About the Authors

Alison Culliford was a journalist in London for 12 years before buying a one-way Eurostar ticket to Paris in 2001, and has never looked back. She worked in Time Out’s Paris bureau and now freelances as a travel journalist and guidebook author, taking every opportunity to discover the diverse regions of France by road, train, bicycle, and on foot.

Joe Ray has been writing and shooting food and travel stories for more than a decade. Based in Paris, he writes for major dailies and magazines around the world, along with restaurant critique with France’s top critic, François Simon of Le Figaro. He is also a former winner of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award.

Tristan Rutherford moved to Nice and began a career in freelance travel journalism in 2002. He writes travel features for Financial Times and London’s Sunday Times Travel Magazine among others, and lectures in travel journalism at Central Saint Martins in London. His hottest picks along the Cote d’Azur remain the 1€ no.100 bus from Nice to Monaco, the sandy beaches of Juan-les-Pins, and Nice’s locals-only street market of Libération.

Margie Rynn has been living and writing in Paris for over 10 years.While she’s not exactly assimilated, she did cross a major cultural threshold the day she realized she knew the lyrics to a Claude François tune. Margie is the author of Pauline Frommer’s Paris and has written features for Budget Travel, EasyJet, and Ryanair Magazine, among other publications. She has also worked for the United Nations Environmental Program and acted in a Broadway show.

Caroline Sieg is half-Swiss, half-American, and her relationship with France began with childhood trips to Strasbourg to visit her Alsatian family. Later, she studied French, resided in Paris, and worked several seasons in a ski resort bordering France and Switzerland. These days, Caroline heads to France as often as possible—to ski, sniff out the best wine, cheese, and bread, or simply meander along quiet side streets.

Amelia Smith skipped the “tu” form of conjugation after her high school French teacher said the chances of her ever knowing an actual French person were close to none. Thirteen years after moving to France, she continues to address French family and friends like royalty. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, and The Daily Beast, among others.

Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).

In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:

Special finds—those places only insiders know about

Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun

Kids—best bets for kids and advice for the whole family

Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of

Overrated—places or experiences not worth your time or money

Insider tips—great ways to save time and money

Great values—where to get the best deals

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:

AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa

DC Diners Club MC MasterCard

NORMANDY & MONT-ST-MICHEL

by Caroline Sieg

Ten centuries have passed since the Vikings invaded Normandy. The early Scandinavians came to seize the land, but they stayed to cultivate it. The Normans produced great soldiers, none more famous than William the Conqueror, who defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The English and the French continued to battle for centuries.

The invasion of June 6, 1944, ravaged much of Normandy. The largest armada ever assembled was responsible for regaining control of Europe from the Nazis. Today many visitors come to Normandy to see the D-day beachheads.

Some of this province may remind you of a Millet landscape, with cattle grazing in fields and wood-framed houses alongside modern buildings. Not far from the Seine is the hamlet where Monet painted his waterlilies. Here and there are stained-glass windows and Gothic architecture that survived the bombardments; however, many great buildings were leveled. Normandy’s wide beaches attract families, and in August, the Deauville sands draw the chicest of the chic from Europe and North America. The resort towns of Deauville and Trouville are part of the region known as La Côte Fleurie (the Flower Coast), so called because of the profusion of flowers that grow there in the summer.

ROUEN ★★★

135km (84 miles) NW of Paris; 89km (55 miles) E of Le Havre

The capital of Normandy and the fifth-largest port in France, Rouen is a hub of commerce. It’s a bustling, vibrant place, bursting with activity generated by the industries connected to the port and the students at nearby universities and art schools. Former occupants include the writers Pierre Corneille and Gustave Flaubert, Claude Monet (who endlessly painted Rouen’s Cathédrale de Notre-Dame), and Joan of Arc (“Oh, Rouen, art thou then my final resting place?”). Today it’s a city of half a million people.

Victor Hugo called Rouen “the city of a hundred spires.” Half of it was destroyed during World War II, mostly by Allied bombers, and many Rouennais were killed. During the reconstruction of the old quarters, some of the almost-forgotten crafts of the Middle Ages were revived. The city on the Seine is rich in historical associations: William the Conqueror died here in 1087, and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake on place du Vieux-Marché in 1431.

As in Paris, the Seine splits Rouen into a Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank). The old city is on the right bank.

A 4-Day Normandy Itinerary

On your first day, head for Rouen and explore its old town and cathedral. On your second day, go to Caen, William the Conqueror’s seat of government. Stay in Caen or in Bayeux, where you can see the local cathedral and the Bayeux tapestry. On your third day (from Caen or Bayeux), explore the D-day beaches. On your fourth day, continue west toward the ancient island-abbey of Mont-St-Michel.

Essentials

GETTING THERE From Paris’s Gare St-Lazare, trains leave for Rouen about once an hour (trip time: 1½ hr.). The one-way fare is 20€. The station is at the corner of rue Jeanne d’Arc and rue Verte. For information, call 36-35 or 08-92-35-35-35, or visit www.voyages-sncf.com. To drive from Paris, take A13 northwest to Rouen (trip time: 1½ hr.).

GETTING AROUND The Métro is part of the city’s MétroBus system (02-35-52-52-52). It has one north–south line. The most central stations in Old Rouen are Palais de Justice and Gare (Rue Verte). Tickets cost 1.40€ per ride and are good for bus transfers within 1 hour of entering the Métro. Buy tickets from kiosks or automated machines.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is at 25 place de la Cathédrale (02-32-08-32-40; www.rouentourisme.com).

Seeing the Sights

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen ★★★ Monet immortalized Rouen’s cathedral (particularly the facade, with its galaxy of statues) in his paintings. The main door, Porte Central, is embellished with sculptures (some decapitated) depicting the Tree of Jesus. The 12th-century Porte St-Jean and Porte St-Etienne flank it. Consecrated in 1063, the cathedral, a symphony of lacy stonework, was reconstructed after suffering damage in World War II. Two towers distinguish it: Tour de Beurre was financed by the faithful who were willing to pay for the privilege of eating butter during Lent. Containing a carillon of 56 bells, the Tour Lanterne (Lantern Tower)—built in 1877 and using 740 tons of iron and bronze—rises to almost 150m (492 ft.).

The cathedral’s interior is fairly uniform. The choir is a masterpiece, with 14 soaring pillars. The Booksellers’ Stairway, in the north wing of the transept, is adorned with a stained-glass rose window that dates, in part, from the 1500s. The 13th-century chancel is beautiful, with simple lines. Especially interesting is the Chapelle de la Vierge, adorned with Renaissance tombs of the cardinals d’Amboise. Also entombed is the heart of Richard the Lion-Hearted, a token of his affection for the people of Rouen.

Behind the cathedral is the Palais de l’Archevêché (Archbishop’s Palace), which was bombed in the war. Now it stands naked against the sky. The broken arches and rosette windows witnessed the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431, and her rehabilitation was proclaimed here in 1456.

Place de la Cathédrale. 02-35-71-71-60. www.cathedrale-rouen.net. Free admission. Mon 2–6pm; Tues–Sat 7:30am–noon and 2–6pm; Sun 8am–6pm. Closed during Mass and on bank holidays.

Eglise St-Maclou ★★ St-Maclou was built in the Flamboyant Gothic style, with a step-gabled porch and cloisters, and is known for the 16th-century panels on its doors. Our favorite (to the left) is the Portail des Fontaines (Portal of the Fonts). The church was built in 1200, rebuilt in 1432, and consecrated in 1521; its lantern tower is from the 19th century. It sits on a square full of old Norman crooked-timbered buildings. Inside, pictures dating from June 4, 1944, document St-Maclou’s destruction and its subsequent restoration.

3 place Barthélémy, behind the cathedral. 02-35-71-28-09. Free admission. Apr–Oct daily 10am–noon and 2–6pm; Nov–Mar daily 10am–noon and 2–5:30pm.

Eglise St-Ouen ★★ This church is the outgrowth of a 7th-century Benedictine abbey. Flanked by four turrets, its 115m (377-ft.) octagonal lantern tower is called “the ducal crown of Normandy.” The church represents the work of 5 centuries. Its nave is from the 15th century, its choir from the 14th (with 18th-c. railings), and its stained glass from the 14th to the 16th. On May 23, 1431, Joan of Arc was taken to the cemetery here, and officials sentenced her to be burned at the stake unless she recanted. She signed an abjuration, condemning herself to life imprisonment, but that sentence was later revoked.

Place du Général-de-Gaulle. 02-32-08-31-01. Free admission. Mar–Oct Tues–Sun 10am–noon and 2–6pm; Nov–Feb Tues–Sun 10am–noon and 2–5:30pm.

Musée de la Céramique ★★ One of the great treasures here is the collection of 17th- and 18th-century Rouen faïence (opaquely glazed earthenware), which has a distinctive red hue because of the color of the local clay. The exhibits provide a showcase for Masseot Abaquesne, the premier French artist in faïence. An exceptional display is devoted to chinoiserie from 1699 to 1745.

94 rue Jeanne d’Arc. 02-35-07-31-74. Admission 2.30€ adults, 1.55€ students, free for children 17 and under. Wed–Mon 10am–1pm and 2–6pm.

Musée des Beaux-Arts ★★★ This is one of France’s most important provincial museums, with more than 65 rooms of art that ranges from medieval primitives to contemporary paintings. You’ll find portraits by David and works by Delacroix and Ingres (seek out his La Belle Zélie). A Gérard David retable (altarpiece), La Vierge et les saints (The Virgin and the Saints), is a masterpiece. One salon is devoted to Géricault, including his portrait of Delacroix. Other works here are by Veronese, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Fragonard, and Corot, and by Impressionists such as Monet, including several paintings of the Rouen cathedral.

Esplanade de Marcel Duchamp. 02-35-71-28-40. Admission 4€ adults, 2.50€ students, free for children 17 and under. Mon and Wed–Sun 10am–6pm.

Musée Flaubert et d’Histoire de la Médécine Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary, was born in the director’s quarters of Rouen’s public hospital (his father was the director) in 1821. The room in which he was born is intact. You’ll see the glass door that separated the Flauberts from the ward and its patients. Family furniture and medical paraphernalia are also displayed.

51 rue de Lecat. 02-35-15-59-95. Admission 3€ adults, 1.50€ for students and ages 18–25, free for children 17 and under. Tues 10am–6pm; Wed–Sat 10am–noon and 2–6pm.

Musée Jeanne-d’Arc The life and the martyrdom of Joan of Arc, France’s national heroine, are the focus here. In a vaulted cellar, dioramas, waxworks, and commentary in four languages tell the story of her life—from Domrémy, where she was born, to Rouen, where she was burned at the stake. The museum also contains a research library that concentrates on her life and the politics of her era. Visitors can hear, without charge, recorded narration on hand-held devices.

33 place du Vieux-Marché. 02-35-88-02-70. www.jeanne-darc.com. Admission 4€ adults, 2.50€ students and children 17 and under. Apr–Sept daily 9:30am–7pm; Oct–Mar daily 10am–noon and 2–6:30pm.

Musée Le Secq des Tournelles (Wrought Ironworks Museum) ★ Housed in the 15th-century Eglise St-Laurent, this museum showcases ironwork, a Norman art form. Its collection ranges from what a critic once called “forthright masculine forging to lacy feminine filigree, from Roman keys to the needlepoint balustrade that graced Mme. de Pompadour’s country mansion.” The collection displays some 14,000 pieces.

2 rue Jacques-Villon. 02-35-88-42-92. Admission 2.30€ adults, 1.55€ students, free for children 17 and under. Wed–Mon 10am–1pm and 2–6pm.

Place du Vieux-Marché ★ Joan of Arc was executed for heresy at the Old Marketplace. Tied to a stake, she was burned on May 30, 1431. Her ashes were gathered and tossed into the Seine. A modern church with stained-glass windows from St-Vincent sits in the center of a monumental complex in the square; beside it, a bronze cross marks the position of St. Joan’s stake.

Rue du Gros-Horloge ★★ The “Street of the Great Clock” runs between the cathedral and place du Vieux-Marché. Now a pedestrian mall, it’s named for an ornate gilt Renaissance clock mounted on an arch, Rouen’s most popular monument. The arch bridges the street and connects to a Louis XV fountain with a bevy of cherubs and a bell tower. At night the bells still toll a curfew.

A Ride on “the Little Train”

The rubber-wheeled Petit Train (02-32-18-40-23) is the most fun way to see this ancient city. The 40-minute tours leave from the front of the tourist office, 25 place de la Cathédrale (02-32-08-32-40). Departures are daily at 10 and 11am and 2, 4, and 5pm. Tickets cost 6.50€ for adults and 4.50€ for children 12 and under. The train operates from April 1 to mid-October, with limited service over the Christmas holidays.

Shopping

Rouen was once one of France’s major producers of the fine decorative ceramic ware known as faïence de Rouen. Examples of both antique and contemporary faïence abound, and it’s worth picking up one or two pieces. For contemporary faïence, your best bet is Faïencerie Carpentier Augy, 26 rue St-Romain (02-35-88-77-47). The well-known studio sells reproductions of historical styles in an array of colors.

Another Rouen specialty is les coffret de Rouen. The little hand-painted wooden boxes were all the rage during the 18th and 19th centuries. The original versions continue to be popular, but watch out for modern forgeries.

Rouen is also an antiques capital, with more than 80 vendors in the Old Town. The best hunting ground is in Vieux Rouen (the Old Town), along rue Eau-de-Robec, place Barthélémy, rue Damiette, and rue St-Romain. The city has two flea markets, on Saturday and Sunday at place St-Mare, and on Thursday at place des Emmurés. Medium- and large-scale auctions take place year-round at Les Salles des Ventes and 20 rue de la Croix-de-Fer (02-35-71-54-48).

Other antiques shops worth visiting are Michel Bertran, 108 rue Molière (02-35-98-24-06), with a good selection of 18th- and 19th-century paintings, especially by School of Rouen Impressionists; Etienne Bertran, 110 rue Molière (02-35-70-79-96), with its collection of antique books dating to the 16th century; and Patrick Chasset, 12 rue de la Croix-de-Fer (02-35-70-59-97), for toys and cards from the 1700s and 1800s, as well as bottles and glassware. You’ll find watercolors by local artists, as well as antique Norman and English engravings.

Lovers of chocolate will discover a veritable paradise at La Chocolatière, 18 rue Guillaume-le-Conquérant (02-35-71-00-79). The specialty that has attracted local gourmets for as long as anyone can remember is a praline-layered paillardises, rich in velvety chocolate that many readers describe as sinful.

Where to Stay

MODERATE

Hôtel de Dieppe The Gueret family has run this Best Western property, across from the train station, since 1880. Although it has been modernized, it’s still a traditional French inn. The only problem might be noise, but double-glazed windows help, and the area quiets down after the last train from Paris arrives around 10:30pm. Rooms are compact, with comfortable beds. Half the guest rooms have a full bathroom, the rest just a shower. In Le Quatre Saisons, the adjoining rotisserie, you can enjoy dishes such as duckling à la presse (pressed duck) and sole poached in red wine.

Place Bernard-Tissot, Rouen 76000. www.hotel-dieppe.fr. 800/528-1234 in the U.S. and Canada, or 02-35-71-96-00. Fax 02-35-89-65-21. 41 units. 99€–120€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 5€. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

INEXPENSIVE

Alive Hôtel De Québec In the historic core, this budget hotel stands close to the cathedral and its surrounding antiques shops. It is a very typical Norman city hotel, without any grand design, but offering affordable, comfortable rooms. Bedrooms are generally small, but each is well kept and many open onto a view of a garden. Suitable for families, some units have both a double bed and a single bed.

18–24 rue Québec, Rouen 76000. www.hotel-rouen.com. 02-35-70-09-38. Fax 02-35-15-80-15. 38 units. 55€–60€ double; 68€–74€ triple. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Breakfast room. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel Cardinal Not only is this hotel ideally located, it’s also affordable. It’s across from the cathedral (imagine waking up to a view of the majestic structure and the surrounding half-timbered buildings), in the middle of a neighborhood known for antiques, art galleries, and fine dining. With so much to do in the area, you won’t mind the hotel’s simplicity. Rooms are business-class plain with built-in furnishings and a small bathroom with tub or shower.

1 place de la Cathédrale, Rouen 76000. www.cardinal-hotel.fr. 02-35-70-24-42. Fax 02-35-89-75-14. 18 units. 66€–86€ double; 86€–116€ triple or family room. MC, V. Parking 6€ nearby. Closed mid-Dec to mid-Jan. Amenities: Room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel de la Cathédrale Built around a timbered and cobble-covered courtyard, this hotel is on a pedestrian street midway between the cathedral and the Eglise St-Maclou, opposite the Archbishop’s Palace where Joan of Arc was tried. The remodeled rooms are well maintained and tastefully furnished, accessible by both stairs and an elevator. Breakfast is the only meal served.

12 rue St-Romain, Rouen 76000. www.hotel-de-la-cathedrale.fr. 02-35-71-57-95. Fax 02-35-70-15-54. 26 units. 70€–98€ double. AE, MC, V. Parking 10€ nearby. Amenities: Tea lounge; babysitting; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel du Vieux Carré ★ In a restored half-timbered 18th-century house, this is one of the most charming and tranquil lodgings in Rouen. After inspecting too many impersonally furnished hotels, we found this one a surprise and a delight. Patrick Beaumont, the enthusiastic and much-traveled owner, has tastefully decorated the midsize guest rooms in comfortable rustic fashion. Unusual for central Rouen, its restaurant opens onto a flower-filled courtyard.

34 rue Ganterie, Rouen 76000. www.vieux-carre.fr. 02-35-71-67-70. Fax 02-35-71-19-17. 13 units. 58€–65€ double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant (lunch only); tearoom/cafe. In room: TV, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

Gill ★★★ MODERN FRENCH The best restaurant in town sits beside the traffic of the Seine’s quays. The minimalist decor, with high-tech lighting and accessories, is an appropriate backdrop for the sophisticated cuisine of Gilles Tournadre. Who can resist ravioli stuffed with foie gras and served in a bouillon sprinkled with fresh truffles? How about terrine of artichoke with fresh truffles or roasted white turbot with fresh asparagus flavored with Parmesan? The best items on the menu are pan-fried foie gras of duckling served with caramelized turnips and a turnip-green salad; a salad of crayfish tails with tomato-and-black-pepper chutney; and the most famous and popular specialty, Rouen-style pigeon with vegetables floating in densely concentrated consommé.

9 quai de la Bourse. 02-35-71-16-14. www.gill.fr. Reservations required far in advance. Main courses 30€–57€; business lunch 38€; fixed-price dinner 95€. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues–Sat noon–1:45pm and 7:30–9:30pm. Closed Aug and 2 weeks in Apr.

Les Nymphéas ★★★ MODERN FRENCH One of the most appealing restaurants in Rouen bears the name of a painting by Monet (Water Lilies). The setting is a 16th-century half-timbered house that fits gracefully into the centrally located neighborhood (place du Vieux-Marché). The restaurant features sophisticated, savory cuisine. It’s celebrated for its warm foie gras with cider sauce; wild duckling Rouennais style, served with wild mushrooms and caramelized onions; and civet (stew) of lobster with Sauternes. An award-winning dessert that evokes the Norman countryside is a warm soufflé flavored with apples and Calvados.

7 rue de la Pie. 02-35-89-26-69. www.lesnympheas-rouen.com. Reservations required. Main courses 24€–55€; fixed-price menu 40€–70€. AE, MC, V. Tues–Sat 12:15–2pm and 7:30–9:45pm. Closed late Aug to mid-Sept.

Pascaline TRADITIONAL FRENCH This informal bistro is often filled with regulars and has been a favorite since its opening in 1880. The decor hasn’t changed much since. The cheapest fixed-price menus are among the best bargains in town. Menu items include seafood dishes such as pavé of monkfish with roughly textured mustard sauce, breast of duck cooked in beer, and savory pot-au-feu maison (house stew). Don’t come for refined cuisine—you should expect hearty, time-tested favorites.

5 rue de la Poterne. 02-35-89-67-44. www.pascaline.fr. Reservations recommended. Main courses 10€–20€; fixed-price menu 13€–29€. AE, MC, V. Daily noon–2:30pm and 7–11pm.

Rouen After Dark

For highbrow entertainment, Théâtre des Arts, 7 rue du Dr.-Rambert (02-35-71-41-36), presents ballet, opera, and classical music. Théâtre des Deux Rives, 48 rue Louis-Ricard (02-35-89-63-41), presents plays in French. Théâtre des Arts/Opéra Léonard de Vinci, 7 rue du Dr-Rambert (02-35-71-41-36), has a busy schedule of classical and contemporary opera. A variety of concerts takes place at Eglise St-Ouen, place du Général-de-Gaulle. For information about who’s playing, contact the tourist office.

Much of the nightlife, especially pubs, centers on place du Vieux-Marché. La Bohème, 18 rue St-Amand (02-35-71-53-99; www.laboheme-discotheque.com), is a small discothèque with a cozy, publike ambience. Manystudents meet at the Underground Pub, 26 rue des Champs-Maillets (02-35-98-44-84), which has a street-level bar and an underground bar fitted with wood and British bric-a-brac.

WINE BAR Le P’tit Zinc, 20 place du Vieux-Marché (02-35-89-39-69), is a bistro-style wine bar with early-1900s decor and one of the best wine selections in town. Of course, you can order Norman cider as well.

Finding Old Normandy in Calvados Country

For a taste of old Normandy, motorists heading from Rouen to Deauville should stop in Pont-Audemer, 50km (31 miles) west of Rouen. On the banks of the River Risle, Pont-Audemer is in the heart of Calvados country. In spite of war damage, Pont-Audemer retains much of its old look, especially if you wander its historic streets, rue de la Licorne (unicorn) and rue de la République. Along rue de la République, look for Eglise St-Ouen, dating from the 11th century.

HONFLEUR ★★

201km (125 miles) NW of Paris; 63km (39 miles) NE of Caen

At the mouth of the Seine opposite Le Havre, Honfleur is one of Normandy’s most charming fishing ports. Having escaped major damage in World War II, the working port looks like an antique. Thanks to the pont de Normande, the bridge that links Honfleur to Le Havre, visitors flock here. Honfleur is 500 years older than Le Havre, dating from the 11th century. Artists, including Daubigny, Corot, and Monet, have long favored this township.

Essentials

GETTING THERE If you’re driving from Pont l’Evêque or other points south (including Paris), D579 leads to the major boulevard, rue de la République. Follow it to the town center. Driving time from Paris is 2 to 2½ hours.

There’s no direct train service into Honfleur. From Paris, take one of the dozen or so daily trains from Gare St-Lazare to Deauville for 30€ one-way. From there, bus no. 20 makes the 25-minute ride to Honfleur; the one-way fare is about 2.15€. From Rouen, take the train to Le Havre and transfer to bus no. 50, which costs 4.10€ each way, for the 30-minute ride to Honfleur. Several buses run daily between Caen and Honfleur (trip time: 2 hr.); the one-way fare is 7.20€. For information, call Bus Verts du Calvados (08-10-21-42-14).

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is on quai Lepaulmier (02-31-89-23-30; www.ot-honfleur.fr).

Seeing the Town

Begin your tour, which should take about an hour, at place de la Porte-de-Rouen. Stroll along the Vieux Bassin, the old harbor, taking in the fishing boats and narrow, slate-roofed houses. On the north side of the basin, the former governor’s house, Lieutenance, dates from the 16th century. Nearby is the Eglise Ste-Catherine, place Ste-Catherine (02-31-89-11-83), constructed of timber by 15th-century shipbuilders. The church’s wooden belfry is on the other side of the street. The church is open July and August daily from 8am to 8pm, September through June daily 8:30am to noon and 2 to 6pm.

Maisons Satie Opened in 1998, this high-tech museum honors Honfleur’s native son Erik Satie in the house where he was born in 1866. Satie was a “complete artist”: He became most famous for his music, but he was also a painter and acted as a muse and inspiration to Picasso, Braque, Cocteau, Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky. This is not a traditional museum. The walk-through exhibitions incorporate sound, light, and recordings of Satie’s compositions. Visitors wear high-tech helmets that transmit sound, which allows for a degree of play and experimentation in some of the exhibits.

67 bd. Charles V. 02-31-89-11-11. Admission 5.10€ adults, 3.60€ ages 10–17, free for children 9 and under. May–Sept Wed–Mon 10am–7pm; Oct–Apr Wed–Mon 11am–6pm. Closed Jan–Feb 15.

Musée d’Ethnographie et d’art populaire This place celebrates the unique cultural and aesthetic contributions of Normandy to the rest of Europe. You’ll find old furniture, lace headdresses, embroidery, candle-making equipment, and farm implements, as well as several rooms outfitted with period art and antiques.

Quai St-Etienne. 02-31-89-14-12. Admission 3.50€ adults, 2.10€ students and children 10–18, free for children 9 and under. July–Aug daily 10am–noon and 2–6:30pm; Apr–June and Sept Tues–Fri 10am–noon and 2–6pm; Oct to mid-Nov and mid-Feb to Mar Tues–Fri 2–5:30pm, Sat–Sun 10am–noon and 2:30–5:30pm.

Musée Eugène-Boudin This museum showcases a good collection of works by the painters who flocked to this port when Impressionism was new. The largest assortment is of the pastels and paintings of Boudin.

Place Erik-Satie. 02-31-89-54-00. Admission 5.30€ adults, 3.80€ students and children 10 and over. Mar 15–Sept Wed–Mon 10am–noon and 2–6pm; Oct–Mar 14 Wed–Mon 2:30–5:30pm, Sat–Sun 10am–noon and 2:30–5:30pm. Closed Jan to mid-Feb, July 14, and Christmas.

NaturoSpace Inaugurated in 1999 on the western outskirts of town, adjacent to the seacoast, Honfleur’s modern attraction displays the flora and butterfly life of some of the most exotic climates on Earth. Designed like an enormous greenhouse bursting with tropical plants and butterflies, it contains a labyrinth of walkways that cut through Normandy’s approximation of a tropical rainforest. Most visitors spend about an hour in this environment, which is in distinct contrast to the old Norman ethnicity that’s otherwise associated with Honfleur.

Bd. Charles V. 02-31-81-77-00. www.naturospace.com. Admission 7.80€ adults, 6€ students and children 13 and under, family package 30€. Apr–June and Sept daily 10am–1pm and 2–7pm; Feb–Nov 10am–1pm and 2–5:30pm; July–Aug daily 10am–7pm.

Where to Stay

Restaurant/Hôtel L’Absinthe (see “Where to Eat,”) also rents rooms.

Castel Albertine ★ Management takes great care to maintain the character of this home of Albert Sorel, a 19th-century historian and scholar. The impressive house, of red brick and rose-hued stone, is a 3-minute walk from the port. It is a handsome, welcoming hotel. All of the individually decorated rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto views of gardens and trees. Bathrooms are small but tidily kept, with either a tub or a shower.

19 cours Albert-Manuel, Honfleur 14600. www.honfleurhotels.com. 02-31-98-85-56. Fax 02-31-98-83-18. 27 units. 80€–150€ double. MC, V. Parking 10€. Closed Jan. Amenities: Bar; babysitting; room service; sauna. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

La Ferme St-Siméon ★★★ An old farmhouse is the focal point of this 17th-century half-timbered slate hotel, one of Normandy’s most elegant and prestigious inns. It’s in the hills above Honfleur, about 1.5km (1 mile) from the old port. The shimmering water of the English Channel draws artists to the hilltop inn, said to be where Impressionism was born in the 19th century. Much of the hotel has terra-cotta floors, carved wood, and copper and faïence touches. Guest rooms, which are formal and comfortable, have fabric-covered walls. Some rooms contain exposed half-timbering or ceiling beams; others hold canopy-covered beds. Most have antique or heirloom furnishings. Bathrooms are beautifully maintained; about half have tub/showers.

20 rue Adolphe-Marais, Honfleur 14600. www.fermesaintsimeon.fr. 02-31-81-78-00. Fax 02-31-89-48-48. 34 units. 220€–450€ double; 550€–850€ suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; indoor pool; room service; sauna; spa. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Le Manoir de Butin ★ Surrounded by well-landscaped grounds, this villa château evokes a more gracious era at the turn of the 20th century. The villa’s half-timbered and dormers–styled structure suggest the frivolity of late-19th-century seaside architecture in Normandy. The bedrooms are some of the most intimate and cozy in the area, each with beautiful furnishings, often with a poster bed along with marble-clad bathrooms. Fin de siècle architectural details include a grand staircase, bay or bow windows, and wooden balconies.

Phare du Butin, Honfleur 14600. www.hotel-lemanoir.fr. 02-31-81-63-00. Fax 02-31-89-59-23. 10 units. 120€–360€ double. AE, MC, V. Closed Nov and mid-Dec to Jan. Amenities: Restaurant; room service. In room: TV, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Les Maisons de Léa ★★ A sense of old-fashioned coziness abounds here. In 1900, the hotel owners converted a 16th-century fish market and added plumbing and partitions between what are now comfortable, warmly decorated guest rooms. Rooms have individual color schemes and canopy-covered beds. The accommodations, though modest, are perfect for an overnight stop. All bathrooms contain showers, but only about a third have tubs.

