Provence & the French Riviera

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We used Paris book and Amsterdam/Belgium book and they were totally up to date. Provence/Riviera book didn't get that care and needs changes. Must be tough to totally do each one every year...thks one may have gotten phoned in?

Paul Lightner in Novato, CA USA 07/03/2008

Add Postal codes for each city. Most of us now travel with navigation systems and it would be very helpful to have the code as it makes the navigation set up much easier. I think there were 6 or 7 Roussillon in our Navigon.

Lisa Valle in Sycamore, IL USA 05/26/2008

In France, gas stations are self-serve. They have an honor system to pay or a gate that raises when you have paid.

Best advice- plan ahead what you want to do. Expect lunch time to be anywhere from 2-3 hrs. closed and certain days closed. Try to route out your roads ahead of time. Expect the unexpected and don't expect too much. Have a low expectation of services, then you won't be disappointed.

Typically in France, small town patisseries and boulangeries where bread and pastries are sold, coffee is available, but it is self-serve at machines. It is good to have small change available.

French people do not have a problem standing too close to others while in line to pay for items, even as close as to touch you. Ex- In a grocery store, a man behind me had one item. He got close up to me and pushed me. When it was my turn, he went ahead and handed the cashier the money to ring him up first. He did not ask or apologize to me. Is this the French way?

Typically in towns that have cafes which are popular for tourists such as Deux Garcons in Aix-en-Provence, Cafe Deux Moulins in Paris Montmartre, or Cafe de la Nuit in Place du Forum, Arles, the waitresses/waiters are short with you and will take your order at their own convenience. You have to be patient with them as there are a lot of customers to serve. You also need to pay immediately when you receive your drink.

In France and Spain, when purchasing a cup of coffee to go (take-out), expect it to be 1/2 of the US size and around 1,20E a cup at McDonalds- cheapest around town, but good coffee

karen in san francisco, ca USA 12/28/2007

In the port town of Cassis, there are many narrow one-way streets. Signs are not very clear to drivers as to when cars are not allowed. During the summer, many streets are closed to construction and repairs. Example- We could not get around to either the entrance or back way of our hotel- it took over 2 hours. Our car had accidently fell down a 6 inch step and it was difficult to back up the car in reverse. Local people were very helpful to guide us out. The famous Calanques boat ride had no written sign posted outside that describes the schedule or what time the ticket window opens up. It is difficult to make plans to do other activities during the course of the day when you are not sure how long and when your particular Calanques boat ride is scheduled. The ride itself was well worth it and my second time around, I would like to rent a kayak or boat to go on my own to stop over at one of the Calanques.

k.m. in san francisco, ca USA 11/21/2007

We totally loved Nice. The beauty was unbelievable! Loved the view from above the city (the little train tour-good) and a wonderful marina just around the corner from our hotel. Great outdoor market, one of the best in our whole trip! Loved the little shops in the quaint older part of town.

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

Check prices on your Cassis hotel rooms. It seems like prices for the hghest season have gone down, at least in a couple of places that we checked.

We were very disappointed in the beaches in Nice, and Cassis. We weren't about to the rent expensive chairs, and consequently, the rocks were a pain. I guess it hard to beat Mexico or Hawaii. That said, I wouln'dt go there for the beaches, period.

Monaco: Please improve the maps around the palace. We had a heck of a time figuring out where to go when we got of the bus at the tunnel.

Cindy in Shurtleff, wa USA 07/13/2007

The only little addition I'd make is that the Beffroi is a belltower and if you are a light sleeper and get a room near the tower, you might go a little bonkers the first night! I learned to sleep through it but the timer was failing and it rang more than one series an hour which ended up just making us laugh!

Terry in Lafayette, CA USA 06/05/2007

A new restaurant recommendation in Antibes: La Marmite. Somewhat more expensive than Le Cafe Jardin but worth every centime for their service and excellent cuisine. We returned there for our last dinner in Antibes and were treated like old friends. There's also a great little place in Nimes called Les Magnolias, discovered on the recommendation of our hotel clerk. Happy Dining, Rick & Co.!

For people who are interested in a less "world class" but extremely intimate art museum experience, the Musee Renoir in Cagnes-sur-mer is not to be missed. The art collection is relatively minor, but the site was Renoir's home and garden, and being there was a privilege I won't soon forget.

Jeri Cary in Juneau, AK USA 05/08/2007

Write about Menton and its famous citrus gardens and quaint old town. The colorful covered market Les Halles was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Menton is an easy train ride from Nice. Tourist office is very helpful with maps and suggested walks. Locals make a yummy citron liqueur de Menton similar to Italy's limoncello.

Karen Woodworth in Athens, OH USA 01/17/2007

Make more mention of the network of footpaths and trails - les randonnees - that thread through the French countryside and often make memorable day or overnight outings. In Provence, look for the yellow signs and the red and yellow markers painted on fences and trees.

Rupert Essinger in San Diego, CA USA 11/20/2006

remove Hotel Relax as one of your 3 recommendations for Marseille

Meredith in San Francisco, CA USA 10/24/2006

More restaurant recommendations!

Dave VanderWiel in Brecksville, OH USA 08/28/2006

Mention that the Hotel la Mirande (AVignon, page 109) is expensive & not perfect.Its (expensive)restaurant is closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays. On these evenings they offer a price fixe table d'hote instead. It's in the basement kitchen, where up to 14 guests gather around the table as the chef cooks a complete dinner & chats about its presentation, using a wood burning kitchen stove. . Euros 85 per person, including wines. We enjoyed a wonderful evening there, and I considered it good value.

Patrick Purcell in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/31/2006

recommend more upscale hotels for people who have been to Europe many times and have grown far beyond the backpacking stage of likfe, but don't want to pay for Relais & Chateau every night either.

ken rubin in washington , dc USA 07/07/2006

May want to include that tip is already included, so people like us who don't read fine print will know

karen lockhart in montrose, AL USA 06/18/2006

Tell us the off-season schedules....if we are back-dooring we don't go in high season.

Skell in Goens, Wa USA 05/23/2006

Maybe some color highlights. Phone numbers for example. So much black and white is difficult to read. Everything blends.

carolyn wolfe in Boise, Id USA 05/09/2006

The TGV in and out of Charles de Gaulle was so convenient. We were in Avignon the afternoon of our arrival in France. We strongly recommend renting a car. You can do this on the outskirts of many cities-- we picked ours up in Avignon and returned it in Lyon. A car frees you to stay in small villages and explore an entire area without frequently changing your B&B.

Jo Hinsdale & John Robandt in Salt Lake City, UT USA 04/16/2006

Include information on smoking and non-smoking. I was in Paris and toured France during the First Employment Law protests. People asked me whether this was a problem, and NO, the protests were no problems. The big problem was inhaling tobacco smoke all the time.

Russ Newell in Fairbanks, AK USA 04/11/2006