France 2010

Favorite discoveries or tips:

In Paris, please warn people about the scam of someone finding a wedding ring near your feet and exclaiming that it is gold!! Then they want you to buy it from them. It is junk and worthless. Similarly with a cheap ear ring.

Gerald Kilbert in Elk Grove, CA USA 11/20/2009

any recommendations on apartment hotels for a week's stay in January. we need to travel also to Frankfurt from Paris then as well. DO you recommend the train or fly

kevin mccullagh in hingham, ma USA 11/16/2009

Free wheelchairs at Versailles

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

France was marevelous!

Mike in Rainone, Tx USA 10/29/2009

Auberge du Manoir--www.aubergedumanoir.com 74 400 Chamonix Mont-Blanc France Tel 33 4 50 53 10 77 Fax 33 4 50 53 36 37 Fantastic hotel--modest prices, location that is absoutely the best. Family owned, recommended the hike from Montevers to Midi on Mont Blanc in the opposite direction that Rick recommends, you always have Mont Blanc in your view...definately a motivator!! Check out this hotel...

kathy in san francisco, ca USA 10/29/2009

I loved the town of Amboise.

Richard Perkins in Pleasant Hill, CA USA 10/29/2009

Vue de la Rance B&B, 5 mins. from port of Dinan, was an excellent value at 70 Euros/night. Gorgeous views of Rance River, very clean, spacious rooms, and a great breakfast of baked goods, French press coffee, juices, etc. Owners were a very helpful, hard working British couple. L'Effet Mer restaurant in Port Lyvet, close by, was also very good and reasonable. Also, the drive from Azay-Le-Rideau to Loches on D84/D17 along the Indre river is very pretty if you have the time and nice weather. Hotel Tourisme in Paris was a very good value and a great location (steps from 3 metro lines, Monoprix and many nice cafes). Rick Steve's guidebook was soooo helpful.

June in Thousand Oaks, CA USA 10/28/2009

On our recent trip to Normandy,France, we stayed in the small town of Arromanche, right on the D-Day beaches. We recommend the Mulberry B&B and their superb restaurant, which is managed by the owners and full every night. It's only about 3 blocks off the main street and deserves a look by you in your next book. Their website is www.lemulberry.fr and their email is courrier@lemulberry.fr We kept going back there for our evening meals and wished we had stayed there instead of Le Chanticleer B&B, which was lacking in facilities and any staff who spoke English, and was a 15-min. walk to the town center.

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

My husband and I arrived in Sarlat without reservations. We called our first choice for lodging (one of your top recommended B&B's), and they were full, but they recommended a year-old, recently renovated Chambres et Table d'hotes in the tiny village of Montfort (5 miles from Sarlat) called L'Ombriere. We immediately fell in love with this B&B. It is an 18th century stone home set on a hill overlooking the beautiful village of Montfort. The home is simply decorated with artwork from Italy and France, as well as some of Barbara's personal paintings. The hosts, Andrea and Barbara, moved here from Italy 1 1/2 years ago, and opened their B&B in October of 2008. They both speak English as well as French and Italian. They rent 4 lovely rooms for 72 euros per night, which includes breakfast. You can also choose to dine with them for 25 euros per person, which includes wine. Their home is described as having a unique atmosphere of elegant yet rustic charm, and I couldn't agree more. Our room was immaculate with pine wood floors and doors, a stone wall and original exposed wooden beams. The bathroom has tile floor, exposed wooden beams, a rock wall, and sparkling new bathroom fixtures. Our room was on the top floor and was very spacious. It felt more like a studio apartment than a bedroom. The owners were extremely kind and helpful in educating us on the surrounding regions. Andrea drew us a map by hand each day of a suggested route and sites to visit. The breakfast was served each morning in their lovely dining room and included a different homemade pastry each day as well as yogurt from a local farm, fruit, bread, homemade jams, orange juice and hot beverages. They play classical music in their cozy living room, which is open to guests. They have several books available to enjoy during your stay. Our original plan was to find a gite in the area, so we could cook our own meals to save money. We couldn't find anything we liked as much as L'Ombriere, so we stayed for 8 nights at L'Ombriere. It was extremely difficult to leave this lovely home. It was more than a place to stay; it was a magical experience for us. We spent 4 weeks in France, and we followed the recommendations in your France Guidebook 2009 faithfully. We were not dissappointed. L'Ombriere was the only lodging that was not "Rick Steves recommended", but it should be. I urge you to add this B&B to your France Guidebook. Here is the information on my recommended Chambres et Table d'hotes: L'Ombriere www.lombriere.com Montfort 24200 Vitrac Telephone +33(0)553281138 e-mail: info@lombriere.com

Cindy in West Sacramento, CA USA 10/25/2009

Dinan hotel: Hotel Les Grandes Tours, Dinan. Inexpensive, good quality rooms within the walls of the old city. A plus is the covered off-street parking in a city where parking is tremendously hard to find.

Larry Neal in Warren, PA USA 10/21/2009

Drove the Haut Alps route from Pra-Loup to Nice, great twisty, slow road in a beautiful part of the world. Enjoyed Etretat and the Hotel Dormy was a delightful splurge.

Debra in Delta, BC Canada 10/20/2009

We loved our 1st trip to Paris and your guidance made it even better. Don't bother buying the typical $30 electrical converter in the U.S.-bought a €6 one on Rue Cler that actually worked!

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

Dear Sir

We recently had guests stay with us from Seattle who carried with them, like a bible, your guide to France. They suggested that we get in contact with you to see if there is a way in which we may be mentioned in a future edition.

We are a luxury bed & breakast, located in the Tarn (Midi Pyrenees) just 45 mins north of Carcassonne. Our website is http://www.villademazamet.com

Peter Friend in Mazamet, France 10/16/2009

Drying socks on the ledge in the back of our car. After a day of hanging socks in the bathroom, only to have them still damp, I laid them out on the rear ledge of our small hatchback car, facing the sun the whole day, and they came out toasty-warm and dry. Of course, for this to work well, you must have sun...and we did. The weather was beautiful in northeast France in late September and early October.

Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/14/2009

CHATEAU DES ALLUES Maison d'hotes de charme - B&B lieu dit Les Allues F 73250 Saint Pierre d'Albigny www.chateaudesallues.com mail : info@chateaudesallues.com

VANDEVILLE in Saint Pierre d Albigny, 73 France 10/13/2009

Bonjour ! Hi! I would recommend you to visit a brand new hotel 4km from Versailles (20km from Paris) in a charming village called Buc. This accomodation, the "Buc Lounge Hotel" is a 2 star hotel, build 100 years ago and totaly reshaped in a modern design style by the new owners. Close to it : River, lakes and forest... and Versailles castle ! contact : www.bucloungehotel.com (33 (0)1 39 56 34 15)

dulong France 10/10/2009

On our recent trip we needed to break up the 6 hour drive from the Dordogne area to Paris and stayed at a great B and B in Monts sur Guesnes. Proprietor is Glyn Ward of Domaine de Bourgville, www.vie-vienne.com. Glyn is from England. Very quiet renovated to original state building on a large property with a forest. 55 euros including breakfast.

Martha in Calgary, Canada 10/03/2009

My husband and I enjoyed staying at: Chateau Des Arpentis, 37530 Saint-Regle, near Amboise Tel: 02-47-23-00-00. Completely renovated, beautiful!

Phyllis Thomas in Lewes, DE USA 09/29/2009

La Taverne hotel just outside of Albi in the town of Castelnaud de Levi. The rooms are huge and come with either a tub or shower, plasma TV, king-size beds and helpful staff who do not speak much English, but try hard to communicate and make your stay memorable. The prices are a bit higher to reflect the modern rooms (we paid Euro 80 per night). La Gueule du Loup, 38 rue des Arenes in Arles has well-priced Provencal food with both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the Roman Arena. Closed Sunday and Monday for lunch.

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

In Arles we came across a great restaurant called Le Don Camillo. It's just a five minute walk from the hotel Rodin. The food is fantastic but the best part is the friendly service of its owners, Jean-Marc and Nathalie Rin. Nathalie, in particular, is the consummate hostess and really takes time to help her customers. It was well-priced and we had two of our best meals in France there. The telephone #: 0490499528. The address: Le don Camillo, 7 Avenue de Stalingrad, 13200 Arles. don.camillo-arles@orange.fr.

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

Versailles booking online - when booking online, you need to create an account - add your address and country. The drop down menu for country does not list USA, so I do not think Americans can book tickets on line.

Mary Van Vooren in Victorville, CA USA 08/20/2009

We found ourselves in Caen with no recommended restaurants listed in the guidebook!We took a chance and tried Le Crep'uscle. It was a little creperie with delicious crepes, galettes, omelettes,and salads for a reasonable price. It is one of the few places open on Sunday nights in Caen. The address is 60, boulevard des Allies.

Lynn Krzyzaniak in Birch Run, MI USA 08/13/2009

Bus from Pontorson will stop at Hotel Vert if you ask the driver (stop is called Beauvoir-Caserne). Have exact change for the Blois excursion bus to the chateaux. Even though they only take cash, they don’t have a lot of change available. The website for the Blois excursion bus schedule is www.TLCinfo.net; click on Ligne 18 or navette chateaux. I was in St. Jean de Luz for their big annual festival (Donibaneko Bestak)—very fun! I found CIC ATMs would give me small bills, either 10s and 20s or just 10s, which were much handier than 50s or 100s. Beware when buying a train ticket from Collioure to Barcelona! I had a layover in Toulouse, so I went ahead and bought a ticket from Collioure to Barcelona for several days in the future. The ticket was over 40 euros and required me taking a very early morning train to Narbonne. When I got to Collioure, the lady in the train station looked at my tickets, basically said I’d been sold the wrong ones, and re-issued tickets for 13 euros that left at a reasonable hour (and gave me a refund). Collioure’s train station doesn’t have any WCs, so don’t arrive too early!

Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 08/11/2009

Self-catering in Dijon, France has much to offer, especially if you stay at "My Home in Dijon." Run by a friendly and generous local woman named Coco, "My Home in Dijon" is wonderfully situated smack-dab in Dijon's historic core, and it's the perfect antidote those holidaymakers who have always balked at`self-catering apartments. Coco's pad is very pretty, featuring all the modern conveniences and, perhaps best of all, provides great value for money. The daily rate is quite reasonable (115 Euros), and Coco provides the lodger with an assortment of breakfast items, some of which include eggs, baguette, ham, coffe, cake, and fruit. A nice touch, indeed. Moreover, Coco provides both pick-up and drop-off at the nearby Dijon train station.

True, the city of Dijon is not featured in Rick Steves' France guidfebnook, but it is a place with much on offer, including fine dining and a tour-worthy historic core. In addition, along with Beaune, Dijon makes for a fine base from which to explore the masny pleasures of rural Burgundy, such as Vezelay and Fontenay Abbey.

Do make a point to look into My Home in Dijon.

David Dillon in Westford, MA USA 08/08/2009

We spent a month in France, Italy, and Switzerland earlier this summer. Here are a few observations: - Based on our experience, I'd switch the recommendations that you should only observe Cordes-sur-Ciel from a distance (do not enter the town) and that you should spend time inside the walls at Carcassonne. We found Cordes to be lovely and uncrowded (maybe we were lucky) while Carcassonne was - to us - over commercialized and largely ruined by 19th century romantic era "renovations". But impressive from the outside. - In late June the weather in the SW of France (Dordogne, Lot River Valley, Languedoc) was absolutely stunning and perfect and there were NO crowds. Lovely. - Definitely rent bikes and ride along the Canal du Midi. - The cave at Font de Gaume was fantastic. The tour guide was just the best and he brought the cave art to life in a way that was truly remarkable.

Bob DenOuden in Eugene, OR USA 08/05/2009

The gardens of Marqueessac near Castelnaud in the Dordogne - Lots of topiary and winding paths, but mostly it was enjoyable for it's views over the river valley and the candle-lit Thursday evenings with live music.

Randy in Mineapolis, MN USA 07/29/2009

I would like you to add the charming B&B, Logis les Remparts, in Bayeux, which I found through recommendations from other users on this website. We absolutely loved it! The price was very reasonable (70 euro/night, includes breakfast), the accommodations were beautiful, and our hosts, Christele and Francois LeCornu, were simply charming. I highly recommend adding this B&B to your guidebook (another couple of Rick Steves fans were there at the same time as us). Contact info: Christèle et François LECORNU - 4, rue Bourbesneur 14400 Bayeux - Normandie - France Phone : (+33) 2 31 92 50 40 - Fax : (+33) 2 72 64 98 32 - Email: info@lecornu.fr - Internet: http://www.lecornu.fr/homeEN.html

I would also like you to add Chateau des Ormeaux near Amboise, which I also found through other users on this website. The trio of owners - Eric, Emmanuel, and Dominique - are so helpful and friendly, we truly felt like family and not just "hotel guests". The chateau is a 19th century chateau that they have lovingly restored after it was vacant for more than 30 years, and their attention to detail in the restoration is just incredible. Our room (the Chambre Rameau) was beautiful and we had a HUGE bathroom. The cost was 130 euro/night (includes breakfast), which is in-line with your other chateau recommendations and was absolutely worth every euro. As an added bonus, their friendly golden retriever, Vic, is an excellent tour guide for the estate - he took us on a lovely, long walk around their vineyard. Contact info: Chateau des Ormeaux - Route de Noizay - D1 - Nazelles - 37530 Amboise (France) - Phone: +33 2 47 23 26 51 - Fax: +33 2 47 23 19 31 - Email: contact@chateaudesormeaux.fr - Website: http://www.chateaudesormeaux.fr/promo_en.php

Lastly, we found La Trattoria at 2, rue Jean Jacques Rousseau in Amboise and were just delighted. The pizzas and salads are delicious and cheap, and they had no problem accommodating my daughter who's a vegetarian. The two of us shared a pizza plus 2 salads and a half-pitcher of wine for about 20 euros -- great meal for a great price!

Colleen Earls in Vancouver, WA USA 07/29/2009

Comme j'adore la France!

Web in edmonds, wa USA 07/24/2009

I would like to recommend that you include Catherine D'Antuono's private guided tours of the Luberon. She picked me up at my B & B in Aix and spent 12 hours showing me the finest the Luberon has to offer. She majored in art history and history and is very knowledgeable about the history of the area.

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

If you are traveling with a car, the best canoe company on the Dordogne River is Canoes Roquegeoffre, Port D'Enveaux 24220 St. Vincent de Cosse (05 53 29 54 20). Their base is near St Vincent de Cosse, on the river just down from Chateau Les Milandes. They offer 28 km and 14 km voyages. The longer voyage starts at Carsac. The shorter one starts below Cenac/Domme and before La Roque Gageac. This is a friendly, family run operation. The best part is that they transport you and the canoes to the starting points, you get to see the best sites on the river, and the pull out/destination point is where your car is parked. Thus, no worries about meeting a particular deadline (other than their 6:00 pm closing time) or waiting to be picked up to be taken back to your car.

Lynn Bird in Boulder, CO USA 07/12/2009

The Pyrenees Mountains aren't even mentioned in the book, nor are nearby cities like Pau and Lourdes (the famous pilgrimage site). Except for the chateau and one of the churches, Lourdes didn't do much for me, but Pau and adjoining Lescar are quite nice cities that aren't overrun with tourists. The 11,000-foot Pyrenees Mountains are spectacular, with ski areas, glaciers, snow-capped craggy peaks, lush forests, a large national park, and rushing streams. The highest waterfall in France (1400 feet) plunges in a torrent straight down the wall of a glacial cirque in terrain that's a cross between Glacier and Yosemite national parks. Charming mountain towns like Gavarnie, Luz-St-Sauveur, and Laruns offer offer plenty of lodging places and restaurants. The rest of your guide is great, but you guys have ignored an entire area of France. With the exception of the Alps, it's by far the most spectacular part of the country. We spent almost a month in southwest France, mostly in the Pyrenees.

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

Beware: At the Tabac de la Sorbonne located on the Place de la Sorbonne, "une grande biere" (a large beer) will cost you about 18 euros. I speak French and we found out the hard way. I do think the waiter was aware of our misconception and took advantage of it. Bill for a small lunch of two beers and two croque madames came to about $50.00 that day.

Jennifer Stanley in Tracy, CA USA 07/09/2009

At Hotel Leveque,we loved the cute elevator and lovely room for 3 on the 4th floor.Rue cler is a joy. Bus 69 made sightseeing so easy with the pass.We prefered the bus to the Metro. Thank you ! Your books are like getting tips from a dear friend who knows just what we like.

Barbara Barnett in Fort Worth, TX USA 06/27/2009

Note to all who wish to visit Chateau Chambord in the Loire. Yes, the parking fee is separate from the Chateau admission, but "head's up"!! Please note on your parking stub--the parking fee is credited back to you if you purchase admission to the chateau. The catch is you MUST present this stub at the time of purchase to get the credit. Luckily we read the stub when we parked and took it in with us; there were people in line who had not done so & were not given the credit; the person at the window was kind enough to ask at time of purchase, but if you didn't have the stub, no credit.

Laura & Dave in Clayton, CA USA 06/26/2009

During my June trip to Paris, I found myself in the unfortunate circumstance of being on crutches. Pre-trip I searched high and low for good guide books that would provide even scant information on accessibility for those with disabilities, and found very little information. People with physical challenges want to travel too, and Paris is so worth the extra planning that goes into a trip if you have mobility challenges. We took your Paris travel book to Paris with us, and the information you provided was wonderful, from here on out we'll use your books for our travel. Here are a few handicap accessibility travel tips I picked up that you may want to consider adding to your books, I know people like me would really appreciate it. 1) Buses vs. Metro: If stairs are a challenge for you, buses may be much easier to access than the metro. The metro has so many steps up and down and few escalators to accommodate crutches, walkers etc.. The buses generally only had one step up, easily navigable with crutches, plus we got to see more of Paris.

2) Airport: Certain airline terminals may have special security clearance stations for those with mobility challenges. We flew American Airlines out of Charles de Gaulle and were directed to a special security queue where we went right through without having to wait in the long lines.

3) Taxi Stands: I was informed by a taxi operator that those with mobility challenges are allowed to go to the front of the line to get a taxi. (Vital information if the lines are long or its rainy.)

4) Cafes/Restaurants/Bistros: Be prepared to navigate stairs (either up or down) if you need to use the restroom. I happened across ONE café in Paris that had restrooms on the same floor as the dining room, all the other places we visited had restrooms up or down and narrow, winding stairs.

Melody in Dallas, TX USA 06/23/2009

Can you please tell me why TOULOUSE is not included in your France guidebook. It is such a beautiful city. Thank you!

Daniel Kolb in Little Egg Harbor, NJ USA 06/21/2009

You *can* get to Chaumont-sur-Loire by public transportation! (Page 313 says you can't, and that's just not so.) I took the train from Amboise to Onzain (3.30 euros one-way, 10 minutes), then walked a level 25 minutes to the Chaumont chateau ticket window. (There are signs at the Onzain train station that point you in the right direction, plus you can see the chateau from the train.) It was easy! (Well, it was at least easier than getting to Burg Eltz--or even Chambord and Cheverny on the Blois excursion bus.) I had already done my biking [to Chenonceau and back], but bikes are free to take on most Loire trains, so you could also take a bike on the train, bike from the station to the ticket office, and then either bike back to the train station or continue on to Blois, Chenonceau, Amboise, etc. I figured this out on my own by looking at the map on p. 302, so I can't believe it's not mentioned as a possibility in the book. (Please consider adding it for the 2010 edition!)

Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 06/16/2009

Our favorite "discovery" from our recent France trip was the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp and European Deportation Memorial museum in the Vosgues mountains of Alsace. This attraction gets very little mention in your guidebook, but is very moving, respectful, and is well worth a visit.

