France 2010

Best ways to improve this book:

My husband suffered a stroke several years ago and climbing stairs is difficult. Buses were a better alternative to the metro (unless the metro had elevators). You always reference the metro stops for the sights; a definite improvement for us (and others I would imagine) would be the bus lines that run near the sights. A map showing sights, bus lines and metro stops would be beneficial.

Marianne Kurtz in Union, KY USA 11/11/2009

Make sure that American understand that the French are simply marvelous people; if you make the least attempt to be cordial and try to speak French, they will bend over backwards to be helpful. Even in Paris, which is without doubt the most wonderful city on earth! This after one visit. Seriously, I could spend the rest of my life in Paris!

Mike in Rainone, Tx USA 10/29/2009

Check out the Mulberry B&B and Restaurant. Just 3 blocks from center of Arromanche, simple, clean B&B next to the Cathedral, superb restaurant run by the husband/wife owners, and full every evening. www.lemulberry.fr, email: courrier@lemulberry.fr

Jim & Arlene Knutson in Bloomington, MN USA 10/26/2009

Add La Roche d'Esteil to your next book!

Diana Campbell in Allentown, PA USA 10/26/2009

I was very disappointed to find that Marseilles was totally ignored in your guidebook. We spent 7 days in Marseilles and the book was useless for that time. We had to rely on info obtained from the T/I office. Why was an up & coming city the size of Marseilles excluded? We found the harbor area to be beautiful, the restaurants very good (although expensive) and the accommodations fine.

Bonnie Weinberger in Buffalo, NY USA 10/25/2009

Have more out of the way places mentioned as you did with Etretat which are a great detour, or less touristy place, but I do realize that once it's in your books, the crowds will arrive.

Debra in Delta, BC Canada 10/20/2009

Your book was fantastic. We are indebted to you for helping to make our trip outstanding

John Vogt in Ft. Collins, CO USA 10/19/2009

Not exactly an improvement to the book, but would LOVE more ipod tours available on itunes...enjoyed the history and the humor!

Sherri Campbell in Katy, Tx USA 10/18/2009

A warning that most of the hotels where we stayed did not have top sheet and blanket, but rather -- similar to Germany and Austria -- simply a heavy comforter. The comforter may be great in the winter, but in warm weather it was very uncomfortable.

Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/14/2009

We loved the book and relied on every part of it as we drove our rental car from Narbonne, through the Dordogne to Paris and had three days in Paris.

Martha in Calgary, Canada 10/03/2009

Arles was such a disappointment I would recommend looking into another town that would make a good base for the Provence region. Also, Carcassonne is not worth an overnight stay--travelling through it on your way to the Dordogne or south to Collioure is OK, but perhaps not worth your time. It really is a castle full of souvenier shops and restaurants and nothing more. More interesting from afar than actually going there. Thank you so much for all the recommendations in the book as we could not have done our 3 week tour of France on our own without it.

Vickie Sprowls in Lake Nebagamon, WI USA 09/22/2009

Rick's book became my mother's bible throughout France. We went everywhere with it. I'm surprised he didn't have more on Lourdes as its a major pilgrim site for Catholics.

Mimi Simon in Edmonton, AB Canada 09/18/2009

We use the Paris book and it was great!!! Perfect detailed description about how to get around and see things at good prices. Wonderful neighborhood (Rue Cler)for our stay.

Jim Colgan in Bixby, OK USA 08/15/2009

Please add Catherine D'Antuono, "Tour Designer in Provence," under private guides of The Luberon. Her tour of the area was really first rate; she designed a tour that included many villages, plus lunch at a goat cheese farm. Prior to my trip, I had discussed with her over email places I had wanted to see and she added a few more. As mentioned above, she majored in history and art history and is very knowledgeable about the area. Here is her contact information: email: tour.designmer@provence-travel.com phone: 33 (0)6 17 94 69 61 web: www.provence-travel.com

Susan in Toluca Lake, CA USA 07/12/2009

I've had seven guidebooks published over the years and I know that it's impossible to include everything. However, you've missed one of the most spectacular parts of the country.

Laurence Parent in Wimberley, TX USA 07/12/2009

PLEASE do not recommend backpacks anymore--All of Europe is using rolling luggage. Having backpacks made us look like U.S. hicks and was uncomfortable. Having rolling luggage we would have fit in more.

