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Lonely Planet Cycling France (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides) (Book)

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The French have a nickname for the bicycle: la petite reine, or the little queen. With the country's fondness for the queen of the road, its vast network of quiet back roads, magnificent scenery, and scrumptious eateries, it's the perfect choice for discovering the world on two wheels. Lonely Planet has created an excellent guide to touring in France, chock-full of itineraries, maps, information, and advice for those who want to get off the bus and set their own pace. They've mapped out the best rides in the country for neophytes, veterans, and off-roaders, with itineraries ranging from a few hours to two months. Here's a sampling: In Paris you can take the bike paths along the Seine or all the way to Monet's gardens in Giverny. The Loire Valley offers intimate excursions beside sandstone villages, magnificent châteaux, and scenic waterways. Take the tiny, winding roads of Provence to see perched villages and spectacular panoramas of the Cote d'Azur, or dip into Champagne for the terraced vineyards of Dom Perignon. For those up to the challenge, there's the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Massif Central, with its steep climbs and sweeping descents. The guide includes a chapter on the island of Corsica, with its rugged coastal scenery and prehistoric sites.

Traveling by bicycle calls for a plethora of information not found in the typical tourist guidebook. Lonely Planet has it all. "Facts for Cyclists" provides practical information on when to ride (based on the weather and wind patterns), a checklist of what to bring, information on buying or renting locally, a list of cycling events, and Internet resources. There are tips for senior, disabled, and gay and lesbian cyclers, and those riding with children, as well as lists of which airlines and which types of trains are bicycle friendly, and how to pack and transport your bike. The "Health and Safety" chapter explains the French rules of the road (including the confusing "Priority to the Right"), and gives tips for getting and staying fit, and treatments for common ailments on the road. Of course, there's the usual information on where to stay, what to eat, and what to see for a wide range of tastes, from camping to a night in a château. There's also a section on the history of cycling in France and a chapter on the Tour de France and its nuances. With the inclusion of the requisite chapter on bicycle maintenance and repair, you're ready to ride. --Lesley Reed
Reviews:

"Six of us used this book this past June for a nine day trip to the Dordogne region of France. The book is indispensable for do it yourself travel. It tells you everything you need to know regarding the nuts and bolts of putting a trip like this togethter. The suggested routes, restaurants, and hotels were all excellent. I would suggest another book to supplement this one as far as detailed information about the sites is concerned." A wealth of information about France, a great book if you are thinking about Home exchanging a Holiday Holiday property in France.

"Sorry to be so blunt, but I spent the last 5 weeks cursing the authors of this book (and those that I met on the road with this book felt the same way). Do NOT waste your money on this thing. It is FIVE years old (I live in Seattle and met one of the authors before she left in June '99). The information is totally outdated and some of the campsites no longer exist! My advice is to get a good guide that is updated regularly, maybe get a good idea for a route from the Mountaineers and then get the Michellin map following the scenic (green) routes (or get the special bikes maps from any bookstore (librarie) while you are there). Cycling in France is a breeze. Enjoy France on the bike...there is no greater place to ride. Don't let McGuide mess with your fun. Live to ride...ride to live..." Why not buy this book, and read while on your Alternative Holiday in France. It would be so usefull when you Home Exchange a Alternative Holiday Villa in France.

"Used the LP to bike from Nimes to Carcassonne. LP did a great job of outlining the trip. Each day there was a map that showed the elevation of the ride, detailed directions, and what to expect. Unfortunately, in the trip we took, some of the descriptions were vague on what to see or how to get around, so I would have liked to see more details on this. Also, a few new roads showed up that weren't mentioned, so bring a detailed map. Overall, a great biking book that I will use to explore the rest of France." A wealth of information about France, a great book if you are thinking about Home exchanging a Alternative Holiday Alternative Holiday property in France.

"And you can eat as much as you like, because you're going to burn those calories off! We've done a few of the routes now, and though they vary in accuracy, and ease of following the directions given, that justs adds to the fun. The routes are superb in taking you off the beaten track as much as possible, showing gems of villages and stunning scenery along the way. Best off all are the suggestions about where to stay, e.g. we stayed in a vineyard on the Alsace route where a full, and very generous, wine tasting was thrown in for the price of the B&B. I would recommned the LP cycling books to those just wishing to start cycle touring, it makes it extremely easy, as well as those who wish to tackle the more serious routes." Before Home exchanging a Alternative Holiday Apartment in France, I would buy this book to guide you round the local areas in France.

"As with any of the lonely planet books, this book is super.

