FRANCE |
| French Timeline - it helps to know a little history |
| PARIS | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| The Elzevir Apartment | Reserve this beautiful one bedroom apartment early. It’s very popular. |
| Rue St Gilles Apartment | Beautiful one bedroom Marais apartment |
| Rue Turenne Apartment | One bedroom with 1.5 bathrooms |
| Jardin Du Luxembourg | Two bedroom 2 bathroom |
| The Loft | A magnificent renovated printing house; luxury 4,500 sq ft in the Montorgueil area |
| Le Bijou Studio | a very affordable and beautiful studio in the Marais (it used to be our apartment in Paris) |
| At Home in France | our favorite apartment rental agency |
| La Regence | A beautiful 2 bedroom 2 bathroom near Place des Vosges (it used to be our apartment ) |
| Montalembert Hotel $$$ | luxury and right next to the L’Atelier du Joel Robuchon restaurant |
| Relais Christine $$$ | luxury hotel in the 6th arrondissment |
| Hotel Bourg-Tibourg $$ | new modern hotel in the Marais |
| Pavilion de la Reine $$$ | classic hotel on Place des Vosges. Sister hotel to the Relias Christine. |
| Hotel Bourg-Tibourg $$ | nice hotel in the Marais; small rooms but very contemporary and comfortable |
| Hotel des Archives $$ | Modern hotel opened 2005, in the Marais; good location |
| Hotel Axial Beaubourg $$ | Contemporary hotel near the Pompidou Center in the Marais |
| Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais $$ | Traditional Hotel in the Marais |
| Hotel Jeanne D'Arc $ | Great location, traditional rooms, very low price; best call the hotel for availability. They book up very fast |
| Museums and Destinations: | ||
| Museums of Paris | Paris Muse - private tours of great museums |
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| Musée d’Orsay | A view on Cities - the Paris pages |
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| Day Trips from Paris: | ||
| Chartres - the grandest of Gothic Cathedrals | Vaux le Vicomte - the inspiration for Versailles |
Chateau Versailles - opulence at it's best |
| Chateau de Chantilly | Chateau Fontainebleau - the Royal country home |
Giverny - Monet's home and gardens |
| Guided Tours: |
| Paris, Paris is real insider guide by acclaimed author David Downie |
| Guided tour in a 1950’s Citroen 2CV Classic tour; convertible top, your driver is your guide |
| Paris Velos. See Paris by bicycle |
| Fat Tire. Bicycle tours all over France; also in Barcelona an Berlin |
| Paris Walking Tours |
| Practical Information: | |
| Rapid Transit | Metro, bus and local trains |
| Map of Paris | Interactive street map of Paris |
| SCNF | trains in France |
| Batobus | travel on the Seine from Jardin des Plantes to the Eiffel Tower |
| Renault Eurodrive | Lease option for a Renault; very good option if you are renting a car for more than 17 days |
| Peugeot lease option | Lease option for a Peugeot; very good option if you are renting a car for more than 17 days |
| What's on and where: | Restaurants and Food: |
| Paris Voice Magazine | Paris offers lots of inventive culinary choices from simple fare ranging from local Bistrots to fresh seafood at the the Brasseries, grand meals at restaurants, great sandwiches, breaks and pasteries at local bakeries, couscous from North Africa, Japonoise and Asian influences. |
| Paris.org | |
| Paris Le Marais | |
| Bonjour Paris | L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon $$$ is an extraordinary experience; haute cuisine served at a sushi bar |
| Le Pre Verre $$ is a very inventive and unpretentious and a very good value | |
| Le Petit Marché $$ - A great neighborhood bistro; our favorite in the Marais | |
| Guy Savoy $$$ - $$$$ If you don't want the big expensive meal, try his smaller bistrots | |
| Jacques Cagna $$$ - $$$$ - Expensive restaurnat and a smaller bistrot | |
| Le Grand Vefour $$$$. Loved by the Parisians. Lunch is less than 1/2 the price of the dinner | |
| Michel Rostang $$-$$$$ - Expensive restaurnat and a smaller bistrot | |
| Chez L'ami Louis $$$ - Very famous bistrot near the Metro Arts & Metier; popular with the celbrity crowd | |
| Le Relais de L'Entrecote $ - Steack frites and salad comes with a seconds helping for the same price. | |
| L'As du Falafel $ - in the old jewish ghetto of the Marais. It is the best falafel you will ever have in France | |
| Le Pied au Cochon $-$$ - near Les Halles. The best soup l'onion gratinée in Paris | |
| Bofinger $$ - Classic brasserie near the Bastille. Seafood, oysters, and choucroute are the specialties | |
| Amorino $ - The best ice cream in Paris; MUCH better than Berthillon | |
| Best restaurants of Paris is a good online guide |
LOIRE VALLEY
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| Apartment rentals and Hotels: |
| At Home in France is our favorite apartment rental agency |
| Ville et Village is another very good apartment rental agency |
| Domaine de la Tortiniere $$$ is a charming chateau near Tours |
| Luxury Chateaux n the Loire $$-$$$$ - This website offers 10 luxury chateaux in the Loire |
| Grand Hotel du Lion d'Or $$$ - In the middle of Romorantin-Lanthenay; excellent restaurant |
| Domaine Des Hauts De Loire $$$$ - This is about the most luxurious there is in the Loire |
| Les Haute Roches $$$ - staying in a cave has never been this much fun |
| Museums and Destinations: | |
Chateau Amboise - a grea visit. While you're ther don't miss the Leonardo Da Vinci home at Clos Luce |
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| Chateau Chenonceau- | |
| Chateau Cheverny - | Chateau de Langeais - |
