Synopses & Reviews
In 2004 Air France acquired control of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, creating Air France-KLM, which in terms of revenue is now the biggest airline in the world. Industry spokespersons are predicting lower fares and better connections between flights. The City of Paris now allows visitors to go ice skating inside the Eiffel Tower, Champs de Mars, 7e ( tel 01-44-11-23-23). Skating takes place on an observation deck 188 feet (57 meters) above ground, with panoramic vistas over the rooftops of Paris. In Royal Versailles, the French government has earmarked expenditures of $455 million into the grand restoration of the Châ teau de Versailles ( tel 01-30-83-78-00), an ambitious program that will stretch over 17 years beginning in 2005. The good news is that one of the most visited attractions in Europe will remain open while the work is in progress. The chic yachting resort of Cannes has a new gambling casino, Casino des Princes, in the Noga Hilton Cannes, 50 bd. de la Croisette ( tel 04-92-99-70-00). It’ s more intimate than its competitors, and also boasts a deluxe restaurant on site. In 2005 the French Railways, SNCF (www.sncf.com) reactivated an antique rail line stretching from Cannes to such celebrated Riviera destinations as Mougins or Grasse, the latter the perfume capital of France. Deep in the heart of France where some of the greatest prehistoric relics in the world have been discovered, a new museum opened in 2004. Musé e National de la Pré histoire, in the Dordogne, is a treasure trove of Ice Age artifacts, one of the two or three greatest prehistoric collections in the world.
Synopsis
France attracts more than 80 million tourists a year; projected growth in tourism for 2004 is estimated at 3.8 percent.
Synopsis
Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer's. The best trips start here.
- Comprehensive advice on the best of France, from Paris to Provence, from Normandy to Nice.
- Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
- Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
- Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com
About the Author
A team of veteran travel writers, Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have produced numerous titles for Frommer’s, including best-selling guides to Spain, Italy, the Caribbean, England, and Germany. Porter, a former bureau chief of The Miami Herald, is also a Hollywood biographer; his most recent releases are Katharine the Great, a close-up of the private life of the late Katharine Hepburn, and Howard Hughes: Hell’s Angel. Prince was formerly employed by the Paris bureau of The New York Times, and is today the president of Blood Moon Productions and other media-related firms. They are also the authors of Frommer’s Paris and Frommer’s Provence & the Riviera.
Table of Contents
List of Maps.
What’s New in France.
1. The Best of France.
2. A Traveler’s Guide to France’s Art & Architecture (Reid Bramblett).
3. Planning Your Trip to France.
4. Suggested Itineraries in France.
5. Settling into Paris.
6. Exploring Paris.
7. Side Trips from Paris: Versailles, Chartres & the Best of the Ile de France.
8. The Loire Valley.
9. Normandy & Mont-St-Michel.
10. Brittany.
12. The Champagne Country.
12. Alsace-Lorraine.
13. Burgundy.
14. The Rhône Valley.
15. The French Alps.
16. Provence: In the Footsteps of Cézanne & van Gogh.
17. The French Riviera.
18. Languedoc-Roussillon.
19. The Basque Country.
20. Bordeaux & the Atlantic Coast.
21. The Dordogne & Périgord: Land of Prehistoric Caves, Truffles & Fine Wine.
22. The Massif Central.
Appendix A: France in Depth.
Appendix B: Useful Terms & Phrases.
Index.