There are detailed maps, guides where to eat for cheap or if you find you have a bit of money some days, places to spoil yourself, places of interest that you should visit etc.

We cycled all over France for 8 weeks and this book was our bible.

A few places here and there need to be updated but you won't be lost in the middle of nowhere with this book.

Fully recommend it." If you are thinking about Home exchanging a Holiday Houses in France, I would buy this book to take with you while in France.

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Provence and the Cote D'Azur (Lonely Planet Country & Regional Guides) (Book)

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"We used this guide, along with the Triple A guide on Provence and the Cote d'Azure. The Lonely Planet guide was by far the most relevant and contained most of the practacilities the traveler needs. Some of the facts and features were a little different than the author stated, and it could have been quite a bit more thorough regarding the practacilities of driving. Historical and cultural information was both well done and interesting. Definitely 4* and possibly 4 1/2 *." Before Home exchanging a Vocation or Holiday Property in France, I would read this book while in France.

"I must say this is my first experience with Lonely Planet guides, though i already had high recommendations and positive feed-backs. I decided to give it a go with my 4-weeks in Sun. :-) I spent four weeks travelling around Cote D'Azur and Haute-Provence from Monaco to Marseille and into Alps e.g. Castellane, St. Andre, etc. The information contained is ver much accurate and helpful (i was travelling alone, not with a group!). There are sufficient maps of major regions and city but this guide should not be used for the sake of map. Always take a detailed map e.g. a driving one if you got wheels otherwise every tourist office got full detailed city maps.
Five stars stuff." This book has supper information on France, well worth reading if you Home exchanging a Alternative Vacation Apartment in France.

"The Lonely Planet series of travel guides is one I have come to depend on, and this is one of the better ones. Good, concise, useable information. The thing that keeps it from being five stars is the hotel and restaurant listings, which are woefully insufficient. But when you're driving around Provence and stumble on a medieval town and want to know if there's a story there or not, this book will tell you." Before Home exchanging a Vacation Cottage in France, I would read this book.

"This book like the Lonely Planet France is very easy to use and is filled with a wealth of information ranging from the cheap places to stay but also the best things to see and do. Unlike other travel books it is very readable. It is well worth buying as all the information I used seemed to be bang up todate, it saved me time and money." This book has great information on France, well worth reading if you Home exchanging a Vacation Cottage in France.

"At long last I've got my hands on a well-written and lively guide to this fun part of the world. The author takes you round the region with solid assurance that this is the place to be, and gives you a real insight its culture and heritage. The recipes are a useful addition and the wine-tasting hints and wine map of the region give it something that would-be wine buffs (like me) will find useful. The pictures are pleasing and the text is accurate, and though the book is not as good a companion as my dog, it aided my trip no-end.

For something honest and often amusing, look no further." Before Home exchanging a Vacation Apartment in France, I would buy this book to guide you round the local areas in France.

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France (Lonely Planet Country & Regional Guides) (Book)

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"We used Lonely Planets for holiday travel in southern France for the first (and possible last) time. The recommended restaurant of Peter Mayle fame, Gu et Fils, on Frederick Mistral in Aix was either a typo or non-existent as we located the street but no restaurant to be found. Restaurant Le Merou Bleu of Marsailles was a mediocre tourist trap with despicable service. The impersonal nature of the LP recommendations for hotels merely define the facilities, but do not say enough about the character or level of cleanliness. We checked in (and out of) one of Lonely Planet's recommended two star hotels in Avignon and for about five euros more per night, found a potential three star hotel that was much better siutated, cleaner, bigger and quieter." Why not buy this book, and read while on your Vocation or Holiday in France. It would be so usefull when you Home Exchange a Vocation or Holiday Property in France.

"The guide with the cover with lavender fields on it is the 5th edition! There is a 6th edition published by the Lonely Planet Guides in January 2005 and available at their website." Relax with this book when on Alternative Vacation in France. It would be so handy when you Home Exchange a Alternative Vacation Property in France.

"While most of the information in this book was factually correct, I found that it didn’t add all that much to my holiday experience. The overviews of the towns and areas were too brief and didn’t concentrate enough on the practicalities of getting around, buying food and getting a feel for the places.
If you want to spend time in museums, art galleries and opera houses, then this guide is for you! If you want to see the real France without spending a fortune, I’d look elsewhere.
It’s all a matter of taste (and budget!) I suppose!" If you are thinking about Home exchanging a Vacation Apartments in France, I would buy this book to take with you while in France.

