstairs. Absolutely breathtaking, the highlight of my trip.

Lindsey in Portland, OR USA 09/02/2006

Best: bike ride from Amboise to Chennonceaux, in Loire Valley
Why: In Amboise, I really enjoyed the bike trip from Amboise to Chenonceux to see the chateau. The chateau itself was good (not great) but the bike ride was a lot of fun. We rented bikes and got good service (in French not English) from Locacyle (recommended by Rick Steves).

Worst: Chateau du Close-Luce and Leonarda da Vinci Park in Amboise
Why: This place was awful. The fact that Leonardo lived and died here has been turned into an excuse for a lousy museum (without anything to do with Leonardo himself) and a confused exhibit of Leonardo's ideas. I genuinely like the idea of presenting Leonardo's inventions through small and life-size models... but the execution of this idea is abysmal. And the price is steep enough that you expect something more than a road-side exhibit. If you've got time to kill in Amboise, you might be excused for checking this out... but it's definitely not worth two triangles from Rick Steves.

Summers Henderson in Somverville, MA USA 08/18/2006

Worst: Hotel Eden Nice, France
Why: My husband and I stayed at this hotel this past June. We had to wear sandals in the shower because of all the mold and mildew caked on the shower curtain (which was tied in a knot to hold it on the rod). The stench of the washroom required us to leave the windows open both day and night. If we hadn't pre-paid, we would have left immediately. Pay the extra 10-20 Euros for hygienically clean washroom.

Regina Dill in Jonesville, MI USA 08/17/2006

Best: Vezelay
Why: A short side trip from Paris to enable you to enjoy the buirgandy region. Stay at the Hotel Post de Liopn d'or. Seems to be 4 star hotel and restaurant at 1 star prices. Cristine Cadix will take good care of you and chef Gregory Vallet will give La expeience a run for it's money at a a fraction of the cost.

larry in shurtz, ca USA 08/16/2006

Worst: Don't do the Couchette from Nice to Rome!
Why: We laugh now, heck we laughed then, but this was a MISERABLE experience! The train left 20 minutes early, the time we had alloted ourselves to get some food. So we had three croissants for five of us to share for dinner and breakfast. And one half-bottle of water. The train was hotter than a jacuzzi and louder than a 747. Dirty, smelly, the bathroom was disgusting! People were, of course, smoking in the aisle. Despite leaving Nice 20 minutes early we arrived in Rome an hour and 1/2 hours late. Thankfully our host at Hotel Giardino on Rome made us feel right at home.

Marsha Hudson in Seattle, WA USA 08/04/2006

Best: Le Memorial de Caen
Why: My husband is in the military and I knew he would enjoy the museum, but I was not all that excited. However, the museum is more than battlefields and wars, it shows the process of war and peace. The downward spiral leading to WWII is shown as you take the spiral turns and plunge to the basement with the beginning of WWII. The museum is very well done and interesting. It was a great starting point to our Normandy vacation.

Lisa Valle IL USA 08/01/2006

Worst: Maison Jund in Colmar
Why: We have stayed in MANY of Rick's reccomendations and this was by far, the worst. The family is very helpful and nice, but, It was very dirty and run down. The towels were beyond threadbare - I have better ones for washing my car. It is a bargain but maybe you get what you pay for.

Kim USA 07/31/2006

Best: Loved Fat Tire Bike tour in Paris.
Why: Our group had a great time. Loved our guide Patrick. I had a smile on my face the whole time.

Susan Gruber in avon, CO USA 07/19/2006

Best: Watching World Cup in Piazzas and Brasseries all over France and Italy
Why: Living like "temporary locals", we sought out partisan crowds in both France and Italy to watch World Cup games with (the street cafes and brasseries frequently have big screen TVs they set up for the games). What an incredible experience! We cheered for Les Blues in France and for Azurri in Venice and Rome. Then we watched the streets explode with cars, scooters, honking, flags and exuberant French and Italians as their teams advanced through World Cup. Even though we couldn't get tickets to games, we felt like it was magic just to experience futbol through the eyes and heart of Europeans. We even scheduled museum visits and tours around game times. Would highly recommend World Cup touring.

Laura in Vancouver, WA USA 07/12/2006

Best: paris, paris, paris
Why: i loved it all, and 12 days not nearly enough time. i loved the warm, friendly people, the cafe's, city cleanliness, easy bus and train service, picnicing in luxenberg gardens and enjoying a concert w/orchestra playing '40's big band songs........the fountains everywhere, and statues..