Linda Beilstein in Corvallis, OR USA 06/22/2009

Fantastic guidebook, best I've ever used. Your recommendations, especially for hotels and restaurants, were always on the mark. Thanks!

Steven Hauser in Atlanta, GA USA 06/13/2009

Removable map with metro, main tourist areas and recommended walk routes

Mary Ruiz in Bradenton, Fl USA 06/11/2009

I wish you'd do Scotland alone-perhaps there's not enough to see and expand out of Europe

[Editor's Note: Look for a new series of shorter guidebooks called Rick Steves' Spotlight--plans are to have Scotland as one of the first offerings.]

Jody Distad in Denver, CO USA 06/07/2009

I would also suggest the Forest of Gresigne. Although the roads are dirt there is a Roman opidium and a dolmen.

George Lauscher in Pocono Summit, PA USA 06/06/2009

Offer recos for both internet cafes (with computers provided) and WiFi ready spots (besides McDonalds and Starbucks which I tried to avoid). If you did this in the 09 book, my apologies and Good Thinkin'!

Jessica in Kansas City, MO USA 05/24/2009

please tell readers to pack windbreaker for le mistral (strong winds) esp around Avignon

Krista in Atlanta, Ga USA 05/09/2009

List best free washrooms in city! It would be nice to know which places can be easily snuck into... I know it's silly, but would be truly useful to everyone, especially those who get nervous about that sort of thing.

Rebekah in Toronto, ON Canada 05/05/2009

No improvement needed - the book was a godsend to have on the trip. We saw people all over France carrying your book; just as we did.

Sue Cromwell in Chester Springs, PA USA 05/04/2009

Could you add GPS coordinates to the sites in the guidebooks? It would save a lot of time for those traveling by car and using a gps.

John Brooks in Paris, France 05/03/2009

We have been traveling "with you" on 4 trips (London, Italy, Germany, France ) and have always had a wonderful experience and seen things we wouldn't have with out the books. Keep on doing what you're doing, which encourages more people to do the same.

Meg in Chicago, IL USA 04/27/2009

This is a great book. I'd add that driving to Mont St. Michael and back runs roughly $50 in tolls. I don't remember seeing that in the book.

Robert C in Norman, OK USA 04/27/2009

I don't understand why Marseille isn't included in the France 2009 book. Am I missing something here? I just looked at the book in the store and couldn't find any mention of Marseille. Please advise.

[Editor's Note: Rick has a section on Marseille including a walking tour in his book "Provence & the French Riviera."]

Joseph in San Francisco, CA USA 04/11/2009

It is pretty darn good as all RS guidebooks are. Of course, I would like more on Burgundy, but that is a selfish thing.

Amy in Houston, TX USA 03/04/2009

There isn't much about Brittany anywhere in the guidebook! How could Rick forget this beautiful Celtic area ridden with a culture completely unique from anything else in France, including one of the largest ancient standing-stone displays in the world, Carnac? The beautiful forest said to be the "real" forest of magician and mystic Merlin? I think you should definitely add a section about Brittany. La Bretagne, c'est vraiment magnifique!

Amanda Bauer in Crittenden, KY USA 03/01/2009

We just went through the 2009 France Guidebook purchased a few weeks ago. It did not seem as complete and helpful as the 2007 version. Not sure what's missing as we gave our older books to friends planning a trip to France so we can't compare. The Index is not very helpful. Most disappointed to find NOTHING on Saumur on the Loire River, or La Rochelle. Did we miss something? If these places are in the 2009 Book, please let me know the pages.

Zoe Maurer in Southampton, NJ USA 01/01/2009

Rick-- I bought your France 2009 Guidebook and was disappointed to discovr NOTHING on Aix-en-Provence!! Why?

[Editor's Note: Aix-en-Provence is covered in depth in Rick's book "Provence & the French Riviera."]

S. mulcahy in Madison, WI USA 12/30/2008

The Backdoor philosophy and tips were extremely useful for our family on a 3-week home exchange. As home exchange becomes an increasingly popular/viable means of travel and discovery, you might consider catering even more to this group of travelers. More family tips are always welcome.

Maria Barry in Nashua, NH USA 10/03/2008

I don't know if this is possible but instead of having separate restaurant and hotel maps for a city, it would be useful to combine them into one map. There may not be enough space to do that though.

Terry in Portland, OR USA 09/28/2008

Say in the guidebook that Chateauneuf, the chateau, in Burgundy is closed on Monday!!