Place Ste-Catherine, Honfleur 14600. www.lesmaisonsdelea.com. 02-31-14-49-49. Fax 02-31-89-28-61. 30 units. 145€–205€ double; 205€–295€ suite. AE, MC, V. Bus: 20 or 50. Amenities: Snack bar; babysitting; room service (breakfast only). In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

La Terrasse et l’Assiette ★★ TRADITIONAL FRENCH Outfitted “in the Norman style” with heavy beams and lots of exposed brick, the gourmet citadel of Honfleur attracts an upscale international clientele. Dishes include crayfish with sautéed vermicelli and truffles, an omelet studded with chunks of lobster, unctuous fried foie gras served with lentils, and braised scallops with a purée of Brussels sprouts and smoked-ham sauce. Leave room for petit gateau moelleux au chocolat (very moist chocolate-fudge cake). In summer, if the weather is agreeable, ask for a table on the terrace, overlooking the historic Eglise Ste-Catherine.

8 place Ste-Catherine. 02-31-89-31-33. www.laterrasseetlassiette.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses 26€–40€; fixed-price menu 32€–54€. AE, MC, V. Wed–Sun noon–2pm and 7:30–9pm. Closed Jan.

Restaurant/Hôtel L’Absinthe ★★ TRADITIONAL FRENCH This tavern, named for the drink preferred by many 19th-century writers, is known for its beautiful decor, extravagant portions, and well-prepared cuisine. Rooms in the 16th-century building have beamed ceilings, parquet floors, and furniture that matches the architectural grandeur. The restaurant consists of two dining rooms (one from the 15th c. with exposed beams and exposed stone, and one from the 17th c. with a stately fireplace). The menu changes frequently. The best menu items include foie gras with caramelized ginger and apples, and sea bass roasted with laurel leaves and red wine.

If you’re taken with the place, you can rent a room or the suite. A double runs 115€ to 185€, and the suite goes for 250€. Parking costs 12€.

10 quai de la Quarantaine, Honfleur 14600. 02-31-89-39-00. Fax 02-31-89-53-60. www.absinthe.fr. Reservations required. Main courses 26€–48€; fixed-price menu 34€–65€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 12:15–3pm and 7:15–10pm. Closed Nov 15–Dec 17.

DEAUVILLE ★★★

206km (128 miles) NW of Paris; 47km (29 miles) NE of Caen

Deauville has been associated with the rich and famous since the duc de Morny, Napoleon III’s half-brother, founded it as an upscale resort in 1859. In 1913, it entered sartorial history when Coco Chanel launched her career here, opening a boutique selling tiny hats that challenged the fashion of huge-brimmed hats loaded with flowers and fruit. (Coco’s point of view: “How can the mind breathe under those things?”)

Essentials

GETTING THERE There are 6 to 10 daily rail connections from Paris’s Gare St-Lazare (trip time: 2 hr., 15 min.); prices start at 30€ one-way. The rail depot lies between Trouville and Deauville, south of town. Take a taxi from the station. Bus Verts du Calvados (08-10-21-42-14; www.busverts.fr) serves the Normandy coast from Caen to Le Havre. To drive from Paris (trip time: 2½ hr.), take A13 west to Pont L’Evêque, and then follow N177 east to Deauville.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is on place de la Mairie (02-31-14-40-00; www.deauville.org).

SPECIAL EVENTS For a week in September, the Deauville Festival of American Film (02-31-14-40-00; www.festival-deauville.com) honors movies made in the United States. Actors, producers, directors, and writers flock here and briefly eclipse the high rollers at the casinos and the horse-racing and polo crowd.

Exploring the Resort

Coco Chanel cultivated a tradition of elegance that survives in Deauville and in its smaller and less prestigious neighbor Trouville, on the opposite bank of the Toques (see the next section). Don’t expect flash; in its way, restrained and ever-so-polite Deauville is the most British seaside resort in France.

However, in its heart, Deauville is less English than French. It has even been dubbed “Paris’s 21st arrondissement.” The crowds here tend to be urban and hip. Deauville is stylish and not (by anyone’s definition) inexpensive.

With its golf courses, casinos, deluxe hotels, La Touques and Clairefontaine racetracks, regattas, a yachting harbor, polo grounds, and tennis courts, Deauville is a formidable contender for the business of the upper class. Looking for a charming place to stroll? Head for boutique-lined rue Eugène-Colas, place Morny (named for the resort’s founder), and place du Casino.

BEACHES Expect to spend time on Deauville’s boardwalk, Les Planches, a promenade running parallel to the beach. Beaux Arts and half-timbered Norman-inspired buildings line its edges. In summer, especially August, parasols dot the beach and oiled bodies cover seemingly every inch of sand. The resort’s only beach is Plage de Deauville, a strip that’s part of La Côte Fleurie.

If you’re looking for a gay and nude beach, you can go to Merville-France-Ville, 39km (24 miles) from Deauville toward Caen. But considering how permissive most Deauville fans are, many gay travelers feel perfectly comfortable here.

Access to every beach in Normandy is free; in Deauville, you’ll pay from 2€ per hour for parking in any of the many public lots beside the sea.

The Piscine Municipale, boulevard de la Mer (02-31-14-02-17), is a large indoor seawater pool. Depending on the season, bathers pay 4€ to 5€ per person. Hours are July and August daily 9:30am to 7:30pm, June and September daily 10am to 7pm, and October to December and February to May daily 10:30am to 7pm.

HORSE RACES/POLO You can watch horses every day from late June to early October. There’s either a race at 2pm or a polo match at 3pm. The venues are the Hippodrome de Deauville La Touques, boulevard Mauger (02-31-14-20-00), in the heart of town near the Mairie de Deauville (town hall); and the Hippodrome de Deauville Clairefontaine, route de Clairefontaine (02-31-14-69-00), within the city limits, 2km (1¼ miles) west of the center.

Shopping

This seaside town has a pedestrian shopping area between the polo field and the port; the main drags are rue Mirabeau, rue Albert-Fracasse, and the west end of avenue de la République. The leading shops, selling some of the world’s most elegant merchandise (with prices to match), cluster on rue Eugène-Colas, place Morny, and place du Casino. At La Cave de Deauville, 48 rue Mirabeau (02-31-87-35-36; www.cave-de-deauville.com), you’ll find a wide selection of apple ciders, Calvados, and the apple aperitif known as pommeau.

For an overview of the bounty of the fertile Norman soil, head for the Marché Publique (open-air market) in the place du Marché, adjacent to place Morny. From July to mid-September, it’s open daily 8am to 1pm. The rest of the year, market days are Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and occasionally Sunday. In addition to fruits, vegetables, poultry, cider, wine, and cheese, you’ll find cookware, porcelain tableware, and cutlery.

Where to Stay

EXPENSIVE

Hôtel du Golf Barrière ★★★ Golfers gravitate to this half-timbered hotel created by the Lucien Barrière chain in the late 1980s. The location, in the hills above Deauville, about 3km (1¾ miles) from the center of town, creates an aura of country-club tranquillity. Outfitted in English country house style, it’s one of the few hotels in Normandy with its own golf course. If the links aren’t your thing, you might consider the Normandy or Royal hotels (reviewed below, and all three Lucien Barrière properties). The children’s center and activities program are the best in Deauville. Rooms come in a wide range of sizes; those in back open onto the links, those in front have better views of the Channel. The best rooms, called “prestige luxe,” feature antique-style furnishings, French windows, and spacious bathrooms and balconies.

At New-Golf Club, Mont Canisy, St-Arnoult Deauville 14800. www.lucienbarriere.com. 02-31-14-24-00. Fax 02-31-14-24-01. 178 units. 245€–620€ double; 495€–655€ junior suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed mid-Nov to mid-Mar. From Deauville, take D278 south for 2.5km (1½ miles). Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; children’s center; exercise room; 27-hole golf course; massage; heated outdoor pool; room service; rooms for those w/limited mobility; sauna; smoke-free rooms; 3 tennis courts. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi.

Normandy Barrière ★★★ This is the most famous hotel in Deauville, a legendary place that dates back to the Edwardian age. The Anglo-Norman design includes half-timbering, dovecotes, turrets, and gables; the 1912 building resembles a cozy but stately English country house. A renovation updated all the rooms, public areas, and security systems. Because of its extensive facilities for children, including a nursery and babysitting, it attracts upscale families with children—although that doesn’t interfere with the hotel’s image as a chic nest for French celebrities. During the Deauville Festival of American Film, it attracts French stars, the press, and jury members. Originally built to house well-heeled gamblers from the nearby casino, it continues to draw the gambling crowd today.

38 rue Jean-Mermoz, Deauville 14800. www.lucienbarriere.com. 02-31-98-66-22. Fax 02-31-98-66-23. 298 units. 319€–719€ double; 700€–1,020€ suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 30€ in garage. Amenities: Restaurant; children’s dining room; bar; babysitting; exercise room; heated outdoor pool; room service; steam room; 2 tennis courts. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (8€ per hr.).

Royal-Barrière ★★★ The Royal adjoins the casino and fronts a park near the Channel. It rises like a palace, with columns and exposed timbers. Although it doesn’t have the insider cachet of the Normandy Barrière (see above), it is a grander and more opulent hotel. It’s a member of Leading Hotels of the World, and its architecture evokes an Edwardian-era grand palace hotel. The hotel was built in 1913 on architectural principles conceived by Gustav Eiffel (an iron skeleton supports walls and ceilings). Post-millennium, the hotel concluded a 5-year renovation program that included virtually every aspect of the establishment, including elegant bathrooms with tubs and showers. The decor of the guest rooms, conceived by megadesigner Jacques Garcia, is a reinterpretation of Directoire and Napoleon III styles. During the Deauville Festival of American Film, the U.S. stars stay here.

Bd. Eugène-Cornuché, Deauville 14800. www.lucienbarriere.com. 02-31-98-66-33. Fax 02-31-98-66-34. 290 units. 330€–750€ double; 685€–1,065€ suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Nov to early Mar. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; health club; heated outdoor pool; room service; sauna. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (8€ per hr.).

INEXPENSIVE

Hôtel Ibis Built in the 1980s as part of the nationwide chain, the Ibis is on the periphery of Deauville about 1km (½ mile) from the casino. The modern building, overlooking the harbor, is one of the best bargains in town. Rooms are comfortable and tidy, but decorated in dull chain style. The small tiled bathrooms contain showers and the restaurant offers a traditional French menu.

9–10 quai de la Marine, Deauville 14800. www.hotelibis.com. 02-31-14-50-00. Fax 02-31-14-50-05. 95 units. 76€–175€ double; 120€–185€ duplex suite for 2–6 people. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 10€. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting. In room: A/C, TV, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel Le Trophée This modern replica of a half-timbered medieval building is in the middle of Deauville, 150m (492 ft.) from the beach. The small rooms have contemporary furniture and private balconies overlooking the shopping streets. Bathrooms are also small. A sun terrace on the roof provides a bird’s-eye view of the town and a more private tanning area than the beach. If you plan to eat here, enjoy at least one meal under the stars in the patio courtyard garden. The hotel has also transformed what was a private house, immediately across the street, into an annex, creating an additional 15 suites.

81 rue du Général-Leclerc, Deauville 14800. www.letrophee.com. 02-31-88-45-86. Fax 02-31-88-07-94. 35 units. 59€–159€ double; 145€–238€ suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 10€. Amenities: Restaurant; babysitting; exercise room; heated outdoor pool; sauna; steam bath. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (20€ per day).

L’Augeval ★ Across from the racetrack and just blocks from the beach and casino, this hotel mixes city flair and country charm. The former private villa was built in the early 1900s and sits amid well-kept lawns and gardens. The cozy rooms range from medium to spacious, and each has at least one high-quality antique. Some units have Jacuzzis.

15 av. Hocquart-de-Turtot, Deauville 14800. www.augeval.com. 02-31-81-13-18. Fax 02-31-81-00-40. 52 units. 95€–110€ double; 222€–333€ suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 8€. Amenities: Bar; babysitting; exercise room; small heated outdoor pool; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

Chez Miocque TRADITIONAL FRENCH This hip cafe near the casino and the boutiques does a bustling business at its sidewalk tables. The place serves hearty brasserie-style food, including succulent lamb stew with spring vegetables, filet of skate with cream-based caper sauce, and steaks. Portions are filling, and the atmosphere can be lively. The dish of the day is always from the sea.

81 rue Eugène-Colas. 02-31-88-09-52. Reservations recommended. Main courses 19€–43€. AE, MC, V. July–Sept daily 9am–midnight; mid-Feb to June and Oct–Dec Fri–Mon noon–4pm and 7–11:30pm.

Le Ciro’s Barrière ★★★ FRENCH/SEAFOOD Hot on the resort’s social scene, Le Ciro’s serves Deauville’s best seafood. It’s expensive but worth it. If you want a bit of everything, ask for the plateau de fruits de mer, brimming with lobster and shellfish. For an elaborate appetizer, we recommend lobster salad with truffles. Marmite of scallops with sweet sauterne wine and saffron makes a superb main course. The collection of Bordeaux wine is exceptional. The ambience is airy, stylish, and evocative of the Belle Epoque heyday of Deauville.

Promenade des Planches. 02-31-14-31-31. Fax 02-31-88-32-02. Reservations required. Main courses 23€–54€; fixed-price menu 29€. AE, DC, MC, V. Thurs–Mon 12:30–2:45pm and 7:30–9:30pm. Closed 2 weeks in Jan.

Le Spinnaker ★ NORMAN Owner-chef Pascal Angenard’s charming yellow-and-blue restaurant features regional cuisine. The satisfying specialties include terrine of foie gras with four spices, roast lobster with cider vinegar and cream-enriched potatoes, slow-cooked veal flank, and hot apple tart. Pascal recommends roast turbot flavored with shallots en confit. A fine array of wines can accompany your meal. On some nights, a dish here or there might not be sublime, but most are excellent.

52 rue Mirabeau. 02-31-88-24-40. www.spinnakerdeauville.com. Reservations required. Main courses 20€–50€; fixed-price menu 38€–52€. AE, DC, MC, V. Wed–Sun noon–1:30pm and 7:30–10pm. Closed June 21–28, Nov 15–30, and Jan 2–31.

Deauville After Dark

Opened in 1912, the Casino de Deauville, rue Edmond-Blanc (02-31-14-31-14; www.lucienbarriere.com), is one of France’s premier casinos. Its original Belle Epoque core has been expanded with a theater, a nightclub, three restaurants, and an extensive collection of slot machines (machines à sous). The casino distinguishes areas for slot machines from more formal locales containing such games as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and poker. The slots are open daily from 11am to 2am (to 3am Fri and 4am Sat) and have no dress code; access to this area is free. The areas containing les jeux traditionnels (traditional games) are open daily at 4pm and close between 3 and 4am, depending on business and the day of the week. Entrance is free, and you must present a passport or identity card to gain admission. The most interesting nights are Friday and Saturday, when the cabaret theater and all the restaurants are open. The theater presents glittering, moderately titillating shows at 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Admission is 25€ Friday, rising to 29€ on Saturday. Dinner and the show costs 55€ to 59€.

If it’s a dance club you’re looking for, head to the high-energy Y Club, 14 bis rue Désiré-le-Hoc (02-31-88-30-91), which charges a cover of 15€. For salsa, merengue, and reggae, visit Brok Café, 14 av. du Général-de-Gaulle (02-31-81-30-81). If you want to re-create the restrained but decadent ambience of the 1970s, consider Le Régine’s, inside Deauville’s casino, rue Edmond-Blanc (02-31-14-31-96).

Dancing Les Planches, Le Bois Lauret, Blonville (02-31-87-58-09), 4km (2½ miles) from Deauville, is a club where you’ll find up-to-date music, a dance floor, and even an indoor swimming pool near an indoor/outdoor bar. It’s open from 11pm until dawn every Friday and Saturday night.

TROUVILLE ★★

206km (128 miles) NW of Paris; 43km (27 miles) NE of Caen

Across the Touques River from the fashionable (and expensive) Deauville, Trouville feels more like a fishing port. The town is similar to Honfleur, but with fewer boutiques and art galleries. Don’t expect the grand atmosphere of Deauville; Trouville is more low-key. It’s also less dependent on resort euros; when the bathers leave its splendid sands, Trouville continues to thrive—its resident population of fishermen sees to that.

Essentials

GETTING THERE There are rail connections from Gare St-Lazare in Paris to Trouville (see the “Deauville” section, earlier in this chapter). Bus Verts du Calvados (www.busverts.fr) links Trouville, Deauville, and the surrounding region with the rest of Normandy. For bus information, call the Gare Routière (08-10-21-42-14). If you’re traveling by car from Deauville, drive west along D180.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is at 32 quai Fernand-Moureaux (02-31-14-60-70; www.trouvillesurmer.org).

Exploring the Town

In the heyday of Napoleon III, during the 1860s, boulevardiers (men about town) used to bring their wives and families to Trouville and stash their mistresses in Deauville. Deauville was just coming into existence; it’s a planned city, with straight avenues and a sense of industrial-age orderliness. By contrast, the narrow, labyrinthine alleyways of Trouville hint at its origins as a medieval fishing port.

Our recommendation? Explore Trouville, enjoying its low-key charm, and when you tire of it, join the caravan of traffic that heads across the river to the bright lights and glamour of Deauville.

Les Planches is a stretch of seafront boardwalk dotted with concessions on one side and overlooking the sea on the other. In midsummer, expect lots of flesh sprawled on the sands in various states of undress. There’s only one beach, Plage de Trouville (though when you’ve tired of it, you only have to cross the river to reach the Plage de Deauville). On Trouville’s seafront is the Piscine de Trouville, promenade des Planches (02-31-14-48-10), an indoor freshwater pool that gets very crowded in summer. Depending on the season, bathers pay 6€ to 7€ per person. Hours are July and August daily 9:30am to 7:30pm, June and September daily 10am to 7pm, and October to May daily 10:30am to 7pm.

Where to Stay

Best Western Hostellerie du Vallon ★ The best place to stay in town is this modern hotel constructed in a traditional Norman style. Lying a short walk from the beach, the hotel is far more affordable than so many of the properties at neighboring Deauville. Well run and spacious, it boasts a modern interior with such facilities as an indoor swimming pool, which makes it a good year-round choice. Many of the attractively and comfortably furnished bedrooms open onto private balconies with a view.

12 rue Sylvestre Lassere, Trouville 14360. www.hostellerie-du-vallon.com. 02-31-98-35-00. 62 units. 120€–180€ double; 200€–260€ junior suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; indoor pool; sauna; steam room. In room: TV, hair dryer, minibar.

Le Beach Hotel Although a poor relation to the palaces of Deauville, Le Beach Hotel provides comfort at more affordable prices. The seven-story hotel emerges from a lackluster lot only 45m (148 ft.) from the beach. Its average-size rooms have modern furniture and comfortable beds, plus views of Trouville harbor; most bathrooms have showers only.

1 quai Albert-1er, Trouville 14360. 02-31-98-12-00. Fax 02-31-87-30-29. 110 units. 105€–220€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 9€. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; indoor pool; room service. In room: TV, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

La Petite Auberge NORMAN For a quality meal, head to this Norman bistro a block from the casino. Try cream of cauliflower soup with scallops or a pot-au-feu Dieppoise featuring filet of sole, scallops, monkfish, and salmon beautifully simmered together. You can also order grilled beef and chicken thighs braised in cider. Because the bistro seats only 30, reservations are vital in summer.

7 rue Carnot. 02-31-88-11-07. Reservations required. Main courses 22€–33€; fixed-price menu 33€–55€. MC, V. Thurs–Mon noon–2:30pm and 7:15–9:30pm.

Les Vapeurs ★★ FRENCH/SEAFOOD This Art Deco brasserie, one of the most popular on the Norman coast, is frequented by stylish Parisians on le weekend. Established in 1926, it has been called the Brasserie Lipp of Normandy. The windows face the port, and in warm weather you can dine at sidewalk tables. Seafood—a wide range of shrimp, mussels laced with cream, crinkle-shelled oysters, and fish—is the specialty. Sauerkraut is also popular.

162 bd. Fernand-Moureaux. 02-31-88-15-24. www.lesvapeurs.fr. Reservations recommended.Main courses 14€–33€. AE, MC, V. Mon–Fri noon–10:30pm; Sat–Sun noon–12:30am.

Trouville After Dark

If the casino in Deauville is too stuffy for you, you’ll feel more comfortable in its smaller, less architecturally distinctive sibling in Trouville, Casino Barrière de Trouville, place du Maréchal-Foch (02-31-87-75-00; www.lucienbarriere.com). It has more of a New Orleans–style environment, with a blues and jazz bar that schedules live music Friday and Saturday night, and a small-scale replica of Bourbon Street. Entrance to the slot machines is free. Entrance to the more formal area—with roulette, blackjack, and craps—costs 14€ per person. You must present a passport or identity card to gain admission. The formal area is open Sunday through Thursday 8pm to 2am, Friday 8pm to 3am, and Saturday 8pm to 4am. The rest of the casino is open daily from 10am. Men aren’t required to wear jackets and ties, but tennis shoes are not allowed.

CAEN ★

238km (148 miles) NW of Paris; 119km (74 miles) SE of Cherbourg

Situated on the banks of the Orne, the port of Caen suffered great damage in the 1944 invasion of Normandy. Nearly three-quarters of its buildings, 10,000 in all, were destroyed, though the twin abbeys founded by William the Conqueror and his wife, Mathilda, were spared. The city today is essentially modern and has many broad avenues and new apartment buildings. Completely different from Deauville and Trouville, the capital of Lower Normandy is bustling, congested, and commercial; it’s a major rail and ferry junction. The student population of 30,000 and the hordes of travelers have made Caen more cosmopolitan than ever.

Essentials

GETTING THERE From Paris’s Gare St-Lazare, 12 trains per day arrive in Caen (trip time: 1 hr., 50 min.–2½ hr.). One-way fares start at 32€ to 47€. One-way fares from Rouen (trip time: 1 hr., 45 min.) start at 23€. To drive from Paris, travel west along A13 to Caen (driving time: 2½–3 hr.).

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is on place St-Pierre in the 16th-century Hôtel d’Escoville (02-31-27-14-14; www.tourisme.caen.fr).

Exploring the City

Abbaye aux Dames Founded by Mathilda, wife of William the Conqueror, this abbey embraces Eglise de la Trinité, which is flanked by Romanesque towers. Its spires were destroyed in the Hundred Years’ War. The 12th-century choir houses the tomb of Queen Mathilda; note the ribbed vaulting.

Place de la Reine-Mathilde. 02-31-06-98-98. Free admission. Daily 2–5:30pm. Free guided 1-hr. tour of choir, transept, and crypt (in French) daily 2:30 and 4pm.

Abbaye aux Hommes ★★ Founded by William and Mathilda, this abbey is adjacent to the Eglise St-Etienne, which you enter on place Monseigneur-des-Hameaux. During the height of the Allied invasion, residents of Caen flocked to St-Etienne for protection. Twin Romanesque towers 84m (276 ft.) tall dominate the church; they helped earn Caen the appellation “city of spires.” A marble slab inside the high altar marks the site of William’s tomb. The Huguenots destroyed the tomb in 1562—only a hipbone was recovered. During the French Revolution, the last of William’s dust was scattered to the wind. The hand-carved wooden doors and elaborate wrought-iron staircase are exceptional. From the cloisters, you get a good view of the two towers of St-Etienne.

Esplanade Jean-Marie-Louvel. 02-31-30-42-81. Obligatory tours (in French, accompanied by broken-English translation) 2.40€ adults, 1.20€ students, free for children 17 and under. Daily 8:30am–12:30pm and 1:30–7:30pm (2:30–7:30pm Sun). Tours daily 9:30 and 11am, and 2:30 and 4pm. Ticket office for tours daily 8am–4pm.

Le Château de Caen This complex was built on the ruins of a fortress erected by William the Conqueror in 1060. Enter the grounds at esplanade de la Paix. The gardens are ideal for strolling and, from the ramparts, a panoramic view of Caen unfolds. Within the compound are two museums. The Musée de Normandie (02-31-30-47-60; www.musee-de-normandie.caen.fr) displays artifacts from Normandy, including archaeological finds, along with a collection of regional sculpture, paintings, and ceramics. Admission is free, and it’s open Wednesday to Monday 9:30am to 6pm. Also within the walls is the Musée des Beaux-Arts (02-31-30-47-70; www.ville-caen.fr/mba), with a collection of works—though not their finest—by old masters including Veronese and Rubens. Admission is free except for temporary exhibits costing 3€ to 5€. It’s open Wednesday through Monday from 9:30am to 6pm.

Le Mémorial de Caen (Caen Memorial) The memorial is a 15-minute drive away from the Pegasus Bridge and 15 minutes from the landing beaches. The museum presents a journey through history from 1918 to the present. It’s an ideal place to relax. You can walk through International Park, have a meal or drink at the restaurant, or browse through the boutique. Expect to spend at least 2½ hours at this site—anyone intrigued by 20th-century European history will be fascinated. One wing is dedicated to a depiction of the American and global role after World War II. Its photo documentaries and exhibits illustrate the Cold War, the construction and collapse of the Berlin Wall, and the assault of military weapons (especially nuclear testing) on the environment.

Esplanade Général Dwight-Eisenhower. 02-31-06-06-45. www.memorial-caen.fr. Admission Apr–Sept 18€ adults, 15€ students and children 10–18; Oct–Mar 17€ adults, 14€ students and children 10–18; free to World War II veterans, those with war disabilities, war widows, and children 9 and under. Daily 9am–7pm (until 8pm mid-July to mid-Aug). Closed Jan 4–26.

AN excursion TO THE FORBES CHÂTEAU

Built by François Mansart between 1626 and 1636, the Château de Balleroy ★, between Bayeux and Caen, has been owned by the Forbes family for more than 3 decades. The late Malcolm Forbes was an internationally known balloonist, and his dream of opening the world’s first balloon museum has been fulfilled at the château. Today it is the venue for the biannual international ballooning festival.

The museum, in a converted stable, is filled with artifacts related to the history of ballooning. The château also contains many period rooms that abound with elegant art and antiques. Admission to the museum and castle is 8€ for adults or 6€ for students and children 7 to 18, and free for those 6 and under; entrance to just the grounds costs 3€ for everyone. Visiting times are from mid-March to mid-October Wednesday to Monday 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm (July–Aug hours are 10am–6pm).

The museum (02-31-21-60-61; www.chateau-balleroy.com) lies at F-14490 Balleroy outside the village of Balleroy. To reach it from Caen (40km/25 miles), head west along N13, cutting south at the junction with D572, and follow the road to Balleroy, where the château is signposted.

Shopping

Caen has some good boutique-lined shopping streets, including boulevard du Maréchal-Leclerc, rue St-Pierre, and rue de Strasbourg. Antiques hunters should check out the shops along rue Ecuyère and rue Commerçantes, and the antiques show at the Parc des Expositions, rue Joseph-Philippon (02-31-29-99-99), in early May. The markets at place St-Sauveur on Friday morning and place Courtonne on Sunday morning also sell secondhand articles.

For custom-built reproduction antique furniture, visit La Reine Matilde, 47 rue St-Jean (02-31-85-45-52); it also sells decorative items, including a selection of bed linens and curtains. Le Chocolaterie Hotot, 13 rue St-Pierre (02-31-86-31-90), has a cornucopia of chocolate products, as well as local jams and jellies. At Le Comptoir Normand, 7 rue de Geôle (02-31-86-34-13), you’ll find many regional items, including Calvados and various charcuterie products, such as tripe in the style of Caen.

For objets d’art and paintings, check out L’Atelier, 33 rue Montoir-Poissonnerie (02-31-44-49-38), which showcases the work of local painters. To browse through inventories of wine and eaux-de-vie from throughout France, head for Nicolas, 10 rue Bellivet (02-31-85-24-19).

Where to Stay

Holiday Inn Caen City Centre ★ This is the best hotel in town, with a flavor that’s both French and international. Across from the racecourse, the hotel predates World War II. Rooms are predictable, comfortable, and well maintained. Americans visiting the D-day beaches favor the cozy bar.

Place du Maréchal-Foch, Caen 14000. www.holiday-inn.com. 800/465-4329 in the U.S., or 02-31-27-57-57. Fax 02-31-27-57-58. 88 units. 115€–165€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; room service. In room: A/C (in some), TV, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel des Quatrans This agreeable, unpretentious hotel was rebuilt after World War II, and thanks to continual renovations, it’s one of Caen’s best bargains. Don’t expect luxury: The hotel has four floors of old-fashioned rooms that offer basic amenities, including small, shower-only bathrooms. A buffet breakfast, available in the breakfast room or delivered to your room, is the only meal served.

17 rue Gémare, Caen 14300. www.hotel-des-quatrans.com. 02-31-86-25-57. Fax 02-31-85-27-80. 47 units. 65€ double; 75€ triple. MC, V. Parking free. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Hôtel Kyriad This hotel is a reliable bargain. The original was destroyed during a World War II bombing raid. Rebuilt several years later, it’s surrounded by a commercial area of shops and restaurants, as well as more tranquil pedestrian streets. The hotel provides bedrooms in attractive color schemes such as soft yellows and reds. There’s no restaurant, but an independent grill-style restaurant across the street offers inexpensive breakfast plans for hotel guests.