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

As a great alternative to hotels twice now I have booked apartments in the central arrondisements of Paris with the New Jersey based firm called Vacation in Paris. They offer over 100 accomodations which you can view in detail on their website www.vacationinparis.com The daily rates are quoted in dollars and range from $125 a day or more. For this reasonable rate you live in the Marais or Beauborg or Mouffetarde or St Germain and live like a local with a full kitchen, often a clothes washer. Excellent for groups of more than two. You make a deposit and payment by pay pal and they mail you the key and email detailed apartment instructions before you leave. Once in Paris they have English speaking help by phone if you have any problem. This experience by passes the hotel hassle and places you squarely in a real neighborhood. They even greet you with a complimentary bottle of wine.

This may be in the guide book but the Galleries Lafayette has a free fashion show every Friday at 3pm. You have to book a reservation on the internet or by phone and arrive with email confirmation by 245pm. It's a thrill for the young women or fahionistas in your crowd. Top it off with the Tiffany dome and roof top view of Paris and then tour the Opera Garnier across the street. Food sucks in the cafeteria so skip that.

We attended 11am Sunday mass at St Eustache near Les Halles and heard the Grand Organ and Choir. Heavenly music. At noon the light breaks through the clerestory and touches your face. After mass you can walk through the Sunday market and pick up a Lebonese lunch, fresh fruit or broiled chicken. Yum!

On Ile St Louis we taste tested Berthillon ice cream and Amorino gelato. Gelato won 5-0 and we had it again across the square from the Pompadou twice! There are stores in St Germain and other locations convenient to tourists

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

We read the descriptions of scams and pick pockets and then exactly what was in the book happened. We found it to be actually quite entertaining. Had they been successful, we may have felt differently, but armed with our book, we were prepared

And people do still carry their wallets in their back pockets.

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

While I am ecstatic that the guide includes the area around Puycelsi where I lived for a year 1981-82, your recommendation to avoid Cordes is wrong. Although it is touristy, it has the only examples of lay Gothic architecture and the buildings are gems, worth a visit!

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

I actually had the 08 book with me (this trip has been in the works for awhile!), but chose to stay at Hotel des Arts in Strasbourg and was pleasantly surprised to find free internet as part of the accom! It wasn't marked in the book but was a great bonus. It's a small room here, but for the price, unbeatable.

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

As an alternative to staying in Vezelay, I suggest staying in tiny St-Pere-sous Vezelay. Less "touristy" and a bit more convenient, this ancient village includes a gothic church, an archaelogical excavation of Roman baths, a small museum, and several restaurants, including one operated by reknowned French chef, Marc Meneau (reservation and deep pockets needed). In addition to several other possible accomodations, there is a bed and breakfast, Val en Sel, at 1 chemin de la Fontaine, 011 33 3 86 33 26 95. The website is valensel.vezelay.free.fr/ and email is valensel@me.com. The owner speaks English and is a warm, welcoming hostess with lots of travel suggestions and maps to share. Breakfast was continental style. The building is hundreds of years old and is primarily decorated in antiques. Parking is free.

Anita in Philadelphia, PA USA 05/18/2009

n Reim, France, we found a terrific bed and breakfast owned by Laudine Larcher. She has two rooms to rent, both with private bathrooms. Our room was larger than a typical European hotel rooms with comfortable, pretty furniture and decorations. The bathroom included both a shower stall and and tub with shower. Everything was clean and perfectly maintained. Madame Larcher served a lovely continental style breakfast. She speaks English and she offered maps, travel suggestions, etc. Free parking was available on the street outside her home. Located at 11 rue Ponsardin, this is only a few blocks from the cathedral. Phone is 011 33 3 26 47 32 50, and email is dllarcher@yahoo.fr. At only 55 euros for two people, this place is a bargain.

Anita in Philadelphia, PA USA 05/18/2009

Gites in France: My family and I recently stayed a week at a holiday gites on a working farm in Provence near Arles. We stayed in a really nice apartment at the Domaine de Laforest located in the countryside outside of Fontvieille. The owner of the gites was a really nice French lady named Sylvie who spoke excellent English which was really good since our French is not so good. The apartment had two bedrooms, as well as, a kitchen to cook up some of the local foods and enjoy the local wines. The location was excellent with Arles, Les Baux, St Remy, Pont du Gard, and other places easily being accessible from there. We even made a 2 ½ hour drive to Nice for a day trip from there. We booked it using a credit card from the www.gites-de-france.com website although you may be able to book it directly through their own website (www.domaine-laforest.com). Final cleaning and linen rentals were extra but nothing ridiculous in cost. We enjoyed our stay at Domaine de Laforest and would definitely stay there again.

Ben in Somewhere in Europe, AE USA 05/15/2009

I captured a woman standing in front of Victor Hugo's house reading your Paris book!

Kathy Wilson in Indialantic, FL USA 05/08/2009

ALWAYS be open to meeting people- even if they seem strange at first! I met my best friend in the world on the funicular in Lyon. At first she seemed 'loud and American' but she is an amazing person and I can't believe that we were once random strangers traveling through France :)

Rebekah in Toronto, ON Canada 05/05/2009

All your recommendations of hotels, sights were spot on! We were a group of 5 women who saw Paris, then flew to Toulouse (daughter in school there), then rented a car taking in Albi, Carcasonne, Avignon (base) and numerous hill towns, ending in Aix en Provence.

Meg in Chicago, IL USA 04/27/2009

La Jacotiere outside Mont St. Michel. The restaurants were all as good as advertised.

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

Hi, I'd really like to see the guidebook offer just a bit more information for the sleeper train to Rome. While i did want to go 1st class, as you suggest, you just can't do this with a family of 4 (unless you are incredibly wealthy). Please let you readers know that 2nd class is typically noisy, cold and far from the dining car. WE had a rather old couchette from Paris and a much newer one on the way back. Bringing a picnic for dinner and breakfast was completely NECESSARY. Earplugs are also a must. For the old couchette, a blue light stayed on all night and kept my kids up. WE bought tape and paper for it on the way back, but it turned out in now had a more complex switch that let us shut it off. i think a few more sentences on this important rail link in the France/Paris books would be really helpful.

Elizabeth Scala in Austin, TX USA 04/26/2009

Beaune - Le P'tit Paradis is a small but very good restaurant in the town center (25 rue Paradis). Reservations recommended. I hesitate to share the next two for fear of spoiling them, but they are wonderful (designate a driver or take a taxi): Aloxe Corton - Comte Senard has a Table' d Hote - they do an excellent wine lunch of either 4, 6, or 8 wines with traditional Coq a'vin and potatoes dauphinoise. They do a great job of educating you on the region and its wines. http://www.domainesenard.com/english/premiere.html Puligny-Montrachet - La Table d'Oliver Leflaive does an excellent 13-14 wine lunch with a great chicken dish. http://www.olivier-leflaive.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=5

Amy in Houston, TX USA 03/04/2009

Reims, France. Spot on with your recommendations with the GH Martel Champagne House. Missed the tour for lack of reservation but the friendly front desk attendant still gave us two complimentary glasses of "Champers". As such we bought a couple of bottles of the cuvee "Romance" Brut Champagne in its unusual "Eiffelesque" bottle at the reasonable price of 16euro/bottle. Would have bought more if had the room in our cases. It was a real treat when consumed at Christmas.

The receptionist also recommended a great little family owned restaurant, just around the corner. Really good value and highly recommended: Au Plat du Jour 217 rue du Barbatre, 51100 Reims ph 03-26-85-27-60 (just around the corner from the Martel cave)

Evan Evans in Hobart, Ta Australia 12/31/2008

1) We visited one restaurant in Bayeux we thought was good, La Taverne des Ducs. Our food was good (Norman cuisine with what felt like a Bavarian twist) and the waitstaff was helpful. (2) If taking the train to London from Gare du Nord, it is helpful to know that the Eurostar check-in areas are actually upstairs via elevator. The book notes to get to the station early to navigate, but just knowing Eurostar is not on the ground level would useful upfront.

Dave Matsumoto in Tacoma, WA USA 12/17/2008

Wine tasting outside Beaune (p.647-France2008) or getting around (page 655)... I took a train from Beaune to Meursault and tasted at Chateau Meaursault (www.chateau-meursault.com) ... well organized with good wines,price,souvenir glass ... great walk from train station to Chateau, great walk into village, nice lunch, a wonderful way to spend the day without buses or a bike.

Ashok Chawla in St. Louis, MO USA 11/16/2008

If you like to stay in the countryside, the B&B "Mas del Sol" between Bonnieux and Lacoste in the Luberon is fantastic. It has gorgeous rooms with fabulous views (try the Lavender room). The breakfast is delicious. www.mas-del-sol.com

Pam Boyd in Bedford, TX USA 11/08/2008

10/16-18/08 We heartily recommend Hotel l'Oustalet in Chamonix. This charming - spotlessly maintained - little hotel is located one block from the Mt. Blanc cable car and has a wonderful breakfast buffet (separate charge, but worth it) and a tea room. The owners and staff were extremely helpful and very friendly. Room #1 is a two-bedroom suite, perfect for a family. One room has bunk beds (with a small balconey) and the master bedroom has a king-sized bed with a balconey with a view of Mt. Blanc. There is an in-ground pool and an ample parking lot. Everything in Chamonix is within walking distance from the hotel. We paid 110 euros per night. They are closed in November.

Bob and Eleanor Strietman in Centreville, MD USA 10/26/2008

If the weather is poor, even in Paris, there are usually much better accomodations than the ones you thought you could afford. Prices are negotiable sometimes. I like the idea of just having your first night booked in the large cities, I found it difficult to get hotels to shorten our stays.

Andrea in Minneapolis, MN USA 10/26/2008

In Paris hot chocolate at Angelina's. The thickest most unusual most delicious we've had anywhere. 226 Rue de Rivoli across from Tuileries metro stop.

