Rick Steves - Rick Steves France

FRANCE

Rick Steves & Steve Smith

Travel is intensified livingmaximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. Its recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever sincethrough my bus tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years, Ive taught millions of travelers how to best enjoy Europes blockbuster sightsand experience Back Door discoveries that most tourists miss.

Written with my talented co-author, Steve Smith, this book offers you a balanced mix of Frances lively cities and cozy towns, from the traditional heartland to jet-setting beach resorts. Its selective: Rather than listing dozens of beautiful chteaux in the Loire region, we cover only the top 10. And its in-depth: Our self-guided museum tours, city walks, and driving tours provide insight into the countrys vibrant history and todays living, breathing culture.

We advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of our money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to pricey chain hotels and famous restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit France to experience itto become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging by the positive feedback we receive from our readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacationwhether its your first trip or your tenth.

Bon voyage! Happy travels!

Bienvenue! Youve chosen well. With its distinctive regions and renowned cuisine, France is Europes most diverse, tasty, and exciting country to explore. Its a cultural bouillabaisse that surprises travelers with its varied, complex flavors.

A delightful blend of natural and man-made beauty, France offers chandeliered chteaux, forever coastlines, soaring cathedrals, Europes highest mountain ranges, and museums showcasing cultural icons of the Western world.

In many ways, France is a yardstick of human achievement. Here, travelers can trace the path of European history, from magnificent prehistoric cave paintings to dazzling Roman ruins. In medieval times, France cultivated Romanesque and Gothic architectureerecting towering cathedrals and inspiring copycat trends throughout Europe. With revolutionary zeal, French philosophers refined modern thought and politics. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the chteaux of the Loire and the grand palace of Versailles announced Frances emergence as the first European superpower and first modern government. Later France gave birth to Impressionism and with that, the foundations of modern art. And the country remains at the forefront of technology, architecture, fashion, and cuisine.

France is a big country by European standardsand would be one of the biggest states if it ever joined the US (unlikely). Its a bit smaller than Texas, but has 66 million people (Texas has 26 million). This country features three mountain ranges, two very different coastlines, several cosmopolitan cities, and countless sleepy villages.

From chic attire (in Paris) to traditional garb (at a festival in Arles), the French wear it well.

There are two Frances: Paris...and the rest of the country. Frances government and cultural heart have always been centered in Paris, resulting in an overwhelming concentration of world-class museums, cutting-edge architecture, historic monuments, trendy energy, and famous cafs. Travelers can spend weeks in France and never leave Paris. Many do.

The other France venerates land, tradition, and a slower pace of life. Romantic hill towns and castles, meandering river valleys, and oceans of vineyards carpet this countrys landscape. Wheat farms flourish in the north, dairy farms in the west, fruit orchards and lavender fields in the south...and vineyards and sunflowers just about everywhere. Even city dwellers venerate the soil (le terroir) that brings the flavor to their foods and wines.

France has more geographical diversity than any other nation in Europe. Paris and the land around it (called Ile de France) is the modern, bustling center. To the west are the dramatic D-Day beaches and thatch-roofed homes of Normandy; to the south lie the river valleys of the Loire and Dordogne, with elegant chteaux, medieval castles, and hilltop villages. In the far southwest are the Spanish-tinged Languedoc-Roussillon and the overlooked Pyrenees. Closer to Italy, windswept Provence nurtures Roman ruins and rustic charm, while the Riviera celebrates sunny beaches and modern art. And to the east are Europes highest snowcapped Alps, the vineyards of Burgundy, and the Germanic culture of Alsace.

French cuisine is sightseeing for your taste buds. Youre not paying just for the fooda good meal is a three-hour joyride for the senses, as rich as visiting an art gallery and as stimulating as a good massage.

Fine French restaurants may seem intimidating, but many servers speak English and are used to tourists. Heres an experience I shared with my co-author, Steve Smith, at a fine restaurant in Amboise, in the Loire Valley.

French restaurants open for dinner at about 19:00 and are most crowded at about 20:30its smart to reserve ahead for your splurge meal, which we did the day before. In France, you can order off the menu, which is called la carte and offers more selection, or you can order a multi-course, fixed-price meal, which, confusingly, is called a menu (a great value if youre hungry). Steve ordered a three-course menu and I ordered off la carte.

Aurore, our waitress, smiled as I ordered escargot (snails) for my first course. Getting a full dozen escargot rather than the typical six snails doubles the joy. Eating six, youre aware that the supply is limited. Eating twelve, for the first eight it seems like theres no end to your fun. Add a good white wine and youve got a full orchestral accompaniment.

In France, slow service is good service (fast service rushes diners and digestion). After a pleasant pause, my main course arrived: tender beef with beans wrapped in bacon. Slicing through a pack of beans in their quiver of bacon, I let the fat do its dirty deed. A sip of wine, after a bite of beef, was like an incoming tide washing the flavor ashore.