Worst: Euro Disney
Why: disappointed a bit in euro disney...but a good idea for kids needing a culture break. i'm a disney nut; so was surprised to see it not as accomodating for handicapped visitors; also streets in disrepair and several rides closed, at the height of tourist season.

sharon hussey in antioch, ca USA 07/09/2006

Best: Caen Memorial Museum
Why: One of the best museums of any kind we have ever seen. Most exhibits have English translations. If you are a 20th century history buff, plan to spend most of the day here.

Worst: Chateau d' Amboise
Why: Least interesting by far of all the Loire chateaux we saw--barely worth an hour. The nearby Clos-Luce isn't much of a chateau, but the da Vinci exhibits inside and in the park are fascinating.

Les Share in Miami, FL USA 07/08/2006

Best: Domaine des Girasols
Why: Madame Joyet was very instructive and helpful for wine novices. We also enjoyed her displays of quilting. The wine was excellent, and I wish I had purchased more than one bottle.

Carol Johnson in Phoenix, AZ USA 07/05/2006

Best: The French people
Why: These folks are routinely generous and kind to me and I have traveled there since 1970. Yes, at one time I spoke near perfect French but am quite miserable now; yet the graciousness remains!) The food in Paris is the worst in teh country price-for price range.

Worst: Avignon
Why: Having last been in that city almost a decade ago, I was a bit surprised to see how tacky the city has become and how rough the outskirts have become. Taking a wrong turn late at night, we quickly arrived in a poorly kept part of the city. A young man jumped in front of our car at a rounder,causing us to brake and swerve. There were several youngish men at the side of the rounder. Another jumped out at the car and beat on the windows. Glad to be out of there.

Bernice in Hecker, WA USA 07/04/2006

Best: Drive through Normandy Beaches
Why: We follwed the recommended sights listed in the book and felt we experienced a great sampling of the D-day sights. Also found Bayeux to be a great town and an excellent base. Surprised by the lack of development. Drive from Mont St Michel and Dinan a close second.

Worst: Port Winston Museum in Arromanches
Why: Found it poorly put together. The harbor and how it was built was interesting, but the rest of the museum was not worth admission. Better to put your admission towards the Caen Museum.

Jim in Fort Lauderdale, FL USA 06/26/2006

Best: prehistory caves in the Dordogne region
Why: Going into one of these caves is an unforgettable experience. We went to both Grotte Peche Merle and Grotte Font de Gaume. They are very different caves. Neither should be missed. To make reservations for Font de Gaume, I faxed a request and got a confirmation back by fax. The confirmation stated (in French) that we had to confirm by phone 48 hours in advance. Our hotel tried multiple times but the phone was never answered. We went to the cave at the reserved time anyway. They had our reservation and we got a wonderful tour in English with 4 other people.

Kitty Kramer in Centennial, CO USA 06/06/2006

Best: The walks
Why: Very helpful in making our touring more meaningful.

Kim USA 06/02/2006

Best: It's impossible to choose one "best". We found the descriptions for all the sights we saw in three weeks to be just as stated in the book.
Why: In Paris we loved the rue Cler area and found the Paris museums and sights just as stated in the book. A highlight was a splurge evening dinner cruise on Bateaux Parisien to see the major sights all floodlit. The Bayeaux Tapestry was well worth the stop and Bayeaux is a clean lovely town. The village of Honfleur is so picturesque and in the Beaune area we loved La Rochepot Chateau. Stephanie at Le Cave de Pommard and Julien at Cave de Montrachet were knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant when wine tasting. The Normandy WWII sights were very moving. Chenonceau Chateau was our "favorite" in the Loire, but Chambord, Cheverney, Amboise and Le Clos-Luce were each excellent in their own way. In Provence our favorites were Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Market, the hill towns of Les Baux and Seguret and the Pont du Gard. The scenery in Annecy and Chamonix was incredible.

Worst: The Chateau at Versaille was our least favorite sight.
Why: After seeing the castles in Germany & Austria and the Chateaux in the Loire, Versaille is overcrowded and a disappoinment. It took most of a day of our precious Paris time to see. There was an extra charge for the gardens on the weekend, because the fountains run for a short period of time twice during the day.

jack & Jean Christensen in Fort Dodge, IA USA 05/27/2006

Best: Grotte de Font-de-Gaume in the Dordogne
Why: Fabulous (original) cave art

Derek Gardiner in Lexington,, MA USA 05/13/2006

Best: The hill town driving loop near Vaison La Romaine
Why: The wisteria blooming, the ruins, the olive trees, the peaceful towns, loved it

Worst: Eiffel Tower from inside
Why: What a crazy, unorganized mess. Went at 9:30 pm one night. It is much better to enjoy it from the ground.