Jo and Walter in Hudson, Fl USA 10/13/2008

We would like to recommend a Gite near Orange in Provence. It was centrally located to visit most of the towns in Provence. The couple who runs it John and Jouelle were very warm and welcoming. They have several apartments, with fully equipped kitchens, dishwasher, micro, large fridge and beautiful dishes. John is fluent in English and knows the area well, he even took us to a friend's winery for wine tasting and Jouelle who only speaks French is very warm and gracious. Their website is: www.mas-mellou.com tel (33)(0)4.90.11.07.63 ---we only paid 50 euros a night in September. They should definitely be included in your next book

Luba Marmorstein in Van Nuys , CA USA 10/05/2008

Small towns south of the Loire Valley region: Angles Sur L'Anglin, Chauvigny; Versailles was disappointing, but Chenonceau worth the long wait in line (maybe the new Visitor's Center will make it better next summer...); Paris is a FABULOUS city for children. Many people here in the U.S. thought we were crazy to take our 4 kids there (ages 4 - 14). They couldn't have been more wrong. There are playgrounds everywhere, amazing food for every palate, museums for all ages and interests (doll musuem, architecture musuem, catacombs), "cool" famous monuments, and the added bonus that when you travel with kids, it's so much easier to meet new people, French and foreign tourists alike.

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

Dordogne,sleeping near Castelnaud. Le Lys de Castelnaud. Natalie, lysdecastelnaud@aol.com 0553282027 Extraordinary, great hosts, great value!

T Jarrett in Kelowna, BC Canada 10/02/2008

Gargantua Restaurant in Chinon (there is a Hotel as well, but did not stay there) The Restaurant is run by husband (spoke English) and his wife does most of the cooking. One of the best meals during our trip to France. We were told that many of the locals love this place for a nice meal (and not overpriced). Pension Bellas Artes in San Sebastian, Spain - Leire (the owner) attended to every detail to make this little hotel a great value.

M. A. Calcaterra in St. Louis, MO USA 09/27/2008

We just got back from Provence & the Riviera and wanted to let Rick know that in Nice you can take bus #82 that goes directly to Eze-le-Village instead of having to go to Eze-bord-de-la-Mer and take a shuttle up to the village. It takes about 30 minutes, cost 1 euro.

Ardel Payne in Santa Clara, CA USA 09/27/2008

I would like to recommend you add (or at least visit on your next trip) John and Judith Stevenson's B&B in Granes, France. My husband and I spent three nights with this British couple on our recent unguided horseback riding adventure in France. The entire trip was amazing- a true testament to the French hospitality. Having traveled throughout Europe, I have never experienced such a warm welcome as we did on this trip. That said Judith and John were exceptional. The rooms are not fancy, but we felt instantly at home here. Judith cooked dinner for us each night we were there with fresh vegetables from her garden in town. Even after a week in Paris, I would rather eat Judith's home cooked meals. I should also mention that I am a vegan and my husband is not- she made meals that fit both of us perfectly. Instead of eating with us as is common in some gites or B&Bs, Judith and her husband joined us for drinks, sharing their knowledge of the area, but at dinner they left us to dine just the two of us. It was the most romantic dining experience. Then after dinner John played for us a piece of music a previous traveler had composed about his experience in Granes that truly echoed the peace and tranquility. We plan to go back to this small corner of the world, because it truly was the best vacation we've ever had thanks in part to the owner of the stables and in large part to Judith and John. Their website is www.southoffrancebreaks.com. Please visit, you won't regret it. If you have any questions, please email me at sdpucillo@aol.com.

Thank you! Sarah Pucillo Tormey

Sarah Tormey in Brooklyn, NY USA 09/15/2008

My daughters LOVED this wolf sanctuary found in Michelin guide: Les Loups de Chabrieres, Parc Animalier des Monts de Geuret. I was planning to take them to Oradour near Limoges but they chose this instead & it was an excellent pick. We stayed for hours, until feeding time.

Jardin de Marquessayac, between Beynac and Roque Gageac on Dordogne River; great hike, view, beautiful gardens.

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

Near the Cluny Sorbonne, within a couple of "blocks", there were several little art cinemas. We went to The Filmo, on a little alley off the Place du Sorbonne. It was a fun parisian non touristy experience. It was delightful to see the people waiting in line to enter the theatre leaning against the wall reading books! The theatre is tiny, with two movies showing, one in the Blue room, one in the Red. The ticket sellers are nice, happy to give senior discounts, and the seats are comfy. No food sold, no previews, no ads! Just go in, sit, and the movie starts just about on time. A second addition might be, and sorry, I don't have actual names or addresses, but along St. Germain and St. Michel there are some small take out sandwich places which are more reasonably prices than the cafes. The Monoprix store also has a small grocery section with prepackaged baked goods, salads etc. if someone is looking for a better deal. The cafes charge 19% higher for the food if you are sitting down! We found the cafes quite expensive and the food wasn't very special. (although the atmosphere was good).

Ildi Varga in Vancouver, BC Canada 08/25/2008

If you buy a round trip ticket from Paris to Versailles on the RER, be SURE to keep your RER ticket. You have to pass it through the machine at both the entrance and exit. ALSO, the SAME ticket is your return ticket.

Keep your metro tickets also until you exit. Occassionally someone asks for your ticket before the exit. There is a fine if you don't have it.

Thomas Strayhorn in Snyder, TX USA 08/14/2008

Most places would allow you to share food which was good since the prices were so high. Also important to watch were you walked so as not to step on doggie merde!

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

Nimes: Look at A la Table de Clair as a restaurant addition... Place des Esclafidous, (04 66 67 55 61)just around the corner from New Hotel La Baume. Excellent dinner and lunch, eclectic decor excellent staff.

ALso, consider including more (or anything) on Toulouse. Had a wonderful four-day stay there, used it as a home base to go to Albi and Carcasonne (hour by train, numerous connections). Found the city to be very accessible, lots of energy thanks to the universities and Airbus. Stayed at Hotel Castellane -- typical French hotel rooms, but with great staff and an owner who's happy to have some English-speakers to brush up his skills. Found a number of good restaurants and a nice place to wander.

Ken Gooderham in Fort Myers, FL USA 08/07/2008

We had a great experience at a restaurant which is not listed in the Azay le Rideau section of the France guidebook. We looked at the recommended restaurant but the menu offered very few vegetarian entrees and the place was completely empty - not a great sign for a busy town in July. We kept walking just a bit further and found La Crêperie du Roy at 24, rue Nationale. Although all the family tables were already reserved, the proprietor and server rearranged two smaller tables to accomodate us. The menu had a wide variety of galettes (the buckwheat crepes) and sweet crepes to satisfy all our tastes. Service was fast and friendly, and the food was freshly made. As a bonus the prices were reasonable and they put up with our rough French with good humour - neither one to be taken for granted in the Loire! If you have a chance please check them out.

Sailen Black in Vancouver, BC Canada 07/31/2008

Many French unmanned credit card machines (for instance, at gas pumps) are now only taking credit cards with "smart chips"--European credit cards have these, but US ones don't. So we found ourselves low on gas in rural France one Sunday, trying gas station after gas station that was closed (no live people there) but that had the "pay at the pump" feature, only to find they wouldn't take our credit card. So fill up when you see a manned gas station! Similarly, we couldn't use the RER ticket machines at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Christy in Seattle, WA USA 07/23/2008

My husband and I survived the French train strike of 2008!!!! Tip-carry lots of coins, as on some days the trains run, but all ticket ofices are closed. If you have coins, you can buy your ticket from the vending machines.

Sheila in Albuquerque, NM USA 07/14/2008

One of my favorite restaurants

L’Assiette Champenoise * * * * 40, Avenue Paul-Vaillant-Couturier 51430 - Tinqueux - Champagne - France

MaryEllen Brenneis in Fremont, CA USA 07/14/2008

My family are huge fans of Rick Steves and big believers in following the accommodations recommendations in Rick's Guidebooks and have never been steered wrong. However on a recent trip to Normandy France we did not follow Rick's recommendations but rather selected a B&B that received glowing recommendations on Tripadvisor.com. The name of the B&B is Le Manoir de Herouville which is located about 20KM from Bayeau in the beautiful Normandie countryside. There were six of us in our family group and although our stay was two days we wished we could have stayed for a week! It was exactly as described on their website - charming, spotless, warm, cozy, welcoming, great hosts, wonderful food, tremendous location and it is even prettier than the pictures on their website.

I highly recommend that Rick and/or his staff review the Le Manoir de Herouville and decide for themselves if this establishment is worthy to be added to the list of recommended accommodations.

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

The Amercian World War 1 battle in Chateau Thierry,battle of Belaux Woods, France should be mentioned in the France book. You have Verdun. My father was wounded there in July, 1918. It is near the Champagne road. We visited there in 2003. It was very touching and there is a great monument with France and US holding hands, stating friends forever. Although I was born in 1935, my father never fully recovered from his wounds and died in 1945. You can see how the Americans had to fight their way uphill just as in Normandy. I believe recognition should be given to th where the Americans fought for france in the 1st World War. Thank you, Ellen Martin antalmartin@comcast.net. It was while using your France 2000 book going to Reims that I noticed the Chateau Thierry train stop. I swore that if I ever returned to France again that I would go to Chateau Thierry to honor my father and all his companions. In 2003, I did.

Ellen Martin in Southampton, PA USA 06/30/2008

Yes! If you are going from Beaune to Lyon, stop in Ozenay (off the exit for Tournus) and stay at Chateau de Messey (www.demessey.com). I hesitate to recommend as the place was so wonderful, I don't want crowds. The chateau is a working winery with cottages and a few guestrooms in the chateau. Family run, friendly and reasonably priced. We had breakfast outside looking over a brook with rolling hills in the background. Wine everywhere! Huge breakfast so you don't need to spend much money on lunch. If you stay there, make sure to have dinner at a small and charming restaurant in Ozenay called Le Relais d'Ozenay. Excellent food and not expensive. The chateau is perfectly located for doing the Brancion and Cluny tour.

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

Hotel Astoria, Carcassonne My sister and I stayed in this hotel on our trip through Languedoc last month. (We stayed in the "annex", across the street from the main building and office.) Your review was right-on. This was a pleasant and inexpensive hotel. However, we realized the beds were uncomfortably soft (a common problem with inexpensive hotel rooms, I have found). I remarked to my sister that a good bed-board would fix the problem. She noticed that there were some removable plywood shelves in the little closet area, so we pulled them out and put them on the slats under the mattresses. Worked like a charm! Wouldn't it be great if all hotel rooms had removable closet shelves just the right size for bed-boards? We put the shelves back in the closet before the maid came to clean the next morning. We thought the management might not approve of our little fix.