1 place de la République, Caen 14000. 02-31-86-55-33. Fax 02-31-79-89-44. 47 units. 57€–90€ double. AE, MC, V. Parking 7€. Amenities: Bar. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

Le Carlotta FRENCH/SEAFOOD This is a well-established brasserie, one of the best known in town, with a high-volume turnover and a penchant for seafood. With an Art Deco decor, it’s a bustling venue. Tried-and-true menu items include platters of shellfish, especially oysters; strips of duck breast with parsley sauce; braised oxtail with truffles and mashed potatoes; and roasted shoulder of lamb en confit, served with Middle Eastern spices and mashed potatoes. Desserts usually include a homemade version of tiramisu and a gratin of seasonal berries.

16 quai Vendeuvre. 02-31-86-68-99. www.lecarlotta.fr. Reservations recommended. Main courses 18€–28€; set menus 23€–36€. AE, MC, V. Mon–Sat noon–2pm and 6–10:30pm.

Le p’tit B FRENCH/NORMAN A growing number of local diners are enthusiastic about this place, which is set in a 17th-century house in the center of town. Its fixed-price menu, with loads of good choices, is a great deal. You might begin with terrine maison or a slice of Norman-style Camembert tart, followed by a seafood brochette.

15 rue de Vaugueux. 02-31-93-50-76. Reservations recommended. Main courses 14€–18€; fixed-price lunch 16€; fixed-price dinner 29€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon–2:30pm and 7pm–midnight.

A Proustian Remembrance of “Balbec”

Torn from the pages of Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, the resort of “Balbec” was really Cabourg, 24km (15 miles) northeast of Caen. Fans still come to this Second Empire resort, much of which looks as it did in the Belle Epoque. Guests can check into the 1907 Grand Hotel, promenade Marcel Proust, 14390 Cabourg (02-31-91-01-79; fax 02-31-24-03-20; www.mercure.com), a holdover from the opulent days of the 19th century and now part of the Mercure chain. One room, La Chambre Marcel Proust, has been restored from a description in Remembrance. A double costs from 158€ to 360€, with a suite going for 425€ to 625€.

Caen After Dark

Take a walk down rue de Bras, rue St-Pierre, and the north end of rue Vaugueux to size up the action. If you want to connect with the hip 18-to-35 crowd, go to Le Chic, rue des Prairies St-Gilles (02-31-94-48-72), where disco music begins at 10:30pm. Le Carré, 32 quai Vendeuvre (02-31-38-90-90), is a disco that caters to patrons over 27 with rock ’n’ roll, cutting-edge techno, and a goodly assortment of music from the ’70s and ’80s. Upstairs, there’s the hip and often charming Bar de Nuit.

Intensely connected to the hip and trendy night-soul of Caen is an Irish-style pub, O’Donnell’s, 20 quai Vendeuvre (02-31-85-51-50). It’s the site of televised European soccer matches and live Irish rock ’n’ roll shows. The live music is every Friday night; otherwise, a DJ rules the night. It’s open Monday through Wednesday 4:30pm to 2:30am, Thursday through Saturday 4:30pm to 4am, and Sunday 4:30pm to midnight.

BAYEUX ★★

267km (166 miles) NW of Paris; 25km (16 miles) NW of Caen

The ducs de Normandie sent their sons to this Viking settlement to learn the Norse language in the 9th century. Bayeux has changed a lot since then but was spared from bombardment in 1944. This was the first French town liberated, and the citizens gave de Gaulle an enthusiastic welcome when he arrived on June 14. The town is filled with timbered houses, stone mansions, and cobblestone streets.

Visitors wanting to explore sites associated with “the Longest Day” flood the town, because many memorials (not to mention the beaches) are only 9.5 to 19km (6–12 miles) away. Shops line the cozy little streets. Many sell World War II memorabilia, and more postcards and T-shirts than you’ll ever need.

Essentials

GETTING THERE Twelve trains depart daily from Paris’s Gare St-Lazare. The 2½-hour trip to Bayeux costs 35€. Most trains stop in Caen. Travel time between Caen and Bayeux is about 20 minutes and costs 5.80€. To drive to Bayeux from Paris (trip time: 3 hr.), take A13 to Caen and E46 west to Bayeux.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is at pont St-Jean (02-31-51-28-28; www.bayeux-bessin-tourism.com).

SPECIAL EVENTS The town goes wild on the first weekend in July during Fêtes Médiévales; the streets fill with wine and song during 2 days of medieval revelry. For information, call 02-31-92-03-30.

Seeing the Sights

Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux ★★★ The most famous tapestry in the world is actually an embroidery on linen, 69m (226 ft.) long and .5m (20 in.) wide, depicting 58 scenes in eight colors. Contrary to legend, it wasn’t made by Queen Mathilda, the wife of William the Conqueror, but was probably commissioned in Kent and created by unknown embroiderers between 1066 and 1077. The first mention of the embroidery was in 1476, when it decorated the nave of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux.

Housed in a Plexiglas case, the embroidery tells the story of the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, including such scenes as the coronation of Harold as the Saxon king of England, Harold returning from his journey to Normandy, the surrender of Dinan, Harold being told of the apparition of a comet (a portent of misfortune), William dressed for war, and the death of Harold. The decorative borders include scenes from Aesop’s Fables.

Admission to the museum includes access to an annex whose collections are not as spectacular. The Collections Baron Gérard is housed in Le Musée de l’Hôtel du Doyen, 6 rue Lambert le Forestier (02-31-92-14-21). Exhibitions feature examples of regional lacework, porcelain, and religious and secular paintings, many of them created within this region.

Centre Guillaume-le-Conquérant, 13 rue de Nesmond. 02-31-51-25-50. www.tapisserie-bayeux.fr. Admission 7.80€ adults, 3.80€ students, free for children 9 and under. Mar 15–Nov 15 daily 9am–6:30pm; off season daily 9:30am–12:30pm and 2–6pm.

Musée Memorial de la Bataille de Normandie This museum deals with the military and human history of the Battle of Normandy (June 6–Aug 22, 1944). In a low-slung building designed like a bunker are 132m (433 ft.) of window and film displays, plus a diorama. Wax soldiers in uniform, along with the tanks and guns used to win the battle, are on exhibit. Across from the museum, the Commonwealth Cemetery (03-21-21-77-00) lies on the northwestern perimeter of Bayeux, containing 4,144 graves of soldiers from throughout the British Commonwealth, all of them killed during the Battle of Normandy.

Bd. Fabian Ware. 02-31-51-46-90. Admission 6.50€ adults, 3.80€ students and children, free for children 9 and under. May–Sept 15 daily 9:30am–6:30pm; Sept 16–Apr daily 10am–12:30pm and 2–6pm.

Notre-Dame de Bayeux ★★ This cathedral was consecrated in 1077 and partially destroyed in 1105. Romanesque towers from the original church rise on the western side. The central tower is from the 15th century. The nave is a fine example of Norman Romanesque style. The 13th-century choir, a perfect example of Norman Gothic style, is rich in sculpture and has Renaissance stalls. The crypt was built in the 11th century and then sealed, its existence unknown until 1412.

Rue du Bienvenu. 02-31-92-14-21. Admission 4€, free ages 14 and under. Daily 8:30am–6pm (to 7pm July–Aug).

Where to Stay

Best Western Grand Hôtel de Luxembourg ★ After Le Lion d’Or (see below), this Best Western is the area’s finest hotel. The restored interior has terrazzo floors; the decor combines neoclassical and Art Deco design. Rooms range in size from small to medium and have been overhauled with an eye to modern comfort, including fine bed linens. All units come with small bathrooms with showers, and more than half also have tubs.

25 rue des Bouchers, Bayeux 14400. www.hotel-luxembourg-bayeux.com. 800/528-1234 in the U.S. and Canada, or 02-31-92-00-04. Fax 02-31-92-54-26. 27 units. 80€–125€ double; 115€–180€ suite. AE, MC, V. Parking 9€. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, free Wi-Fi.

Churchill ★ Open from March to November, this hotel lies in the heart of the medieval town, close to the famous tapestry and the cathedral. Excursions for the D-day beaches leave from the square behind the hotel, and a shuttle to Mont-St-Michel can also be arranged. The staff is among the most accommodating in town. Their midsize bedrooms are personalized, each comfortably furnished on an individual basis. Of course, their deluxe rooms are the way to go, unless you’re economizing, in which case you’ll find their standard units most adequate.

14 rue St-Jean, Bayeux 14400. www.hotel-churchill.fr. 02-31-21-31-80. 32 units. 100€–110€ standard double; 150€–168€ deluxe double. MC, V. Amenities: Free Internet. In room: TV, hair dryer.

Hôtel d’Argouges This government-rated three-star hotel consists of a pair of 18th-century town houses, set across a garden from one another, with exposed beams, thick walls, and sloping ceilings. Rooms are comfortable, intimate, and cozy, with old-fashioned furniture and modern conveniences. Breakfast is the only meal served, but at least three restaurants are within a 2-minute walk. In good weather, you can wander in the garden.

21 rue St-Patrice, Bayeux 14402. 02-31-92-88-86. Fax 02-31-92-69-16. www.hotel-dargouges.com. 28 units. 70€–130€ double; 150€–295€ suite. MC, V. Parking 5€. Amenities: Bar; babysitting; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Internet.

Le Lion d’Or ★★★ This old-world hotel is the oldest and most nostalgic in town, dating from 1928. The property, built in 1734, has an open courtyard with lush flower boxes decorating the facade. As befits an old inn, rooms come in various shapes and sizes. The midsize bathrooms are well equipped; each has a shower, and more than half have tubs. Guests are required to take at least one meal here, but that shouldn’t be a problem—the traditional cuisine is delicious. The restaurant serves lots of reasonably priced wines.

71 rue St-Jean, Bayeux 14400. www.liondor-bayeux.fr. 02-31-92-06-90. Fax 02-31-22-15-64. 28 units. 115€–195€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 8€. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; exercise room. In room: TV, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

Where to Eat

Le Pommier ★ NORMAN One of the most appealing restaurants in Bayeux’s historic zone occupies an 18th-century building. Ceiling beams and exposed masonry enhance the trio of dining rooms. The establishment is devotedly Norman, with cuisine that reflects the region’s long tradition of baking with apples (the name translates as “The Apple Tree”) and cream (though its use is limited, to make the food a bit healthier). The health-conscious staff is proud that the dishes “aren’t drowned in gravies and sauces.” Menu items evolve with the seasons. You can usually expect dishes such as rabbit stew braised in cider and a platter that contains two kinds of fish, served with chitterling sausage and a sauce of cream and chitterling drippings.

38 rue des Cuisiniers. 02-31-21-52-10. Fax 02-31-21-06-01. www.restaurantlepommier.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses 16€–25€; fixed-price menus 23€–39€. AE, MC, V. Apr–Sept daily noon–2:30pm and 7–9:30pm; Oct–Mar Mon–Sat noon–2pm and 7–9:30pm. Closed mid-Dec to mid-Jan.

THE D-DAY BEACHES ★★

Arromanches-les-Bains: 272km (169 miles) NW of Paris, 11km (6¾ miles) NW of Bayeux; Grandcamp-Maisy (near Omaha Beach): 299km (185 miles) NW of Paris, 56km (35 miles) NW of Caen

During a rainy week in June 1944, the greatest armada ever—soldiers and sailors, warships, landing craft, tugboats, jeeps—assembled along the southern coast of England. At 9:15pm on June 5, the BBC announced to the French Resistance that the invasion was imminent, signaling the underground to start dynamiting the railways. Before midnight, Allied planes began bombing the Norman coast. By 1:30am on June 6 (“the Longest Day”), members of the 101st Airborne were parachuting to the ground on German-occupied French soil. At 6:30am, the Americans began landing on the beaches, code-named Utah and Omaha. An hour later, British and Canadian forces made beachheads at Juno, Gold, and Sword.

The Nazis had mocked Churchill’s promise in 1943 to liberate France “before the fall of the autumn leaves.” When the invasion did come, it was swift, sudden, and a surprise to the formidable “Atlantic wall.” Today veterans walk with their children and grandchildren across the beaches where “Czech hedgehogs,” “Belgian grills,” pillboxes, and “Rommel asparagus” (all military barriers or structures) once stood.

Essentials

GETTING THERE The best way to get to the D-day beaches is to drive. Public transportation is unreliable. The trip takes about 3 hours from Paris. Take A13 west to Caen, and continue west along A13 to Bayeux. From Bayeux, travel north along D6 until you reach the coast at Port-en-Bessin. From here, D514 runs along the coastline; most D-day sites are west of Port-en-Bessin. Parking is not a problem, and most of the designated areas along the roadway are free. It’s best to visit on a weekday, because weekends (especially in summer) can be crowded with tourists and sunbathers.

Bus service from Bayeux is uneven and usually involves long delays. Bus Verts (08-10-21-42-14; www.busverts.fr) runs to Port-en-Bessin and points west, and bus no. 75 offers service year-round to Arromanches and other points in the east. Bus no. 70 travels west (June–Sept only) from Bayeux toward Omaha Beach and the American cemetery.

If you don’t have a car, the best way to see the D-day beaches is on a tour. Normandy Tours, Hotel de la Gare, Bayeux (02-31-92-10-70; www.normandy-landing-tours.com), runs a 4- to 5-hour tour (in English) to Arromanches, Omaha Beach, the American Military Cemetery, and Pointe du Hoc for 48€ adults and 40€ students and seniors. D-Day Tours, 52 rte. de Porte en Bessin, Bayeux (02-31-51-70-52; www.normandywebguide.com), conducts tours with a bit more pizazz and guides who speak better English. A half-day trip costs 45€ for adults and 40€ for students; a full-day trip is 75€ for adults and 65€ for students. The company picks you up at your hotel in Bayeux. A final option, Battlebus (02-31-22-28-82; www.battlebus.fr), leads a full-day tour encompassing all sites and beaches that were pivotal during the D-day landing and Battle of Normandy; cost is 85€ per person. Most participants have found this latter option the best tour of all—simultaneously riveting, exhausting, and stimulating.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme, 4 rue du Maréchal-Joffre, Arromanches-les-Bains (02-31-21-47-56), is open year-round.

Americans Return to Normandy

The Normandy American Visitor Center, opened at 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer (02-31-51-62-00; www.abmc.gov), dedicated to those heroes of World War II who liberated mainland France from the Nazis, tells the story of the 9,387 Americans buried on French soil. The center relates that dramatic story through narrative text, photos, films, interactive displays, and artifacts. Admission is free. The center is open April 15 through September 15 daily 9am to 6pm, and off season daily 9am to 5pm.

Reliving the Longest Day

Start your exploration at the seaside resort of Arromanches-les-Bains. In June 1944, this was a fishing port until the 50th British Division took it. A mammoth prefabricated port known as Winston was towed across the Channel and installed to supply the Allied forces. “Victory could not have been achieved without it,” Eisenhower said. The wreckage of that artificial harbor is just off the beach, Plage du Débarquement. Musée du Débarquement, place du 6-Juin (02-31-22-34-31; www.normandy1944.com), in Arromanches, features maps, models, a cinema, photographs, and a diorama of the landing, all with English commentary. Admission is 6.50€ for adults and 4.50€ for students and children. From June to August, hours are daily 9am to 7pm; September Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm; October and March daily 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5:30pm; November to December and February daily 10am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm; April Monday to Saturday 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 6pm; and May Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 7pm. It’s closed December 24 to 26, December 31, and the month of January.

Moving along the coast, you’ll arrive at Omaha Beach, where you can still see the war wreckage. “Hanging on by their toenails,” the men of the 1st and 29th American Divisions occupied the beach that June day. The code name Omaha became famous; until then, the beaches had been called St-Laurent, Vierville-sur-Mer, and Colleville. A monument commemorates the heroism of the invaders. Covering some 70 hectares (173 acres) at Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery (02-31-51-62-00; www.abmc.gov) is filled with crosses and Stars of David in Lasa marble. The remains of 9,387 American military were buried here on territory now owned by the United States, a gift from the French nation. Admission is free. The cemetery is open daily 9am to 5pm, the visitor center until 6pm (both are closed Christmas and New Year’s Day).

Farther along the coast, you’ll see the jagged lime cliffs of the Pointe du Hoc. A cross honors a group of American Rangers, led by Lt. Col. James Rudder, who scaled the cliffs using hooks to get at the pillboxes (gun emplacements). The scars of war are more visible here than at any other point along the beach. Farther along the Cotentin Peninsula is Utah Beach, where the 4th U.S. Infantry Division landed at 6:30am. The landing force was nearly 3km (1¾ miles) south of its intended destination, but Nazi defenses were weak. By midday the infantry had completely cleared the beach. A U.S. monument commemorates their heroism.

Nearby, you can visit the hamlet of Ste-Mère-Eglise, which was virtually unknown outside of France before paratroopers dropped from the sky. In Ste-Mère-Eglise is Kilometer 0 on the Liberty Highway, marking the first of the milestones the American armies reached on their way to Metz and Bastogne.

Where to Stay & Eat at Grandcamp-Maisy

Hôtel Duguesclin TRADITIONAL FRENCH We recommend this Norman inn for lunch or even an overnight stay. The fish soup, grilled scallops, Norman sole (when it’s available), and grilled turbot with white butter are excellent. Everything tastes better with the dining room’s country bread and Norman butter.

The hotel rents 23 simple, comfortable rooms, all with bathroom, phone, and TV. Accommodations have a shower or tub (sometimes both). A double costs 45€ to 66€.

4 quai Crampon, Grandcamp-Maisy 14450. 02-31-22-64-22. Fax 02-31-22-34-79. Reservations recommended. Main courses 12€–33€; fixed-price menu 15€–35€. AE, MC, V. Daily noon–2pm and 7–9pm.

La Marée NORMAN Set beside the port, this small, nautically decorated restaurant serves mostly fish and only fish caught in the English Channel or within a reasonable distance out in the Atlantic, guaranteeing a local culinary experience. During nice weather, the dining room expands onto a terrace.

5 quai Henri Chéron. 02-31-21-41-00. Reservations required. Main courses 18€–22€; fixed-price menus 14€–25€. AE, MC, V. Daily 12:30–2:30pm and 7–9:30pm. Closed Jan 1–Feb 7.

reliving THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORMANDY

One of the most evocative ways to re-create the sensations that the combat troops felt just prior to their invasion of Normandy involves signing up for a waterborne tour. Maintained by Les Vedettes de Normandie, and entitled “Balades sur les plages du Débarquement,” the tour offers prerecorded English-language commentary on a cassette player, live commentary from a French-language guide, and boats with a capacity of 200 sightseers at a time. Commentary focuses on the physicality of the Norman coastline; the region’s construction, shipping, and fishing industries; and the historic events associated with the invasion of Normandy by Allied troops in 1944.

Between mid-April and mid-October, boats depart between one and three times a day, with a schedule that varies with the tides, the season, the day of the week, and French national holidays. All tours depart from the harborfront quays of the hamlet of Port-en-Bessin. Tours lasting 90 minutes each, and which cost 15€ per participant, focus on either Arromanches or Omaha beaches. Lasting 3 hours, tours (at 23€) focus on Omaha Beach and the Pointe du Hoc. There’s no discount for children. For information about departure times and reservations, contact Les Vedettes de Normandie, Ste. H.C., bd. De Général de Gaulle Point de Cabourg, 14160 Dives-sur-Mer (02-31-43-86-12).

Where to Stay at Arromanches

Hôtel de la Marine A hotel has stood on this spot since 1837, although the one you see today wins over any of its earlier incarnations when it comes to comfort and style. The hotel directly faces the beach that played a keynote role during the U.S. invasion of Normandy and offers many of the charming details of a Norman private country estate. Bedrooms are rustically outfitted with colorful fabrics and solid, traditional furnishings. The restaurant appeals even to nonguests. It’s open daily noon to 2pm and 7 to 9:30pm, and serves set-price, thoroughly French meals priced at 22€ to 35€ each.

1 quai du Canada, Arromanches les Bains 14117. www.hotel-de-la-marine.fr. 02-31-22-34-19. Fax 02-31-22-98-80. 33 units. 72€–178€ double. Rates include breakfast and dinner. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.

MONT-ST-MICHEL ★★★

324km (201 miles) W of Paris; 129km (80 miles) SW of Caen; 76km (47 miles) E of Dinan; 48km (30 miles) E of St-Malo

Massive walls measuring more than half a mile in circumference surround one of Europe’s great attractions, the island of Mont-St-Michel. Connected to the shore by a causeway, it crowns a rocky islet at the border between Normandy and Brittany. The rock is 78m (256 ft.) high.

Essentials

GETTING THERE The most efficient way to reach Mont-St-Michel is to drive. From Caen, follow A84 southwest to Pontorson, continuing a few more kilometers to Avranches; from there, merge onto D43, following signs to its end at Mont-St-Michel. Total driving time from Paris is about 4½ hours.

There are no direct trains between Paris and Mont-St-Michel. We suggest taking the high-speed TGV train from Paris’s Gare Montparnasse to Rennes, where you can transfer to the bus run by the SNCF (36-35 or 08-92-35-35-35; www.voyages-sncf.com) for the 75-minute trip to Mont-St-Michel. Depending on the season, two to five buses a day run to Rennes for 12€ per person. Another company, Les Courriers Bretons (02-99-19-70-70; www.lescourriersbretons.fr), also operates buses that make the 75-minute ride to Mont-St-Michel from St-Malo two to five times a day for 13€ per person.

VISITOR INFORMATION The Office de Tourisme is in the Corps de Garde des Bourgeois (the Old Guard Room of the Bourgeois), at the left of the town gates (02-33-60-14-30; www.ot-montsaintmichel.com). The tourist office is open daily year-round except Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Exploring Mont-St-Michel

You’ll have a steep climb up Grande Rue, lined with 15th- and 16th-century houses, to reach the abbey (02-33-89-80-00; www.monuments-nationaux.fr). Those who make it to the top can begin their exploration of the Marvel of the West. In the 8th century, St. Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, founded an oratory on this spot. A Benedictine monastery, founded in 966 by Richard I, replaced it. That burned in 1203. Philip Augustus financed the building of an abbey in the 13th century.

Ramparts encircle the church and a three-tiered ensemble of 13th-century buildings called La Merveille that rise to the pointed spire of the abbey church. This terraced complex is one of Europe’s most important Gothic monuments, a citadel in which the concept of an independent France was nurtured during the darkest years of the English occupation of Aquitaine.

On the second terrace of La Merveille is one of Mont-St-Michel’s largest and most beautiful rooms, a 13th-century hall known as the Salle des Chevaliers.

Crowning the mountain’s summit is the Eglise Abbatiale (not to be confused with the parish church, Eglise St-Pierre, lower on the mountain). Begun in the 11th century, the abbey church consists of a Romanesque nave and transept, plus a choir in Flamboyant Gothic style. The rectangular refectory dates from 1212, and the cloisters with their columns of pink granite are from 1225.

The abbey is open daily May through September 9am to 7pm, and October to April 9:30am to 5:30pm. From June to September, it’s also open Monday to Saturday 9pm to 1am (last entrance at midnight). Mass begins at 12:15pm Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance during daytime or nighttime tours includes a group tour, but you can also wander on your own. Year-round, day or night visits, with or without the tour, cost 8.50€ for adults, 5€ for students and ages 18 to 25, and free for children 17 and under.

Guided tours in French depart at intervals of 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the season. There are usually two to four English-language tours per day. Everything is closed New Year’s Day, May 1, and Christmas.

Archeoscope, chemin de la Ronde (02-33-89-01-85), is a small theater that presents L’Eau et La Lumière (Water and Light), celebrating the legend and lore of Mont-St-Michel and its role as a preserver of French medieval nationalism. The 30-minute shows begin every 30 to 60 minutes between 9:30am and 5:30pm. An unusual diversion is the adjacent Musée de la Mer, Grande Rue (02-33-89-02-02). It showcases marine crafts throughout history; the ecology of the local tidal flats; and illustrations of the French government’s ongoing project intended to reactivate the tidal cleansing of the nearby marshes. Musée Grevin (Musée Historique de Mont-St-Michel), chemin de la Ronde (02-33-89-02-02), traces the history of the abbey.

A museum that’s worth a visit is the Logis Tiphaine, Grande Rue (02-33-89-02-02), a 15th-century home originally under the control of the Duguesclin family, noted defenders of the fortress from English intrigue. In the building, next to the Eglise St-Pierre, you’ll find furniture and accessories from that era, and a sense of pride at the fortress’s durability as a bastion of all things French.

A combined ticket for all four of these attractions costs 16€ for adults and 13€ for students, 9€ ages 10 to 18. Free 9 and under. Other than the Archeoscope, whose hours are noted above, the museums are open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Where to Stay & Eat

Hôtel du Mouton-Blanc Occupying a pair of buildings, parts of which date from the 14th century, this inn stands between the sea and the basilica and has hosted guests since the 1700s. Rooms are small but cozy. Eight are in a comfortable annex, where all units have small bathrooms with showers. The seven better-equipped units in the main building have bathrooms with both tubs and showers. A rustic Norman-style dining room sits on a terrace overlooking the sea. Popular dishes include omelets with seafood, and two marvelous versions of lamb.

Grande Rue, Mont-St-Michel 50116. 02-33-60-14-08. Fax 02-33-60-05-62. 15 units. 90€ double; 118€ suite. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV.

La Mère Poulard NORMAN This country inn is a shrine to those who revere the omelet that Annette Poulard created in 1888, when the hotel was founded. It’s under the same ownership as the more rustic Les Terrasses Poulard (see below). Annette Poulard’s secret has been passed on to the inn’s operators: The beaten eggs are cooked over an oak fire in a long-handled copper skillet. The frothy mixture creates more of an open-fire soufflé than an omelet. Other specialties are agneau du pré salé (lamb raised on the saltwater marshes near the foundations of the abbey) and an array of fish, including lobster.

Grande Rue, Mont-St-Michel 50116. www.mere-poulard.fr. 02-33-89-68-68. Fax 02-33-89-68-69. Reservations recommended. Main courses 34€–45€; fixed-price lunch 55€–79€; fixed-price dinner 39€–85€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon–10pm.

Les Terrasses Poulard This inn consists of two village houses, one medieval, the other built in the 1800s. It’s one of the best in town, with an English-speaking staff, cozy rooms, comfortable beds, and neatly maintained shower-only bathrooms. The rates depend on the view: the main street, the village, or the medieval ramparts. The largest and most expensive rooms have fireplaces. The restaurant offers a sweeping view over the bay to accompany its seafood and regional Norman specialties.

Grande Rue, Mont-St-Michel 50116. www.terrasses-poulard.com. 02-33-89-02-02. Fax 02-33-60-37-31. 29 units. 125€–200€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: TV, minibar, free Wi-Fi.

USEFUL TERMS & PHRASES

GLOSSARY OF FRENCH-LANGUAGE TERMS

It’s often amazing how a word or two of halting French will change your hosts’ dispositions in their home country. At the very least, try to learn a few numbers, basic greetings, and—above all—the life raft, “Parlez-vous anglais?” As it turns out, many French do speak passable English and will use it liberally if you demonstrate the basic courtesy of greeting them in their language. Go on, try our glossary out, and don’t be bashful. Bonne chance!

THE BEST OF FRANCE

THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

• Hunting for Antiques: The 18th- and 19th-century French aesthetic was gloriously different from that of England and North America, and many objects bear designs with mythological references to the French experience. France has some 13,000-plus antiques shops throughout the country. Stop where you see the sign antiquaire or brocante.

• Dining Out: The art of dining is serious business in France. Food is as cerebral as it is sensual. Even casual bistros with affordable menus are likely to offer fresh seasonal ingredients in time-tested recipes that may add up to a memorable meal. For our favorite restaurants in France, see “The Best Upscale Restaurants” and “The Best Affordable Restaurants,” later in this chapter.

• Biking in the Countryside: The country that invented La Tour de France offers thousands of options for bike trips. For a modest charge, trains in France will carry your bicycle to any point. Euro-Bike & Walking Tours (800/575-1540; www.eurobike.com) offers some of the best excursions, including walking and cycling tours of areas such as Provence, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley. See for more information.

• Shopping in Parisian Boutiques: The French guard their image as Europe’s most stylish people. The citadels of Right Bank chic lie on rue du Faubourg St-Honoré and its extension, rue St-Honoré. The most glamorous shops are along these streets, stretching between the Palais Royal to the east and the Palais de l’Elysée to the west. Follow in the footsteps of Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Karl Lagerfeld on the shopper’s tour of a lifetime.

• Exploring the Loire Valley: An excursion to the châteaux dotting the valley’s rich fields and forests will familiarize you with the French Renaissance’s architectural aesthetics and with the intrigues of the kings and their courts. Nothing conjures up the aristocratic ancien régime better than a tour of these landmarks.