Susan Russell in Corte Madera, Ca USA 09/25/2008

Keep up the good work. I'm a librarian and do lots of research, but I've depended on your books for years and love them for the accurate information conveyed with enthusiasm

Margaret Colvin in New York, NY USA 09/16/2008

We came to feel your France and Paris books were our good friends and we relied on your excellent advice. Love how you pack so much useful info into compact book, referred to appendices a lot. Makes a lot of sense to focus on regions, though we really missed your advice when we ventured outside regions covered. Walking tours and travel strategy advice were fantastic, especially on Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay. After spending a long time on Impressionist floor there, we did your 10-painting tour of lower floors, and were so grateful to have it. But we did not LIKE all the smart-aleck remarks; info was plenty interesting, just write it straight! Also, we understand your advice for kamikaze tourists, which we're not, but you're out of your minds to suggest 3 chateaux in a day for anybody! One was our max; two is kamikaze.

I typed up some advice for relatives who will be going soon. I know this isn't your format, but I'll copy some excerpts here, particularly remarks referring to your books. Thanks again.

FRANCE, French-Rozyne trip, July 14-August 6, 2008

Guest house at Chartres monastery—our first and most expensive night, had to get 2 rooms at 55 euros each, wish we’d gone w/RS hotel recommendation instead; not impressed, twin beds with old coverlets w/cigarette burns, walls needed painting, tiny prefab bathroom added later. Adequate but expensive for what it was; didn’t stay at any other monasteries. We ate at Le Café des Arts (RS, p180), but really loved creperie across the street on Rue de Changes.

Pyrenées I don’t have a lot to say about sightseeing in this region, as we mostly were with relatives. On their advice, we took a driving trip to Bayonne, Biarritz, and St. Jean de Luz. The latter two beach towns were thick with tourists in July, terrible traffic, not our thing. In Bayonne, we parked at Glain & took navette (shuttle bus) on RS advice. We ate at Le Bayonnais (RS, p393) on quai des Corsaires, which was fine. We got a brochure from tourist office (in French) for the Route de Fromage (I think it’s called) and enjoyed finding some sheep farms and tasting and buying cheese. I really liked Azkorria somewhere around Musculdy, Mauleon? We bought a 1kg wheel of brebis (sheep cheese) for about 15 euros and wished we’d gotten more; great souvenir and gift for right person. On returning I discovered Pyrenees brebis at $30+/# at Formaggio in Cambridge.

Dordogne region

Market days (each town has a different day, RS p323) were a lot of fun for buying food, clothes, household items, souvenirs. Best to get there early or late; 10:30-12 can be very crowded; they close at 1.

Jardin de Marquessayac: beautiful topiary gardens on a cliff overlooking Dordogne River, spectacular views, walking a little bit challenging but there’s always a choice for easier path. Loved this. Michelin gives Jardin de Eyrignac in same area one more star, but it looked more formal to us. We loved the Marqueyssac, a little wilder, great view. They also have candlelight walks (Thurs?); heard it was nice, but I think I’d prefer daylight.

Domme: “one of the plus belle villes de France” but you could skip it. Great view but I’d rather get my view at Marqueyssac and avoid all the tourists and tacky tourist shops. Might not be so bad off season.

Marche Nocturne (we went on a Monday in Cadouin): different towns have nights when the local food businesses put up stalls in village center and cook food which you can eat there on picnic tables. Great blues music and scene, very fun, enormous vat of mussels in wine. Maybe only in tourist season. Best to bring your own plates, silverware, but they had some paper & plastic.

Grotte de Font de Gaume, in Les Eyzies: The real thing, prehistoric paintings of horses, buffalo and other animals and symbols; quite amazing to see in person, low lighting, a little tight walkways, but I’m pretty claustrophobic and I didn’t mind. We went at 9 and stood in line for an hour or so and got an open spot for tour at 12:30 (hung out & ate in town till then). French tour guide was passionate about his subject, which was enjoyable, but still I understood only about every 10th word! Limit on daily visitors and I think only 20 in English tour/day; I’d say worth reserving for that. Loved the little bakery we found in Les Eyzies (near end of main road on right)

Canoeing on Dordogne River: Whole family loved this, very gentle, easy river, didn’t even paddle much. Castles on cliffs every few kms. We rented from River Canoe in St Vincent de Cosse, but lots of places to rent.