Susan Hauser in Rochester, NY USA 06/11/2008

Commarque, near Les Eyzies and Sarlat If you're in the area, this magical medieval site is a must. Even the parking lot is secluded, and once you're in the lot it's a long walk through woods straight out of a fairy tale. Then suddenly there's a clearing, and the partially ruined castle is before you. When we arrived, there were a total of 3 people on site: a friendly teenager selling admissions, and us! (A few more visitors did arrive while we were there.)

More than anywhere else we've been, this site evokes the Middle Ages. You're free to climb through it at will. Also in the site are troglodyte dwellings, which are millenia older. After your visit, there's the same long walk back to your car, and unfortunately this time it's uphill; but you'll be so mesmerized by the experience that you'll hardly notice. One final note: it's family owned, and the owners have ambitious plans that may rob it of some of its charm. You need to see it before that happens.

Bob and Suzanne in Wilder, KY USA 06/11/2008

L'Atre Fleuri - Balleroy FR - very comfortable and welcoming country house. We were especially impressed with their knowledge of the area which made our stay perfect from restaurants to local sights as well as day trips... their advice couldn't have been better. The accommodations were comfortable and breakfast was as promised - excellent. Contact: The Stephenson Family; L'Atre Fleuri - 011-33-231 51 03 20 www.nighty-night.net

The Smith's in Montrose, PA USA 06/09/2008

Paris Museum Pass is the only way to go! Avoid the lines and get the quick "pass through." At Versailles, even arriving before it opened, there was a line. However, showing the pass to the security person resulted in a personal escort to the shortest line.

Bob in Norem, AZ USA 06/05/2008

We recently spent time in the Dordogne area of France. We selected a B&B near Salignac which is a short drive from Sarlat. There is a wonderful restaurant out in the countryside in Salignac, La Meynardi that is well worth finding. Our meals were five courses, Perigourd specialties, that were in the 65 euro range( for two ) which is impressive for this quality food. It may be mentioned in Michelin Guide.

Susan Jennings in Atlanta, Ga USA 05/31/2008

Chenonceaux- Hotel Roseraie Laurant and Sophie really do an amazing job of making each guest feel special. The property is special due to its history and proximity to the chateau. The restaurant is wonderful and one of the best cuisine in town. They served the best breakfast in their cheery breakfast room. We wish we had stayed more than 2 nights. This was without a doubt the best value, best service of the three weeks. These two warm, wonderful, and hardworking people deserve to be booked solid every night. Laurant even had Internet service available. By the way, Laurant speaks multiple languages. Free parking.

Hotel Rigourdaine, Brittany. You are absolutely right in recommending this location if you have a car. We stayed two days and found the hotel comfortable, the owners very caring, fair, and professional. The breakfast was good and made it easy to get ready for a day of rocky cliffs. The owner used nothing but first quality materials to restore a historic farmhouse and barn. Free parking, Free Internet.

Chinon Best Western – hard to find and no elevator. The location on the plaza is charming and easy to find a good meal. Parking is around the back.

Du Casino, Omaha Beach – These folks were not friendly and not easy to deal with. Breakfast was not memorable. The view of Omaha beach is dramatic but their lack of hospitality and high price tag would make us think twice about staying there again.

Hotel du Dauphin, Honfleur – Travelers should be aware that the parking is quite far from the hotel and not free. Also that there is no lift. We found these people to be misleading and a bit low integrity in their dealings. For instance, we emailed two days ahead to let them know that we would have 2 travelers rather than 3. When we arrived I confirmed that he had received our email. We had originally confirmed three normal beds, and now would need only two. The nightly rate should have been adjusted. When we went to check out they said that since we had a king size bed (not requested) that it would be the same cost. The room they gave us was also on the 3rd floor, no lift, right on the street with much street noise in the evening and then again in the am when the garbage trucks came. Even though both sides had all the documentation, and we would have settled for two mornings of free breakfast, they did not comply. We would recommend that travelers avoid this one.

Versailles- Hotel d’angleterre – You should clarify the parking situation. There is no free parking by the hotel. The parking and the Versailles Palace has no charge if you get into the lot after 7pm and leave before 8am.

Paris- Our son brought us to a great restaurant that one would not recognize from the street. The onion soup, beef burgundy, fish, steak, and desserts were all fantastic and a very reasonable price. We went back twice. L’Imperial, 240 Rue de Rivoli, 75001.

Thank you for your research and your books. We hope you will reward the owners of Hotel Roseraie and Hotel Rigourdaine for their fine service and value.

CAthy graves in galena, il USA 05/25/2008

The Air and Space Museum.--Paris Le Bourget Airport. Lots of Airplanes including 2 Concordes and some rockets. Lots of visual airplane history. Early aviation and WWII aircraft. We totally enjoyed it. Takes a bit more effort to get there: Take the Metro to GARE Nord and then switch to Bus 350 . That is also the cheapest way if you are using an orange card.

Phyllis Smith in Minneapolis, MN USA 05/20/2008

Battlebus Tours. The guides are very knowledgable (and funny). The tours are small (6-8 people) and go where the big bus tours only dream about. To stand at Brecourt Manor and look at the field where Dick Winters and the men of Easy Company took out the four German guns pounding Utah beach was a once in life time experience that I will never forget.

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

In Bayeux - along the canal there is a nice walking path - it goes along houses/apartments, - nice path with trees along the canal/river. Very pleasant and safe walk.

travelfan in Washington, DC USA 05/10/2008

We hired a guide to take us around Avignon and the hill towns. This added so much to our trip. We were able to relax and enjoy what we saw without worrying about logistics. She helped us find good restaurants, recommended stores, and even let us know which were the best markets to go to. We went to places not mentioned in guidebooks, we felt that we got the most out of our trip. Her name and website:Laurence Minard-Amalou http://www.provence-exclusive.com/ She also helped us with translations. We have always wanted to go to the Pope's Palace in Avignon, and we really felt that we got the most out of it with Laurence

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

In Sarlat France: free wifi with a tea or coffee purchase at very central 5 Place de la Liberte, a place called TCompany. Better deal than recommendation in the 2008 France book.

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

Restaurant La Buissoniere, in Caracassonne, had the best cassoulet we're ever tasted anywhere. Recommended by Nicole at Chambres le Grand Puits. Open only for lunch.

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

Try this B&B near Brest:

Domaine de Moulin Mer 34 route de Moulin Mer 29460 Logonna-Daoulas France www.domaine-moulin-mer.com

Kevin in Limercik, Ireland 04/23/2008

Dune de Pyla, Cote D'Argent, France. We were staying in St. Emilion, and drove an hour with no problem to this amazing naturally occurring sand dune, which must have been 20 stories tall. We climbed to the top, and the views were magnificent. My husband ran down for fun; I chose the steps. It was a fascinating sight to see and a fun day trip.

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

Your guidebooks and TV series really do help out when visiting France. They don't make it easy for people who don't speak flawless French, and we were well bolstered by your information when things started getting weird - which they did!

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

We took the Chunnel from St. Pancras London to Paris. We checked our bags in the left-luggage in Gare du Nord: that worked out well. But be careful with the computerized screen which tells you which locker you paid for..I lost 10 euros in the machine and had to do it a second time to lock the proper locker.

Our favorite non-guidebook sight in Paris (our second trip) was visiting the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette in Picpus Cemetery at 35, Rue Picpus (we took the metro to Nation and walked). (We stopped at a little grocery store to pick up some pre-made sandwiches and drinks and picnicked at the park at Nation. This was a necessity since the dollar has dropped, I don't feel like spending $40 for lunch. )

My son is an American history buff. However strangely the Picpus Cemetery was almost like visiting a holocaust sight. It was originally the field in which 1300 victims of the French Terror were buried. It was then converted to a private cemetery for nobility. It is only open on Saturday from 2-4 pm. You have to talk to the caretaker to unlock the gate. He told us to let Americans know that they need help caring for the grave. There is an old chapel, built by the Marquis, which holds a celebrated statue of Mary, apparently famous in the Catholic world, St. Marie-de-Paix, which was named as the icon for peace during WWI. Picpus was a quiet retreat after a tiring pounding visit to the Louvre, and Disney-like lines at Notre Dame cathedral. I suppose it would be appreciated by American and French history buffs.

Once we were done with Bayeux, we wanted to get to Mont St. Michel. We had used only public transportation up til then but it was either rent a car or hire a car. We hired a car and guide from Normandy Sightseeing Tours which I found from the link on the Churchill hotel website. Our guide was David , and he was very good. He picked us up at the Hotel Churchill(we were able to keep our bags in the trunk), brought us to Mont St. Michel, then we had lunch in Cancale (by the sea)(Brittany), French oyster capital, for oysters, crepes, and cidre, then he drove us to the train station in Rennes to take the train to Tours.

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

Imagine Tours provides us with a wonderful way of seeing the historic sites near Avignon. They took us to to see the well known sites but also little known Roman bridges scattered around the countryside. David, who was our tour guide, is originaly from Texas so speaks English perfectly as well as Fench and several other languages. He always knew where to get the best photo. The first day we went to the Roman theatre at Orange, the Roman sites at Vaison la Romaine and we also explored the medieval village there. The on to other Roman bridges and Crestet for photos, and still time left to explore Gordes, and Rousillon. On the way back we passed by Bonnieux and the Castle of the Marquis de Sade. The second day David led us around the Pont du Gard for great photos, followed by short stops at Tarascon and Beaucaire for pics of the castles there. Then on to Glanum and Les Baux de Provence. The third day of our tours we explored Aigues Mortes and the Roman sites at Nimes. Imagine Tours took us where we wanted to go and gave us the time to explore sites we wanted to. Our itinerary could have been done much faster, in 2 days had we not wanted to explore the places we visited on foot and get a feel of what the place was like. I am a mother who took 2 teens to explore the Roman and medieval sites of southern France. They were enthralled, loved every minute of it, and want to return.