• Paying Tribute to Fallen Heroes on Normandy’s D-Day Beaches: On June 6, 1944, the largest armada ever assembled departed on rough seas and in dense fog from England. For about a week, the future of the civilized world hung in a bloody and brutal balance between the Nazi and Allied armies. Today you’ll find only the sticky sands and wind-torn, gray-green seas of a rather chilly beach. But even if you haven’t seen Saving Private Ryan or The Longest Day, you can picture the struggles of determined soldiers who paid a terrible price to establish a bulkhead on the Continent. See “The D-Day Beaches”.

• Climbing to the Heights of Mont-St-Michel: Straddling the tidal flats between Normandy and Brittany, this Gothic marvel is the most spectacular fortress in northern Europe. Said to be protected by the archangel Michael, most of it stands as it did during the 1200s. See “Mont-St-Michel”.

• Touring Burgundy During the Grape Gathering: Medieval lore and legend permeate the harvests in Burgundy, where thousands of workers (armed with vintner’s shears and baskets) head over the rolling hills to gather the grapes that have made the region’s wines so famous. You can sample the local wines in the area restaurants, which always stock impressive collections.

• Schussing down the Alps: France offers world-class skiing and luxurious resorts. Our favorites are Chamonix, Courchevel, and Megève. Here you’ll find cliffs only experts should brave, as well as runs for intermediates and beginners. The après-ski scene roars into the wee hours.

• Marveling at the Riviera’s Modern-Art Museums: Since the 1890s, when Signac and Bonnard discovered St-Tropez, artists and their patrons have been drawn to the French Riviera. Experience an unforgettable drive across southern Provence, interspersing museum visits with wonderful meals, sunbathing, and stops at the area’s architectural and artistic marvels. Highlights are Aix-en-Provence (Cézanne’s studio), Biot (the Léger Museum), Cagnes-sur-Mer (the Renoir Museum), Cap-d’Antibes (the Grimaldi Château’s Picasso Museum), La Napoule (the Henry Clews Museum), and Nice (the famed Matisse Museum and Chagall Museum). In addition, Monaco, St-Paul-de-Vence, and St-Tropez all have world-class modern art collections.

THE BEST ROMANTIC ESCAPES

• Deauville (Normandy): Using the resort of Deauville to propel herself to stardom, Coco Chanel added greatly to its sense of glamour and romance. Try your hand at the casinos, ride horses, stroll along the elegant boardwalk, or simply revel in the resort’s sense of style and nostalgia. See “Deauville”.

• Belle-Ile-en-Mer (Brittany): Consider an island escape with your significant other to Belle-Ile on the Brittany’s Côte Sauvage (literally, “The Wild Side”). Stay in the Port de Goulphar and dine at the wonderful Table de La Desirade, sampling grilled lobster or cockles and zucchini between layers of potato rosettes. It’s best enjoyed in the spring or fall, with a glass of wine on the water or with a collar flipped up in the off season as you stroll the cliffs above the sea.

• Talloires (the French Alps): The bracing climate, the history that goes back to the Middle Ages, and the Gallic flair of the innkeepers make for a memorable stay. The accommodations include a converted medieval monastery, and the village’s cuisine is superb.

• Les Baux (Provence): The isolated, cinematic setting of the ancient fortress of Les Baux had troubadours singing in its streets during the Middle Ages. Today it is no less romantic, with an abundance of hideaways within minutes of the village itself.

• St-Tropez (Côte d’Azur): Any blonde feels like Brigitte Bardot in sunny St-Tropez, and the number of scantily clad satyrs and nymphs in town during summer could perk up the most sluggish libido. The real miracle here is that the charm of the place manages to survive its hype and the hordes of visitors.

THE BEST DRIVING TOURS

• La Route des Crêtes (Alsace-Lorraine): The Vosges, one of the oldest mountain ranges in France, once formed a boundary with Germany. Richly forested with hardwood trees and firs, they skirt the western edge of the Rhine and resemble the Black Forest. La Route des Crêtes (the Crest Road), originally chiseled out of the mountains as a supply line, begins west of Colmar, at the Col du Bonhomme. High points are Münster (home of the cheese), Col de la Schlucht (a resort with panoramas as far as the Jura and the Black Forest), and Markstein. At many points along the way, you can stop and strike out on a well-marked hiking trail.

• La Côte d’Or (Burgundy): Stretching only 60km (37 miles) from Santenay to Dijon, this route is for wine lovers. Rows of terraced vines rise in tiers above the D122/N74/D1138 highways (La Route des Grands Crus), passing through the towns of Puligny-Montrachet, Volnay, Beaune, Nuits-St-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Marsannay-la-Côte. Travel at your leisure, stopping to sample the noble vintages (look for the signs sprouting from the sides of the highway).

• The Gorges of the Ardèche (the Rhône Valley): The river that carved these canyons (the Ardèche, a tributary of the Rhône) is the most temperamental French waterway: Its ebbs and flows have created the Grand Canyon of France. Riddled with alluvial deposits, grottoes, caves, and canyons more than 285m (935 ft.) deep, the valley is one of France’s most unusual geological spectacles. A panoramic road (D290) runs along one rim of the canyons, providing views over a striking, arid landscape. Plan to park and walk a little on some of the well-marked paths. The drive, which you can do in a day even if you make frequent stops, stretches between Vallon-Pont-d’Arc and Pont St-Esprit.

• La Route des Grandes Alpes (the French Alps): One of the most panoramic drives in western Europe stretches south from the lakefront town of Evian to coastal Nice. You’ll see Alpine uplands, larch forests, glaciers, and the foothills of Mont Blanc. Plan on driving 2 to 6 days, stopping in such towns as Morzine, Avoriaz, Chamonix, and Megève. The route covers 740km (459 miles) and crosses many of France’s dramatic mountain passes. Some sections are passable only in midsummer.

THE BEST CHÂTEAUX & PALACES

• Château de Chantilly/Musée Condé (Ile de France): Anne de Montmorency, a constable of France who advised six monarchs, began this palace in 1560. To save money, he ordered the new building placed atop the foundations of a derelict castle. His descendants enlarged and embellished the premises, added the massive stables, and hired Le Nôtre to design gardens that later inspired Louis XIV to create similar, larger ones at Versailles.

• Château de Versailles (Ile de France): Versailles is the most spectacular palace in the world. Its construction was fraught with ironies and tragedies, and its costs were a factor in the bloodbath of the French Revolution. Ringed with world-class gardens and a network of canals whose excavation required an army of laborers, the site also contains the Grand and Petit Trianons, as well as miles of ornate corridors lined with the spoils of a vanished era.

• Palais de Fontainebleau (Ile de France): Since the days of the earliest Frankish kings, the forest has served as a royal hunting ground. Various dwellings had been erected for medieval kings, but in 1528, François I commissioned the core of the building that subsequent monarchs would enlarge and embellish. Napoleon declared it his favorite château, delivering an emotional farewell to his troops from its exterior staircase after his 1814 abdication.

• Château d’Azay-le-Rideau (Loire Valley): Visitors are enthralled by this château’s beauty. Poised above the waters of the Indre River, it boasts decorative remnants of medieval fortifications and an atmosphere that prefigures the Renaissance embellishments of later Loire Valley châteaux.

• Château de Chambord (Loire Valley): Despite the incorporation of feudal trappings in its layout, this château was built for pleasure—a manifestation of the successes of the 25-year-old François I. Begun in 1519 as the Loire Valley’s most opulent status symbol, Chambord heralded the end of the feudal age and the dawn of the Renaissance. Construction dragged on for decades; during his lifetime, François stayed there for a total of only 7 weeks.

• Château de Chenonceau (Loire Valley): Its builders daringly placed this palace, built between 1513 and 1521, on arched stone vaults above the rushing Cher River. Two of France’s most influential women, each of whom imposed her will on Renaissance politics and the château’s design, fought over Chenonceau. Henri II gave the palace to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. After the king’s death, his widow, Catherine de Médicis, humiliated Diane by forcing her to move to a less prestigious château in nearby Chaumont.

THE BEST MUSEUMS

• Palais de Tokyo: The Palais de Tokyo is a contemporary “art mall” that displays radical emerging art—even its hours (noon–midnight) are radical. After its 2011 renovation and expansion, the museum has become even more monumental, with double the exhibition space. You’re bound to see thought-provoking exhibitions that you’d be unlikely to see elsewhere.

• Musée du Louvre: The Louvre’s exterior is a triumph of French architecture, and its interior shelters an embarrassment of art, one of the greatest treasure-troves known to Western civilization. Of the Louvre’s more than 300,000 paintings, only a small percentage can be displayed at one time. The museum maintains its staid dignity and timelessness even though thousands of visitors traipse daily through its corridors, looking for the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. I. M. Pei’s controversial Great Pyramid nearly offsets the grandeur of the Cour Carrée, but it has a real functional purpose.

• Musée d’Orsay: The spidery glass-and-iron canopies of a former railway station frame one of Europe’s greatest museums of art. Devoted mainly to paintings of the 19th century, d’Orsay contains some of the most celebrated masterpieces of the French Impressionists, along with sculptures and decorative objects whose designs forever changed the way European artists interpreted line, movement, and color. This is also where Whistler’s Mother sits in her rocker.

• Centre Pompidou: “The most avant-garde building in the world,” or so it is known, is a citadel of modern art, with exhibitions drawn from more than 40,000 works. Everything seemingly is here—from Calder’s 1928 Josephine Baker (one of his earliest versions of the mobile) to a re-creation of Brancusi’s Jazz Age studio.

• Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux (Bayeux, Normandy): This museum’s star is a 900-year-old tapestry named in honor of medieval Queen Mathilda. Housed in a glass case, the Bayeux tapestry is a long band of linen embroidered with depictions of the war machine that sailed from Normandy to conquer England in 1066.

• Musée Historique Lorraine (Nancy, Alsace-Lorraine): Few other French museums reflect a province as well as this one. Its collections include 16th-century engravings, 17th-century masterpieces by local painters, exhibits on Jewish history in eastern France, antique furniture, wrought iron, and domestic accessories.

• Foundation Maeght (St-Paul-de-Vence, Côte d’Azur): Established as a showcase for modern art by collectors Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, this avant-garde museum features works by Giacometti, Chagall, Braque, Miró, Matisse, and Barbara Hepworth. The multilevel design by the architect José Luís Sert boasts glass walls with views of the Provence landscape.

• Musée Fabre (Montpellier, Languedoc): This museum, which occupies a villa where Molière once presented some of his plays, acquired several new galleries, including an entire wing devoted to Pierre Soulages. It also displays one of the worthiest collections of French, Italian, and Spanish paintings in the south of France.

• Musée Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi, Languedoc): Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi in 1864. Much to his family’s horror, he moved to a scandalous area in Paris, where he created depictions of the Belle Epoque scene that are treasures today. Also on view in this expanding museum are works by Degas, Bonnard, and Matisse.

THE BEST CATHEDRALS

• Notre-Dame (Paris): This structure’s stone walls symbolize the power of Paris in the Middle Ages. Begun in 1163, Notre-Dame is the cathedral of the nation and a triumph of medieval architecture. It’s dazzling in the morning and at sunset, when its image reflects in the Seine.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (Chartres, Ile de France): No less an artist than Rodin declared this cathedral a French Acropolis. Its site reputedly was holy for the Druids and the ancient Romans. Chartres is one of the world’s largest cathedrals, one of the first High Gothic cathedrals, and one of the first to use flying buttresses. It also has possibly the finest stained-glass windows, more than 2,500 sq. m (26,910 sq. ft.) of glass whose vivid hues and patterns of light are truly mystical.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen (Rouen, Normandy): Consecrated in 1063 and rebuilt after a fire in 1200, parts of it are masterpieces of the Flamboyant Gothic style; others are plainer, though equally dignified. This cathedral was immortalized in the 19th century, when Monet painted a series of impressions of the facade.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens (Amiens, the Ardennes): A lavishly decorated example of High Gothic architecture, this cathedral boasts a soaring nave whose roof is supported by 126 breathtakingly slender pillars. It was begun in 1220 to house the head of St. John the Baptist, brought back from the Crusades. It is the largest church in France, surviving two world wars, despite fierce fighting nearby. Place Notre-Dame, Amiens. 03-22-71-60-50.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims (Reims, Champagne): One of France’s first Christian bishops, St. Rémi, baptized Clovis, king of the Franks, on this site in 496. The church memorializing the event was conceived as a religious sanctuary where the French kings would be anointed; it was large, spectacular, and (in our eyes) rather cold. The coronation of every king between 815 and 1825 was celebrated here. Damaged by World War I bombings, the cathedral was restored by American donations during the 1920s and 1930s.

THE BEST VINEYARDS & WINERIES

• Couly-Dutheil (12 rue Diderot, Chinon; 02-47-97-20-20; www.coulydutheil-chinon.com): Many of its medieval cellars are carved into the rock undulating through the area’s forests. Most production here involves Chinon wines (mostly reds), though its Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil wines are growing in popularity in North America.

• Taittinger (9 place St-Nicaise, Reims; 03-26-85-45-35; www.taittinger.com): Taittinger is a grand marque of French champagne, one of the few still controlled by members of the family that founded it, in 1930. It’s one of the most visitor-friendly houses.

• Domaines Schlumberger (100 rue Théodore-Deck, Guebwiller, near Colmar; 03-89-74-27-00; www.domaines-schlumberger.com): Established in 1810, these cellars blend early-19th-century brickwork and modern stainless steel; a visit will enhance your understanding of the subtle differences among wines produced by the seven varieties of grape cultivated in Alsace.

• Domaine Maurice Protheau (Château d’Etroyes, Mercurey; 03-85-45-10-84; www.domaine-protheau-mercurey.fr): The 50 hectares (124 acres) of grapevines straddle at least two appellations contrôlées (a regulation system that ensures a wine has been produced where the bottle says), so you’ll have a chance to contrast reds (both pinot noirs and burgundies), whites, and rosés produced under the auspices of both Rully and Mercurey. Headquarters is in a château built in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

• The Winegrowing Region around Bordeaux: This area is among the most glamorous in France, with a strong British influence, thanks to centuries of trade with London- and Bristol-based dealers. One prestigious grower, Société Duboscq, Château Haut-Marbuzet, St-Estephe (05-56-59-30-54), welcomes visitors who phone in advance of their arrival Monday to Saturday. Free visits to the cellars are followed by a complimentary dégustation des vins of whichever of the company’s products a visitor requests. \

THE BEST LUXURY HOTELS

• Hôtel Ritz (Paris; www.ritzparis.com; 800/223-6800 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-43-16-30-30): This hotel occupies a palace overlooking the octagonal borders of one of the most perfect plazas in France: place Vendôme. The decor is pure opulence. Marcel Proust wrote parts of Remembrance of Things Past here, and Georges-Auguste Escoffier perfected many of his recipes in its kitchens.

• Royal Monceau (Paris; www.leroyalmonceau.com; 01-42-99-88-00): This new Philippe Starck–designed gem has the whole city talking. It offers absolute luxury for contemporary jet-setters, including a Clarins spa, an indoor pool, a state-of-the-art cinema, edgy fashion, and a mobile sound studio that can be set up in any of the soundproofed rooms.

• Château d’Artigny (Montbazon, Loire Valley; www.artigny.com; 02-47-34-30-30): The perfume king François Coty once lived and entertained lavishly at this mansion outside Tours—and you can do the same today in one of the poshest hotels in the Loire Valley. Experience the grandeur once enjoyed by Elizabeth Taylor and other celebs, taking in the weekend soirees and musical evenings.

• Oustau de Baumanière (Les Baux, Provence; www.oustaudebaumaniere.com; 04-90-54-33-07): This Relais & Châteaux property is in the valley at the foot of Les Baux de Provence. Both the cuisine and the accommodations, some of which are in buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, are superb.

• Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat (St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Côte d’Azur; www.grand-hotel-cap-ferrat.com; 04-93-76-50-50): The Grand Hôtel occupies 5.6 prime hectares (14 acres) on one of the world’s most exclusive peninsulas. In a Belle Epoque palace, it has hosted royals, aristocrats, and wealthy wannabes since the turn of the 20th century.

• Hôtel du Cap–Eden Roc (Cap-d’Antibes, Côte d’Azur; www.hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.com; 04-93-61-39-01): Built during the grand Second Empire and set on 8.9 hectares (22 acres) of splendidly landscaped gardens, this hotel is legendary, evoking the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic Tender Is the Night. Swimmers revel in a pool blasted from the dark rock of the glamorous coastline.

• Hôtel Negresco (Nice, Côte d’Azur; www.hotel-negresco-nice.com; 04-93-16-64-00): Built in 1913 as a layered wedding cake in the château style, the Negresco was a lavish escape for the Edwardian era’s most respected and most notorious figures, including Lillie Langtry, the longtime mistress of Britain’s Edward VII. After her fall from grace, she sat in the lobby, swathed in veils, refusing to utter a word. Following renovations in early 2011, the hotel is better now than during its Jazz Age heyday.

• Hôtel du Palais (Biarritz, Basque Country; www.hotel-du-palais.com; 800/223-6800 in the U.S. and Canada, or 05-59-41-64-00): Delectably beautiful, this place was built in 1845 as a pink-walled summer palace for Napoleon III and his empress, Eugénie. The Belle Epoque fantasy has entertained such guests as Edward VII of England, Alfonso XIII of Spain, and the duke of Windsor.

THE BEST AFFORDABLE HOTELS

• Hotel des Grandes Ecoles (Paris; www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com; 01-43-26-79-23): In the heart of the Latin Quarter, and set within a luxuriant and peaceful little garden, this delightful hotel is a budget option boasting a unique, provincial charm.

• Mama Shelter (Paris; www.mamashelter.com; 01-43-48-48-48): It might be off the beaten track, but this new Starck-designed hotel nonetheless attracts the in-crowd with its buzzing downstairs restaurant/bar space, high-tech set up, and low-cost rates.

• Les Maisons de Léa (Honfleur, Normandy; www.lesmaisonsdelea.com; 02-31-14-49-49): It overlooks a Norman 18th-century port favored by the French novelist Flaubert. The amenities aren’t grand, but the charming setting includes an appealing restaurant, and—more surprising—the price tag is reasonable.

• Hôtel d’Avaugour (Dinan, Brittany; www.avaugourhotel.com; 02-96-39-07-49): Its exterior looks as antique as the fortifications ringing the medieval harbor, but a major restoration transformed the interior into a cozy getaway on the Norman coast. Add aesthetic appeal, old-time flavor of Dinan’s winding alleys, and views of the Channel, and you’ve got the ingredients for an affordable escape.

• Ostellerie du Vieux-Pérouges (Pérouges, Rhône Valley; www.hostelleriedeperouges.com; 04-74-61-00-88): This hotel, described as a museum of the 13th century, is one of the most significant in central France. Composed of a group of 13th-century buildings with low ceilings and thick walls, it evokes the France of another day and doesn’t overcharge.

• La Maison Blanche (Montpellier; www.hotel-maison-blanche.com; 04-99-58-20-70): Evokes a French Creole ambience of New Orleans with its gingerbread trim. Bathrooms are spacious, for the most part, and the guest rooms are beautifully outfitted in oak. The price is right, too.

THE BEST HISTORIC PLACES TO STAY

• Trianon Palace (Versailles, Ile de France; www.trianonpalace.com; 800/937-8461 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-30-84-50-00): Louis XIV nearly bankrupted France during the construction of his nearby palace, but this hotel overlooking its gardens might have been even more influential. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was ratified by delegates who stayed in the same rooms that house guests today. You’ll be pampered at this plush, elegant hotel, which boasts its own spa.

• Château de Locguénolé (Hennebont, Brittany; www.chateau-de-locguenole.com; 02-97-76-76-76): No professional decorator could accumulate the array of furnishings and artifacts that grace this Breton manor house, which has been occupied by the same family for 500 years. Some visitors think it’s the most charming hotel in southern Brittany; you may agree.

• Manoir du Stang (La Forêt-Fouesnant, Brittany; www.manoirdustang.com; 02-98-56-96-38): Even the ivy that twines across the facade of this 16th-century Breton manor house looks as though it was planted by someone very important, very long ago. Formal gardens segue into forested parkland; modern amenities are juxtaposed with enviable antiques—the place is a gem that happens to be a glamorous hotel.

• Château de Rochegude (Rochegude, Provence; www.chateauderochegude.com; 04-75-97-21-10): During the thousand years of this château’s existence, its owners have included popes, dauphins, and less prominent aristocrats who showered it with taste and money. Today each room is outfitted in a style inspired by a specific emperor or king. The setting is 10 hectares (25 acres) of parkland adjacent to the Rhône, outside Orange.

• Château des Alpilles (St-Rémy-de-Provence, Provence; www.chateaudesalpilles.com; 04-90-92-03-33): The Pichot family built this château in 1827, and it has housed many famous personages, including Chateaubriand. The luxurious hotel, modestly referred to as “a house for paying friends,” is a showcase of luxury, refinement, and taste.

THE BEST UPSCALE RESTAURANTS

• Passage 53 (Paris; 01-42-33-04-35; www.passage53.com.): Located inside the city’s oldest covered passageway, this restaurant is bursting with postcard charm. It also has delicious, yet modern, cuisine, and just received its second Michelin star.

• L’Arpège (Paris; 01-47-05-09-06; www.alain-passard.com): Among the three-star Michelin splurges in Paris, we’re most taken with this one. Chef Alain Passard’s menu features pristine produce, raised on his farm and often picked in the morning and served the same day.

• Lasserre (Paris; 01-43-59-02-13; www.restaurant-lasserre.com): With its over-the-top opulence and retractable ceiling, this restaurant is an obvious setting for romance.

• Les Crayères (Reims, Champagne; 03-26-82-80-80; www.lescrayeres.com): This restaurant’s setting is a lavish but dignified château with soaring ceilings and French Empire decor. Built in 1904 as the home of the Pommery family (of champagne fortune) and surrounded by a 5.6-hectare (14-acre) park, it’s maintained by a staff that appreciates the nuances of service rituals. You can retire directly to your room after consuming a bottle or two of the region’s bubbly.

• A la Côte Saint Jacques (Joigny, Burgundy; 03-86-62-09-70; www.cotesaintjacques.com): On the edge of Burgundy, beside the river Yonne, this is the quintessential restaurant avec chambres. Indulge your taste for well-prepared food and wine, and then totter off to one of the carefully furnished guest rooms in the historic compound. One of our favorite dishes is cassoulet of morels and frogs’ legs, sublimely accompanied by a half-bottle of red burgundy.

• L’Espérance (Vézelay, Burgundy; 03-86-33-39-10; www.marc-meneau-esperance.com): In a farmhouse at the base of a hill (La Colline de Vézelay) that has been a holy site for thousands of years, L’Espérance is run by one of Europe’s most famous chefs, Marc Meneau, and his wife, Françoise. The place combines country comforts with great sophistication.

• Paul Bocuse (Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, near Lyon, Rhône Valley; 04-72-42-90-90; www.bocuse.fr.): Bocuse was the enfant terrible of French gastronomy through most of his youth. Today he’s the world’s most famous chef, catering to Europe’s hardest-to-please customers. The cuisine is ostensibly Lyonnais, but Bocuse has never been limited by provincialism, and his mind wanders the world for inspiration. His signature dishes range from pigeon in puff pastry with foie gras to his notable black truffle soup.

• La Maison Troisgros (Roanne, Rhône Valley; 04-77-71-66-97; www.troisgros.com): The setting is the dining room of a once-nondescript hotel near a train station. The cuisine is a celebration of the agrarian bounty of France. Mingling regional specialties, the menu attracts diners from as far away as Paris.

• Auberge du Père-Bise (Talloires, French Alps; 04-50-60-72-01; www.perebise.com): A mysterious alchemy transformed a simple lakeside chalet into an illustrious restaurant. Beside Lac d’Annecy in eastern France, it’s outfitted like a provincial home of local gentry, yet it serves elegant food favored by generations of patrons, including the Rothschilds.

• Le Moulin de Mougins (Mougins, Côte d’Azur; 04-93-75-78-24; www.moulin-demougins.com): Occupying a 16th-century olive mill in a Provence forest, this long-celebrated destination is a showcase for Riviera foodies. The chef concocts what he calls the “cuisine of the sun,” in celebration of sunny Provence.

THE BEST AFFORDABLE RESTAURANTS

• La Crèmerie (Paris; 01-43-54-99-30; www.lacremerie.fr): This old milk shop–turned–wine bar is an affordable choice for a romantic meal. It has beautiful tiles and an intimate atmosphere.

• Breizh Café (Paris; 01-42-72-13-77; www.breizhcafe.com): With incredible crepes and friendly service, this is the place to go when you want to fill up on authentic French comfort food for under 20€ a head.

• Les Vapeurs (Trouville, Normandy; 02-31-88-15-24; www.lesvapeurs.fr): An anomaly among the Norman coast’s high-priced brasseries, this restaurant overlooking the port is no-frills, from its Art Deco decor to its fresh, well-priced seafood. Patrons enjoy the festive ambience.

• L’Auberge du Pélican (Dinan, Brittany; 02-96-39-47-05): Many visitors drive up from Paris for the day, followed by a dinner here in this old-fashioned Breton establishment, where even the bread is homemade. Dishes with an emphasis on fresh fish are based on time-honored recipes.

• Brasserie de l’Ancienne Douane (Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine; 03-88-15-78-78; www.anciennedouane.fr): In a city known for its Alsatian cuisine, this restaurant is a front-runner in the moderate category. In a medieval building, you can feast on the sauerkraut and foie gras of the region.

• Au Chalet de Brou (Bourg-en-Bresse, Rhône Valley; 04-74-22-26-28): In a town famous for its poultry, this restaurant sits across from the village church. It offers the local birds at amazingly low prices, and food critics travel here from all over France for the hearty roast chicken.

• L’Isle Sonnante (Aix-en-Provence, Provence; 04-90-82-56-01): In Paul Cézanne’s hometown, this intimate bistro near the Palais de Papes is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Look for innovative twists on Provençal classics such as rabbit with olives and calamari risotto with saffron.

• Chez Servais (Libourne, Bordeaux wine district; 05-57-51-83-97): As you’re touring the wine district outside Bordeaux, one of your finest and best-value meals is likely to be in this little market town at the junction of the Dordogne and Isle rivers. The cuisine is a savory blend of classical and modern.

FRANCE IN DEPTH

The civilization and history of France and the French way of life—the savoir-faire of its people—lures travelers from all over the world to this country that covers an area smaller than Texas. You can get lost in France, lost in the sense that each region is so intriguing and varied that you may immerse yourself in one province for so long that you’ll never have time to go on to see what’s on the other side. France, often referred to as “the garden of Europe,” is—perhaps more than any country in the world—a land to be savored. It’s better to get to know intimately one, two, or three regions than try to explore them all. This is not a country to rush through on one of those quick bus tours (“If it’s Tuesday, it must be Nice”). It is ideally explored by car, allowing you to stop whenever and wherever you wish.

No European country, not even England, can beat France in its pageantry of personalities, from Madame de Pompadour to Charles de Gaulle, from Jean-Luc Godard to Françoise Hardy, from Catherine de Médicis to Joan of Arc, from Napoleon to Victor Hugo. You’ll be introduced to some of these figures in the pages ahead. Seeing where they lived, worked, loved, and became legends is part of the experience of going to France.

This guide is meant to help you decide where to go in France, but ultimately the most gratifying experience will be your own serendipitous discovery of France—sunflowers, a picnic in a poppy field, an hour spent chatting with a small winemaker—whatever it is that stays in your memory for years to come.

FRANCE TODAY

France remains one of the world’s most hyped and written-about destinations. It can inspire a masterpiece—and has on countless occasions. Even the cantankerous James McNeill Whistler would allow his masterpiece, a portrait of his mother, to hang in no other city save Paris.

Although not large by North American standards (about the size of the state of Texas, or of Britain and Germany combined), France is densely packed with attractions, both cultural and recreational. Even better, it’s permeated with style and known for its joie de vivre.

The French claim credit for developing the Gothic style of architecture and the cathedrals that stand as legacies of soaring stone for future generations. Creators of everything from palaces to subway stations have drawn at least some inspiration from designs inaugurated in France. However, despite the thrilling architectural monuments peppering the country’s landscapes, it would be wrong to assume that the culture’s main contribution to the world is derived from stone, mortar, stained glass, and gilt. Its contributions to painting, literature, cuisine, fashion, and savoir-faire are staggering.

When other parts of Europe were slumbering through the Dark Ages, Provence was alive with creativity as Provençal poetry evolved into a truly lyrical, evocative, and (in some cases) erotic verse form. Despite the frequent absences of its monarchs, who sequestered themselves with their entourages in remote Loire Valley châteaux, Renaissance Paris developed into one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities, embellishing itself with majestic buildings and sculpture.

Impressions

I tried to think it out. Why did Paris still draw us to its fascination, why did it draw those who felt themselves creative—talent or no talent? Why had it been, since Franklin, that all of us felt that we were freer there than elsewhere? Why did art, literature, and sex, and the feeding and drinking seem more genuine there? Generations of Americans had run a whole gamut of desires, hopes in Paris—all so opposite to those they had found at home, on the farm, in the city.