"I found this to be well researched, if a little formulaic. Useful when touring round France and making the best of a rail rover ticket. But suggest you buy an independent guide book if you are staying anywhere for more than a couple of days. I found it complemented the readable and invaluable foodie guides (Bradt, Patricia Wells, Gault Millau) with the stats and practical getting around info." Before Home exchanging a Holiday House in France, I would read this book while in France.

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Paris (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Book)

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"I am a guide book and travel fanatic and I generally buy and read a number of guide books for whatever destination I have in mind. I am also a Paris-phile and have been to Paris 5 times in the past 13 years for both business and pleasure.

This book stands out as the best for my demographic, the professional age 20 - 40 crowd.

The book stands above other travel books particularly in its hotel, bar, club and restaurant recommendations and is worthwhile for these alone. It also provides some fantastic historical insight into Paris, particularly with regards to 20th century Parisian history.

It is printed on a pulpy paper and is very light, something to keep in mind if you are just packing a single bag and taking off to Paris for the weekend." Why not buy this book, and read while on your Alternative Holiday in France. It would be so usefull when you Home Exchange a Alternative Holiday Apartment in France.

"This is the best guidebook for Paris (in my opinion) for people who want hotel and restaurant recommendations and are interested in a bit of background history of the city. This book (and previous editions) have been my companions during several Paris trips over the past 13 years. This book introduced me to my favorite Paris restaurant, a place to which we return every time we are in town." This book has wonderfull information about France. So take it with you when you Home Exchange a Alternative Holiday House in France.

"This guide reaches lots of places the others don't - like the 14th & 20th arrondissements, free of mega monuments but fascinating in their own ways. It also covers all the regular sites with wit and pith, and has rich context section with history, language, and further reading. The maps and restaurant tips are also excellent, and the listings include places like pool halls and Turkish baths that no one else covers. A real find." www.HomeIsAway.com great Alternative Vacation Cottage to Home Exchange in France.

"This is a very good guide. I used one when I went to Paris in the mid-90s, and another when I went over the Xmas vacation. I'll coninue to use it as it gives a lot of up to date info on where to go, what's open, what's closed, etc.

However, I have one gripe that prevents me from giving it 4 or 5 stars. A left-wing political bias runs right through the book. Perhaps the writers imagine that all independent travelers are lefties....sorry mates, that's just not true! All the political history given in the book comes with a lefty spin. E.g, the atrocities committed by the Communards are glossed over, while those committed against them are played up. Likewise, the role of the Left in the wartime resistance is highlighted, but not the shameful collaboration of the French Communists with the Germans between the fall of France and the attack on the Soviet Union.

'Vive' the Rough Guide! 'A bas' the political bias!!" Relax with this book when on Holiday in France. It would be so handy when you Home Exchange a Holiday House in France.

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France (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Book)

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"The book had hundreds of pages of small text, but very few pictures. The way my wife and I travel, by playing it by ear, this isn't appropriate. I'm not going to sit and read all that. I want a few pictures of a town, a small map to go along with my other maps, and some good ideas of what is good in that particular town. I don't need 80 pages of documentation on it." If you are thinking about Home exchanging a Vacation Villas in France, I would buy this book to take with you while in France.

"What I like best about the Rough Guides is that they give critical reviews. They will point out the tourist traps and will give negative reviews. I find that Frommer's and Fodor's rarely point out the negatives to a particular hotel or site. The rough guide is very critical and is a great balance to these other guides. I would balance your trip to France with a Fodors (or Frommers) book because the maps and illustrations are often better and there are more higher-end hotels listed.

This book will help you decide where is best to spend your vacation in France. There are clear critical descriptions of all the regions and great general info on getting around in France.

If you aren't interested in "roughing" it and staying in lower priced hotels.. the guides are still very useful in rating attractions, and areas in which to stay... but you will need another book to look at more moderate and luxury hotels.

I would definitely read this book before going to France." Why not buy this book, and read while on your Vacation in France. It would be so usefull when you Home Exchange a Vacation Property in France.

"My husband and I took a couple of well known guide books with us on our recent trip to France...but this is the one we found most useful. One invaluable feature is the inclusion of maps. When we got lost in Avignon we had only to open the Rough Guide to find our way. Also, we were able to locate the bus and rail stations on the maps. There is much to be learned by reading a number of guidebooks before you go but this is the one to take with you." Relax with this book when on Vocation or Holiday in France. It would be so handy when you Home Exchange a Vocation or Holiday Cottage in France.