Elizabeth in Sable River, NS Canada 03/31/2008

My teen son, friend, and I had a wonderful time exploring the walls and towers of Aigues Mortes. There are even medieval toilets built into the walls which I had read about but never seen. The medieval fortifications and perched villages of southern France are great placs for teens who love historical and medieval X-Box or computer games, to explore. They are thrilled by anything medieval or Roman.

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

We booked Imagine Tours to explore the Roman sites near Avignon, the Luberon perched villages, Les Baux and Aigues Mortes. We had a great time exploring the area. Loved especially Vaison la Romaine, Aigues Mortes, and before we arrrived in Avignon, we had just the best time exploring Annot and Entrevaux , taking the Train des Pignes to get there. These are both medieval villages. Entrevaux has a castle perched at the top of numerous switchbacks that you hike up. Our favourite hotel was Hotel Beausejour in Annot. Myself, my teen son and a friend had a large room with 3 comfortable beds in a room that had the quaint medieval French atmosphere we were looking for. The bathroom was large and modern. Our favourite restaurant was Le Mathys Cafe in Avignon, 52 rue des Lices. We had wonderful inexpensive meals and good wine there in a quiet french ambiance. David of Imagine tours recommended the restaurant, and of all the resaurants we ate in throughout Paris and southern France, this was our favourite.

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

New discovery, Restaurant du Terrior La Ferme Saint-Michel outside of Mont St. Michel. Newly opened Restaurant and owner (Annick) knows Rick and Steve. She formerly owned/operated the Hotel Notre Dame in Bayeux. Food was outstanding and restaurant is beautiful. You should review for France 2009.

Whit in Wilkerson, NC USA 03/26/2008

We just returned from Paris and visited Musee Nissim de Camondo - and it was a hightlight for its amazing art collection, the chance to actually walk through a 20th Century home, and for the family history. Another plus - right around the corner from the museum / home is Park Monceau - an absolute delight. I think both should be added recommendations in your upcoming France / Paris book editions.

Bridget Zappa in Mendota Heights, MN USA 03/24/2008

Lourdes

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

Paris Museum Pass rocks! We didn't save any money, but we were able to see twice as many museums because we didn't waste time in line!

Helene Segura TX USA 03/11/2008

When visiting Bayeux, Hotel Tardif (www.hoteltardif.com) is a beautiful B&B located very close to the tapestry and the cathedral. When we stayed in February, they had a special for discounted subsequent nights which made it very affordable. Also the small grocery store that Rick mentions has great bottles of Bayeaux cider for just a few euros--a delightful souvenir!

Geri Foster in Wassenaar, Netherlands 03/10/2008

Paris day pass for travel from Versailles to Paris and all metro rides is 9.3 euros. Good deal if staying in Versailles (we stayed at Hotel d'Angleterre which was very good).

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

On a rainy January night in Strasbourg, we ducked into a tiny pub called Brasserie La Lanterne (5, Rue de la Lanterne, Tel: 03 88 32 10 10). It's clearly a beloved local hang-out for students and locals -- and a couple of friendly dogs as well! We were tickled to discover that, since it was a Wednesday, all of the fantastic local Alsatian beer was cheap. We even ordered one in the local style, with a shot of an orange extract in it (begins with "P" but can't remember the name). Be forewarned that this isn't a swishy place; you rub elbows with the table next to you, it's not quiet, and you order your own drinks at the bar. And the only food, as far as we could tell, was the pflaumkuchen so beloved in Alsace, brought out on huge wooden boards. But the cheerful and cozy crowds make this place special, and ee still treasure this accidental find as our fondest memory in Strasbourg.

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

Hi,

I came across a very B&B in France, it is not listed in your guides but I think it would be worth you have a look at it. It's called Domaine de Moulin Mer in Brittany.

All the best, Sam

Sam in New York, USA 02/15/2008

For France: If at all possible, the small maps on each area need to be a little more detailed. Some 'addresses' were only "Rue de Fluer", for example, a complete address would be more helpful and eleviate frustration. A MUST stay is 'La ferme de tayac', 24620 Les Eyzies de Tayac, in the Dordogne. It is run by Suzanne and Mike Lamars, with help from their son Paul. Accomodations are a renovated monastary, beautifully done, peaceful, absolutely wonderful people, we even walked to the local pub with them to watch the final game of the Rugby Cup. They provide a good breakfast and offer dinner which was fantastic! And the most adorable dog! Their website is www.fermedetayac.com, they deserve your business. Please check them out, you won't regret it! We could have spent a month there. In Nice, for a great dinner, 'Le pain quotidien'. The wonderful host is Stefano Romero, with a gorgeous waiter, Nicholas. Address is 1, Rue Saint Francois de Paule, 06300, Nice, telephone: 04-93-62-94-32.

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

L'Ermitage- Crestet France near Vaison-la-Romaine www.lermitage.net Contact@lermitage.net

Beverly Clauser in Ramona, CA USA 01/31/2008

Hi,

After several months of renovation, I have recently opened a luxurious B&B in a pretty manor on a peninsula by the sea in Brittany, France.

I think the Domaine could be of interest for your readers. I would be delighted to welcome you here or send you information about us.

You can find out more about the Domaine de Moulin Mer on our website: www.domaine-moulin-mer.com

I look forward to hearing from you, Kind regards Stéphane

Stéphane in Logonna-Daoulas, France 01/24/2008

I am surprised that the France guidebook highlights Beaune in Burgundy, but virtually ignores Dijon. Dijon is the "capital" of Burgundy and a terrific city for food, transportation (TGV to/from Paris, many local trains including several to Beaune which makes a good daytrip, and free visitor buses throughout the city). Dijon is steeped in history, has many days' worth of fascinating sights and museums, the best self-guided city tour I've ever run across, and one of the best market days anywhere. I recommend a great, moderately priced, fully-equipped apartment right across the street from the Ducal Palace in the center of town. Coco, the owner, is wonderful and the apartment can be booked through www.myhomeindijon.com.

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

Rick I like your books. My wife and I have used them on our trips to Rome and Ireland. We plan to travel to France in 2008 and were given your France 2008 book as a gift. But I was rather surprised to find no informaion on Lourdes. Do you have any available and can you put it in the book?

Gilbert Cisneros in Pico Rivera, CA USA 01/01/2008

Be sure to make a dinner reservation if you want to eat at a restaurant (as opposed to a cafe). It's considered the polite thing to do--especially in smaller restaurants, the chef/owners appreciate knowing how many they will be serving that night, and people that don't make reservations might not be told about certain specials that the chef has limited quanitites of. Since French restaurants don't expect to turn the tables over--your table is yours for the night--having a reservation also means you won't be turned away from a seemingly empty restaurant at 7:00, since the tables have all been reserved for a later time. You can ask your hotel clerk to phone for you, if you don't speak french.

Chris in Seattle, WA USA 11/17/2007

Victory Tours - France 2007, page 245 -- Roel give a great tour! My son and I had a D-Day tour with Roel/Victory Tours last month. He was very informative. When we made our reservation I asked if he could point out the specific places a particular unit passed through. He did this with a person touch, he instinctively understood, and rearranged and personalized the day. He give a very good tour.

Quentin Kenney in Germantown, TN USA 11/10/2007

Le Chat Gourmand in Avignon. My husband and I loved this place so much we ate there both nights in Avignon (and so did another German tour group we befriended). Great food. Very cozy atmosphere with kitschy cat paraphenalia (and we're dog people). Friendly, hard-working staff. Worth a visit. 84 rue de la Bonneterie.

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

I had a great trip! There was one major discovery I had on my trip to France that wasn't in the guidebook but I would suggest you may want to consider. I visited France 10/11/07-10/26/07, and got caught for a day in the French rail strikes. As a result, I had to take a bus to Pontorson that arrived at 10:30am. That day the next scheduled bus to Mont St Michel wasn't til 3:30pm, so I decided to walk it. Thankfully I bumped into a Scottish couple that pointed out that there is a wonderful little bike/hike path that leaves from Pontorson and traces the Couesnon River to Mont St Michel. It was a bit h ard to find from the road leaving Pontorson to the north, but when I did, it made for an AMAZING walk. I had the path essentially to myself, and it was great walking over dew-covered grass, with the river on one side and farmland on the other, with the Mont slowly growing in front of me as I approached! It's a 2 hour walk, but, since the sites at Mont St Michel can be seen fairly quickly, and the time between buses can be big, I think it can be a great addition to a trip.

in Cambridge, MA USA 10/29/2007

We recently returned from a trip to France (Paris, Normandy and Provence). We used your books on France and Provence extensively. All advice was worthwhile, especially the walking self tour around Notre Dame in Paris. One special tale: We scheduled a car to take us to the airport with Golden Air Luxury Transport which was listed in your France guide (Paris section). Unfortuately, they lost our reservation and we had to call a cab at the last minute. While we were en route to De Gaulle, our cell phone rang and it was someone from Golden Air apologizing for the mishap and offering to refund us the cab fare when we got back to the states. True to their word, that's just what they did. Even though we didn't get a chance to use their service, their honesty and willingness to make things right with us was very impressive. Jan and Bob Taylor, Mequon, Wisconsin

Jan McFarland in Mequon, WI USA 10/22/2007

Using the guidebook increased the enjoyment of my France experience at least 100%. Thanks as always.

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

If you have space, give some history of the old hotels, like the Hotel du Musee in Arles.

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

Amboise was our favorite destination in France. We found the people friendly, food delicious and as Rick recommends a great place to stay a few nights and use as a base for day trips. Amboise Chateau was wonderful and Da Vinci's home fascinating and well worth the price of admission. Hotel Clos D'Amboise was perfectly located and reasonably priced. We had a spacious room with a large window overlooking the garden. Another favorite discovery was the use of the website viamichelin.com prior to the trip for planning our route. I won't consider driving, even in the USA without using this website.