Annette & Norbert in San Francisco, CA USA 05/12/2006

Best: Chambord
Why: I was just blown away by the beauty of the chateaux. I visited Cheverny, Cambord and Chenonceau, and Chambord was my favorite by far.

Worst: Carcassonne
Why: After visiting several medieval walled cities, including Rothenberg in Germany, Carcassonne was a disappointment. It really did feel like a castle out of Disneyworld, and I was not as impressed with the wall walk as I was in Rothenberg.

Theresa Huang in Redondo Beach, CA USA 05/12/2006

Best: The Basilica of Lourdes, France
Why: The church is breathtaking, wonderful and the procession at 10 pm is like no other. The art and the history are amazing.

Dulce Matamoros in Miami Lakes, Fl USA 05/03/2006

Best: Annecy, Oradour sur Glane
Why: Annecy is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We were there in Sept, 2005. Flowers were everywhere. Make sure you are there on market day. Oradour is an experience you will never forget. Plan to spend some time there.

Worst: Nice
Why: A city without style. Driving and parking are a nightmare. Only place in Europe I got a parking ticket for staying 5 minutes over my allotted time.

Robert Gann in Baytown, Tx USA 04/28/2006

Best: Roel Klinkhamer of Victory Tours.
Why: The day we spent with Roel personalized the D-day story and encouraged us to pursue information on the March to Berlin that followed. My son and husband had read all about the battles and tactics but Roel had the stories of the soldiers and townspeople that personalized the experience. Our two teenagers enjoyed themselves as much as the adults. Roel told the story of D-day and the days leading up and following with pictures and local stories. He encouraged our questions and tailored the tour to our interests and needs. All four of us are still talking about our day with Roel and we're reading and watching everything we can find on this time in history.

mary in santa barbara, ca USA 04/26/2006

Best: Seine River Cruise, Pantheon, Museum Pass
Why: Absolutely outstanding beauty and service and a once in a lifetime experience.

The audio guide at the Pantheon is inexpensive (2 Euros each) and very good.

Your advice on getting the museum pass and alternate ticket locations was very good in all the locations we went. We saved lots of money and more importantly, a lot of time not standing in lines.

Beverly Herbert in Jackson Ms, Ms USA 04/26/2006

Best: Roussillon
Why: Adorable little town surrounded by spectacular scenery and Southwest-style red cliffs.

Worst: Isle sur la Sorgue
Why: Nothing particularly wrong with this town, but I thought that it was extremely overrated in the book.

Stephanie Winters in New York, NY USA 04/22/2006

Best: Musee D'Orsay
Why: Very easy to follow the tour in the Rick Steves France Book and really see everything easily without severe foot pain!

KDHJ in San Francisco, CA USA 04/20/2006

Best: Beaune, Annecy, Arles
Why: We rented bikes and road through the vineyards in Beaune. In the evening we had the greatest meals of our lives.

The Arles Saturday market was one of the coolest events I've ever been too. It was amazing.

Annecy was perhaps the most beautiful town I've ever been too (the superlatives are flying, I know).

Worst: Nice
Why: I hated Nice. Bad food, rude people, Las Vegas-Like feeling.

Matt in Somerville, MA USA 01/29/2006

Worst: Carcassone, France
Why: We follow Rick's advice like it was Scripture, but have to say we were VERY surprised by his enthusiasm for Carcassone, France. After having visited many medieval cities throughout the Dordogne and Provence, Carcassone was like a Disneyland experience. As soon as we approached the huge parking lots we got worried, but pressed on because of his comments. Once inside the walls, we wished we had avoided the place totally. What an amusement park feel! Keep in mind that we were there in October (crowds were not a problem). There are SO many more authentic ancient ruins in France to enjoy that I would pass this one up. I have enjoyed three different trips to France for three weeks each and have always been totally satisfied with Rick's recommendations other than this.

Ruth Dexter in Walnut Creek, CA USA 01/29/2006

Best: Bayeux
Why: What a lovely town! It is convenient to the D-day beaches and the countryside around the town is very picturesque and bucolic. The Cathedral is lovely; we liked it better than Notre Dame in Paris. Lots of nice shops and reasonable priced restaurants. We almost did not want to leave for the remainder of our trip.

Don Groves in Topsham, ME USA 01/23/2006