Sarlat: we went in evening, beautiful, less crowded. RS walking tour was great. Ate at La Mirondal (p333), 13 euro menu very good value, big, old place, lots of floors, serve lots of people, but they have it down. This was one of my favorite dinners, not fancy, just really good; I had foie gras with several condiments, including montbazillac gelee, cassoulet (could eat only half; asked our sweet young waiter for a box to take home, and he brought me a large clean ice cream container; I think it’s a very odd request in France, but I couldn’t waste it!), walnut-chevre salad, crème brulee.

Chateaux we went to: Fenelon & Hautefort (Dordogne); Berbiguieres (private); and Chenonceau (Loire). Drivebys: Beynac, Losse, Castelnaud, Millandes (Dordogne); Chambord, Cherverny (Loire). Loved the gardens at Chenonceau, especially jardin de potager (vegetable, cut flowers); I thought even better than Villandry, which I’d been to before; teen daughter thought you could skip interior but I liked it too, very crowded, pays to get there early. We watched the move Ever After beforehand (which was quite good) so were very interested in the 3 castles where it was filmed; really enjoyed Hautefort also, great views, garden and interior.

Café de la Riviere, Beynac—run by friendly English couple. We went here for my birthday; family really loved it, stayed till after staff had left and ordered one more crème brulee after all desserts finished! I’d say I liked it a lot, not sure I loved it as much as everyone else. Open only for tourist season.

Lots of little museums in every town celebrating some aspect of history or agriculture, friends recommended checking these out, usually just in French, sometimes they can give you a sheet in English. We stopped at one for pruneau on Lot River (very touristy and expensive), walnuts in Castelnaud (nicely done), and life-size automated dolls that were popular in 19th century, Musee de L’Automate in Souillac—this my Francophile friends highly recommended and we were completely charmed by it; would not have gone otherwise… I’d also recommend if you’re in the area, to the east of Sarlat.

Paris

In Paris we ate at neighborhood places that were mostly fine, recommendable if you’re in the neighborhood, nothing I’d make a special trip for, except maybe this first one…

Amorino, really fantastic gelato (I loved the fruit ones), on 47 Rue St. Louis en l’Ile, also on Rue Soufflot near Luxembourg Garden

Café Med, (RS p144), 77 Rue St. Louis en l’Ile, creperie, just OK, wouldn’t especially recommend.

Café du Marche, (RS, p135), Rue Cler, nice place, good service, food, one of the most comfortable hangouts we went to, lots of locals even in August, not just tourists

Chez Marianne, (RS, p142), Rue des Rosiers in le Marais, fun Jewish deli. Liked the meatballs and feta; hummus not so good.

La Reve de Manon at Place de St Paul, patisserie/boulangerie, good stuff, not the friendliest staff, got birthday cake here

Red Wheelbarrow on Rue de St Paul, very cozy, friendly, great English bookshop, daughters spent a lot of time here.

Le Soufflot Café (RS Paris), Rue Soufflot, near Luxembourg Garden, nice, comfortable, good service, all English-speaking tourists when we went.

Luxembourg Garden, loved sitting here as the sun went down, sketching and reading

Eiffel Tower: followed RS advice, which was good. Arrived at about 8:30 pm, stood in line about 1.5 hours, talked to nice Irish couple in line who had been there earlier when line was much longer & come back. Just went to 2nd platform, great view, just as the twinkle lights came on for 10 minutes at 10 pm, sun was going down, lights were coming on over Paris. This was a highlight for 11 year old daughter.

Musee d’Orsay: Loved this, concentrated on the upper floor with Impressionists, then did RS 10 painting quickie tour of lower floor. Free the first Sunday of month, get there early!

Enjoyed RS walking tours of Montmartre, le Marais, Left Bank, Historic Paris.

Some general tips

Gas significantly cheaper at big superstores (Intermarche, Champion, Le Clerc) on outskirts of towns, 20 euro cents less per liter.

We did not have good luck eating lunch at “cafes”; terrible to nonexistent service, out of everything, unimaginative sandwiches. Better options: get quiches or sandwiches at boulangeries and picnic, like all the French families we saw; or look for creperies or pizzerias for lunch. We did enjoy the café experience in Paris. At Odeon we sat at a modern one that misted us from the awnings, which was lovely on a hot day; of course, three soft drinks were about 14 euros. But in smaller towns, what we really wanted—great coffee, tea and pastries—was best found at a salon du thé (a memorable one on the main road in Souillac)

Bread and croissant quality and freshness varied widely; good to look around. Loved the lemon tarts and various croissants, especially almond.