"I lived in France for a year and travelled a great deal with my rucksack, and this book was like my bible. There were so many times I would have got lost without the maps inside. The best thing is that you even know where the tourist office is before you arrive, and all of the information was spot on. I used this book especially in the South of France and in Corsica, and what I found especially useful was the 'classmark sysytem' of the price of hotels and youth hostels. We had most of it booked before we even arrived, which was such a godsend when we arrived there knackered! The ONLY problem was that it was quite heavy to carry around - but a small price to pay.... Don't go there without it!" Before Home exchanging a Vacation Cottage in France, I would read this book.

"Travelling in France is wonderful for the food and the cheapness of the hotels however many guides (such as Michelin Red Book) etc either cover a wide range of hotels and restaurants or only expensive ones. This book covers the affordable but good! having used it over the past two years I have stayed at some amazing little inns and eaten some superb food (and drunk some exceptional wine) at very reasonable cost. Dont expect it to show you a chateau, the hotels are usualy modest but clean with typical 'local' decor. The restaurants are generally local cuisine, not 4 star but very very good. Before I found this guide I used to take pot luck, ok if you can put up with the occasional awful place, this guide helps you avoid the problem." Before Home exchanging a Alternative Holiday Apartment in France, I would read this book.

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French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour De France (Book)

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"This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Moore gives an account of his journey around the Tour de France route in a most witty and comical way, his style is fresh and personal. I loved his interesting anecdotes and oddments of information about the Tour and its riders, it a is very humbling book to read as the author has such as obvious respect for the Tour riders and I can't help but totally agree. I am neither a Tour de France fanatic or a great cyclist but I still enjoyed this book immensely, and from now on shall be watching 'le tour' in a very different light. I can't recommend 'French Revolutions' enough." A wealth of information about France, a great book if you are thinking about Home exchanging a Vacation Vacation property in France.

"Not only is this book extremely entertaining, but also surprisingly informative for anybody interested in the history of the Tour de France or cycle touring. As a cyclist I could relate to many of his experiences, often making his experiences even more hilarious. Above all, I found it extremely refreshing to read a book about cycling, written by someone who did something genuinely inspiring, yet isn't a professional, but actually a pretty average cyclist." Before Home exchanging a Vacation Villa in France, I would buy this book to guide you round the local areas in France.

"Having run out of books on holiday i picked up my father's copy of 'French Revolutions'. I expected any book my dad owned to be heavily detailed on group sets and bottom brackets, and of little intest to the casual cyclist. How wrong was I. You don't need to know anything about the tour, the book is laugh out loud funny, unputdownable. The acheivement of any man who can ride this incredable race is hammered home, there is no sporting acheivement on earth like this one. However what really makes the book good is the way it draws in the reader, everyone's had the 5year old in the park experience of riding, but few can express it as hilariously as Tim Moore. The book is packed with dry humour and an author people can relate to, 'French Revolutions' has to be in my top ten of books. Go out - Buy it!" Before Home exchanging a Vocation or Holiday Property in France, I would buy this book to guide you round the local areas in France.

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Tell Me More French 6.0 (Software)

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Reviews:

"There is definitely some good stuff in this CD but it is not that easy to use. It will not take a beginner from scratch to reasonable French in the way one would want, or if it does I've misssed the point somewhere. The dictionary is awkward to use and the translation button is not always evident. I was hoping it would be helpful for various members of the family all at different levels but it failed to grab my 10 yr old who has very little French. Slick presentation but thin content." Before Home exchanging a Alternative Holiday Villa in France, I would buy this book to guide you round the local areas in France.

"There are twelve lessons on this CD-Rom. It's called "complete" because the topics are taken from the original three CD-ROMs, i.e. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Generally speaking, we could say the first four lessons are for the beginners, the second ones for the intermediate level students and the last four for the advanced students. Here's a list of the topics:
1. Parler de sa famille; 2. Parler de soi; 3. Epeler & compter; 4. Heures & dates; 5. Arrivée en France; 6. Lier conaissance; 7. Dans Paris; 8. Chercher sa route; 9. Au restaurant; 10. Choisir un dessert; 11. Si on sortait ! ; 12. Au concert." A wealth of information about France, a great book if you are thinking about Home exchanging a Alternative Vacation Alternative Vacation property in France.

"I've found this an excellent french package. The presentation is very slick (if a bit slow), there are lots of different exercises covering a large amount of content.

The voice recognition is good (but not perfect), and the supplied headset is ok. Having to say the answer to some of the exercises is fun.

I think a complete beginner would have trouble but I only know a little from school and had no trouble getting going. The progress tracking is impressive and has motivated me to learn more.

Jon" If you are thinking about Home exchanging a Vocation or Holiday Apartments in France, I would buy this book to take with you while in France.