| National Monuments of France | |
| Chateau Angers - The Chateau is OK but the real prize is the Apocalypse Tapestry inside. Angers is a big city and has a lot more to see. | |
| Automobile museum at Sarthe/Le Mans - It's right behind the track and houses some of the most beautiful cars ever built. | |
| Guided Tours: |
| There are lots of bicycle tours through the Loire. It's pretty flat. Some are guided and some self guided. Ask Google for recommendations |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNFtrains in France |
| PROVENCE AND THE ALPS MARITIME |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: |
| At Home in France or Ville et Village for apartment rents |
| Le Meridien - Nice $$-$$$- The location is perfect. Other than that there's not much to applaud |
| Palais Maeterlinck $$$$ - This is the best of Nice. It's not in the city bu they will shuttle you in and out whenever you'd like |
| Les Atelier de L'image $$-$$$ - An modern art hotel in St Remy de Provence. The standard rooms are very small. Go for the upgrade. |
| La Villa Gallici $$$ - classic elegance in Aix en Provence |
| Museums and Destinations: | |
| Avignon | Orange |
| Grasse | St Remy de Provence |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
OTHER DESTIMATIONS IN FRANCE
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| Languedoc | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| At Home in France or Ville et Village for apartment rents | |
| Domaine de Rieumege - $$ beautiful small hotel near Olargue and close to Carcassone | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
| Carcassonne could be the best preserved medieval city in France |
| Canal du Midi - take a walk or rent a boat |
| Guided Tours: |
| see the self drive boats rental on the travel essentials page (go back to Travel Tips) |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
| Normandy | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| Chateau de L'isle Marie $-$$ is a B&B (we think it's haunted) with lotos of old charm and modern conveniences | |
| Ferme Saint Simeon $$$ near Honfleur | |
| Hostellerie du Clos $$-$$$ | |
| La Chaumiere $$-$$$ near Honfleur. This is an old half timbered inn restored to all it's glory | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
D-Day Beaches - make sure you rent a car |
| Peace Museum in Caen is a a great museum, even if you have no interest in WWI, WWII or the cold war |
| Bayeaux Tapestry is the pictoral history of the Battle of Hasting in 1066. It is in amazing condition and was comissioned right after the battle. |
| Honfleur is a picturesque seaside village in the Haut Normandie |
| Rouen is where you can see the cathedral Monet loved in so many paintings as well as the old half timber houses |
| Deauville is famous for it's Film festival, celebrity watching and a beautiful beach and boardwalk |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
| Dordogne and the Midi Pyrénées | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| Relais & Châteaux is always a good start when looking for a good hotel or restaurant | |
| At Home in France or Ville et Village for apartment rents | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
Sarlat-la-Canéda is a beautiful old medieval town with a great marketplace. |
Chateau de Castelnaud and Chateau Beynac were opposing castles in the Hundred Years war between France and England |
| Lascaux and Lascaux II - the most famous prehistoric caves in France |
| Les Eyzies and Font du Gaume - prehistoric caves and castle cities and lots of foie gras |
| Rocamadour - the cliff hugging castle town |
| Gouffre de Padirac - a wonderous giant hole filled with calcium formations |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
| Foie Gras - the is where most of it comes from. When buying it locally look for "entier" on the label. This is the highest quality. |
| Burgundy | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| Hostellerie des Clos $$ - in Chablis. Also a great restaurant. | |
| Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouettes $$ is Leslie Caron's boutique hotel in Burgundy | |
| At Home in France or Ville et Village for apartment rents | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
Beaune is a beautiful town and a good place to buy good wines |
Dijon - this is a website done by an American who has lived in Dijon for a few years. It's a good insider's list ot what to do. |
| For wine tastings go to a wine shop in Dijon or Beaune and ask for a good recommendation |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
| Bordeaux | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| Hotel Cordeillan-Bages $$$ - set in the midst of the Pauillac vineyards. Also a great restaurnat | |
| At Home in France or Ville et Village for apartment rents | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
Bordeaux is a a very trendy city |
St Emillion is another good stop |
| Good wine visits a Chateau Latour, Lynch Bages, |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |
| Lyon and the Rhone Valley | |
| Apartment rentals and Hotels: | |
| La Tour Rose $$$ - restored city home. beautiful detail, silk walls, great location in Lyon | |
| Ostellerie du Vieux Pérouges - $$ - in the medieval town of Perouges (near Lyon). It authentic..and worth the trip for the "Galettes" | |
| Trois Gros $$$$ - one of the food meccas of France. The restaurant is very famous but the hotel is also a wonderful treat. | |
| Museums and Destinations: |
| Practical Information: |
| SCNF trains in France |