—Stephen Longstreet, We All Went to Paris (1972)

The passionate French tradition of scholarship helped build Europe’s university system, synthesized the modern world’s interpretation of human rights, helped topple one of the most powerful monarchies of all time, and justified the role of a post-revolutionary emperor (Napoleon) as conqueror of most of Europe.

As for style, it has always been foolhardy to try to compete with the French on their terms. The theatrical backdrops of the sometimes-silly Gallic monarchs have been interpreted by latter-day aesthetes as history’s crowning achievement when it comes to conspicuous displays of wealth and prestige.

In politics and ideology, France has always been a leader and remains so today. Fueled by Enlightenment writings, whose most articulate voices were French, the 1789 Revolution toppled Europe’s most deeply entrenched regime and cracked the foundations of dozens of other governments. After a period of murky maneuverings by diverse coalitions of strange bedfellows, post-revolutionary Paris became a magnet for the greatest talents of the 19th and early 20th centuries in many fields of endeavor.

Newcomers have commented (often adversely) on the cultural arrogance of the French. But despite its linguistic and cultural rigidity, France has received more immigrants and political exiles than any other European country. Part of this derives from France’s status as one of Europe’s least densely populated nations per square mile, and part of it from the tendency of the French to let others be until their actions become dangerous or obnoxious, not necessarily in that order.

This guidebook represents our effort to introduce first-time visitors to France’s subtle pleasures and—if possible—to open new doors to those who might have already spent time here. We’ve set for ourselves the formidable task of seeking out France at its finest and condensing that information so you can access it easily. But the best need not always be the most expensive or the most chic or the most widely publicized.

If you’re a first-timer, everything in Paris, of course, is new. But if you’ve been away for a long time, expect changes. Taxi drivers may no longer correct your fractured French, but address you in English—and that’s tantamount to a revolution. More Parisians have a rudimentary knowledge of English, and the country, at least at first glance, seems less hysterically xenophobic than in past years. Part of this derives from Parisians’ interest in music, videos, and films from foreign countries, and part from France’s growing awareness of its role within a united Europe.

Yet France has never been more concerned about the loss of its unique identity within a landscape that has attracted an increasing number of immigrants from its former colonies. Many have expressed the legitimate concern that France will continue to lose the battle to keep its language strong, distinct, and unadulterated by foreign slang or catchwords. But as the country moves deeper into the millennium, foreign tourists spending much-needed cash are no longer perceived as foes or antagonists. Au contraire: The rancor of France’s collective xenophobia has been increasingly redirected toward the many immigrants seeking better lives in Paris, where the infrastructure has nearly been stretched to its limits.

THE MAKING OF FRANCE

EARLY GAUL When the ancient Romans considered France part of their empire, their boundaries extended deep into the forests of the Paris basin and up to the edges of the Rhine. Part of Julius Caesar’s early reputation came from his defeat of King Vercingetorix at Alésia in 52 b.c., a victory he was quick to publicize in one of the ancient world’s literary masterpieces, The Gallic Wars. In that year, the Roman colony of Lutetia (Paris) was established on an island in the Seine (Ile de la Cité).

As the Roman Empire declined, its armies retreated to the flourishing colonies that had been established along a strip of the Mediterranean coast—among others, these included Orange, Montpellier, Nîmes, Narbonne, and Marseille, which retain some of the best Roman monuments in Europe.

As one of their legacies, the Roman armies left behind the Catholic church, which, for all its abuses, was the only real guardian of civilization during the anarchy following the Roman decline. A form of low Latin was the common language, and it slowly evolved into the archaic French that both delights and confuses today’s medieval scholars.

The form of Christianity adopted by many of the chieftains was viewed as heretical by Rome. Consequently, when Clovis (king of northeastern Gaul’s Franks and founder of the Merovingian dynasty) astutely converted to Catholicism, he won the approval of the pope, the political support of the powerful archbishop of Reims, and the loyalty of the many Gallic tribes who’d grown disenchanted with anarchy. (Clovis’s baptism is viewed as the beginning of a collusion between the Catholic church and the French monarchy that flourished until the 1789 Revolution.) At the Battle of Soissons in 486, Clovis defeated the last vestiges of Roman power in Gaul. Other conquests that followed included expansions westward to the Seine, then to the Loire. After a battle in Dijon in 500, he became the nominal overlord of the king of Burgundy. Seven years later, his armies drove the Visigoths into Spain, giving most of Aquitaine, in western France, to his newly founded Merovingian dynasty. Trying to make the best of an earlier humiliation, Anastasius, the Byzantium-based emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, finally gave the kingdom of the Franks his legal sanction.

After Clovis’s death in 511, his kingdom was split among his squabbling heirs. The Merovingian dynasty, however, managed to survive in fragmented form for another 250 years. During this period, the power of the bishops and the great lords grew, firmly entrenching the complex hierarchies and preoccupations of what we today know as feudalism. Although apologists for the Merovingians are quick to point out their achievements, the feudalistic quasi-anarchy of their tenuous reign has been (not altogether unfairly) identified by many historians as the Dark Ages.

THE CAROLINGIANS From the wreckage of the intrigue-ridden Merovingian court emerged a new dynasty: the Carolingians. One of their leaders, Charles Martel, halted a Muslim invasion of northern Europe at Tours in 743 and left a much-expanded kingdom to his son, Pepin. The Carolingian empire eventually stretched from the Pyrénées to a point deep in the German forests, encompassing much of modern France, Germany, and northern Italy. The heir to this vast land was Charlemagne. Crowned emperor in Rome on Christmas Day in 800, he returned to his capital at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) and created the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne’s rule saw a revived interest in scholarship, art, and classical texts, defined by scholars as the Carolingian Renaissance.

Despite Charlemagne’s magnetism, cultural rifts formed in his sprawling empire, most of which was eventually divided between two of his three squabbling heirs. Charles of Aquitaine annexed the western region; Louis of Bavaria took the east. Historians credit this division with the development of modern France and Germany as separate nations. Shortly after Charlemagne’s death, his fragmented empire was invaded by Vikings from the north, Muslim Saracens from the south, and Hungarians from the east.

THE MIDDLE AGES When the Carolingian dynasty died out in 987, Hugh Capet, comte de Paris and duc de France, officially began the Middle Ages with the establishment of the Capetian dynasty. In 1154, the annulment of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to Louis VII of France and subsequent marriage to Henry II of England placed the western half of France under English control, and vestiges of their power remained for centuries. Meanwhile, vast forests and swamps were cleared for harvesting (often by the Middle Ages’ hardest-working ascetics, Cistercian monks), the population grew, great Gothic cathedrals were begun, and monastic life contributed to every level of a rapidly developing social order. Politically driven marriages among the ruling families more than doubled the size of the territory controlled from Paris, a city that was increasingly recognized as the country’s capital. Philippe II (reigned 1179–1223) infiltrated more prominent families with his genes than anyone else in France, successfully marrying members of his family into the Valois, Artois, and Vermandois. He also managed to win Normandy and Anjou back from the English.

Louis IX (St. Louis) emerged as the 13th century’s most memorable king, though he ceded most of the hard-earned military conquests of his predecessors back to the English. Somewhat of a religious fanatic, he died of illness (along with most of his army) in 1270 in a boat anchored off Tunis. The vainglorious and not-very-wise pretext for his trip was the Eighth Crusade. At the time of his death, Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris had been completed, and the arts of tapestry making and stonecutting were flourishing.

During the 1300s, the struggle of French sovereignty against the claims of a rapacious Roman pope tempted Philip the Fair to encourage support for a pope based in Avignon. (The Roman pope, Boniface VIII, whom Philip publicly insulted and then assaulted in his home, is said to have died of the shock.) During one of medieval history’s most bizarre episodes, two popes ruled simultaneously, one from Rome and one from Avignon. They competed fiercely for the spiritual and fiscal control of Christendom, until years of political intrigue turned the tables in favor of Rome and Avignon relinquished its claim in 1378.

The 14th century saw an increase in the wealth and power of the French kings, an increase in the general prosperity, and a decrease in the power of the feudal lords. The death of Louis X without an heir in 1316 prompted more than a decade of scheming and plotting before the eventual emergence of the Valois dynasty.

The Black Death began in the summer of 1348, killing an estimated 33% of Europe’s population, decimating the population of Paris, and setting the stage for the exodus of the French monarchs to safer climes in such places as the Loire Valley. A financial crisis, coupled with a series of ruinous harvests, almost bankrupted the nation.

During the Hundred Years’ War, the English made sweeping inroads into France in an attempt to grab the throne. At their most powerful, they controlled almost all the north (Picardy and Normandy), Champagne, parts of the Loire Valley, and the huge western region called Guyenne. The peasant-born charismatic visionary Joan of Arc rallied the dispirited French troops as well as the timid dauphin (crown prince), whom she managed to have crowned as Charles VII in the cathedral at Reims. As threatening to the Catholic Church as she was to the English, she was declared a heretic and burned at the stake in Rouen in 1431. Led by the newly crowned king, a barely cohesive France initiated reforms that strengthened its finances and vigor. After compromises among the quarreling factions, the French army drove the discontented English out, leaving them only the Norman port of Calais.

In the late 1400s, Charles VIII married Brittany’s last duchess, Anne, for a unification of France with its Celtic-speaking western outpost. In the early 1500s, the endlessly fascinating François I, through war and diplo-macy, strengthened the monarchy, rid it of its dependence on Italian bankers, coped with the intricate policies of the Renaissance, and husbanded the arts into a form of patronage that French monarchs continued to endorse for centuries.

Meanwhile, the growth of Protestantism and the unwillingness of the Catholic Church to tolerate it led to civil strife. In 1572, Catherine de Médicis reversed her policy of religious tolerance and ordered the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of hundreds of Protestants. Henri IV, tired of the bloodshed and fearful that a fanatically Catholic Spain would meddle in the religious conflicts, converted to Catholicism as a compromise in 1593. Just before being fatally stabbed by a half-crazed monk, he issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting freedom of religion to Protestants in France.

THE PASSING OF FEUDALISM By now France was a modern state, rid of all but a few of the vestiges of feudalism. In 1624, Louis XIII appointed a Catholic cardinal, the duc de Richelieu, his chief minister. Amassing enormous power, Richelieu virtually ruled the country until his death in 1642. His sole objective was investing the monarchy with total power—he committed a series of truly horrible acts trying to attain this goal and paved the way for the eventual absolutism of Louis XIV.

Although he ascended the throne when he was only 9, with the help of his Sicilian-born chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin, Louis XIV was the most powerful monarch Europe had seen since the Roman emperors. Through first a brilliant military campaign against Spain and then a judicious marriage to one of its royal daughters, he expanded France to include the southern provinces of Artois and Roussillon. Later, a series of diplomatic and military victories along the Flemish border expanded the country toward the north and east. The estimated population of France at this time was 20 million, as opposed to 8 million in England and 6 million in Spain. French colonies in Canada, the West Indies, and America (Louisiana) were stronger than ever. The mercantilism that Louis’s brilliant finance minister, Colbert, implemented was one of the era’s most important fiscal policies, hugely increasing France’s power and wealth. The arts flourished, as did a sense of aristocratic style that’s remembered with a bittersweet nostalgia today. Louis’s palace of Versailles is the perfect monument to the most flamboyantly consumptive era in French history.

Louis’s territorial ambitions so deeply threatened the other nations of Europe that, led by William of Orange, they united to hold him in check. France entered a series of expensive and demoralizing wars that, coupled with high taxes and bad harvests, stirred up much civil discontent. England was viewed as a threat both within Europe and in the global rush for lucrative colonies. The great Atlantic ports, especially Bordeaux, grew and prospered because of France’s success in the West Indian slave and sugar trades. Despite the country’s power, the total number of French colonies diminished thanks to the naval power of the English. The rise of Prussia as a militaristic neighbor posed an additional problem.

THE REVOLUTION & THE RISE OF NAPOLEON Meanwhile, the Enlightenment was training a new generation of thinkers for the struggle against absolutism, religious fanaticism, and superstition. Europe was never the same after the Revolution of 1789, though the ideas that engendered it had been brewing for more than 50 years. On August 10, 1792, troops from Marseille, aided by a Parisian mob, threw the dimwitted Louis XVI and his tactless Austrian-born queen, Marie Antoinette, into prison. After months of bloodshed and bickering among violently competing factions, the two thoroughly humiliated monarchs were executed.

France’s problems got worse before they got better. In the ensuing bloodbaths, both moderates and radicals were guillotined in full view of a bloodthirsty crowd that included voyeurs like Dickens’s Mme. Defarge, who brought her knitting every day to place de la Révolution (later renamed place de la Concorde) to watch the beheadings. The drama surrounding the collapse of the ancien régime and the beheadings of Robespierre’s Reign of Terror provides the most heroic and horrible anecdotes in the history of France. From all this emerged the Declaration of the Rights of Man, an enlightened document published in 1789; its influence has been cited as a model of democratic ideals ever since. The implications of the collapse of the French aristocracy shook the foundations of every monarchy in Europe.

Only the militaristic fervor of Napoleon Bonaparte could reunite France and bring an end to the revolutionary chaos. A political and military genius who appeared on the landscape at a time when the French were thoroughly sickened by the anarchy following their revolution, he restored a national pride that had been severely tarnished. He also established a bureaucracy and a code of law that has been emulated in other legal systems around the world. In 1799, at the age of 30, he entered Paris and was crowned first consul and master of France. Soon after, a decisive victory in his northern Italian campaign solidified his power at home. A brilliant politician, he made peace through a compromise with the Vatican, quelling the atheistic spirit of the earliest days of the Revolution.

Napoleon’s victories made him the envy of Europe. Beethoven dedicated his Eroica symphony to Napoleon—but later retracted the dedication when Napoleon committed what Beethoven considered atrocities. Just as he was poised on the verge of conquering all Europe, Napoleon’s famous retreat from Moscow during the winter of 1812 reduced his formerly invincible army to tatters, as 400,000 Frenchmen died in the Russian snows. Napoleon was then defeated at Waterloo by the combined armies of the English, Dutch, and Prussians. Exiled to the British-held island of St-Helena in the South Atlantic, he died in 1821, probably the victim of an unknown poisoner.

THE BOURBONS & THE SECOND EMPIRE In 1814, following the destruction of Napoleon and his dream, the Congress of Vienna redefined the map of Europe. The new geography was an approximation of the boundaries that had existed in 1792. The Bourbon monarchy was reestablished, with reduced powers for Louis XVIII, an archconservative, and a changing array of leaders who included the prince de Polignac and, later, Charles X. New oppressions, however, didn’t sit well in a France that had already spilled so much blood in favor of egalitarian causes.

In 1830, after censoring the press and dissolving Parliament, Louis XVIII was removed from power after yet more violent uprisings. Louis-Philippe, duc d’Orléans, was elected king under a liberalized constitution. His reign lasted for 18 years of calm prosperity during which England and France more or less collaborated on matters of foreign policy. The establishment of an independent Belgium and the French conquest of Algeria (1840–47) were to have resounding effects on French politics a century later. It was a time of wealth, grace, and expansion of the arts for most French people, though the industrialization of the north and east produced some of the 19th century’s most horrific poverty.

A revolution in 1848, fueled by a financial crash and disgruntled workers in Paris, forced Louis-Philippe out of office. That year, Napoleon I’s nephew, Napoleon III, was elected president. Appealing to the property-protecting instinct of a nation that hadn’t forgotten the violent upheavals of less than a century before, he initiated a repressive right-wing government in which he was awarded the totalitarian status of emperor in 1851. Rebounding from the punishment they’d received during the revolution and the minor role they’d played during the First Empire, the Second Empire’s clergy enjoyed great power. Steel production was begun, and a railway system and Indochinese colonies were established. New technologies fostered new kinds of industry, and the bourgeoisie flourished. And the baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann radically altered Paris by laying out the grand boulevards the world knows today.

By 1866, an industrialized France began to see the Second Empire as more of a hindrance than an encouragement to its expansion. The dismal failure of colonizing Mexico and the increasing power of Austria and Prussia were setbacks to the empire’s prestige. In 1870, the Prussians defeated Napoleon III at Sedan and held him prisoner with 100,000 of his soldiers. Paris was besieged by an enemy who only just failed to march its vastly superior armies through the capital.

After the Prussians withdrew, a violent revolt ushered in the Third Republic and its elected president, Marshal MacMahon, in 1873. Peace and prosperity slowly returned, France regained its glamour, a mania of building occurred, the Impressionists made their visual statements, and writers like Flaubert redefined the French novel into what today is regarded as the most evocative in the world. As if as a symbol of this period, the Eiffel Tower was built as part of the 1889 Universal Exposition.

By 1890, a new corps of satirists (including Zola) had exposed the country’s wretched living conditions, the cruelty of the country’s vested interests, and the underlying hypocrisy of late-19th-century French society. The 1894 Dreyfus Affair exposed the corruption of French army officers who had destroyed the career and reputation of a Jewish colleague (Albert Dreyfus), falsely and deliberately punished—as a scapegoat—for treason. The ethnic tensions identified by Zola led to further divisiveness in the rest of the 20th century.

THE WORLD WARS International rivalries, thwarted colonial ambitions, and conflicting alliances led to World War I, which, after decisive German victories for 2 years, degenerated into the mud-slogged horror of trench warfare. Mourning between four and five million casualties, Europe was inflicted with psychological scars that never healed. In 1917, the United States broke the European deadlock by entering the war.

After the Allied victory, grave economic problems, plus the demoralization stemming from years of fighting, encouraged the growth of socialism and communism. The French government, led by a vindictive Georges Clemenceau, demanded every centime of reparations it could wring from a crushed Germany. The humiliation associated with this has often been cited as the origin of the German nation’s almost obsessive determination to rise from the ashes of 1918 to a place in the sun.

The worldwide Great Depression had devastating repercussions in France. Poverty and widespread bankruptcies weakened the Third Republic to the point where successive coalition governments rose and fell with alarming regularity. The crises reached a crescendo on June 14, 1940, when Hitler’s armies arrogantly marched down the Champs-Elysées, and newsreel cameras recorded French people openly weeping. Under the terms of the armistice, the north of France was occupied by the Nazis, and a puppet French government was established at Vichy under the authority of Marshal Pétain. The immediate collapse of the French army is viewed as one of the most significant humiliations in modern French history.

Impressions

Paris is a sphinx. I will drag her secret from her. —Mirabeau

Pétain and his regime cooperated with the Nazis in unbearably shameful ways. Not the least of their errors included the deportation of more than 75,000 French Jews to German work camps. Pockets of resistance fighters (le maquis) waged small-scale guerrilla attacks against the Nazis throughout the course of the war, and free-French forces continued to fight along with the Allies on battlegrounds like North Africa. Charles de Gaulle, the irascible giant whose personality is forever associated with the politics of his era, established himself as the head of the French government-in-exile, operating first from London and then from Algiers.

The scenario was radically altered on June 6, 1944, when the largest armada in history successfully established a bulkhead on the beaches of Normandy. Paris rose in rebellion even before the Allied armies arrived, and on August 26, 1944, Charles de Gaulle entered the capital as head of the government. The Fourth Republic was declared even as pockets of Nazi snipers continued to shoot from scattered rooftops throughout the city.

THE POSTWAR YEARS Plagued by the bitter residue of colonial policies that France had established during the 18th and 19th centuries, the Fourth Republic witnessed the rise and fall of 22 governments and 17 premiers. Many French soldiers died on foreign battlefields as once-profitable colonies in North Africa and Indochina rebelled. It took 80,000 French lives, for example, to put down a revolt in Madagascar. After suffering a bitter defeat in 1954, France ended the war in Indochina and freed its former colony. It also granted internal self-rule to Tunisia and (under slightly different circumstances) Morocco.

Algeria was to remain a greater problem. The advent of the 1958 Algerian revolution signaled the end of the much-maligned Fourth Republic. De Gaulle was called back from retirement to initiate a new constitution, the Fifth Republic, with a stronger set of executive controls. To nearly everyone’s dissatisfaction, de Gaulle ended the Algerian war in 1962 by granting the country full independence. Screams of protest resounded long and loud, but the sun had set on most of France’s far-flung empire. Internal disruption followed as vast numbers of pieds-noirs (French-born residents of Algeria recently stripped of their lands) flooded back into metropolitan France, often into makeshift refugee camps in Provence and Languedoc.

In 1968, major social unrest and a violent coalition hastily formed between the nation’s students and blue-collar workers eventually led to the collapse of the government. De Gaulle resigned when his attempts to placate some of the marchers were defeated. The reins of power passed to his second-in-command, Georges Pompidou, and his successor, Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, both of whom continued de Gaulle’s policies emphasizing economic development and protection of France as a cultural resource to the world.

THE 1980S & 1990S In 1981, François Mitterrand was elected the first Socialist president of France since World War II (with a close vote of 51%). In almost immediate response, many wealthy French decided to transfer their assets out of the country, much to the delight of banks in Geneva, Monaco, the Cayman Islands, and Vienna. Though reviled by the rich and ridiculed for personal mannerisms that often seemed inspired by Louis XIV, Mitterrand was reelected in 1988. During his two terms, he spent billions of francs on his grands projets (like the Louvre pyramid, Opéra Bastille, Cité de la Musique, and Grande Arche de la Défense), some of which are now beginning to fall apart or reveal serious weaknesses.

In 1992, France played a leading role in the development of the European Union (E.U.), 15 countries that will ultimately abolish all trade barriers among themselves and share a single currency, the euro. More recent developments include France’s interest in developing a central European bank for the regulation of a shared intra-European currency, a ruling that some politicians have interpreted as another block in the foundation of a united Europe.

In April 1993, voters dumped the Socialists and installed a new conservative government. Polls cited corruption scandals, rising unemployment, and urban insecurity as reasons for this. The Conservative premier Edouard Balladur had to “cohabit” the government with Mitterrand, whom he blamed for the country’s growing economic problems. Diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer near the end of his second term, Mitterrand continued to represent France with dignity, despite his deterioration. The battle over who would succeed him was waged against Balladur with epic rancor by Jacques Chirac, tenacious survivor of many terms as mayor of Paris. Their public discord was among the most venomous since the days of Pétain.

On his third try, on May 7, 1995, Chirac won the presidency with 52% of the vote and immediately declared war on unemployment. Mitterrand turned over the reins of government on May 17 and died shortly thereafter. But Chirac’s popularity soon faded in the wake of unrest caused by an 11.5% unemployment rate, a barrage of terrorist attacks by Algerian Muslims, and a stressed economy struggling to meet European Union entry requirements.

A wave of terrorist attacks from July to September 1995 brought an unfamiliar wariness to Paris. Six bombs were planted, killing 7 people and injuring 115. In light of this, Parisians proved cautious, if not fearful. Algerian Islamic militants, the suspected culprits, may have brought military guards to the Eiffel Tower, but they failed to throw France into panic.

Throughout 1995 and early 1996, France infuriated everyone from the members of Greenpeace to the governments of Australia and New Zealand by resuming its long-dormant policy of exploding nuclear bombs on isolated Pacific atolls for testing purposes. This policy continued until public outcry, both in France and outside its borders, exerted massive pressure to end the tests.

In May 1996, thousands of Parisian workers took to the streets, disrupting passenger train service to demand a workweek shorter than the usual 39 hours. They felt that this move would help France’s staggering unemployment figures. Employer organizations resisted this idea, claiming that even if the workweek were cut to 35 hours, businesses wouldn’t be able to take on many new employees.

The drama of 1996 climaxed with the heat of the summer, when the police took axes to the doors of the Paris church of St-Bernard de la Chapelle. Nearly 300 African immigrants were removed by force from this place of refuge and deported. Strikes and protests continued to plague the country, and Chirac’s political horizon became dimmer still—with a 12% unemployment rate and crime on an alarming increase. Terrorist scares continued to flood the borders of France throughout 1997, forcing a highly visible armed police force, as part of a nationwide program known as Vigipirate, to take to the streets of major cities. One of the unusual offshoots of the Vigipirate program involved the closing of the crypts of many of France’s medieval churches to visitors, partly in fear of a terrorist bomb attack on national historic treasures.

In the latest power struggle between the Conservatives and the Socialists, in the spring of 1998, Conservatives were ousted in a majority of France’s regional provinces, amounting to a powerful endorsement for Prime Minister Lionel Jospin’s Socialist-led government.

In 1999, France joined with other European countries in adopting the euro as its standard of currency. The new currency accelerated the creation of a single economy comprising nearly 300 million Europeans, with a combined gross national product approaching 9€ trillion, larger than that of the United States.

France moved into the millennium by testing the practicality of new and progressive social legislation. On October 13, 1999, the French Parliament passed a new law giving legal status to unmarried couples, including homosexual unions. The law allows couples of same sex or not to enter into a union and be entitled to the same rights as married couples in such areas as housing, inheritance, income tax, and social welfare.

CONTEMPORARY POLITICS (2000–PRESENT) In February 2005, President George W. Bush flew to Europe to mend fences with some of his worst critics, notably French President Chirac. The two political foes found common ground on such issues as Syria and Lebanon, but Iraq remained a thorny problem. Chirac, a self-styled expert on cows after serving as a former agriculture minister, was not invited to Bush’s Texas ranch. When asked why not, Bush enigmatically said, “I’m looking for a good cowboy.”

Late in 2005, decades of pent-up resentment felt by the children of African immigrants exploded into an orgy of violence and vandalism. Riots began in the suburbs of Paris and spread around the country. Throughout France, gangs of youths battled the French police; torched schools, cars, and businesses; and even attacked commuter trains. Rioting followed in such cities as Dijon, Marseille, and Rouen. Most of the rioters were the sons of Arab and black African immigrants, Muslims living in a mostly Catholic country. The reason for the protests? Leaders of the riots claimed they live “like second-class citizens,” even though they are French citizens. Unemployment is 30% higher in the ethnic ghettos of France.

In spring 2006, Jacques Chirac signed a law that made it easier for employers to fire workers, which set off massive demonstrations across France. Some one million protesters staged marches and strikes against the law, which was rescinded on April 10, 2006.

Against a backdrop of discontent regarding issues of unemployment, immigration, and healthcare, the charismatic Nicolas Sarkozy swept into the presidential office in May 2007. It remains to be seen whether his campaign promises to break from “politics as usual” translate into real change, especially for many of France’s disenchanted youths.

Sarkozy, the combative son of a Hungarian immigrant, promised to reinvigorate ties with France’s traditional ally, the United States. His election was followed by scattered violence throughout the country from anti-Sarkozy protesters. In 2005, he’d called rioters in Paris’s immigrant-heavy suburbs “scum,” which was blamed for the country’s worst violence in 4 decades. Sarkozy has promised to be president of “all the French” during his administration.

In all this muddle, Sarkozy found time to divorce a wife and take a beautiful new bride. A glamorous model-turned-singer, the sexy Carla Bruni, is the new first lady of France. “The Carla effect,” as it’s called in Paris, has decreased Sarkozy’s popularity—along with his failure to revive France’s ailing economy. The tabloids have had a field day with the first lady, whose former lovers include Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Donald Trump, even Laurent Fabius (a former French prime minister).

Beginning in 2008, a smoking ban in public places came into law throughout Paris and France in general. French authorities estimate that passive smoking kills about 13 people a day in France and ruled the situation unacceptable. Public places include transport stations, museums, government offices, and shops, but not streets or private places such as houses or hotel rooms. Those found in breach of the ban will be fined.

Many of the French became uncertain of their future as a European Union member in 2010. The financial instability in Greece and the continuing woes of debt-ridden Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal contributed to the drop in the euro’s value.

Impressions

Paris (in each shape and gesture and avenue and cranny of her being) was continuously expressing the humanness of humanity. Everywhere I sensed a miraculous presence, not of mere children and women and men, but of living human beings.

—e e cummings

Politically, Sarkozy remains a divisive figure. His attempt to reform the pension system by raising the age of retirement from 60 to 62 caused a wave of strikes and protests across France in the autumn of 2010. Despite widespread opposition to the legislation, the French parliament approved the reforms in October 2010. Outside of politics, the French tend to look at Sarkozy’s personal life with ridicule. His marriage to Italian–French pop singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and his holidays with the rich and famous have earned him the title of the “bling bling president,” and stories of his aides putting boxes behind podiums to make him seem taller during his speeches have been met with derision. Given how badly Sarkozy is currently doing in the polls, it remains to be seen whether the French will give him a second chance and re-elect him in the upcoming 2012 French Presidential Election. One thing’s for sure—he won’t go without a fight.

ART & ARCHITECTURE

Art

France’s art treasures range from medieval stained glass and Ingres portraits to Monet’s Impressionist Water Lilies; its architecture encompasses Roman ruins and Gothic cathedrals, as well as Renaissance châteaux and postmodern buildings like the Centre Pompidou. This brief overview will help you make sense of it all.

PREHISTORIC, CELTIC & CLASSICAL (25,000 B.C.–A.D. 500)

After England’s Stonehenge, Europe’s most famous prehistoric remains are France’s Paleolithic cave paintings. Created 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, they depict mostly hunting scenes and abstract shapes.

