I could very contentedly spend weeks vacationing in Paris without ever feeling compelled to leave. Many visitors though wonder about the surrounding country side and there are some fascinating destinations just an hour or so from the center of Paris.
Here is my list, sanitized from long, boring, and expensive tour bus rides which offer [...]
Entries from May 2009
May 8, 2009
Daytrips from Paris
May 7, 2009
Spending in Euros
Though certainly no expert, I have followed the topic of money exchange carefully for some time now and have drawn several conclusions. Here is a summary of money exchange options and how you may benefit from the advantages of each one:
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Credit Cards
1. While your bank may not charge a currency conversion fee, Visa and Master [...]
May 7, 2009
Alerte Résa
For those who are already familiar with the PREM fares sold by the SNCF (French Rail) and the fact that fares go on sale 3 months before any given departure date, SNCF has an interesting service which may interest you – Alerte Résa. Simply fill out the form
May 5, 2009
Amboise – a tourist ghetto?
Many of us who have had a relationship with the Loire Valley for many years have not been overjoyed with what has happen to Amboise (now a tourist ghetto) or to Tours (unfortunate victim of urban sprawl).
Accordingly I have compiled a list of excellent locations from which to base one’s self when touring the valley. [...]
May 5, 2009
How I learned to love mussels
No one enjoys a bowl full of mussels more than I do, I have consumed millions of the things (well, almost).
One evening, many years ago, my wife and I had just been seated at a small brassier on the left bank
May 5, 2009
Chez Germaine and the story of aligot
Many years ago when I was studying in Tours, a friend of mine from Amboise invited me to his home for dinner. We were very young and he still lived at home with his parents who were originally from Auvergne. From the local grocer, his mother had specially ordered a very young, almost creamy [...]
May 5, 2009
Car rentals
If you can avoid picking up a rental at either a train station or an airport, you can save the pickup surcharge fee of 30€ to 60€. Expect to pay a one time road tax of about 10€ as well as a small fee for declaring additional drivers.
Automobiles running diesel not only get better [...]
May 4, 2009
Driving in France?
Driving in France is really no different that driving anywhere else (OK, excluding the UK, Australia and other drive-on-the-left locations). Here are several points which might make your experiences on the highway a bit easier:
1. Purchase a map in book form (1:200,000 scale). GPS has become a popular rental option but European maps [...]
May 4, 2009
Your mobile phone in France
There are many options for those wanting to remain in contact by phone: roaming with a North American provider, VoIP, Télécartes, or using a French mobile network just like the French do. Here is a rundown of providers offering pre paid cellphone plans:
Just a quick review of the requirements.
May 4, 2009
Sarastro’s 13 lucky rules for dining
How is dining in Paris different than in other locations? Here is a short guide which will help you feel right at home dinning among the Parisians.
1. Always reserve. Always. Reserving is a simple courtesy that a restaurant operator appreciates. Allowing for menu planning and appropriate staff sizing, it also assists management’s efforts to developing [...]
