The Rough Guide to France 9 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

Paperback - 16 May, 2005 - Rough Guides
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By: Andrew Benson, Ruth Blackmore, Brian Catlos, Jan Dodd, S E Kramer and David Abram
ISBN: 1843534134

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About this book

France is known as a place that will delight the senses--and this Rough Guide will help you bathe in them all, from eyefuls of architecture to the sounds of la mer lapping against the shore, the touch of designer fabrics to the smells and tastes of some of the most renowned cuisine in the world. As authors Baillie and Salmon put it, "The pleasures of the palate run from the simplest picnic of crusty baguette, ham and cheese washed down by an inexpensive red wine through what must be the most elaborate take-away food in the world, available from practically every charcuterie; such basic regional dishes as cassoulet; the liver-destroying riches of Périgord and Burgundy cuisine; the fruits of the sea; extravagant pastries and ice cream cakes.... If you feel inadequate in the face of all this choice, never be afraid to ask advice, for most French people are true devotees, ever ready to explain the arcane mysteries to the uninitiated."

In France: The Rough Guide, the country's attractions are written up with creative flair and insightful advice, and the honest reviews of food and accommodations offer something for every traveler's budget. The coverage is complete with sections exploring history, cuisine, wine, literature, architectural terms, art, festivals, and politics. Bon voyage!

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Reviews by readers

The BEST practical guide

This is THE BEST practical guide for visiting France. It's well-organized, with highlights at the front of each chapter, and practical transportation information at the end of each chapter. In addition, their evaluations of a site's merit have, thus far, been right on. While their lodging and dining sections might focus on the lower-end, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of their information more than makes up for it.

Good resource, and I live in France

I live along the border of France and Switzerland. I like to take excursions around France and needed a dependable guide. So far, I have found this one to be pretty good, with straightforward basics about how to get around, where to stay and with pretty accurate opinions. I would recommend it overall, but bottom line, the very best resource is Michelin. If I were to buy just one guide I would make it the Michelin green guide, or of course for restaurants, the red guide.

Disappointing and somewhat out of date

I purchased this book to use for an upcoming trip. I purchased the newest edition which it the 9th.

I found that some of the information has not been checked or updated. For example, there is a aquarium called Nausicaa where the book info was about 5 years out of date.

Other complaints:
1) The writers seem to be extreme leftists in their opinions. If you are a gay vegan tree hugger this is the book for you.
2) Not enough info for people travelling by car. I realize that this isn't Rough Guides focus, but I found the coverage in Rough Guide Italy to be much better.
3) Minimal coverage for people travelling with families.

Positives:
1) Good coverage of camping
2) Breakdown by regions is helpful, as is summary of region in opening paragraph of each chapter.

I still intend on using the guide, although if I had to do it over I would probably buy a different guide.

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