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

In Vieux Nice, When Acchiardo is closed Sat.and Sun you can get a very good meal at a reasonable price nearby at La Villa - 14, Rue de l'Abbaye, Tel. 04 93 55 45 62

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

Restaurant Le Cottage 78 Rue du Petit Fort 22100 Dinan

Great restaurant in the old port area - owned by the brother of one of your recommended restaurants and recommended to us by the proprietor of Le Manoir du Rigordaine (one of your suggested inns in the book)

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

Tip: Find a debit/check card with no fees. My local bank charges 3% foreign transaction fees but local credit union has no fees. Tip: Found the salads throughout France were among the best meals. Great variety and less chance of getting the unknown/mystery meat Recommendation: Stay at Saint Pierre du Mont in Normandy. Located adjacent to Pointe-du-Hoc. You can locate this and other B&Bs at www.likhom.com

Albert in Clanton, AL USA 10/02/2007

We spent a Saturday afternoon on the Ile Saint Louis and that was great. We wandered into the Galerie DDG and met Nathalie and ended up buying a painting by Jose Salvaggio and several watercolors by Isabelle Auge. My "tip" is to spend more time at less venues and really enjoy those that you visit. Leave the "check-list" mentality at home.

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

When visiting churches - take your binoculars! In large churches like Chartres it is hard to see all the details of the windows. I borrowed someone's binoculars and could get a really good look at the windows, especially those high up. It made all the difference to appreciating the images.

M. Weber in Merion, PA USA 09/05/2007

Rick, we loved all your recommendation in France. We were in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice. Following your recommended sights - perfect. We used our time wisely because of your travel book.

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

Add a paragraph about Troyes to the France guidebook - Champagne region. We are living temporarily in Leiden, Netherlands and did a week driving trip following many of Rick's recommendations (Normandy down to Mt. Saint Michel and over through the Loire Valley for chateaus, Beaune as a base for Cote D'Or). Leaving Beaune, we stopped in Troyes for lunch on our way to Reims where we stayed the night. Troyes is a wonderful place -- old half-timbered buildings and a nice walking tour mapped out by the local TI. We had a lovely relaxing late morning and lunch and we delighted we stopped.

The Champagne area doesn't have all that much to write home about but certainly a mention of Troyes -- especially if you are headed by car from Burgurdy to Reims might be worthwhile. If we hadn't had a neighbor's copy of an old BT guide tossed in the car, we might have missed a wonderful stop.

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

L'Isle Sur La Sorgue - As you walk out of the train station and get to the main street, turn right and walk along that street for a bit. There is a cute park with a church and waterwheel. It is very peaceful.

The crowds at Versailles are terrible. As a result, I highly recommend the tour, which is of the private apartments of the kings. You get 90 minutes of no crowds!

Having a car in Provence would be helpful. Relying on public transportation negatively impacted the number of towns we could visit.

Arles - The bathroom in the Arlaten Folk Museum is very good.

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

I found a really cool little bike tour company in Paris- Bike About Tours. The two owners, Christian & Paul showed me and 4 friends around the city on bikes in June, and we saw all the coolest areas. We stayed away from the touristy spots, and they gave us great recommendations on the best local hangouts. We stopped at a great local bakery for lunch as well and got a great deal! This little company would be perfect for your book.

Derrek Jones in Wellington, New Zealand 07/02/2007

Please add La Roche-Guyon! We had lunch in a town near Paris with a strange building/castle cut into the side of the hill. We ventured up and found out that the place is called La Roche-Guyon and it dates back to the end of the 12th century. It had a huge look out tower accessible by climbing 250 stairs cut through the limestone in the cliff and virtually straight up! The kids were thrilled with the adventure and while the Chateau has little remaining art work or furniture, it still gave and idea of what castle life would have been like. The buildings were later used by Rommel Marshal during WWII as his head quarters. There was one amazing nook in the building which had over 1,000 cubbies used to hold pigeons! We are stunned that this is not written up in any of the guide books and are suggesting it as an improvement to Rick Steves book.

Holly Moore in Marietta, Ga USA 06/28/2007

In our month long trip to Europe, we planned several nights in the South of France. We chose the town of Montpellier because it had good rail connections, and we found a non-smoking hotel - Hotel D'Aragon. We expected it to just be a base city to explore the region, but what a delightful find. We fell in love with Montpellier, and now include it on or list of favorite cities in Europe. It has a large town square (Place de la Comdedie)that bustles with activity, some remnants of medieval times, a pedestrianized zone and a lovely tree lined promenade. "Crepes de la Comedie" has a good menu of salads and crepe dishes, and they even place a carafe of cold water on the table. Montpellier was a delightful find.

Paul and Karen in El Sobrante, CA USA 06/24/2007

Please include Toulouse, France in your future guide books. It is an amazingly beautiful city with much to see. www.toulouse.fr and Toulouse Travel Guide-Toulouse Vacations-Virtual Tourist.com

Sincerely, Daniel Kolb

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

We had chosen Le Moulin de L'Enea near Sarlat, France for a six day stay because of its price (50 euros for a double room) and its visual appeal per this site: http://www.best-of-perigord.tm.fr/heberge/manoirs/enea/hotesuk.html. We were not in the least disappointed; in fact, the accommodations and pastoral setting more than greatly exceeded our expectations. We had an entire wing of the farmhouse to ourselves, and were lulled to sleep by a rushing stream that actually flowed right under our room (the L'Enea River.) The stone walls of the moulin kept us cool in very hot weather. The breakfasts, served in the garden, were tasty and ample. Our hosts spoke English and provided excellent tour advice for our stay in the region. Bottom line, when we finally had to leave, it was like saying good-bye to dear friends, even family. Best news of all,it is literally across the street (country lane, really) from your highly recommended (and justly so) foie gras farm Elevage du Bouysson. You would do your readers a favor by adding it to your list. It's out of the hustle and bustle and parking hassles of Sarlat, but only ten minutes away, right on the Dordogne River-castle route. Check it out.

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

The Rue Rozier in the Jewish Quarter of Paris is a great Pedestrian street with great food and shops.

Eric Sorensen USA 06/18/2007

In Sarlat, we called the Allo Philippe Taxi to take us to the caves. Philippe was a entertaining guide and even managed to get us tickets to Font de Gaume caves without prior reservation. He speaks English, and will do individual tours if you would like. He knows where to go, where to eat, and what to see. Merci Philippe

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

Hotel-Restaurant Le Cheval Rouge, 37510 Villandry 02 47 50 02 07 www.lecheval-rouge.com

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

Use the Metro in Paris...it is so user friendly!

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

We spent a wonderful week in Vaison la Romaine, exploring the Roman excavations and the Mont Ventoux. Our landlady recommended Barbara's cooking class www.cuisinedeprovence.com - we had great fun in her beautiful Provencal kitchen and learned some delicious recipes and also took a very informative guided visit to vineyards and wineries in Gigondas and Vacqueras with Olivier of www.wine-uncovered.com To be recommended!

Nuggi Muller in London, UK 06/01/2007

Imagine Tours (David) Avignon, France imagine.tours@gmail.com

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

Au Chien Qui Fume Bar Restaurant, 33 rue du Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris. Great atmosphere, beverages and the best frites in Paris. Lovely service too. Next to Les Halles on a pedestrian street.

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

Found a converted monastary right next to the cathedral in Chartres: Maison Saint-Yves. Offers free gated parking, nice views and elevator. A double with shower was 53.00 euro. Rooms were fresh, clean and basic.

Maison Saint-Yves http://www.maison-st-yves.com h1 rue St Eman tel: +33 2 37 88 37 40 fax: +33 2 37 88 37 49 hotellerie@maison-st-yves.com

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

Found a great historic abbey closer than the parking lot in Carcassonne: Notre Dame de L'Abbaye. It is just outside the Narbonne gate and offers bed and breakfast for only 17 euro/person for double with gated free parking! Basic room, but fine and nice people.

http://www.eglisecatho-aude.cef.fr/maccueil/index.html ndaa@wanadoo.fr

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

We rented an apartment in Marais for 6 nights (using vacationinparis.com) and absolutely loved having the extra space and living in a real neighborhood.

Melissa in Maryville, TN USA 05/10/2007

We took the full day Victory Tour of the D Day Beaches with Roel Klinkhamer. You had recommended it in your guidebooks. It was absolutely great! It was the highlight of our trip. Roel gives lots of information and despite conducting many tours, he is still emotional about the loss of life and the brutal fighting.

Mary Hamilton in Brownfield, TX USA 05/09/2007

Our favorite discovery was meeting Steve Smith at the Relais Medicis in Paris. Later, we with our friends, Betty and Joe Pullam, met him again on the grounds at Versailles. He was most kind and interested in our experiences. It was only later that we had an experience at the Relais Medicis would have loved to share with him. Three of us were trapped in the elevator for forty minutes. They called their repair man but he had trouble in the Paris traffic. Hopefully, you can pass this on to Steve. Overall, we were greatly impressed with the friendly and helpfull Parisians. Thanks, Frank and Linda Barry

Frank Barry in Little Rock, AR USA 05/09/2007

For get the Paris Visite! If a Carte Orange isn't the best pass for you Paris visit (doesn't fall nicely between M-Su), it looks like the Mobilis pass might be a better option: Zones 1-2 5,50 Euros per day. For Versailles: Zome 1-4 9,15 Euros.

Susan Steiner in Lake Elsinore, CA USA 05/08/2007

BEAUNE, in the Burgundy area of France held a special surprise for us as we discovered a charming Stone Lord House owned by Fabienne and Bruno, Le Clos des Saunières - www.bed-and-breakfast-beaune.com. This lovely family made us feel at home and spoke perfect English. Considerate, Fabienne, took care of our every need, prepared delicious meals, made a party with cake and sparklers for my daughters 30th birthday celebration, drove us to town, to restaurants and confirmed continuing reservations. The property is beautiful with the vines, pool and white horse. We enjoyed Cheese, bread, and sipped wine at a table in the grassy gardens with colorful flowers by our side. The rooms are very clean, decorated with antiques and modern baths in every room. We felt the price was more than reasonable at $150.00 a night for 4 people, including breakfast. An excerpt from my journal: We girls are planning our picnic dinner on the grounds of the Lord House. Afterward were invited for desert with Fabienne and her family. It is to be a celebration of Alissa's Birthday and the Anniversary of Cynthia's nine year kidney transplant. We toast to Alissa's 30th birthday and Cynthia and Fabienne's nine years of sharing life and a kidney. Their little son, Allan, plays the piano as we share tales and laughter. We are thankful to be together with those we love. Elaine Allison University Place, Washington 253 565-5665

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

Tip, instead of a GPS I brought a hand held compass which provided a quick check of our direction. It is too easy to get turned around. I wish I had thought of this when in Rome.

