Steves Rick - Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera

Police: Tel. 17

Emergency Medical Assistance (called SAMU): Tel. 15

Collect Calls to the US: Dial 08 00 90 06 24, then say operator for an English-speaking operator.

Riviera Medical Services: Tel. 04 93 26 12 70, www.rivieramedical.com (has list of English-speaking physicians in the Riviera region and can help make an appointment or call an ambulance)

US Consulate in Nice: Tel. 04 93 88 89 55 (7 Avenue Gustave V, http://marseille.usconsulate.gov/nice.html; does not provide visa servicesParis is the nearest office for these services)

Canadian Consulate in Nice: Tel. 04 93 92 93 22 (2 Place Franklin). For emergency assistance, call collect to Canadian tel. 613/996-8885.

US Consulate in Marseille: Tel. 01 43 12 47 54; after business hours call Paris office at tel. 01 43 12 22 22 (Place Varian Fry, http://marseille.usconsulate.gov)

US Consulate and Embassy in Paris: Tel. 01 43 12 22 22 (4 Avenue Gabriel, to the left as you face Htel Crillon, Mo: Concorde, http://france.usembassy.gov)

Canadian Consulate and Embassy in Paris: Tel. 01 44 43 29 02 (35 Avenue Montaigne, Mo: Franklin D. Roosevelt, www.amb-canada.fr). For 24/7 emergency assistance, call collect to Canadian tel. 613/996-8885.

Australian Consulate in Paris: Tel. 01 40 59 33 00 (4 Rue Jean Rey, Mo: Bir-Hakeim, www.france.embassy.gov.au)

This list includes selected festivals in the Provence and French Riviera region, plus national holidays observed throughout France. Many sights and banks close on national holidayskeep this in mind when planning your itinerary. Before planning a trip around a festival, verify its dates by checking the festivals website or the France TI (www.franceguide.com). Hotels get booked up on Easter weekend, Labor Day, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Bastille Day, and the winter holidays.

To learn more about France past and present, and specifically Provence and the French Riviera, check out a few of these books and films. To learn whats making news in France, youll find France 24 News online at www.France24.com/en. See the Traveling with Kids chapter for recommendations for children.

A to Z of French Food, a French to English Dictionary of Culinary Terms (G. de Temmerman, 1995). This is the most complete (and priciest) menu reader aroundand its beloved by foodies.

At Home in France (Ann Barry, 1996). An American author describes her visits to her country house.

The Course of French History (Pierre Goubert, 1988). Goubert provides a basic summary of French history.

A Distant Mirror (Barbara Tuchman, 1987). Respected historian Barbara Tuchman paints a portrait of 14th-century France.

French or Foe? (Polly Platt, 1994). This best seller, along with its follow-up, Savoir-Flair!, is an essential aid for interacting with the French and navigating the intricacies of their culture.

A Goose in Toulouse and other Culinary Adventures in France (Mort Rosenblum, 2000). This series of essays provides keen insights on rural France through its focus on cuisine.

La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life (Elaine Sciolino, 2011). Sciolino, former Paris bureau chief of the New York Times, gives travelers a fun, insightful, and tantalizing peek into how seduction is used in all aspects of French lifefrom small villages to the halls of national government.

Portraits of France (Robert Daley, 1991). Part memoir, part travelogue, this is a charming reminiscence of the writers lifelong relationship with France, including marrying a French girl on his first trip there.