Fodors. For Choice Travel Experiences.Fodors helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although youre at the helm, Fodors offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. Its like having a friend in France!
•Updated annually, Fodors France 2010 provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodors France 2010 features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If its not worth your time, its not in this book. Fodors discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodors Choice designations, ensure that youll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in France.
•Experience France like a local! Fodors France 2010 includes unique photo-features that impart the countrys culture, covering food and wine, history-rich Versailles, Provences Lavender Route, magical Mont-St-Michel, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
"Fodor's France" offers travelers a host of user-friendly features, including illustrated articles on French attractions, listings for towns and villages, and essential sections on bus and train schedules. 8-page color insert and full-color pullout map.
Chapter 1: Experience France
............7
France Today............8
What’s Where in Northern France............10
What’s Where in Southern France............12
Experience France Planner............14
Top Ten Money-Saving Tips............16
France Lodging Primer............17
Quintessential France............18
If You Like............20
Great Itineraries............24
Chapter 2: Paris............27
Exploring Paris............35
Best Bets for Paris Dining............82
Where to Eat............83
Where to Stay............103
Best Bets for Paris Lodging............104
Nightlife and the Arts............127
Shopping............134
Chapter 3: Ile-de-France............143
The Western Ile-de-France............151
The Eastern Ile-de-France............180
Chapter 4: The Loire Valley............197
So Near and Yet So Loire: From Tours to Orléans............207
The Storybook Loire: Villandry to Langeais............235
Chapter 5: Normandy............251
Eating and Drinking Well in Normandy............258
Upper Normandy............261
Honfleur to Mont-St-Michel............272
Chapter 6: Brittany............297
Northeast Brittany and the Channel Coast............304
The Atlantic Coast............322
Chapter 7: Champagne Country............339
Champagne............346
Excursion: The Cathedral Cities............360
Chapter 8: Alsace-Lorraine............367
Nancy............376
Lorraine: Joan of Arc Country............384
Strasbourg............387
Alsace............396
Chapter 9: Burgundy............411
Northwest Burgundy............421
Dijon............441
Wine Country............448
Chapter 10: Lyon and the Alps............459
Lyon............466
Beaujolais and La Dombes............491
The Rhône Valley............497
Grenoble and the Alps............502
Chapter 11: Provence............517
Arles and the Camargue............525
Arles............526
Nîmes............538
The Alpilles............544
Avignon and the Vaucluse............550
Avignon............550
Aix-en-Provence and the Mediterranean Coast............578
Aix-en-Provence............578
Marseille............585
Chapter 12: The French Riviera............599
The Western French Riviera............607
St-Tropez............607
The Hill Towns............631
Nice............647
The Eastern French Riviera............657
Monaco............664
Chapter 13: The Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon............673
Toulouse: La Ville Rose............681
Albi and the Gers............691
Languedoc-Roussillon............696
Chapter 14: The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrénées............717
The Basque Coast............725
The Atlantic and Hautes-Pyrénées............737
Chapter 15: Bordeaux and the Wine Country............751
Bordeaux: City of Wine............758
Route du Médoc and the Wine Country............766
Chapter 16: The Dordogne............775
Western Dordogne to Rocamadour............783
Eastern Perigord to Brantôme............792
French Vocabulary............803
Menu Guide............809
Index............830
About Our Writers............848
FRANCE IN FOCUS
Notre-Dame............41
The Eiffel Tower............50
The Seine............69
Gilt-Trip: A Visit to Versailles............154
Once Upon a Château............214
A Spire to Greatness: Mont-St-Michel............290
Champagne Uncorked ............353
Grape Expectations ............433
Lyon: France’s Culinary Cauldron............473
Blue Gold: The Lavender Route ............561
Cuisine of the Sun ............634
Basque Spoken Here ............729
Maps
Exploring Paris............36–37
From the Tour Eiffel to the Arc de Triomphe............48
Montmartre............79
Where to Eat in Paris............84–85
Where to Stay in Paris............108–109
Western Ile-de-France............152
Eastern Ile-de-France............183
Fontainebleau............194
Tours to Orléans............208
Tours............210
Orléans............231
Loire Valley: Villandry to Langeais............236
Upper Normandy............261
Rouen............264
Honfleur to Mont St Michel............274
Northeast Brittany & the Channel Coast............305
Brittany’s Atlantic Coast............324
Nantes............336
Champagne Picardy............347
Rheims............350
Nancy............377
Lorraine............385
Strasbourg............390
Alsace............399
Northwest Burgundy............422
Troyes............425
Dijon............444
Burgundy Wine Country............449
Lyon............468
Beaujolais & La Dombes............492
Rhone Valley............498
Grenoble & the Alps............503
Grenoble............505
Arles, the Camargue & the Alpilles............525
Arles............527
Nîmes............540
Avignon and the Vaucluse............551
Avignon............553
Aix-en-Provence............580
Marseille............587
Aix-en-Provence & the Mediterranean Coast............594
The Western French Riviera............608
St-Tropez............610
The Hill Towns............633
Nice............649
The Eastern French Riviera............658
Toulouse............683
Languedoc Rousillon............698
Montpellier............714
Basque Coast & Atlantic Pyrénées ............725
Hautes Pyrénées............747
Bordeaux............761
Bordeaux Wine Country............767
Dordogne............783