Ed Lien in Victoria, BC Canada 05/05/2007

This is a discovery - a gorgeous rural gite in Aude run by an expat English couple - Gilli and Mike. Gilli's an amazing cook, and they raise sheep, forage for wild foods, and have an extensive veg. garden. Mike is an avid cyclist, and they're happy to help people plan walks, cycling, or sightseeing. They've got a gite, as well as rooms in the main house. They're completely off the beaten path (with views of the Pyrenees from their paddock!) but close to Limoux, and Carcassonne. http://www.french-vacation.com. Gilli is my Aunt, in the interest of full-disclosure, and I've taken multiple people to stay there - all of whom had a gorgeous time, and all plan on returning.

Joanne Richardson in Oakdale, MN USA 05/03/2007

Le Bistro Du Port, 14 Quai de la Quarantaine, Honfleur (next to the recommended Hotel l'Absinthe) Cosy Grill, 11 rue de la Poissonnerie, Dinan

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

The afternoon tour with Bike About Tours was the most fun I had during my whole trip. I saw so much of Paris in one afternoon, and areas I never would have discovered. I loved Rue Daguerre in the 14th and the whole Pernety area, a quintessential Parisian neighborhood, much like the Rue Cler area, recommended to me by the guys at BIKE ABOUT TOURS.

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

Just returned from week-long trip to Paris and Reims. I speak enough French to get by (as well as fluent Spanish).

1) To fit in while riding Paris Metro and to head off pickpockets, I suggest that a woman wear a scarf. Almost every female has some kind of scarf, at least in cooler weather. Also, avoid speaking English, at least not loudly. The French themselves speak softly and keep a low profile, as mentioned in the book.

2) Carnets of 10 metro cards may be unavailable at smaller Metro stations that don't have attendants. I found the machine at Censier not willing to sell me more than a single ticket. Would not take bills or my credit card. Perhaps the machine was simply broken temporarily. In any event, the obvious solution is to buy the single ticket to get to a larger station, where you can buy the carnet.

3) If you miss a train from Reims to Paris, you usually can just take the next one -- but sit in unreserved seats (which will not have the ticket stubs placed overhead). We missed a morning train because we were unaware that the clocks had moved ahead an hour. Also, you can change your train ticket by machine, but NOT if you already have validated it in the yellow box. Even though I had validated ours before I was aware of the time error, we just used our old tickets for the next train and were able to stay on in our unreserved second class seats without paying any extra.

4) If you buy train tickets at Gare du Nord for a trip that is NOT same day, you must do so in the interior room. I got a special discount for staying over a Saturday night in Reims. Well, my French was good enough to find out the train pointers from the locals and train personnel.

5) We ate at both recommended restaurants in Montmartre in Paris. At the inexpensive one, L'Ete En Pente Douce, the quiche bleu was delicious -- much better than the quiche vegeterienne aux champignons. One might want to choose a covered table on the patio, as it started to rain and we had to move while we were there. At the more expensive restaurant (Chez Plumeaux?), I did not think that the service was indifferent but simply thought that the single waiter was extremely busy since he was handling both inside and outside.

6) To save money on wine, buy it at the grocery where the locals do -- not in the expensive touristy wine shops.

7) Chez Maitre Paul was a wonderful restaurant in Paris. Near Odeon metro. Try the free range chicken in cream sauce.

Mary B. White in Alexandria, VA USA 04/06/2007

My husband and I are in our twenties and could not afford to do any traveling out of the country till this year. Though I had seen Rick Steves on PBS many times while channel surfing, I never really thought to watch...he was for older folks, I thought. When we began to research our trip to France we looked into several more “modern” and “younger” travel guides but were not compelled to purchase any. Your guide was in every bookstore we went, and in every one we ignored it till finally we had to pick it up and leaf thru it because our selections were running out. I have to say, you had me at “IPOD audio guides”. We were instantly hooked and ravished the whole guide in a few of days. Our trip for two turned into an adventure for four as another couple friend decided our itinerary was too good to pass up. Our ten day trip took us to Paris, the Loire Valley, Mont. St. Michelle and along the coast of Normandy. Your audio guides were d’bomb!! Each of us had our own IPod and enjoyed listening to you all along the way. When we got to the Louvre, our batteries were low and thought we could do it on our own. But alas, we started on the wrong wing, learned nothing about the important artwork we were seeing and got to the Mona Lisa tired of walking, tired of the crowds, and at our wits end. We did not head out to Versailles till we powered our IPods the next day. Afterwards, we lamented paying up to 10 euros apiece for a dry audio tour of a Chateau or some other museum or landmark. You HAVE to make more of these!!!! Sell them if you have to. We all agreed that we would have gladly paid for the audio tours. Two days after our return, I was once again channel surfing and suddenly, there you were…in France, walking where we had been and eating where we had sat. Thank you so much for helping us young folk have a very grown up adventure!!!!!

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

Best Italian Coffee and Gelato in Paris (and also in my life!!):POZZETTO in the Marais, run by real neat Italians

www.pozzetto.biz

lucy andrew in st. paul, mi USA 03/11/2007

As you publish travelling guide books, I thought that this special World Heritage project would interest you. A free night in a UNESCO’s classified city’s youth hostel is part of a special program for citizens from a member city of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities, in collaboration with Hostelling International. Free nights in Youth Hostels! You are interested in world heritage cities? Youth Hostels, a Passport to World Heritage Cities is a new project made for a better understanding of our universal Heritage. Please click here http://www.hihostels.com/web/heritage and learn more about a 2nd night free in youth hostels. The programme Youth Hostels - A passport to World Heritage Cities is an initiative of Hostelling International (HI) and the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). Spread the word in your books! Participating youth hostels so far : Cancale, Strasbourg, Carcassonne, Paris-Clichy, Lyon, Lübeck, Namur, Mexico, Sucre, Québec.

antoine gauthier in Québec, QC Canada 03/05/2007

B&B Ferme de Tayac, Voted the nicest Bed & Breakfast (B&B) in the Dordogne 2 years running. B&B "Ferme de Tayac". http://fermedetayac.com The most loved and talked about B&B in the Dordogne. "Ferme de Tayac", a beautiful 12th century former farmhouse / monastery situated next to St. Martin, the fortified church of the lovely peaceful village Tayac, and 1km from Les Eyzies known as the "Prehistoric Capital" of the world. For hundreds of years "Ferme de Tayac" was worked by the Monks, and with all of it's authentic buildings,ruins, rooms carved into the rock, meter thick fortified walls and original oak beam construction, it's no wonder that "Ferme de Tayac" is a much loved and talked about B&B. The bedrooms at "Ferme de Tayac" are former Monks quarters, all with lovely peaceful views of the valley and the many Prehistoric dwellings in the cliffs rock face. The Vezere valley in the "Black Perigord",where "Ferme de Tayac" is situated is known to be the most beautiful region of France,and with more than 250 UNESCO sites, has earned title of being the Prehistoric Capital of the World. B&B "Ferme de Tayac" is the ideal place to stay whilst exploring and enjoying everything this amazingly beautiful area has to offer. All the main attractions (and there are LOTS of them) are within 20 minutes from "Ferme de Tayac", some are even in walking distance, and one of them is "Ferme de Tayac". http://fermedetayac.com

Paul in Boca Raton, FL USA 03/04/2007

I highly recommend the 90-minute English language as the first thing to do tour of the Louvre (which is downplayed in the book). The museum is so big that we found a guide leading us around to be a great way to make sure that we saw all of the "essential" works. The also have a great system where the guide wears a microphone and the groups wears headphones, so you can hear the guide even if you're in the back or the museum is crowded.

I usually suffer from museum fatigue after several hours in a place, but we devoted 6 hours to the Louvre and at the end, I still wanted more!

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

B & B - Château Andelot: We discovered this lovely B&B while driving through the French countryside on our way from the Burgundy region to Geneva, Switzerland. It’s a refurbished 12th century château that sits on a hilltop in the Jura Mountains. This part of France is a bit off the beaten path, but we enjoyed this quiet and romantic little gem so much, we ended up spending an extra couple of days before continuing on to Switzerland. Our room had views of Mont Blanc in the distance and Geneva was only an hour and a half away. It would also be an excellent place to stay if touring the “Routes des Vins” in Burgundy/Beaujolais or if you wanted to break up your trip while driving to the south of France.

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

Pozzetto Gelato beats Amorino's sweet tooth-aching stuff. If you eat with your eyes you may be impressed by the construction of your cone but if you want to feel the smell (yes, the smell) and taste of a white peach...well Pozzetto in rue du Roi de Sicile is the king. PS: don't miss the coffee either. Wish I could get some of that in Detroit.

Ricky Cunningham in Detroit, MI USA 01/12/2007

If you are travelling to Colmar, look into The Rapp hotel. Great location, wonderful rooms, delicious breakfast buffet, and such a fun recreation area in the basement...pool, steam room and sauna. One of our favorite places we stayed on our two week trip to England and France!

Smith Family in rancho cucamonga, ca USA 01/07/2007

D-Day beach travellers...check out OVERLORD TOURS! We had the most wonderful Band of Brothers/D-Day beach tour over the Thanksgiving holiday week. For 430 euros, their tour guide, Oliver, picked up our family of 7 (5 children, 2 adults) up from our hotel in a wonderfully comfortable van and gave us the most WONDERFUL tour from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. It was an unforgetable experience and I would highly recommend their tours. Thank you, Oliver, and Overlord Tours!

Smith Family in rancho cucamonga, ca USA 01/07/2007