Books: My teen daughters and I all read & enjoyed Joanne Harris’ mother-daughter story Chocolat, which was set in Dordogne-Lot region. Both of these nonfiction books also well worth reading: Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik (New Yorker writer’s personal essays set from 1995-2000, great writing) and Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French (two journalists explain French culture). I’ve liked Marge Piercy’s poetry and other novels, and loved the idea of her novel on French Revolution, but it was terribly written and I had to abandon it halfway despite really trying and wanting to like it.

Wine is still an amazing bargain. You can get a great table wine for 4-6 euros and there are tastings even in supermarkets. I found one in Dordogne I loved & brought one home: Chateau Moulin de la Roquille 2004 bordeaux cotes de francs.

Rick Steves driving tips (p800) were invaluable; referred to it many times for speed limit, customs, signs, etc.

Tipping: we couldn’t figure out whether/how much to tip for a long while. Service is included. We were repeatedly reassured, just a euro or 2 is a nice “pourboire.”

Kimberly French in Middleborough, MA USA 09/02/2008

We don't really have ways to improve the book, but I wanted to share our experience traveling in France for the past three weeks. We've come to feel like we are quoting the Bible when we say things like, "Rick says..." "Rick recommends..." At the moment we are staying in an apartment in Paris where there are an assortment of guides but we keep coming back to Rick as the most helpful and practical of the guides. Thank you, Rick.

Anne H. in Berkeley, CA USA 08/24/2008

Book was very helpful and an invaluable bible for our trip.

Ray and Arlene in New Westminster, BC Canada 08/10/2008

Thought book was pretty good, walks were laid out well, advice on floors in buildings was helpful. Also, the little French that was offered was handy. Perhaps add a bit more French to aid conversation.

C. Haller in Longwood, FL USA 08/08/2008

I appreciate that Rick has a sound global awareness philosophy on travel. I fully agree with Rick's take on how the French view Americans; he mentions our "superficial friendliness." But, having written that in the guidebook, why do you continue to mention the first names of all people in service positions that your researchers happened to get the name of? ("happy Jacques at reception" "helpful Anna at the FGC office") For one, these people have lives outside of their work,(and blessedly a shorter work week than mine!) and will not be there awaiting your every guidebook reader. Secondly, if you really want to highlight a person in the tourist trade by name, why not be more respectful and give them a first and last name? I think this jaunty talk interspersed throughout all your guidebooks just encourages some of Americans' worst habits to show up in our travelling. In my experience, a respectful attitude towards people I interact with in the service industry in Europe, which may or may not evolve into a more in-depth converstaion, goes over much better than trying to make them all "my new best friend."

Sheila in Albuquerque, NM USA 07/14/2008

Keep doing what you're doing. We really relied on your advice throughout our trip and will continue to do so.

Chris McNally in Everett, WA USA 07/10/2008

Add Le Manoir de Herouville to your accomodation recommendations.

Randy Barthel in Orland Park, IL USA 07/09/2008

Include at least a small section on Lourdes. I realize that it is primarily a place of religious pilgrimage, but how can you completely ignore a place that has 5 million visitors a year? At least a couple of recommendations on lodging and restaurants would have been helpful for the day we spent there.

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

I would strongly recommend that travelors not get any $500 euro bills. We found them almost impossible to use. They were rumored to have authenticity problems(counterfeit) and all merchants had no change for them whether they did or not.

K Mohn in Bluffton, SC USA 05/29/2008

Mention which sites have security lines. We followed the book advice to buy our Paris Museum Passes. Then followed the book advice to boldly walk past the ticket line. Only when we walked past about 50 people at Saint Chapelle, we found that we had just skipped into the security line, and most of the people waiting also had museum passes.

Larry Pierce in Phoenix, AZ USA 05/12/2008

The sites along Normandy have been divided into eight senic routes (e.g. "Overlard-L'Assault", "D-Day Le Choc", "Objectif Un Port", etc.). I stumbled across these signs by accident and started following them out of curiousity. After a few days of blindly following these signs to hidden D-Day sites, I found a booklet at the Pegasus Bridge museum that explained these routes. The 22 page booklet (published by the local tourism board) list every museum and memorial in the region. It also laid out the iternery for each route. It was like finding the Rosetta Stone for the D-Day beaches. I am sure that placing this information in your future books would be greatly appreciated by anyone exploring the region by car.

