France on Foot: Village to Village, Hotel to Hotel: How to Walk the French Trail System on Your Own

Paperback - January, 1999 - Attis Press
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By: Bruce LeFavour and Faith Echtermeyer
ISBN: 0966344804

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Reviews by readers

Practical Advice

The other reviews have adequately described this wonderful book, so I will just tell you one or two things about putting it into practice. 1) Get in shape before you go. Prior to leaving, we did a lot of fast walking on flat ground without packs - this was NOT sufficient. Those packs get very heavy going up even a gentle hill. 2) Pack as light as you possibly can, then get rid of half of it. We ended up mailing home or throwing away city shoes, extra pants, makeup, etc.etc. Also, buy a smaller pack than you think you need. 3) Set realistic daily distance goals - the author is a bit too optimistic in our opinion. 4). Always carry water and at least a little food, like granola bars. Some places that look on the map like little towns perfect for lunch are just a group of houses and farm buildings. 5) Try to check "closed" days ahead of time. In France, it is generally not Saturday or Sunday, but some weekday. We walked into a tiny town dead-beat at the end of our first day (a Tuesday) to find it was closing day - not one restaurant, bistro, cafe, ANYTHING open, including the hotel's restaurant. However, all that being said, our walk through the Dordogne was THE single best vacation we've ever had (with the possible exception of Cuba). I love to browse through this book dreaming about our next one, maybe through Provence.

Not only useful, but a pleasure to read

I think the other reviewers have already covered most of the points. This book is written by a chef, and it is composed like a fine meal. The pace is wonderful: relaxing, but never boring-- the same way he advocates undertaking a long walk in France. Although a backpacker (I am one) would find this book useful, it is not intended for anyone who has ever spent a night without a roof, nor for anyone who intends to ever spend a night without a roof. What it will do is lead you to an experience that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment after enjoying a couple of weeks of beautiful scenery and fabulous food in the most relaxing and healthy manner possible. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best books I've ever read.

This is an excellent book!

I really enjoyed this book. It's filled with very useful information for travelers in France -- on foot or otherwise. It's beautifully produced, with some great photographs.

I'm making plans for my first long distance walk in France as a direct result of this book.

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