The caves at Lascaux, the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art, have been closed since 1963, but experts have created a replica, Lascaux II. To see the real stuff, visit Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, which boasts four caves (Font de Gaume is the best). In the neighboring Lot Valley, outside Cahors, is the Grotte du Pech-Merle, with France’s oldest cave art (about 20,000 years old). Little remains of the art of Celtic (ca. 1000 b.c.–a.d. 125) and Roman (a.d. 125–500) Gaul. Surviving items—small votive bronzes, statues, jewelry, and engraved weapons and tools—are spread across France’s archaeology museums. Burgundy preserves the most of Celtic Gaul, including sites at Dijon, Châtillon-sur-Seine, Alise-Ste-Reine, and Auxerre. To see artifacts of Roman Gaul, visit the southern towns of Nîmes, Arles, Orange, St-Rémy-de-Provence, and Vienne.

ROMANESQUE (900–1100)

Artistic expression in medieval France was largely church related. Because Mass was in Latin, images were used to communicate the Bible’s lessons to the mostly illiterate people. Bas-reliefs (sculptures that project slightly from a flat surface) were used to illustrate key tales that inspired faith in God and fear of sin (the Last Judgment was a favorite). These reliefs were wrapped around column capitals and fitted into the tympanums, or arched spaces above doorways (the complete door, tympanum, arch, and supporting pillars assemblage is the portal).

The best examples of Romanesque art include a Last Judgment tympanum by Gislebertus at St-Lazare in Autun; 76 Romanesque cloister capitals and one of France’s best-carved 11th-century portals at St-Pierre Abbey in Moissac near Montauban; and the tympanum over the inner main portal of huge Ste-Madeleine in Vézelay. The Bayeux Tapestry (1066–77) is the most notable example of Romanesque artistry, 69m (226 ft.) of embroidered linen telling the story of William the Conqueror’s defeat of the English.

GOTHIC (1100–1400)

Paris retains almost no art from the classical or Romanesque eras, but much remains from the medieval Gothic era, when artists created sculpture and stained glass for churches.

Outstanding examples include the Cathédrale de Chartres (1194–1220), a day trip from Paris, boasting magnificent sculpture and some of the best stained glass in Europe; the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame (1163–1250), with sculpture on the facade, an interior choir screen lined with deep-relief carvings, and three rose windows filled with stained glass; and Sainte-Chapelle (1240–50), a tiny chapel adorned with the finest stained glass in the world.

THE RENAISSANCE & BAROQUE (1450–1800)

Humanist thinkers rediscovered the wisdom of ancient Greece and Rome, while artists strove for naturalism, using newly developed techniques like linear perspective. The French had little to do with this movement, which started in Italy and was picked up only in Germany and the Low Countries. However, many Renaissance treasures are in French museums, thanks to collectors such as François I.

Not until the 17th-century baroque did a few French masters emerge. This period is hard to pin down. In some ways a result of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, it reaffirmed spirituality in a simplified, monumental, and religious version of Renaissance ideals. In other ways, it delved even deeper into classical modes and a kind of super-realism based on using peasants as models and the chiaroscuro (contrast of light and dark) of the Italian painter Caravaggio.

Paris’s Louvre abounds with Renaissance works by Italian, Flemish, and German masters, including Michelangelo (1475–1564) and Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). Leonardo’s Mona Lisa (1503–05), perhaps the world’s most famous painting, hangs there. Great baroque and rococo artists include Antoine Watteau (1684–1721), a rococo painter of colorful, theatrical works; and Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806), a master of rococo pastel scenes, including the famous The Bathers.

NEOCLASSICAL & ROMANTIC (1770–1890)

As the baroque got excessive, the rococo got cute, and the somber Counter-Reformation got serious about the limits on religious art, several artists looked to the ancients for relief. This gave rise to a neoclassical artistic style that emphasized symmetry, austerity, clean lines, and classical themes.

The romantics, on the other hand, felt that both the ancients and the Renaissance had gotten it wrong and that the Middle Ages was the place to be. They idealized romantic tales of chivalry and the nobility of peasantry.

Some great artists and movements of the era, all with examples in the Louvre, include Jean Ingres (1780–1867), who became a defender of the neoclassicists and the Royal French Academy and opposed the romantics; Theodore Géricault (1791–1824), one of the great early romantics, who painted The Raft of the Medusa (1819), which served as a model for the movement; and Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), whose Liberty Leading the People (1830) was painted in the romantic style.

IMPRESSIONISM (1870–1920)

Seeking to capture the impression, light made as it reflected off objects, the Impressionists adopted a free, open style; deceptively loose compositions; swift, visible brushwork; and often light colors. For subject matter, they turned to landscapes and scenes of modern life. You’ll find some of the best examples of their works in the Musée d’Orsay.

Impressionist greats include Edouard Manet (1832–1883), whose groundbreaking Picnic on the Grass (1863) and Olympia (1863) helped inspire the movement with their harsh realism, visible brush strokes, and thick outlines; Claude Monet (1840–1926), who launched the movement officially in an 1874 exhibition in which he exhibited his Turner-inspired Impression, Sunrise (1874), now in the Musée Marmottan; Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), known for his figures’ ivory skin and chubby pink cheeks; Edgar Degas (1834–1917), an accomplished painter, sculptor, and draftsman—his pastels of dancers and bathers are particularly memorable; and Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), the greatest Impressionist-era sculptor, who crafted remarkably expressive bronzes. The Musée Rodin, his former Paris studio, contains, among other works, his Burghers of Calais (1886), The Kiss (1886–98), and The Thinker (1880).

POST-IMPRESSIONISM (1880–1930)

The smaller movements or styles of Impressionism are usually lumped together as “post-Impressionism.” Again, you’ll find the best examples of these works at the Musée d’Orsay, though you’ll find pieces by Matisse, Chagall, and the cubists, including Picasso, in the Centre Pompidou. Important post-Impressionists include Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), who adopted the short brush strokes, love of landscape, and light color palette of his Impressionist friends; Paul Gauguin (1848–1903), who developed synthetism (black outlines around solid colors); Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), who created paintings and posters of wispy, fluid lines anticipating Art Nouveau and often depicting the bohemian life of Paris’s dance halls and cafes; Vincent van Gogh (1853–90), who combined divisionism, synthetism, and a touch of Japanese influence, and painted with thick, short strokes; Henri Matisse (1869–1954), who created fauvism (a critic described those who used the style as fauves, meaning “wild beasts”); and Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), a Málaga-born artist who painted objects from all points of view at once, rather than using such optical tricks as perspective to fool viewers into seeing three dimensions. The fractured result was cubism. You can see art from all of his periods at the Musée Picasso in the Marais.

Architecture

It’s worth pointing out that very few buildings (especially churches) were built in one particular architectural style. These massive, expensive structures often took centuries to complete, during which time tastes would change and plans would be altered.

ANCIENT ROMAN (125 B.C.–A.D. 450)

Provence was Rome’s first transalpine conquest, and the legions of Julius Caesar quickly subdued the Celtic tribes across France, converting it into Roman Gaul.

Nîmes preserves from the 1st century b.c. a 20,000-seat amphitheater, a Corinthian temple called the “Square House,” a fine archaeology museum, and the astounding pont du Gard, a 47m-long (154-ft.), three-story aqueduct made of cut stones fitted together without mortar.

ROMANESQUE (800–1100)

The Romanesque style took its inspiration from ancient Rome (hence the name). Early Christians in Italy had adapted the basilica (ancient Roman law-court buildings) to become churches.

The Cathédrale St-Bénigne in Dijon was the first French Romanesque church, but of that era, only the crypt remains. The Cathédrale St-Pierre in Angoulême has a single large nave, a rounded apse with small radiating chapels, and a pair of transept mini-apses.

GOTHIC (1100–1500)

By the 12th century, engineering developments freed church architecture from the heavy, thick walls of Romanesque structures and allowed ceilings to soar, walls to thin, and windows to proliferate. Gothic interiors enticed churchgoers’ gazes upward to high ceilings filled with light. Graceful buttresses and spires soared above town centers.

The best examples in and around Paris of the Gothic are Basilique St-Denis (1140–44), the world’s first Gothic cathedral, in a Paris suburb; Cathédrale de Chartres (1194–1220), a Gothic masterpiece with some 150 glorious stained-glass windows; and, of course, Cathédrale de Notre-Dame (1163–1250), which possesses pinnacled flying buttresses, a trio of France’s best rose windows, good portal carvings, a choir screen of deeply carved reliefs, and spiffy gargoyles.

RENAISSANCE (1500–1630)

In architecture, as in painting, the Renaissance came from Italy and was only slowly Frenchified. And as in painting, its rules stressed proportion, order, classical inspiration, and precision to create unified, balanced structures.

The Loire Valley and Burgundy are home to many Renaissance châteaux. Foremost is the Loire’s Château de Chambord, started in 1519, probably according to plans by Leonardo da Vinci (who may have designed its double helix staircase). In contrast, the Château de Chenonceau, home to many a French king’s wife or mistress, is a fanciful fairy tale built in the middle of a river. The best example in Burgundy is the Château de Tanlay, east of Chablis.

CLASSICISM & ROCOCO (1630–1800)

While Italy and Germany embraced the opulent baroque, France took the fundamentals of Renaissance classicism even further, becoming more imitative of ancient models. During the reign of Louis XIV, art and architecture were subservient to political ends. Buildings were grandiose and severely ordered on the Versailles model. Opulence was saved for interior decoration, which increasingly (especially in 1715–50, after the death of Louis XIV) became a detailed and self-indulgent rococo (rocaille in French). Externally, rococo is noticeable only in a greater elegance and delicacy.

Mansart built town houses, châteaux, and churches (Val-de-Grâce in Paris, the Palais du Tau in Reims) and laid out Dijon’s place de la Libération. But the Parisian architect is chiefly remembered for his steeply sloping namesake, “mansard” roofs.

Louis Le Vau (1612–70) was the chief architect of the Louvre from 1650 to 1670 and of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (1656–61) outside Paris, a gig that put him and his collaborators—including Mansart, interior decorator Charles Le Brun (1619–90), and the unparalleled landscape gardener André Le Nôtre (1613–1700)—on Louis XIV’s radar and landed them the commission to rebuild Versailles (1669–85). Versailles is France’s—indeed, Europe’s—grandest palace.

THE 19TH CENTURY

Architectural styles in 19th-century Paris were eclectic, beginning in a severe classical mode and ending with an identity crisis torn between Industrial Age technology and Art Nouveau organic.

Identifiable styles include the neoclassical First Empire, with its strong lines often accented with a simple curve—the rage during Napoleon’s reign; and Second Empire, which occurred during Napoleon III’s reign, a reinterpretation of classicism in an ornate mood. During this period, Paris became a city of wide boulevards courtesy of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809–91), commissioned by Napoleon III in 1852 to redesign the city. Haussmann lined the boulevards with simple six-story apartment blocks, such as elongated 18th-century town houses with continuous balconies wrapping around the third and sixth floors and mansard roofs with dormer windows.

The Third Republic expositions in 1878, 1889, and 1900 used the engineering prowess of the Industrial Revolution to produce such Parisian monuments as the Tour Eiffel and Sacré-Coeur.

Art Nouveau architects and decorators rebelled against the Third Republic era of mass production by creating asymmetrical, curvaceous designs based on organic inspiration (plants and flowers) in such media as wrought iron, stained glass, and tile.

The best examples are the Arc de Triomphe (1836), Napoleon’s oversize imitation of a Roman triumphal arch, the ultimate paean to the classic era; Tour Eiffel (1889), which Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923) slapped together to form the world’s tallest structure, at 320m (1,050-ft.); and Métro station entrances.

THE 20TH CENTURY

France commissioned some ambitious architectural projects in the last century, most of them the grand projets of the late François Mitterrand. The majority were considered controversial or even offensive when completed.

At Centre Pompidou (1977), Britisher Richard Rogers (b. 1933) and Italian Renzo Piano (b. 1937) turned architecture inside out—literally—to craft Paris’s eye-popping modern-art museum, with exposed pipes, steel supports, and plastic-tube escalators wrapping around the exterior; the Louvre’s glass pyramids (1989) were created by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei (b. 1917); and Opéra Bastille (1989) is a curvaceous, dark glass mound of space designed by Canadian Carlos Ott (b. 1947).

FRANCE IN POPULAR CULTURE

Books

There are numerous books on all aspects of French history and society—ranging from the very general, such as the section on France in the Encyclopedia Americana, International Edition (Grolier, 1989), which presents an excellent, illustrated overview of the French people and their way of life; to the very specific, such as Judi Culbertson and Tom Randall’s Permanent Parisians: An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of Paris (Chelsea Green, 1986), which depicts the lives of famous French and expatriates who are buried in Paris.

HISTORY In addition to the encyclopedia reference above, a broad overview of French history can be found in other encyclopedias and general history books. One very good one is History of France, by Guillaume de Bertier de Savigny and David H. Pinkney, a comprehensive history with illustrations and plenty of obscure but interesting facts.

Two books that present French life and society in the 17th century are Warren Lewis’s The Splendid Century and Madame de Sévigné’s Selected Letters, edited by Leonard W. Tancock, which contains imaginative and witty letters written to her daughter during the reign of Louis XIV. Simon Schama’s Citizens is a long but enjoyable new history of the French Revolution.

Moving into the 20th century, Pleasure of the Belle Epoque: Entertainment and Festivity in Turn-of-the-Century France, by Charles Rearick, depicts public diversions in the changing and troubled times of the Third Republic. Paris Was Yesterday, 1925–1939 is a fascinating collection of excerpts from Janet Flanner’s “Letters from Paris” column of the New Yorker. Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre have written a popular history of the liberation of Paris in 1944 called Is Paris Burning?

Finally, two unusual approaches to French history are Rudolph Chleminski’s The French at Table, a funny and honest history of why the French know how to eat better than anyone and how they go about it, and Paris: A Century of Change, 1878-1978, by Normal Evenson, a notable study of the urban development of Paris.

TRAVEL Since 1323, some 10,000 books have been devoted to exploring Paris. One of the best is Paris: Capital of the World, by Patrice Higonnet. This book takes a fresh social, cultural, and political look at this City of Lights. Higonnet even explores Paris as “the capital of sex” and, in contrast, the “capital of art.” The gang’s all here, from Balzac to Zola.

Showing a greater fondness for gossip is Alistair Horne in his Seven Ages of Paris. From the Roman founding up to the student riots of 1968, this is one of the most amusing books on Paris we’ve ever read. Horne is not a timid writer. He calls the Palais de Chaillot fascistic and hideous, the Pompidou Center a horror. We even learn that a woman once jumped off the Eiffel Tower, bounced off the roof of a parked car, and survived.

In The Flâneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris, Edmund White wants the reader to experience Paris as Parisians do. Hard to translate exactly, a flâneur is someone who strolls, loafs, or idles. With White, you can circumnavigate Paris as whim dictates.

BIOGRAPHY You can get a more intimate look at history through biographies of historical figures. The best book yet on the architect who changed the face of Paris is Haussmann: His Life and Times and the Making of Modern Paris, by Patrick Camiller. Hugh Ross Williamson brings to life Catherine de Médicis in his Catherine de Medici by combining text and magnificent illustrations from the art of the 16th century. This queen of France was the dominant personality during her nation’s religious wars and mother of three kings of France, a queen of Spain, and a queen of Navarre.

Representing a very different era are A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway’s recollections of Paris during the 1920s, and Morley Callaghan’s That Summer in Paris: Memories of Tangled Friendships with Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Some Others, an anecdotal account of the same period. Another great read is The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, by Gertrude Stein. It’s not only the account of 30 years in Paris, but also the autobiography of Gertrude Stein.

Simone de Beauvoir, by Deirdre Bair, was described by one critic as “. . . a biography ‘à l’Americaine’—that is to say, long, with all the warts of its subject unsparingly described.” The story of the great feminist intellectual was based in part on tape-recorded conversations and unpublished letters.

Colette: A Life, by Herbert R. Lottman, is a painstakingly researched biography of the celebrated French writer and her fascinating life—which included not only writing novels and appearing in cabarets, but also dabbling in lesbianism and perhaps even collaborating with the enemy during the Nazi occupation.

THE ARTS Much of France’s beauty can be found in its art. Three books that approach France from this perspective are The History of Impressionism, by John Rewald, which is a collection of writings about and quotations from the artists, illuminating this period in art; The French Through Their Films, by Robin Buss, an exploration of more than 100 widely circulated films; and The Studios of Paris: The Capital of Art in the Late Nineteenth Century, by John Milner. In the last, Milner presents the dynamic forces that made Paris one of the most complex centers of the art world in the early modern era.

Nightlife of Paris: The Art of Toulouse-Lautrec, by Patrick O’Connor, is an enchanting 80-page book with anecdotes about the hedonistic luminaries of Belle Epoque Paris, with paintings, sketches, and lithographs by the artist.

Olympia: Paris in the Age of Manet, by Otto Friedrich, takes its inspiration from the celebrated artwork in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. From here the book takes off on an anecdote-rich gossipy chain of historical associations, tracing the rise of the Impressionist school of modern painting, but incorporating social commentary, too, such as the pattern of prostitution and venereal disease in 19th-century France.

FICTION The Chanson de Roland, edited by F. Whitehead, written between the 11th and 14th centuries, is the earliest and most celebrated of the “songs of heroic exploits.” The Misanthrope and Tartuffe are two masterful satires on the frivolity of the 17th century by the great comic dramatist Molière. François-Marie Arouet Voltaire’s Candide is a classic satire attacking the philosophy of optimism and the abuses of the ancient regime.

A few of the masterpieces of the 19th century are Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, in which the carefully wrought characters, setting, and plot attest to Flaubert’s genius in presenting the tragedy of Emma Bovary; Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, a classic tale of social oppression and human courage set in the era of Napoleon I; and Selected Stories, by the master of short stories, Guy de Maupassant.

Honoré de Balzac’s La comédie humaine depicts life in France from the fall of Napoleon to 1848. Henry James’s The Ambassadors and The American both take place in Paris. The Vagabond, by Colette, evokes the life of a French music-hall performer.

Tropic of Cancer is the semiautobiographical story of Henry Miller’s years in Paris. One of France’s leading thinkers, Jean-Paul Sartre, shows individuals struggling against their freedom in No Exit and Three Other Plays.

For more recent reads, you might pick up a tattered copy of The Da Vinci Code (if you haven’t already read it) or David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day, revealing the viewpoint of an American tourist as he tries to absorb French culture.

Films

Although Americans understood—and very quickly, too—the commercial wealth to be made from films, the French are credited with the scientific and technical inventions that made them possible. French physicists had laid the groundwork for a movie camera as early as the mid-1880s, and the world’s first movie was shown in Paris on December 28, 1895. Its makers were the Lumière brothers, who considered filmmaking a scientific oddity and stubbornly confined its use to the production of international newsreels. Later, a vaudevillian actor and illusionist, Georges Méliés, used film to convey plot and drama.

Charles Pathé and Léon Gaumont were the first to exploit filmmaking on a grand scale. Beginning in 1896, they produced and distributed their own films, building their company into a giant before World War I. When Gaumont made his first film, he enlisted his secretary, Alice Guy-Blanché, to create the plot, design the scenery, and direct it. She proved so successful that she was eventually promoted to the head of Paris’s largest studio and became the world’s first female director.

Before World War I the many talented actors arriving en scène included Max Linder, a popular French comic, whose style influenced Charlie Chaplin and helped him develop his keen sense of timing. After World War I, a flood of film imports from the United States and an economic depression slowed down the growth of French filmmaking.

By the 1920s, the French began to view filmmaking as an art form and infused it with surreal and dada themes. These were eventually named avant-garde and included experiments viewed (sometimes skeptically, sometimes encouragingly) in Hollywood and around the world. Examples include Man Ray’s Le retour à la raison (1923), Fernand Léger’s Le ballet mécanique (1924), and Jean Cocteau’s Le sang d’un poète (1930).

The golden age of the French silent screen on both sides of the Atlantic was 1927 to 1929. Actors were directed with more sophistication, and technical abilities reached an all-time high. One of our favorite films—despite its mind-numbing length—is Abel Gance’s sweepingly evocative masterpiece Napoleon (1927); its grisly battle scenes are easily as chilling as any war film made today. Other highlights from this era include René Clair’s Un chapeau de paille d’Italie (An Italian Straw Hat, 1927), Carl Dreyer’s La passion de Jeanne d’Arc (1928), and an adaptation of Emile Zola’s Thérèse Raguin (1928) by Jacques Feyder.

Experiments with the early productions of “talkies” were less successful. One popular film director, Pagnol, declared outright that the role of films was to publicize to the masses the benefits of the theatrical stage. During this period, many of the counterculture’s most gifted directors either left France altogether (as did René Clair, who emigrated to England in 1934) or died (Jean Vigo, Zéro de Conduite).

In 1936, the Cinémathèque Française was established to find and preserve old (usually silent) French films. By that time, French cinematographers had divorced themselves completely from the value system of the stage and had found a style of their own. An average of 130 films a year were made in France, by (among others) Jean Renoir, Charles Spaak, and Marcel Carne. This was also the era that brought such French luminaries as Claudette Colbert and Maurice Chevalier to Hollywood.

During World War II, the best-known (to Americans) of the French directors fled to Hollywood. Those who remained were heavily censored by the Vichy government. Despite that, more than 350 French films, many relating to long-past (and, therefore, uncontroversial) events were produced. Exceptions were Carne’s Les enfants du paradis (Children of Paradise, 1945).

In 1946, France slapped a heavy quota system onto the importation of foreign (especially American) films. A semigovernmental film authority (le Centre national du Cinéma Français) financed independent French film companies and encouraged liaisons between the French and Italian film industries. Many directors who had supported the Vichy government’s Nazi collaboration were soon accepted back into the cinematic community.

Two strong traditions—film noir and a return to literary traditions—began to flourish. Film noir included such existentially inspired nihilistic themes as André Cayatte’s Nous sommes tous des assassins (We Are All Assassins, 1952) and Yves Allegret’s Dedée d’Anvers (1948). Examples of the literary tradition include Bresson’s Journal d’un curé de campagne (Diary of a Country Priest, 1951) and a film rendition of Stendhal’s Le rouge et le noir (The Red and the Black, 1954), by Autant-Lara. By the 1950s, comedy adopted a new kind of genre with Jacques Tati’s Les vacances du Monsieur Hulot (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday). By the mid-1950s, French filmmaking ushered in the era of enormous budgets, a la Hollywood, and the creation of such frothy potboilers as And God Created Woman, which helped make Brigitte Bardot a celebrity around the world, contributing greatly to the image in America of France as a kingdom of sexual liberation.

By the late 1950s, François Truffaut, widely publicizing his auteur theories, rebelled with a series of short films (the most famous of which was The 400 Blows, 1959) that were partly financed by government funds, partly by wealthy benefactors. With Jean-Luc Godard (A bout de soufflé, or Breathless, 1960) and Claude Chabrol (Le beau Serge, 1959), they pioneered one of the most publicized movements in 20th-century French art, la nouvelle vague. In the early 1960s, dozens of new directors joined the movement, furiously making films, some of which are considered classics, others of which have been thrown into the dustbin of forgotten artistic endeavors. Enthusiastically endorsed by the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic, these directors included Renais (Muriel), Roger Vadim, Agnès Varda (Le Bonheur), Jacques Demy (Les parapluies de Cherbourg), Louis Malle, Chris Marker, and Marguerite Duras (Detruire, dit-elle).

After a switch to political themes (Costa Gavras’s Z) during the 1968 rebellions (and a politically motivated abandonment of the film festival at Cannes by at least a dozen prominent French directors), French cinema turned to comedy in the early 1970s. Examples include Buñuel’s Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (1972) and Yanne’s Tout le monde il est beau, tout le monde il est gentil (1972).

Many American films—still shown rather frequently on TV—were filmed in Paris (or else used sets to simulate Paris). Notable ones have included the classic An American in Paris, starring Gene Kelly, and Moulin Rouge, starring José Ferrer as Toulouse-Lautrec. Last Tango in Paris, with Marlon Brando, was one of the most controversial films set in Paris. Woody Allen's acclaimed Midnight in Paris is the most recent film to celebrate the City of Lights. The film features beautiful shots of the city and includes cameos of iconic figures who lived in Paris in the 1920s.

Truffaut’s The Last Metro and Clément’s Is Paris Burning? gained worldwide audiences. Betty Blue, the stylish Jean-Jacques Beineix film about a torrid summertime love affair, was released in English in 1992. It was first shown in France in 1986 when it was that country’s nominee for the Oscar as best foreign film.

One French film that continues to be popular is Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, which tugs at the heartstrings. You’ll fall in love with those scenes shot in Montmartre. You can also rent Le Placard, by Francis Veber, starring Gérard Depardieu and dealing with gay life in French society.

The most recent French film to achieve world renown is La Vie en Rose, which won Marion Cotillard an Oscar in 2008 for her performance as “The Little Sparrow,” Edith Piaf. This film documenting Piaf’s tragic life is an astonishing immersion of one performer (Cotillard) into the body and soul of another (Piaf).

Music

You might not immediately think of music when you think of France, but music and France have gone together since the monks in the 12th century sang Gregorian chants in Notre-Dame. Troubadours with their ballads went all over France in the Middle Ages. In the Renaissance era, Josquin des Prez (c. 1440–1521) was the first master of the High Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music. He became the greatest composer of his age, a magnificent virtuoso. Jean-Baptise Lully (1632–87) entertained the decadent court of Versailles with his operas. During the reign of Robespierre, Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760–1836) immortalized himself in 1792 when he wrote La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. Regrettably, he died in poverty.

The rise of the middle class in the 1800s gave birth to both grand opera and opéra comique. Both styles merged into a kind of lyric opera, mixing soaring arias and tragedy in such widely popular hits as Bizet’s Carmen in 1875 and St-Saën’s Samson et Dalila in 1877.

During the romantic period of the 19th century, foreign composers moving to Paris often dominated the musical scene. Frédéric Chopin (1810–49) was half French, half Polish. He became the most influential composer for piano and even invented new musical forms such as the ballade. Félix Mendelssohn (1809–47) had to fight against anti-Semitism to establish himself with his symphonies, concerti, and chamber music.

At the dawn of the 20th century, music became more impressionistic, as evoked by Claude Débussy (1862–1918). In many ways, he helped launch modernist music. His Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un Faune in 1894 and La Mer in 1905 were performed all over Europe. From Russia came Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), who made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He achieved fame as a pianist, conductor, and composer. His Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) provoked a riot in Paris when it was first performed in 1913, with its pagan rituals.

A revolutionary artist, Yves Klein (1928–62) was called a “neo-Dada.” His 1960 “The Monotone Symphony” with three naked models became a notorious performance. For 20 minutes, he conducted an orchestra on one note. Dying of a heart attack at the age of 34, Klein is considered today an enigmatic postmodernist. Pierre Boulez (b. 1925) developed a technique known as integral serialism using a 12-tone system pioneered in the 1920s. As director of the IRCAM institute at the Centre Pompidou, he has influenced young musicians around the world.

France took to American jazz like no other country. Louis Armstrong practically became a national hero to Parisians in the 1930s, and in 1949 Paris welcomed the arrival of Miles Davis. Stéphane Grappelli (1908–97), a French jazz violinist, founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, the most famous of all-string jazz bands. Django Reinhardt (1910–53) became one of the most prominent jazz musicians of Europe, known for such works as “Belleville” and “My Sweet.”

Some French singers went on to achieve world renown, notably Edith Piaf (1915–63), “The Little Sparrow” and France’s greatest pop singer. Wherever you go in France, you will hear her “La Vie en Rose,” which she first recorded in 1946. Born in 1924, Charles Aznavour remains an eternal favorite. He’s known for his unique tenor voice with its gravelly and soulful low notes. Jacques Brel (1929–78), a singer-songwriter, has seen his songs interpreted by everybody from Frank Sinatra to David Bowie. A popular chanson singer, Juliette Gréco (b. 1927) became known as “the High Priestess of Existentialism” on Paris’s Left Bank and was beloved by Jean-Paul Sartre. She dressed all in black and let her long, black hair hang free before coming to Hollywood and becoming the mistress of mogul Darryl Zanuck.

Among rock stars, the French consider Johnny Halladay (b. 1943) their equivalent of Elvis Presley. He has scored 18 platinum albums, selling more than 100 million records. Another pop icon is Serge Gainsbourg (1928–91). He was a master of everything from rock to jazz, to reggae. Upon his death, President François Mitterrand called him “our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire.”

Artists with immigrant backgrounds often are the major names in the vibrant French music scene of today, with influences from French Africa, the French Caribbean, and the Middle East. Along with rap and hip-hop, these sounds rule the nights in the boîtes of France’s biggest cities. Khaled (b. 1960), from Algeria, has become known as the “King of Raï.” The most loved and influential French rapper today is MC Solaar (b. 1969); born in Senegal, he explores racism and ethnic identity in his wordplays.

