Heise Lily - Frommers EasyGuide to France. 2016

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Frommer Media LLC

Copyright 2016 by Frommer Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to .

ISBN 978-1-62887-176-0 (paper), 978-1-62887-177-7 (e-book)

Editorial Director: Pauline Frommer

Editor: Karen Fitzpatrick

Production Editor: Heather Wilcox

Cartographer: Elizabeth Puhl

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Manufactured in the United States of America

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How to Contact Us

In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful placeshotels, restaurants, shops, and more. Were sure youll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, wed love to know that, too. Please write to:

Frommer's Star Ratings System

Every hotel, restaurant and attraction listed in this guide has been ranked for quality and value. Heres what the stars mean:

Recommended

Highly Recommended

A must! Don't miss!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE

The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and buses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about these hotels, restaurants, museums and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-to-date, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suffered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide.

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margie Rynn has been living in and writing about France for more than 15 years. The author of Pauline Frommers Paris, she has also written features for numerous magazines. Margie is married to a kind and understanding Frenchman, and they have a lovely 13-year-old son. She lives in Paris.

Mary Novakovich is an award-winning journalist and member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. She has been writing extensively about France and other countries for more than 15 years for The Independent, The Guardian, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, the BBC, France Magazine, and CNN, among others. She is based in Hertfordshire, England.

Lily Heise went to Paris as an exchange student in 2000 and fell in love with the country. She contributes to various publications, both in print and online. She lives in Montmartre and spends her free time exploring off-beat Paris in addition to villages and vineyards around the country.

Kathryn Tomasetti is U.S.-born and Italian-raised. She writes travel and food features for a variety of publications, including The Guardian and The Times. Her travel photos have been published by National Geographic and Time Out. Kathryn resides in Nice, France .

Tristan Rutherford has been a freelance writer for more than a decade. His first assignment took him to Nice, and he has been based there ever since. He has visited more than 60 countries and written about 20 of them for The Independent and the Sunday New York Times Travel Magazine. Tristan also lectures on travel journalism at Londons Central Saint Martins .

ABOUT THE FROMMERS TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommers has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Although we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history, and beliefs of the destinations we cover and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, criticalboth pro and conin their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs weve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Although we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com.

I have high hopes for the future of Frommers. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace.

Arthur Frommer

F rance presents visitors with an embarrassment of richesyou may be overwhelmed by all the choices. Here weve compiled a list of our favorite experiences and discoveries.

Frances best Authentic Experiences

Sipping Pastis in Provence: This anise-flavored liquor is sipped at sundown on every town square, from Arles to the Italian border. Beware: The Provenal are seriously brand-conscious. Order a 51 if you want to look like a local, or a Janot for the regions latest organic offering. See .

Breaking the Bank at Monte-Carlo: The Casino de Monte-Carlo has been the most opulent place to have a flutter for more than 150 years. Its creation turned the tables for Monaco, transforming a provincial port into a world-class tourist destination. See p. 297.

Ogling the Pomp of the Popes Medieval Party Pad: Avignons Palais des Papes, or Popes Palace, is a moneyed medley of Gothic architecture, vast banqueting halls, and frescoed suites. The Chteauneuf-du-Pape papal vineyards just north of Avignon still produce some of the most noted wine in France. See p. 198.