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

Emphasize you need to validate your train ticket before boarding, luckily a friend who lives locally reminded me. I had missed the instructions for train travel in validating tickets - wasn't standing out as much as it should and would have had a problem if I didn't validate.

travelfan in Washington, DC USA 05/10/2008

Add more to the Brittany section- Carnac, for example, with its combo of beach and megalyths, is definately worthy of being listed

Sarah in Leonardtown, MD USA 05/08/2008

Include Chez Bruno, a bar à vin in Amboise, Very bubbly, kind service, good selection of wine by glass or bottle, and very good food. Right across from the chateau on Rue Victor Hugo, so a glorious view, Couscous Maison was quite a deal and a welcome exception in a generally touristy restaurant scene.

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

We appreciate your yearly updates! All information is current and correct, in my opinion. When we follow your advice, we are happy. When we (rarely) don't, we're sorry!

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

If one-way arrows could be added to the maps, that would be very helpful. We got hopelessly lost in the lower town of Carcassonne coming down from the North, and tried a couple of times to go on the roads noted in your book map, but they were one-way the wrong way.

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

Le Verso at 3 Place Nicolas Saboly in Avignon has some fantastic dinner options.

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

Maybe a few diagrams of the major train stations. Gare St. Lazare has a beautiful exterior, but there are NO places to sit. We ended up going to the Starbucks across the street and sitting there for two hours!

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

Add a big note: In Arles, there is an annual photographic exhibition in early July. Rooms are booked a year in advance. We just reserved the last room at the Calendal for July 11-13 (had to purchase a triple instead of a double, 150 euros + 10 for required breakfast)) and all other hotels we called in RS book were completely booked. I tried 5 of the hotels in Avignon also, and when called all were booked for that weekend.

Dennis Simpson in Redmond, WA USA 03/30/2008

I love your books. I have used them on many trips and always recommend them in my friends. I wish the dollar would get better so I can plan my next trip.

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

This is the second time I have made this suggestion: In the index put 3 stars next to 3 star sites. This makes it easier to reference the book

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

We had one day in Reims, and were eager to tour a champagne cave. The local tourist office helped us narrow our options to Taittinger, so we made the 25-minute walk in the drizzle...and were disappointed. I'm chagrined to admit that it never occurred to us that the entire 1-hour tour/movie would be entirely in French! Since it was January and there were tourists from many countries, of course it made sense. Worse, the woman who gave the tour was too brisk and snippy with the group...and the skimpy (2 oz.) taste of champagne at the end cemented our opinion that, at 20 euros for 2 people, it won the award for Biggest Waste of Money on Our Trip. I believe that the guidebook needs to state what might already be obvious: tours and their DVD presentations will all be in French.

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

More detail

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

France 2008 p. 16 (and throughout wherever conversion to dollars is made) the conversion 1 euro = $1.30 is used but well before the end of 2007 the rate was about 1 euro = $1.50, thus dollar costs are under-stated by about 15%.

Kent Osborne in Beaverton, OR USA 01/24/2008

Please add Dijon as a destination.

Charlene Hottel in Westerville, OH USA 01/03/2008

Mention that there are a lot of roundabouts at intersections while driving through the Provence. There are no indications of North, South, West, or East. You have to know the next biggest town to your destination and head that direction. If unsure, go around the roundabout sign again or the best is to go straight ahead.

Lot of special outdoor festivals during the summer- Get the update schedules in the local newspapers at the local Tourist Offices. Many of them are free or either at a low entrance fee. The only thing is that you will need to know how to read a little French as many of the publications are in French. ex-Fontaine de Vaucluse had a wonderful 3 hr. singing and dancing festival that started from 10p.m. and lasted until around 1a.m.- located right in the streets. It started with a small parade through town and then a fireworks display on the River Sorgue and concluded with the singing and dancing party.

Buying gas on Sundays is difficult for sure. Ex- Carcassonne's Ville Basse had a gas station that required a "Club Card" at Feu Vert, otherwise you can't purchase gas. We had to find a local person to use his card for us. He was kind enough to drive us to another gas station, he used his card, and we gave him cash for the gas. He was very kind and helpful to us.