EATING & DRINKING IN FRANCE

As any French person will tell you, French food is the best in the world. That’s as true today as it was during the 19th-century heyday of the master chef Escoffier. A demanding patriarch who codified the rules of French cooking, he ruled the kitchens of the Ritz in Paris, standardizing the complicated preparation and presentation of haute cuisine. Thanks to Escoffier, with his legendary flare-ups and those of his French-born colleagues, whose kitchen tantrums have been the bane of many a socialite’s life, the French chef for years has been considered a temperamental egomaniac, bearing single-handedly the burden of diffusing French civilization into the kitchens of the Anglo-Saxon world.

The demands of these chefs, however, aren’t as far-fetched as they might seem, considering the intense scrutiny that has surrounded every aspect of France’s culinary arts since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Until the early 1800s, most French citizens didn’t eat well. Many diets consisted of turnips, millet, fruits, berries, unpasteurized dairy products, and whatever fish or game could be had. Cooking techniques and equipment were unsanitary and crude, and starvation was a constant threat. Fear of famine was one of the rallying cries of the Revolution; everyone knows Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake” response to cries that the poor couldn’t afford bread. (However, to be fair to Marie, this comment has been taken out of context. At the time, bread flour was much more expensive than cake flour, so her words weren’t as callous as they might seem.)

At the foundation of virtually every culinary theory ever developed in France is a deep-seated respect for the cuisine des provinces (also known as cuisine campagnarde). Ingredients usually included only what was produced locally, and the rich and hearty result was gradually developed over several generations of mères cuisinières. Springing from an agrarian society with a vivid sense of nature’s cycles, the cuisine provided appropriate nourishment for bodies that had toiled through a day in the open air. Specific dishes and cooking methods were as varied as the climates, terrains, and crops of France’s many regions.

The revolution against Escoffier has been raging for so long that many of the early rebels are now returning to the old style of cookery, as exemplified by the boeuf bourguignon, the blanquette de veau, and the pot-au-feu.

Cuisine moderne is here to stay, and some restaurants feature both traditional and contemporary. The new cooking is often based on the classic principles of French cookery, but with a big difference. Rich sauces, for example, are eliminated. Cooking times that can destroy the best of fresh ingredients are considerably shortened. The aim is to release the natural flavor of food without covering it with heavy layers of butter and cream. New flavor combinations in this widely expanding repertoire are often inspired.

The most promising trend for those who don’t want to sell the family homestead is to patronize one of the neo-bistrots springing up across France. Some of the top chefs of Paris, have opened these more simplified bistros where haute cuisine isn’t served, just good-tasting and often regionally inspired dishes. Chefs have fun creating these more affordable menus, perhaps borrowing dishes that their grande-mère taught them.

Volumes have been written about French gastronomy—our comments are meant to be a brief introduction only. More than ever, young chefs du cuisine are making creative statements in the kitchen, and never in the history of the country has there been such an emphasis on superfresh ingredients. One chef we know in Paris has been known to shut down his restaurant for the day if he doesn’t find exactly what he wants in the marketplace that morning.

There is a vast array of expensive restaurants in France that exist almost exclusively for the tourist trade. Luckily, there are others—hundreds of others. Paris, which is said to have more restaurants than any other city on Earth, has many good, reasonably priced ones. And they aren’t hard to find. Once you arrive in the countryside, except for the French Riviera and certain citadels of haute cuisine, food prices become more reasonable.

CUISINE BOURGEOISE & HAUTE CUISINE Cuisine bourgeoise and its pretentious cousin, haute cuisine, were refinements of country cooking that developed from the increased prosperity brought on by 19th-century industrialization. As France grew more affluent, food and the rituals involved in its preparation and presentation became one of the hallmarks of culture. And as refrigerated trucks and railway cars carried meats, fish, and produce from one region to another, associations were formed and entire industries spawned, revolving around specific ingredients produced in specific districts. The country’s wines (demarcated with “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée”); lamb from the salt marshes of Pauillac; poultry from Bresse in Burgundy; and melons, strawberries, apples, and truffles from specific districts command premiums over roughly equivalent ingredients produced in less legendary areas.

France often names a method of preparation (or a particular dish) after its region of origin. Dishes described as à la normande are likely to be prepared with milk, cream, or cheese or with Calvados, in honor of the dairy products and apple brandy produced in abundance within Norman borders. Cassoulet (a stewed combination of white beans, duck, pork, onions, and carrots) will forever be associated with Toulouse, where the dish originated. And something cooked à la bordelaise has probably been flavored with ample doses of red bordeaux (along with bone marrow, shallots, tarragon, and meat juices).

Other than caviar (which the French consume in abundance but don’t produce), the world’s most elegant garnish is truffles, an underground fungus with a woodsy, oaky smell. Thousands of these are unearthed yearly from the Dordogne and Périgord forests, so if your menu proclaims a dish is à la périgourdine, you’ll almost certainly pay a premium for the truffles and foie gras.

And what’s all the fuss about foie gras? It comes from either a goose or a duck (the rose-hued gooseliver is the greater delicacy). The much-abused goose, however, has a rough life, being force-fed about a kilogram (2¼ lb.) of corn every day in a process the French call gavage. In about 22 days, the animal’s liver is swollen to about 25 ounces (in many cases, far more than that). When prepared by a Périgourdine housewife (some of whom sell the livers directly from their farmhouses to passing motorists), it’s truly delicious. Foie gras is most often served with truffles; otherwise, it’s called au naturel.

Regional Cuisines

What exactly is “French food”? That’s a hard question to answer. Even cities have their own specialties.

Gastronomy alone would be good enough reason for going to the Loire Valley. From Nantes to Orléans, the specialties are many, including, for example, shad cooked with sorrel, Loire salmon, chitterling sausage, lark pâté, goat’s milk cheese, partridge, rillettes (shredded and potted pork), herb-flavored black pudding, plus good Loire wines, including rosés.

The Normans are known not only as good soldiers, but as hearty eaters. Their gastronomic table enjoys world renown. Many Parisians drive up for le weekend just to sample the cuisine. Harvested along the seacoast are sole, brill, mackerel, and turbot. Shellfish are also common, especially those fat black mussels, the prawns of Cherbourg, the demoiselles of Dieppe. Try also Madame Poulard’s featherweight omelet, sole normande (stewed in rich cream), tripe à la mode de Caen, chicken from the Auge Valley, and duckling from Rouen. Normandy apples, especially those from the Auge Valley, produce a most potent cider. Matured in oaken casks, the apples also are turned into Calvados, a sort of applejack, a distillation of cider flavored with hazelnuts. A true Norman drinks this cider spirit at breakfast. Benedictine, the liqueur made at Fécamp, also enjoys acclaim. The rich Norman Camembert is imitated but never equaled. Pont l’Evêque cheese has been known here since the 13th century. The Livarot is just fine for those who can get past the smell.

The province of Brittany offers sublime seafood, the mainstay of its diet, including Aulne salmon, pike (best with beurre blanc), scallops, trout, winkles, cockles, spiny lobsters, and Lorient sardines. The pré-sale (salt-meadow lamb) is the best meat course, traditionally served with white beans. The finest artichokes come from Roscoff, the most succulent strawberries from Plouogastel. Nearly every village has its own crêperie, specializing in those paper-thin pancakes with an infinite variety of fillings. Savory crapes are most often made with buckwheat. Oysters are ubiquitous and fantastic, with the best coming from Cancale —splurge and try the flat, green-tinged plates. Breton food is washed down with cider (perhaps inferior to the Norman variety, but quite good nevertheless). Unlike much of France, the province lacks wine, except for Muscadet, a light white wine produced from the vineyards around the old Breton capital of Nantes in the lower Loire Valley.

The cuisine of Alsace-Lorraine has been influenced by Germany, as reflected by its sauerkraut garni, its most popular dish. It is also the home of foie gras, an expensively delicious treat. The Savoy, in the French Alps, also has many specialties, many using rich cream and milk, which makes the cuisine heavy but tasty. Game such as woodcock is common.

Some of the best food and best wines are found in Burgundy. You’ll also see written “à la Bourgogne” after a dish, which means bourguignon—cooked in a red-wine sauce and often garnished with buttonhole mushrooms and pearl onions. Lyon is regarded as the gastronomic capital of France. For example, tripe lyonnaise is known around the world. Lyonnais sausage is also well known, and the city’s many famous dishes include quenelles (fish dumplings, often made with pike).

The Périgord and Dordogne regions are known for their foie gras and truffles. Many farmers’ wives sell foie gras—from goose or duck—directly from their kitchen doors. Even if you don’t like foie gras, you’ll surely want to try the fish from the rivers of the Dordogne, along with morels, strawberries, and flap mushrooms—called cèpes—from the field.

Gourmets, not just beach lovers, go to the Riviera. The food, especially fish, can be exceptionally good. It also tends to be expensive. Bouillabaisse, said to have been invented by Venus, is the area’s best-known dish. Each chef has his or her own ideas on the subject. Rascasse (rockfish), a fish found only in the Mediterranean, is very popular. One of the best seafood selections, rouget (red mullet) sometimes appears on fancy menus as becasse de mer (sea woodcock). Yet another is loup de mer (bass), cooked with fennel. Aioli, mayonnaise with a garlic-and-olive-oil base, is usually served with hors d’oeuvres or boiled fish. Other specialties include soupe au pistou (vegetable soup with basil), salade Niçoise (likely to include other items, but traditionally made with tomatoes, green beans, olives, tuna, anchovies, and radishes), pain bagnat (bread doused in olive oil and served with olives, anchovies, and tomatoes), and ravioli, which needs no explanation.

MEALS & DINING CUSTOMS In many of the less expensive places described in this guide, the menu will be handwritten, in French only. Don’t let that intimidate you. Nor should you be timid about ordering dishes without knowing precisely what they are. You’ll get some delightful surprises. We know a woman who wouldn’t have dreamed of asking for escargots if she’d realized they were snails cooked in garlic sauce. As it was, she ate this appetizer in a spirit of thrift rather than adventure—and has been addicted to it ever since. As for vegetables, the French regard them as a separate course and eat them apart from the meat or poultry dishes. But we wouldn’t advise you to order them especially unless you’re an exceptionally hearty eater. Most main courses come with a small helping, or garni, of vegetables anyway.

As a rule, it’s better to order an aperitif—often the house will have a specialty—rather than a heavy drink such as a martini before a classic French dinner. Vodka or scotch can assault your palate, destroying your taste buds for the festive repast to come. Allow plenty of time for a gourmet dinner. Orders are often prepared individually, and it takes time to absorb the wine and the flavors.

Most meals consist of several small courses. You can begin, for example, with hors d’oeuvres or a light potage (soup). The classic restaurant used to serve a small order of fish after the appetizer, then the meat or poultry course, but nowadays it’s likely to be either fish or meat. A salad follows the main course, then a selection of cheese (there are now more than 1,000 registered French cheeses) and dessert (often a fruit concoction or a sorbet). In this book, prices are given for fixed-price or a la carte main courses.

If you find the food “too rich, with too many sauces,” that may be because you’ve been overdoing it. Elaborately prepared gourmet banquets should not be consumed for both lunch and dinner, or even every day. Sometimes an omelet or a roast chicken can make a delightful light meal, and you can “save up” for your big dining experience.

WINE French cookery achieves palate perfection only when lubricated by wine, which is not considered a luxury or even an addition, but rather an integral part of every meal. Certain rules about wine drinking have been long established in France, but no one except traditionalists seems to follow them anymore. “Rules” would dictate that if you’re having a roast, steak, or game, a good burgundy should be your choice. If it’s chicken, lamb, or veal, you would choose a red from the Bordeaux country, certainly a full-bodied red with cheese such as Camembert, and a blanc-de-blanc with oysters. A light rosé can go with almost anything, especially if enjoyed on a summer terrace overlooking the Seine.

Let your own good taste—and, sometimes almost as important, your pocketbook—determine your choice of wine. Most wine stewards, called sommeliers, are there to help you in your choice, and only in the most dishonest of restaurants will they push you toward the most expensive selections. Of course, if you prefer only bottled water, or perhaps a beer, then be firm and order either without embarrassment. Some restaurants include a beverage in their menu rates (boisson compris), but that’s only in the cheaper places. Nevertheless, some of the most satisfying wines we’ve drunk in Paris came from unlabeled house bottles or carafes, called a vin de la maison. In general, unless you’re a real connoisseur, don’t worry about labels and vintages.

When in doubt, you can rarely go wrong with a good burgundy or bordeaux, but you may want to be more adventurous than that. That’s when the sommelier can help you, particularly if you tell him or her your taste in wine (semidry or very dry, for example). State frankly how much you’re willing to pay and what you plan to order for your meal. If you’re dining with others, you may want to order two or three bottles with an entire dinner, selecting a wine to suit each course. However, Parisians at informal meals—and especially if there are only two persons dining—select only one wine to go with all their platters, from hors d’oeuvres to cheese. As a rule of thumb, expect to spend about one-third of the restaurant tab for wine.

Impressions

Mummie & I about live in this here kafe. We feed on choucroute garnie, which is fried sauerkraut trimmed with boiled potatoes, a large slice of ham & a fat hot dog—yum, yum, werry excillint. And mummie & I come every day & eat the stinkin’ stuff, & all our friends hold their noses & pass us by till we’ve finished.

—Edna St. Vincent Millay

WINE LABELS Since the latter part of the 19th century, French wines sold in France (and sometimes elsewhere) have been labeled. The general label is known as appellations contrôlées. These controls, for the most part, are by regions such as Bordeaux and the Loire. These are the simple, honest wines of the district. They can be blended from grapes grown at any place in the region. Some are composed of the vintages of different years.

In most cases, the more specific the label, the better the wine. For example, instead of a Bordeaux, the wine might be labeled medoc (pronounced may-doc), which is the name of a triangle of land extending some 81km (50 miles) north from Bordeaux. Wine labels can be narrowed down to a particular vine-growing property, such as a Château Haut-Brion, one of the most famous and greatest of red wines of Bordeaux (this château produces only about 10,000 cases a year).

On some burgundies, you are likely to see the word clos (pronounced “cloe”). Originally, that meant a walled or otherwise enclosed vineyard, as in Clos-de-Bèze, which is a celebrated Burgundian vineyard producing a superb red wine. Cru (pronounced “croo,” and meaning “growth”) suggests a wine of superior quality when it appears on a label as a vin-de-cru. Wines and vineyards are often divided into crus. A grand cru or premier cru should, by implication, be an even more superior wine.

Labels are only part of the story. It’s the vintage that counts. Essentially, vintage is the annual grape harvest and the wine made from those grapes. Therefore, any wine can be a vintage wine unless it is a blend. But there are good vintages and bad vintages. The variation between wine produced in a “good year” and wine produced in a “bad year” can be great, and even noted by the neophyte.

Finally, champagne is the only wine that can be correctly served through all courses of a meal—but only to those who can afford its astronomical cost.

WHEN TO GO

The best time to visit France is in the spring (Apr–June) or fall (Sept–Nov), when things are easier to come by—from Métro seats to good-tempered waiters. The weather is temperate year-round. July and August are the worst for crowds. Parisians desert their city, leaving it to the tourists.

Hotels used to charge off-season rates during the cold, rainy period from November to February; now they’re often packed with business travelers, trade fairs, and winter tour groups, and hoteliers have less incentive to offer discounts. Airfares are still cheaper during these months, and more promotions are available. They rise in the spring and fall, peaking in the summer, when tickets cost the most.

In even-numbered years, don’t come to Paris during the first 2 weeks of October without a confirmed hotel room. The weather’s fine, but the city is jammed for the auto show.

Weather

France’s weather varies from region to region and even from town to town. Despite its latitude, Paris never gets very cold. Snow used to be rare, though the last three winters have been very snowy. The hands-down winner for wetness is Brittany. Brest (known for the mold—probably caused by the constant damp—that adds flavor to its blue cheeses) receives a staggering amount of rain between October and December. May is the driest month.

The Mediterranean coast in the south has the driest climate. When it does rain, it’s heaviest in spring and autumn. (Cannes sometimes receives more rainfall than Paris.) Summers are comfortably dry—beneficial to humans, but deadly to vegetation, which (unless it’s irrigated) often dries and burns up in the parched months.

Provence dreads le mistral (an unrelenting wind), which most often blows in the winter for a few days but can last for up to 2 weeks.

France Calendar of Events

For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you’ll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what’s happening in cities all over the world.

JANUARY

Monte Carlo Motor Rally (Le Rallye de Monte Carlo). The world’s most venerable car race. For information, call the Monaco Tourist Office (377/93-15-26-00; www.acm.mc). Usually mid-January.

FEBRUARY

Carnaval of Nice. Parades, boat races, music, balls, and fireworks are all part of this celebration. The climax is the 114-year tradition of burning King Carnaval in effigy, after Les Batailles des Fleurs (Battles of the Flowers), when teams pelt each other with blooms. For details, contact the Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau (08-92-70-74-07; fax 04-92-14-46-49; www.nicecarnaval.com). Late February to early March.

MARCH

Foire du Trône, on the Reuilly Lawn of the Bois de Vincennes, 12e, Paris. This mammoth amusement park operates daily from 2pm to midnight. Call 01-46-27-52-29, or visit www.foiredutrone.com. End of March to end of May.

International Ready-to-Wear Fashion Shows (Le Salon International de Prêt-à-Porter), Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, 15e, Paris. See what you’ll be wearing next season. Call 01-44-94-70-00, or visit www.pretparis.com. Early March.

APRIL

International Marathon of Paris. Runners from around the world compete. Call 01-41-33-14-00, or visit www.parismarathon.com. Early April.

Les 24 Heures du Mans Moto. This motorcycle race is on a grueling 4km (2½-mile) circuit 4.5km (2¾ miles) south of Le Mans. For information, call l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest (02-43-40-24-24) or the Le Mans Ticket Office (04-73-91-85-75; www.lemans.org). Mid-April.

MAY

Antiques Show. The annual Cinq Jours de l’Objet Extraordinaire show features more than 100 galleries and antiques stores displaying their collections in seven streets on the Left Bank, Carré Rive Gauche. For information, call 01-42-60-70-10, or visit www.carrerivegauche.com. Mid-May to early June.

Cannes Film Festival (Festival International du Film). Movie madness transforms this city into a media circus. Admission to the films in competition is by invitation only. Other films play 24 hours a day. Contact the Festival International du Film, 3 rue Amélie, Paris 75007 (01-53-59-61-00; www.festival-cannes.com). Two weeks before the festival, its administration moves to the Palais des Festivals, esplanade Georges-Pompidou, Cannes 06400. Mid-May.

Monaco Grand Prix de Formule. Hundreds of cars race through the narrow streets and winding roads in a blend of high-tech machinery and medieval architecture. Call 377/93-15-26-00 or 377/92-16-61-16, or visit www.acm.mc. Mid-May.

French Open Tennis Championship, Stade Roland-Garros, 16e, Paris (Métro: Porte d’Auteuil). The open features 10 days of men’s, women’s, and doubles tennis on the hot, red, dusty courts. For information, call 01-47-43-48-00, or visit www.fft.fr. Late May to early June.

JUNE

Prix du Jockey Club and Prix Diane-Hermès, Hippodrome de Chantilly. Thoroughbreds from as far away as Kentucky and Brunei compete in this race. On race days, dozens of trains depart from Paris’s Gare du Nord for Chantilly, where racegoers take free shuttle buses to the track. Call 01-49-10-20-30, or visit www.france-galop.com for information on these and other Chantilly events. Early June.

Cinéscénie de Puy du Fou, son-et-lumière, Château du Puy du Fou, Les Epesses (La Vendée), Brittany. A cast of 2,500 actors, dozens of horses, and laser shows celebrate the achievements of the Middle Ages. Call 02-51-64-11-11, or visit www.puydufou.com. Early June to early September.

Festival de St-Denis. A surge of music in the burial place of the French kings, a grim early Gothic monument in Paris’s northern suburb of St-Denis. Call 01-48-13-06-07, or visit www.festival-saint-denis.fr. Early June to July.

Les 24 Heures du Mans Voitures, for stock cars, is in the same circuit as the April motorcycle rally, but on a 13km (8-mile) radius. For information, call l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest (02-43-40-25-55), or contact the Le Mans Ticket Office (08-92-69-72-24; www.lemans.org). Mid-June.

Gay Pride Parade, place de la République to place de la Bastille, Paris. A week of expositions and parties climaxes in a parade patterned after those in New York and San Francisco, followed by a dance at the Palais de Bercy. For more information about gay pride and any other aspect of gay, lesbian, and transgendered life in and around Paris, contact Lesbian and Gay Pride Ile de France, 3 rue Perrée, Box 8, Paris 75003 (/fax 01-72-70-39-22; www.inter-lgbt.org). Late June.

JULY

Colmar International Festival, Colmar. Classical concerts are held in public buildings of one of the most folkloric towns in Alsace. Call 03-89-20-68-97, or visit www.festival-colmar.com. First 2 weeks of July.

Les Chorégies d’Orange, Orange. One of southern France’s most important lyric festivals presents oratorios, operas, and choral works in France’s best-preserved Roman amphitheater. Call 04-90-34-24-24, or visit www.choregies.asso.fr. Early July to early August.

Fête Chopin, Paris. Everything you’ve ever wanted to hear by the Polish exile, who lived most of his life in Paris. Piano recitals take place in the Orangerie du Parc de Bagatelle, 16e. Call 01-45-00-22-19, or visit www.frederic-chopin.com. Early July.

Les Nocturnes du Mont-St-Michel. This is a sound-and-light tour through the stairways and corridors of one of Europe’s most impressive medieval monuments. Call 02-33-60-14-30, or check out www.monuments-nationaux.fr for more information. Performances are Monday through Saturday evenings from early July to late August.

Tour de France. Europe’s most hotly contested bicycle race sends crews of wind tunnel–tested athletes along an itinerary that detours deep into the Massif Central and ranges across the Alps. The finish line is on the Champs-Elysées. Call 01-41-33-14-00, or visit www.letour.fr. First 3 weeks of July.

Festival d’Avignon. This world-class festival has a reputation for exposing new talent to critical scrutiny and acclaim. The focus is usually on avant-garde works in theater, dance, and music. Many of the dance and theater performances take place in either the 14th-century courtyard of the Palais des Pâpes or the medieval Cloître (cloister) des Carmes. For information, call 04-90-27-66-50, or visit www.festival-avignon.com. Last 3 weeks of July.

Bastille Day. Celebrating the birth of modern-day France, the nation’s festivities reach their peak in Paris with street fairs, pageants, fireworks, and feasts. In Paris, the day begins with a parade down the Champs-Elysées and ends with fireworks at Montmartre. July 14.

Paris Quartier d’Eté. For 4 weeks, music rules the Arènes de Lutèce and the Cour d’Honneur at the Sorbonne, both in the Quartier Latin. The dozen or so concerts are grander than the outdoorsy setting; they include performances by the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, and the Baroque Orchestra of the European Union. Call 01-44-94-98-00, or visit www.quartierdete.com. Mid-July to mid-August.

Getting Tickets

Global Tickets can order tickets to many of the musical and theatrical events at the Avignon festival, as well as other cultural happenings throughout France. You’ll pay a hefty fee (as much as 20%) for the convenience. Contact Global at 234 W. 44th St., Ste. 1000, New York, NY 10036 (800/669-8687; www.keithprowse.com).

Nice Jazz Festival. The most prestigious jazz festival in Europe. Concerts begin in the afternoon and go on until late at night (sometimes all night) on the Arènes de Cimiez, a hill above the city. Contact the Nice Tourist Office (08-92-70-75-07; www.nicejazzfestival.fr). Mid-July.

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. A musical event par excellence, with everything from Gregorian chant to melodies composed on synthesizers. Recitals are in the medieval cloister of the Cathédrale St-Sauveur. Expect heat, crowds, and traffic. Contact the Festival International d’Art Lyrique et Académie Européenne de Musique (04-42-17-34-34; www.festival-aix.com). Throughout July.

AUGUST

Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Brittany. Celtic verse and lore are celebrated in the Celtic heart of France. The 150 concerts include classical and folkloric musicians, dancers, singers, and painters. Traditional Breton pardons (religious processions) take place in the once-independent maritime duchy. Call 02-97-21-24-29, or check www.festival-winterceltique.com. Early August.

SEPTEMBER

La Villette Jazz Festival. Some 50 concerts are held in churches, auditoriums, and concert halls in the Paris suburb of La Villette. Past festivals have included Herbie Hancock, Shirley Horn, and other international artists. Call 01-40-03-75-75, or visit www.lavillette.com. Early to mid-September.

Festival d’Automne, Paris. One of France’s most famous festivals is one of its most eclectic, focusing mainly on modern music, ballet, theater, and art. Contact the Festival d’Automne (01-53-45-17-00; www.festival-automne.com). Mid-September to late December.

OCTOBER

Paris Auto Show, Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, 15e, Paris. This is the showcase for European car design, complete with glistening metal, glitzy attendees, lots of hype, and the latest models. Check Pariscope for details, or contact the French Government Tourist Office (see “Fast Facts”). You can also get information by calling 01-56-88-22-40 or visiting www.mondial-automobile.com. Two weeks in October (dates vary).

Perpignan Jazz Festival. Musicians from everywhere jam in what many consider Languedoc’s most appealing season.Call 04-68-35-37-46, or visit www.jazzebre.com. Month of October.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, 16e, Paris. France’s answer to England’s Ascot is the country’s most prestigious horse race, culminating the equine season in Europe. Call 01-49-10-20-30, or visit www.france-galop.com. Early October.

NOVEMBER

Armistice Day, nationwide. In Paris, the signing of the document that ended World War I is celebrated with a military parade from the Arc de Triomphe to the Hôtel des Invalides. November 11.

Les Trois Glorieuses, Clos-de-Vougeot, Beaune, and Meursault. Three Burgundian towns stage the country’s most important wine festival. Though you may not gain access to many of the gatherings, tastings and other amusements will keep you occupied. Reserve early, or visit as day trips from nearby villages. Contact the Office de Tourisme de Beaune (03-80-26-21-30; www.ot-beaune.fr). Third week in November.

DECEMBER

Christmas Fairs, Alsace (especially Strasbourg). More than 60 villages celebrate a traditional Christmas. The events in Strasbourg have continued for some 430 years. Other towns with celebrations are Münster, Sélestat, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Wissembourg, and Thann. Call 03-89-24-73-50, or visit www.tourism-alsace.com. Late November to December 24.

The Boat Fair (Le Salon Nautique de Paris). Europe’s major exposition of what’s afloat, at Salon Nautique de Paris, 52–54 quai de Dion-Bouton, 15e, Paris (01-47-56-50-00; www.salonnautiqueparis.com; Métro: Porte de Versailles). Ten days in early December.

Fête des Lumières, Lyon. In honor of the Virgin Mary, lights are placed in windows through the city. Call 04-72-10-30-30, or visit www.lumieres.lyon.fr. Early December through early January.

Fête de St-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve), nationwide. In Paris, this holiday is most boisterously celebrated in the Quartier Latin. At midnight, the city explodes. Strangers kiss and boulevard St-Michel and the Champs-Elysées become virtual pedestrian malls. December 31.

TOURS

In a country as diverse and popular as France, there are numerous options.

Adventure & Wellness Trips

BALLOONING The world’s largest hot-air-balloon operator is Buddy Bombard’s Private Europe, 333 Pershing Way, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (800/862-8537 or 561/837-6610; fax 561/837-6623; www.buddybombard.com). It maintains about three dozen hot-air balloons, some in the Loire Valley and Burgundy. The 5-day tours, costing $8,940 per person (double occupancy), incorporate food and wine tasting and all meals, lodging in Relais & Châteaux hotels, sightseeing, rail transfers to and from Paris, and a daily balloon ride over vineyards and fields.

Bonaventura Balloon Co., 133 Wall Rd., Napa Valley, CA 94573 (800/FLY-NAPA [359-6272] or 707/944-2822; fax 707/944-2220; www.bonaventuraballoons.com), meets you in Paris and takes you on the high-speed train to Burgundy, where your balloon tour begins. It carries you over the scenic parts of the region. Guests stay in a 14th-century mill, now an inn owned by a three-star chef.

BARGE CRUISES Before the advent of the railways, many crops, building supplies, raw materials, and finished products were barged through France on a series of rivers, canals, and estuaries. Many of these waterways retain their old-fashioned locks and pumps, allowing shallow-draft barges easy access through the idyllic countryside.

French Country Waterways, Ltd., P.O. Box 2195, Duxbury, MA 02331 (800/222-1236 or 781/934-2454; www.fcwl.com), leads 1-week tours through Burgundy and Champagne. For double occupancy, the price ranges from $6,995 to $8,195.

Le Boat, 93 N. Park Place Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33759 (800/992-0291 or 800/734-5491; fax 727/530-9747; www.leboat.com), focuses on regions of France not covered by many other operators. The company’s luxury crafts fit through the narrow canals and locks of Camargue, Languedoc, and Provence. Each 6-night tour has 10 passengers in five cabins outfitted with mahogany and brass, plus meals prepared by a Cordon Bleu chef. Prices vary widely.

Go Barging (800/394-8630; www.gobarging.com) operates Great Island Voyages, featuring river cruise ships. Fares start at $4,590 per person (double occupancy) for a 6-night cruise, including room, breakfast, and dinner. Bicycles are carried on board for sightseeing trips. This company also offers cruises in the Loire Valley and the south of France.