France hotels- no tissue/Kleenex or washcloths are provided- need to bring own

Small towns are hard to find self-serve laundry. Need to go to the local Tourist Office and ask. Need to carry a lot of small change as the machines do not always give back change or operate if not the exact change is given to corresponding machines. It costs around 3,50E a load and .40E per 5 min of drying.

Mistral wind is quite powerful when it is happening and does create closure of some road without notice. Ex- the Route de Cretes in Cassis was closed for sunset view for over 2 days.

To purchase santons, it is best to visit directly at the Ateliers (workshops) where the Santon makers are. The town of Aubagne originated them and it is a good town to purchase them. Gift shops are often more expensive, especially in Tourist areas.

Michelin Map I purchased 4 months before my trip was not up to date as roads on my map indicated "A" but on the roads itself, they were called "N." It left us a problem with coordinating the correct road to take- especially the first few days driving around and getting used to everything.

k.moy in san francisco, ca USA 12/21/2007

Love the books! I feel a little guilty about ripping out the pages I needed before I left! However we were camping with minimal equipment (two sleeping bags and a tent) and I had to take only what was necessary.

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

One tip I wish you had included regards smoking in restaurants. I quickly realized I was best served going to restaurants that catered to tourists because they were most likely to not be smoking. I found it very hard, especially outside of Paris, to find cheap restaurants that were smoke-free. Having lived in the northeast US for all my life, I haven't had to deal with a smoker in the table next to me all my life, and yet I did on this trip. I learned to look at all the tables of a restaurant before entering to see if there were ashtrays, and then not even entering if there were.

in Cambridge, MA USA 10/29/2007

Pay closer attention to having text match the maps. If you note something in the text, it should be on the map--we frequently are frustrated by disconnects. And maps with North at the top usually have East on the right!

L & D in Edmonds, WA USA 10/20/2007

Keep updating each year, and we will keep buying in advance of our travel!

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

Don't change a thing

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

All suggestions were fantastic!

Laurie McCulley in Winter Park, FL USA 10/05/2007

We loved the book, "Paris 2007." It told in detail everything we needed to know to get around, the Carte Orange was a great value. We loved bypassing the steps at Sacre-Coeur. The Parisians were quite helpful when we needed assistance. One man spent 15 minutes trying to helps us figure out the system for renting a bike, new on Rue Cler. One story we think might be interesting: We were at Cafe du Marche and we met a very nice couple from Washington, D.C. with your book. Always starts a conversation. But at another table were six young American women who were so loud they could be heard by everyone in the restaurant. How we are looked down upon by all Europeans when we act in this manner. At that moment it was embarrassing to be an American. Our daughter goes to Paris for medical care. We are so thrilled with the care she is receiving. We will continue to use this book to discover the many treasures of Paris! Thanks a million!

Martha Brice in Bratislava, Slovakia 09/20/2007

The only thing I would add is a little more information about how touristy Amboise is--we didn't expect it to be so touristed out from the information in the book. Otherwise, we used the book extensively (as well as the Paris and Provence books), and like the way it is organized. It provides exactly the information we want and is easy to use. We saw people using it all over France.

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

I find Rick's books to be perfect for my planning.

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

I've been buying and using your books since 1987. I went to purchase the newest France and Italy books for next summer's trip and they are HUGE and HEAVY. Geez, that's not going to pack light! That means I have to tear out the pages needed to lighten my load. Any suggestions? Thank you, as you have been spot-on with most suggestions starting with Walter in Gimmelwald in l987 and quite frankly we threw away our other guidebooks from other authors halfway thru that first trip!

Kandy Bartlett in San Diego, CA USA 08/26/2007

I know some basic french. I would have liked knowing feminine and masculine in the phrasebook so I could have used "un" or "une" etc.

It would be helpful to have the name of at least 1 restaurant on the Place L'Horloge that is worth eating at. Surely they aren't all bad.

Overall, we really relied on your recommendations - and it made our trip much better! Thanks!

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

as stated above, please include Toulouse, France.

Daniel Kolb in The Villages, Fl USA 06/22/2007

Darn good job, actually, though geared to those depending on public transport. Those who travel by car are no doubt inconvenienced by the base of operations format, as opposed to point to point. And we could go on and on with fabulous hotels, restaurants, and charming villages we discovered (not in the book). When I get more time, I will mention some of them here; nevertheless, as you no doubt already know, your Guide is head and shoulders over any other offering. All I can say is glom onto all the feedback here that you can take in, and verify and add as much as you can.

John Trainer in Nashville, TN USA 06/21/2007

Book is good - very practical and many "off the beaten track" suggestions. I did not find your French dictionary as helpful, though.

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

Add Vimy Ridge for your Canadian readers. This WW 1 monument is truly world class. We did it as a day trip from Paris via Arras. Arras was a neat place also. If you need a taxi from Arras to Vimy, go to the TI and they will order one for you.

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

Cannot think of any. It works so well for us in the current format. We have been showing Paris to friends who have never visited before, and I feel like an experienced tour guide using this book.

Judy L. in Oklahoma City, OK USA 05/17/2007

Please, please give more driving tips! Or better yet do a driving edition and train edition separately. Also more info on what you can see/do without paying entrance fees. For example, in the Loire you can view all of the exterior of some chateau and only have to pay to go inside. Others you must pay in order to see the exterior. Knowing this going in helps to plan time/budget. We could see the outsides of a couple and then tour a couple. Without knowing which ones we can see the exterior of it is difficult to plan.

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

Add something on Compiegne, a nice city North of Paris. A good place to spend your last night and morning before departure from CDG.

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

mention the very high tolls on French highways. And include Luxembourg is some guidebook--Germany, France whatever but include it somewhere.

Pat in Vinkenes, VA USA 04/23/2007

You must add Bike About Tours! The guides were super personable and had a lot of great suggestions about places to see in Paris that tourists don't normally discover. I loved every minute of their tour.

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

Make portions of it available via download to PALM ereaders. It's a big thing to carry around, but love the information. Thanks.

Carl Scheider in Woodbury, MN USA 04/06/2007

For those of us who choose to not rent a car, your coverage of bus and train routings is excellent. More details are always appreciated. Suggested tour routings for use without car are also great.

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

What a pleasant surprise to see a recent posting for Château Andelot, a B&B on the edge of Burgundy in the Jura region of France. I stayed there for a week last summer on an artist’s retreat sketching and painting scenes of the French countryside. It was an artists’ dream. Passing through the gate that leads between the château’s two medieval, conical towers made me feel as though I had taken a step back in time. Although, the beautifully refinished chambers and modern bathrooms are definitely from the present. The château is set on a cliff that overlooks a valley of farmland and several tiny villages surrounded by forest. I loved sketching the sun rising over this landscape (with the Swiss Alps in the distant background) while sitting at the window of my room. To top it off, the food was great, the staff is friendly and they speak English. They truly made me feel at home during my extended stay. I was so taken by the atmosphere and warmth of the place that I am returning this summer with my family. I highly recommend this B&B as an addition to the guidebook. You can find photographs and contact information on their website: www.chateauandelot.com.

Carolyn Brown in Egg Harbor, NJ USA 03/05/2007

In 2005, I used Rick Steve's England and LOVED it, so when we decided to go to France this time, I used Rick Steve's France. The book was immensely helpful and we used it daily, but unlike the England book, this one was clearly geared towards travelers renting cars. As a train traveler, I was frequently frustrated by this.

For example, when the book recommended that, as train travelers, we stay in Pontorson. We booked reservations the only hotel listed for Pontorson (which was about 20 feet from the train station). There were no restaurant listings for the town.

When we got there, we not only discovered (to our delight) a fantastic little creperie, but also (to our disappointment), that there were plenty of places where we could have gotten a room for half the price. We wound up paying almost as much per night in Pontorson as we did in Paris because of this omission.

Also, we bought all of our train tickets in America before going because we knew that you needed reservations. This was good for some trains (where we would not have been able to get tickets otherwise), but I suspect that we significantly overpayed for local trains where we did not need reservations. Some further clarification would be nice.

Other than that, the book was great. Thank you!

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

Corsica is a beautiful island and a great holiday spot.Include it in your 2008 or 2009 book.

Paul USA 02/21/2007

Will you ever include Corsica in your guidebooks?

Brad in Portage, MI USA 02/18/2007

Include Château Andelot in your recommended accommodations for people interested in B & B’s while exploring the regions around Burgundy and into the Alps. It’s a 12th century château B & B that would be a great place for people to stay while touring these areas.

Lisa Kluck in Chicago, IL USA 02/18/2007

None , the book and your video on france were a godsend .Would have been lost without it. I will definitly use your books and videos in the future keep up the good work!

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