BICYCLING TOURS Some of the best cycling tours of France are offered by VBT (Deluxe Bicycle Vacations), 614 Monkton Rd., Bristol, VT 05443 (800/245-3868; www.vbt.com), which offers trips in five of the most scenic parts of France. These range from Burgundy (which combines a barge tour) to the Loire Valley, even Provence and the Normandy Coast. Packages are priced from $3,295 to $4,170 per person.

Classic Adventures, P.O. Box 143, Hamlin, NY 14464 (800/777-8090; fax 585/964-7297; www.classicadventures.com), sponsors 6- to 10-day spring and fall tours of the Loire Valley and the Dordogne. Accommodations are upscale, and tours are van supported and escorted. The 6-day tour, including room, breakfast, and dinner, is $3,449 per person for the Loire Valley.

Euro-Bike & Walking Tours, P.O. Box 81025, Billings, MT 59108 (800/575-1540 or 406/655-4591; www.eurobike.com), offers 10-day tours in the Dordogne ($4,298 per person), 11-day tours in Provence ($4,498 per person), and 8-day tours of the Loire ($3,498 per person). All are escorted and include room, breakfast, and dinner.

Go-today.com (a division of Europe Express), 19021 120th Ave. NE, Ste. 102, Bothell, WA 98011 (800/227-3235; www.go-today.com), has biking and walking tours of Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Dordogne, the Loire Valley, and Provence. An 8-day self-guided bike tour is $1,750 per person, double occupancy. All tours include overnight accommodations and most meals. Guided tours include van support and a guide; on nonguided tours, you’ll always have the name of an English-speaking local contact.

Cooking Schools

The famous/infamous Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) taught the Edwardians how to eat. Today the Hôtel Ritz maintains the Ritz-Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Française, 38 rue Cambon, Paris 75001 (01-43-16-30-30; www.ritzparis.com), which offers demonstration classes of the master’s techniques on Saturdays. These cost 135€ to 225€ each. Courses, taught in French and English, start at 1,000€ for 1 week, up to 11,400€ for 6 weeks.

Le Cordon Bleu, 8 rue Léon-Delhomme, Paris 75015 (800/457-2433 in the U.S., or 01-53-68-22-50; www.cordonbleu.edu), was established in 1895 and is the most famous French cooking school—where Julia Child learned to perfect her pâté brisée and mousse au chocolat. The best-known courses last 10 weeks, after which you are awarded a certificate. Many enthusiasts prefer a less intense immersion and opt for a 4-day workshop or a 2-hour demonstration class. Enrollment in either is first come, first served; costs start at 47€ for a demonstration and start at 920€ for the 4-day workshop. Classes are in English.

Language Classes

The Alliance Française, 101 bd. Raspail, Paris 75270 (01-42-84-90-00; fax 01-42-84-91-01; www.alliancefr.org), a nonprofit organization with a network of 1,100 establishments in 138 countries, offers French-language courses to some 350,000 students. The school in Paris is open all year; month-long courses range from 400€ to 900€, depending on the number of hours per day. Request information and an application at least 1 month before your departure. In North America, the largest branch is the Alliance Française, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Ste. 1225, Chicago, IL 60604 (312/431-1889; www.afusa.org).

A clearinghouse for information on French-language schools is Lingua Service Worldwide, 42 Artillery Dr., Woodbury, CT 06798 (800/394-LEARN [5327] or 203/263-6294; www.linguaserviceworldwide.com). Its programs are available in many cities throughout France. They cost $1,043 to $2,940 for 2 weeks, depending on the city, the school, and the accommodations.

Music Tours

One outfit that coordinates hotel stays in Paris with major musical events, usually in at least one (and often both) of the city’s opera houses, is Dailey-Thorp Travel, P.O. Box 670, Big Horn, Wyoming 82833 (800/998-4677 or 307/673-1555; fax 307/674-7474; www.daileythorp.com). Sojourns tend to last 3 to 7 days and, in many cases, tie in with performances in other cities (usually London, Berlin, or Milan). Expect accommodations in deluxe hotels such as the Hôtel du Louvre or the Hôtel Scribe, and a staff that has made arrangements for all the nuts and bolts of your arrival in, and artistic exposure to, Paris.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO FRANCE

Of almost any destination in the world, flying into France is one of the most effortless undertakings in global travel. There are no shots to get, no particular safety precautions, no unusual aspects of planning a trip. With your passport, airline ticket, and enough money, you just go. Of course, before you lift off the ground in your native country, you can do some advance preparation. In the pages that follow, you’ll find everything you need to know about the practicalities of planning your trip.

GETTING THERE

AIRPORTS

The two Paris airports—Orly (airport code: ORY) and Charles de Gaulle (airport code: CDG)—are about even in terms of convenience to the city’s center, though taxi rides from Orly may take less time than those from de Gaulle. Orly, the older of the two, is 13km (8 miles) south of the center; Charles de Gaulle is 22km (14 miles) northeast. Air France serves Charles de Gaulle (Terminal 2C) from North America. U.S. carriers land at both airports.

Most airlines charge their lowest fares between November 1 and March 13. Shoulder season (Oct and mid-Mar to mid-June) is a bit more expensive, though we think it’s the ideal time to visit France.

THE MAJOR AIRLINES

American Airlines (800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has daily flights to Paris from Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, Boston, and New York.

British Airways (800/247-9297; www.britishairways.com) offers flights from 18 U.S. cities to Heathrow and Gatwick airports in England. From there, you can connect to a British Airways flight to Paris.

Continental Airlines (800/231-0856; www.continental.com) provides nonstop flights to Paris from Newark and Houston. Flights from Newark depart daily; flights from Houston depart four to seven times a week, depending on the season.

Delta Air Lines (800/221-1212; www.delta.com) flies nonstop from Atlanta to Paris every evening and operates daily nonstop flights from Cincinnati and New York. Delta is the only airline offering nonstop service from New York to Nice.

US Airways (800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) offers daily nonstop service from Philadelphia to Paris.

The French national carrier, Air France (800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com), offers daily flights between Paris and such North American cities as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Montreal, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.

In 2004, Air France acquired control of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which led to the creation of Air France–KLM, the world’s biggest airline in terms of revenue. KLM and Air France have coordinated their schedules and fares and are acting as a unit. The merger has led to better connections between flights.

FLIGHTS FROM AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Getting to Paris from Australia is difficult because Air France (02/92-44-21-00; www.airfrance.fr) has discontinued direct flights. Qantas flies from Sydney to Singapore and other locations, with service to Paris. Consequently, on virtually any route, you have to change planes at least once and sometimes twice. British Airways (1300/767-177; www.britishairways.com) flies daily from Sydney and Melbourne to London, where you can catch one of several connecting flights to Paris. Qantas (612/13-13-13; www.qantas.com.au) can route passengers from Australia into London, where you make connections for the hop across the Channel. Qantas also flies from Auckland to Sydney and on to London.

GETTING THERE FROM THE U.K. & CONTINENTAL EUROPE

By Plane

From London, Air France (0870/142-4343; www.airfrance.com) and British Airways (0844/493-0787 in the U.K.; www.britishairways.com) fly frequently to Paris; the trip takes 1 hour. These airlines operate up to 17 flights daily from Heathrow. Many travelers also fly out of the London City Airport in the Docklands.

Direct flights to Paris operate from other U.K. cities, such as Manchester and Edinburgh. Contact Air France, British Airways, or British Midland (0870/607-0555; www.flybmi.com). Daily papers often carry ads for cheap flights. Highly recommended Trailfinders (0845/058-5858; www.trailfinders.com) sells discount fares.

You can reach Paris from any major European capital. Your best bet is to fly on the national carrier, Air France, which has more connections into Paris from European capitals than any other airline. From Dublin, try Aer Lingus (800/IRISH-AIR [474-7424]; www.aerlingus.com), which schedules the most flights to Paris from Ireland. From Amsterdam, try NWA/KLM (800/225-2525; www.nwa.com).

By Train

Paris is one of Europe’s busiest rail junctions, with trains arriving at and departing from its many stations every few minutes. If you’re in Europe, you may want to go to Paris by train. The cost is relatively low—especially compared to renting a car.

Rail passes as well as individual rail tickets are available at most travel agencies or at any office of Rail Europe (888/382-7245 in the U.S.; www.raileurope.com) or Eurostar (800/EUROSTAR [387-6782] in the U.S.; www.eurostar.com).

By Bus

Bus travel to Paris is available from London, as well as from many cities on the Continent. In the early 1990s, the French government established incentives for long-haul buses not to drive into the center of Paris. The arrival and departure point for Europe’s largest operator, Eurolines France, 28 av. du Général-de-Gaulle, 93541 Bagnolet (08-92-89-90-91; www.eurolines.fr), is a 35-minute Métro ride from central Paris, at the terminus of line no. 3 (Métro: Gallieni), in the eastern suburb of Bagnolet. Despite this inconvenience, many people prefer bus travel.

Long-haul buses are equipped with toilets, and they stop at mealtimes for rest and refreshment.

Because Eurolines does not have a U.S. sales agent, most people buy their tickets in Europe. Any European travel agent can arrange the sale. If you’re traveling to Paris from London, contact Eurolines (U.K.) Ltd., 52 Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria, London SW1 0AU (0871/781-81-81; www.nationalexpress.com for information or credit card sales).

By Car

The major highways into Paris are A1 from the north (Great Britain and Benelux); A13 from Rouen, Normandy, and northwest France; A10 from Bordeaux, the Pyrénées, the southwest, and Spain; A6 from Lyon, the French Alps, the Riviera, and Italy; and A4 from Metz, Nancy, and Strasbourg in the east.

By Ferry from England

Ferries and hydrofoils operate day and night, with the exception of last-minute cancellations during storms. Many crossings are timed to coincide with the arrival and departure of trains (especially those btw. London and Paris). Trains let you off a short walk from the piers. Most ferries carry cars, trucks, and freight, but some hydrofoils take passengers only. The major routes include at least 12 trips a day between Dover or Folkestone and Calais or Boulogne.

Hovercraft and hydrofoils make the trip from Dover to Calais, the shortest distance across the Channel, in just 40 minutes during good weather. The ferries may take several hours, depending on the weather and tides. If you’re bringing a car, it’s important to make reservations—space below decks is usually crowded. Timetables can vary depending on weather conditions and many other factors.

The leading operator of ferries across the channel is P&O Ferries (0871/664-5645 in the U.K.; www.poferries.com). It operates car and passenger ferries between Portsmouth, England, and Cherbourg, France (three departures a day; 4 hr., 15 min. each way during daylight hours; 7 hr. each way at night); and between Portsmouth and Le Havre, France (three a day; 5½ hr. each way). Most popular is the route between Dover, England, and Calais, France (25 sailings a day; 75 min. each way).

GETTING AROUND

BY PLANE

France has few domestic competitors. Air France (800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com) is the primary carrier, serving about eight cities in France and eight others in Europe. Air travel time from Paris to almost anywhere in France is about an hour.

BY CAR

The most charming châteaux and country hotels always seem to lie away from the main cities and train stations. Renting a car is often the best way to travel around France, especially if you plan to explore it in depth.

But Europe’s rail networks are so well developed and inexpensive that we recommend you rent a car only for exploring areas little serviced by rail, such as Brittany, rural Burgundy, and the Dordogne. Or take trains between cities and rent a car on the days when you want to explore independently.

Driving time in Europe is largely a matter of conjecture, urgency, and how much sightseeing you do along the way. Driving time from Paris to Geneva is 5½ hours minimum. It’s 2½ hours from Paris to Rouen, 3½ hours to Nantes, and 4 hours to Lyon. The driving time from Marseille to Paris (771km/478 miles) is a matter of national pride, and tall tales abound about how rapidly the French can do it. Flooring it, you may conceivably get there in 7 hours, but we always make a 2-day journey of it.

RENTALS To rent a car, you’ll need to present a passport, a driver’s license, and a credit card. You also have to meet the company’s minimum-age requirement. (For the least expensive cars, this is 21 at Hertz, 23 at Avis, and 25 at Budget. More expensive cars may require that you be at least 25.) It usually isn’t obligatory within France, but certain companies have asked for the presentation of an International Driver’s License, even though this is becoming increasingly superfluous in Western Europe.

Note: The best deal is usually a weekly rental with unlimited mileage. All car-rental bills in France are subject to a 19.6% government tax. Though the rental company won’t usually mind if you drive your car into, say, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, or Spain, it’s often forbidden to transport your car by ferry, including across the Channel to England.

In France, collision damage waiver (CDW) is usually factored into the overall rate quoted, but you should always verify this, of course, before taking a car on the road. At most companies, the CDW provision won’t protect you against theft, so if this is the case, ask about purchasing extra theft protection.

Automatic transmission is a luxury in Europe, so if you want it, you’ll pay dearly.

Budget (800/472-3325; www.budget.com) has about 30 locations in Paris and at Orly (01-49-75-56-05) and Charles de Gaulle (01-48-62-70-22). For rentals of more than 7 days, you can usually pick up a car in one French city and drop it off in another, but there are extra charges. Drop-offs in cities within an easy drive of the French border (including Geneva and Frankfurt) incur no extra charge; you can arrange drop-offs in other non-French cities for a reasonable surcharge.

Hertz (800/654-3001 in the U.S. and Canada; www.hertz.com) maintains about 15 locations in Paris, including offices at the city’s airports. The main office is at 27 place St-Ferdinand, 17e (01-45-74-97-39; Métro: Argentine). Be sure to ask about promotional discounts. Avis (800/331-1084 in the U.S. and Canada; www.avis.com) has offices at both Paris airports and an inner-city headquarters at 5 rue Bixio, 7e (01-44-18-10-50; Métro: Ecole Militaire), near the Eiffel Tower.

National (800/CAR-RENT [227-7368] in the U.S. and Canada; www.nationalcar.com) is represented in Paris by Europcar, one office is at 78 rue du Rocher, 8e (01-45-22-77-91; Métro: St-Philippe du Roule). It has offices at both Paris airports and at about a dozen other locations. For the lowest rates, reserve in advance from North America.

Two U.S.-based agencies that don’t have Paris offices but act as booking agents for Paris-based agencies are Kemwel Drive Europe (877/820-0668; www.kemwel.com) and Auto Europe (888/223-5555; www.autoeurope.com). They can make bookings in the United States only, so call before your trip.

GASOLINE Known in France as essence, gas is expensive for those accustomed to North American prices. All but the least expensive cars usually require an octane rating that the French classify as essence super, the most expensive variety. Depending on your car, you’ll need either leaded (avec plomb) or unleaded (sans plomb).

Beware the mixture of gasoline and oil, called mélange or gasoil, sold in some rural communities; this mixture is for very old two-cycle engines.

Note: Sometimes you can drive for miles in rural France without encountering a gas station; don’t let your tank get dangerously low.

DRIVING RULES Everyone in the car, in both the front and the back seats, must wear seat belts. Children 11 and under must ride in the back seat. Drivers are supposed to yield to the car on their right, except where signs indicate otherwise, as at traffic circles.

If you violate the speed limit, expect a big fine. Limits are about 130kmph (81 mph) on expressways, about 100kmph (62 mph) on major national highways, and 90kmph (56 mph) on country roads. In towns, don’t exceed 60kmph (37 mph).

Note: It’s illegal to use a cellphone while you’re driving in France; you will be ticketed if you’re stopped.

MAPS For France as a whole, most motorists opt for Michelin map 989 (www.viamichelin.com). For regions, Michelin publishes a series of yellow maps that are quite good. Big travel-book stores in North America carry these maps, and they’re commonly available in France (at lower prices). In this age of congested traffic, one useful feature of the Michelin map is its designations of alternative routes de dégagement, which let you skirt big cities and avoid traffic-clogged highways.

Another recommended option is Frommer’s Road Atlas Europe.

BREAKDOWNS/ASSISTANCE A breakdown is called une panne in France. Call the police at 17 anywhere in France to be put in touch with the nearest garage. Most local garages offer towing. If the breakdown occurs on an expressway, find the nearest roadside emergency phone box, pick up the phone, and put a call through. You’ll be connected to the nearest breakdown service facility.

BY TRAIN

The world’s fastest trains link some 50 French cities, allowing you to get from Paris to just about anywhere else in the country in hours. With 39,000km (24,180 miles) of track and about 3,000 stations, SNCF (French National Railroads) is fabled for its on-time performance. You can travel in first or second class by day and in couchette by night. Many trains have dining facilities.

INFORMATION If you plan to travel a lot on European railroads, get the latest copy of the Thomas Cook Timetable of European Passenger Railroads. This 500-plus-page book documents all of Europe’s main passenger rail services with detail and accuracy. It’s available online at www.thomascookpublishing.com.

In the United States: For more information and to purchase rail passes before you leave, contact Rail Europe (877/272-RAIL [272-7245]; www.raileurope.com).

In Canada: Call Rail Europe at 800/361-RAIL [361-7245].

In London: SNCF has offices at Rail Europe, 179 Piccadilly, London W1V 0BA (0870/584-8848).

In Paris: For information or reservations, go online (www.sncf.fr). You can also go to any local travel agency. A simpler way to buy tickets is to use the billetterie (ticket machine) in every train station. If you know your PIN, you can use a credit card to buy your ticket.

FRANCE RAIL PASSES Working cooperatively with SNCF, Air Inter Europe, and Avis, Rail Europe (www.railfrance.com) offers three flexible rail passes to North Americans that can reduce travel costs considerably.

The France Railpass provides unlimited rail transport in France for any 3 days within 1 month, at $315 in first class and $269 in second. You can purchase up to 6 more days for an extra $48 per person per day. Children 4 to 11 travel for half-price.

The France Rail ’n’ Drive Pass, available only in North America, combines good value on both rail travel and Avis car rentals. It is best used by arriving at a major rail depot and then striking out to explore the countryside by car. It includes the France Railpass (see above) and use of a rental car. A 2-day rail pass (first class) and 2 days’ use of the cheapest rental car (with unlimited mileage) is $534 to $612 per person. The best deal if you’re traveling in France with a friend—or even three or four friends—is the France Saverpass, granting 3 days of unlimited travel in a 1-month period. The cost is $268 per person first class or $231 second class. There’s also a France Youthpass for travelers 25 or under, granting 3 days of unlimited train travel within a month. The cost is $233 in first class or $200 in second class. For those over 60, the France Senior Pass offers all the same features as the France Railpass, but with a savings. You get 3 days of unlimited train travel in 1 month for $288, with additional rail days costing $43 each. Travel days may be used consecutively or nonconsecutively.

A France Rail Day Pass allows you to take day trips from Paris to such cities as Lyon, Reims, Dijon, or Nantes. The cost is $162 in first class or $114 in second class. The pass grants you 1 day of unlimited travel in a 1-month period on the national rail network.

EURAILPASS The Eurailpass permits unlimited first-class rail travel in any country in western Europe except the British Isles (good in Ireland). Passes are available for purchase online (www.eurail.com) and at various offices/agents around the world. Travel agents and railway agents sell Eurailpasses. You can purchase them at the North American offices of CIT Travel Service, the French National Railroads, the German Federal Railroads, and the Swiss Federal Railways. It is strongly recommended that you purchase passes before you leave home, as not all passes are available in Europe; also, passes purchased in Europe will cost about 20% more. Numerous options are available for travel in France.

The Eurail Global Pass allows you unlimited travel in 20 Eurail-affiliated countries. You can travel on any of the days within the validity period, which is available for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and some other possibilities as well. Prices for first-class adult travel are $798 for 15 days, $1,034 for 21 days, $1,285 for 1 month, $1,813 for 2 months, and $2,236 for 3 months. Children 4 to 11 pay half fare; those 3 and under travel for free.

A Eurail Global Pass Saver, also valid for first-class travel in 20 countries, offers a special deal for two or more people traveling together. This pass costs $676 for 15 days, $878 for 21 days, $1,090 for 1 month, $1,541 for 2 months, and $1,908 for 3 months.

A Eurail Global Youth Pass for those 12 to 25 allows second-class travel in 18 countries. This pass costs $518 for 15 days, $671 for 21 days, $836 for 1 month, $1,179 for 2 months, and $1,457 for 3 months.

The Eurail Select Pass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any three, four, or five bordering countries out of the 22 Eurail nations linked by train or ship. Two or more passengers can travel together for big discounts, getting 5, 6, 8, 10, or 15 days of rail travel within any 2-month period on the national rail networks of any three, four, or five adjoining Eurail countries linked by train or ship. A sample fare: For 5 days in 2 months, you pay $504 for three countries. Eurail Select Pass Youth, for travelers under 26, allows second-class travel within the same guidelines as Eurail Selectpass, with fees starting at $328. Eurail Select Pass Saver offers discounts for one or more people traveling together in first-class travel within the same guidelines as Eurail Select Pass, with fees starting at $428.

[ FASTFACTS ] FRANCE

Area Codes All French telephone numbers consist of 10 digits, the first two of which are like an area code. If you’re calling anywhere in France from within France, just dial all 10 digits. If you’re calling from the United States, drop the initial 0 (zero). See “Telephones” later in this section for further information.

Business Hours Business hours in France are erratic. Most banks are open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Many, particularly in small towns, take a lunch break. Hours are usually posted on the door. Most museums close 1 day a week (often Tues), and they’re generally closed on national holidays. Usual hours are from 9:30am to 5pm. Refer to the individual listings. Generally, offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, but always call first. In Paris or other big French cities, stores are open from 9, 9:30, or (often) 10am to 6 or 7pm, without a break for lunch. Some shops, delis, cafes, and newsstands open at 8am and close at 8 or 9pm. In some small stores, the lunch break can last 2 hours, beginning at 1pm. This is more common in the south than in the north.

Car Rental See “Getting There by Car,” earlier in this chapter.

Cellphones See “Mobile Phones,” later in this section.

Crime See “Safety,” later in this section.

Customs What you can bring into France: Citizens of E.U. countries can bring in any amount of goods, as long as the goods are intended for their personal use and not for resale. Non-E.U. citizens are entitled to 200 cigarettes, 100 small cigars, 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco duty-free. You can also bring in 2 liters of wine or beer and 1 liter of spirits (more than 22% alcohol). In addition, you can bring in 50g (1.76 oz.) of perfume.

What you can take out of France:

Australian Citizens A helpful brochure is available from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service: Know Before You Go, online under “Information for Travelers.” For more information, call the Australian Customs Service (1300/363-263, or 612/6275-6666 if you’re abroad; www.customs.gov.au). The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$900, or, for those 17 or younger, A$450. If you’re returning with valuables you already own, you should file the “Goods Imported in Passenger Baggage” form.

Canadian Citizens For a clear summary of Canadian rules, ask for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500 from abroad; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, under “Going on Vacation?”). Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption, and you’re allowed to mail gifts to Canada from abroad valued at less than C$60 a day, provided they’re unsolicited and don’t contain alcohol or tobacco (write on the package “Unsolicited gift, under C$60 value”). All valuables, including serial numbers of valuables you already own, should be declared on the Y-38 form before departure from Canada.

New Zealand Citizens The answers to most questions regarding customs can be found on the website of the New Zealand Customs Service (0800/4-CUSTOMS [0800/428-786], or 649/300-5399 from outside New Zealand; www.customs.govt.nz).The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. Fill out a certificate of export listing the valuables you are taking out of the country so that you can bring them back without paying duty.

U.K. Citizens When returning to the U.K. from an E.U. country such as France, you can bring in an unlimited amount of most goods. There is no limit on what you can bring back from an E.U. country, as long as the items are for personal use (this includes gifts) and you have already paid the duty and tax. However, if you bring in more than these levels, you may be asked to prove that the goods are for your own use. For information, contact HM Revenue Customs (0845/010-9000; www.hmrc.gov.uk).

U.S. Citizens For specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go, online at www.cbp.gov. Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) (877/CBP-5511 [227-5511], or 703/526-4200 for international calls). Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for 48 hours or more are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $800 worth of merchandise duty-free. You’re charged a flat rate of duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases, and any dollar amount beyond that is subject to duty at whatever rates apply. On mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is $200. To avoid having to pay duty on foreign-made personal items you owned before your trip, bring along a bill of sale, insurance policy, jeweler’s appraisal, or receipt of purchase, or register items before you leave. You cannot bring fresh foodstuffs into the U.S.

Disabled Travelers Facilities for travelers in France, and nearly all modern hotels, provide accessible rooms. Older hotels (unless they’ve been renovated) may not provide elevators, special toilet facilities, or wheelchair ramps. The TGVs (high-speed trains) are wheelchair accessible; older trains have compartments for wheelchair boarding. If you visit the Paris tourist office’s website (www.parisinfo.com) and click on “Paris Pratique,” you’ll find links to a number of guides and websites dedicated to travelers with disabilities. With the exception of Line 14 and several other stations, most Paris Métro lines do not have disabled access and are not always equipped with either escalators or elevators. Buses are a much better option for disabled visitors, as many lines are now equipped with lowering floors and space for wheelchairs. RER lines and some SNCF services are wheelchair accessible (call 08-10-64-64-64, or look at www.infomobi.com for a useful disabled-access version of the Paris Métro map).

Doctors Doctors are listed in the Pages Jaunes (French equivalent of the Yellow Pages; www.pagesjaunes.fr) under “Médecins: Médecine générale.” If you’re using the website, you can search for a doctor by typing the town in the “Où” box. The minimum fee for a consultation is about 23€—for this rate, look for a doctor who is described as “conventionée secteur 1.” The higher the “secteur,” the higher the fee. SOS Médecins (36-24 or 01-47-07-77-77) makes house calls, which cost 70€ before 7pm and from 110€ after 7pm or on holidays (prices quoted are for people without French social security). See also “Emergencies” and “Health” later in this section.

Drinking Laws Supermarkets, grocery stores, and cafes sell alcoholic beverages. The legal drinking age is 18, but persons under that age can be served alcohol in a bar or restaurant if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The law regarding drunk driving is tough. Motorists are considered “legally intoxicated” if their blood-alcohol limit exceeds .05%. If it is under .08% (the limit in the U.K., Ireland, and some U.S. states) the driver faces a fine of 135€. Over .08%, and it could cost 4,500€ or up to two years in jail. If you cause an accident while driving drunk, the fine could be increased to 30,000€, and if you cause serious injury or death, you face 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 150,000€.

Driving Rules The French drive on the right. At junctions where there are no signposts indicating the right of way, cars coming from the right have priority. Many roundabouts now give priority to those on the roundabout. If this is not indicated, priority is for those coming from the right.

Drugstores You’ll spot French pharmacies by looking for the green neon cross above the door. If your local pharmacy is closed, there should be a sign on the door indicating the nearest one open. You can also have the front-desk staff at your hotel contact the nearest Commissariat de Police; an agent there will have the address of a nearby pharmacy open 24 hours a day. Parapharmacies sell medical products and toiletries, but they don’t dispense prescriptions. In Paris, one of the most central all-nighters is the Pharmacie des Champs-Elysées (84 av. des Champs-Elysées; Métro: George V; 01-45-62-02-41). See also “Emergencies” and “Health” later in this section.

Electricity Electricity in France runs on 220 volts AC (60 cycles). Adapters or transformers are needed to fit sockets, which you can buy in branches of Darty, FNAC or BHV. Many hotels have two-pin (in some cases, three-pin) sockets for electric razors.

Embassies & Consulates If you have a passport, immigration, legal, or other problem, contact your consulate. Call before you go—they often keep odd hours and observe both French and home-country holidays.

The Embassy of Australia is at 4 rue Jean-Rey, 15e (01-40-59-33-00; www.france.embassy.gov.au; Métro: Bir Hakeim), open Monday to Friday 9am to noon and 2 to 4pm.

The Embassy of Canada is at 35 av. Montaigne, 8e (01-44-43-29-00; www.amb-canada.fr; Métro: Franklin-D-Roosevelt or Alma-Marceau), open Monday to Friday 9am to noon and 2 to 5pm.

The Embassy of Ireland is at 4 rue Rude, 16e (01-44-17-67-00; www.embassyofireland.fr; Métro: Etoile), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to noon.

The embassy of New Zealand is at 7ter rue Léonard-de-Vinci, 16e (01-45-01-43-43; www.nzembassy.com; Métro: Victor Hugo), open Monday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5:30pm, Friday 9am to 1pm and 2 to 4pm.

The Embassy of the United Kingdom is at 35 Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 8e (01-44-51-31-00; http://ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk; Métro: Concorde or Madeleine), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 6pm.

The Embassy of the United States, 2 av. Gabriel, 8e (01-43-12-22-22; http://france.usembassy.gov; Métro: Concorde), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm.

Emergencies In an emergency while at a hotel, contact the front desk. Most staffs are trained in dealing with a crisis and will do whatever is necessary. If the emergency involves something like a stolen wallet, go to the police station in person. Otherwise, call 112 from a mobile phone, or call the fire brigade (Sapeurs-Pompiers) at 18; they are trained to deal with all kinds of medical emergencies, not just fires. For an ambulance, call 15. For the police, call 17.

Etiquette & Customs Parisians like pleasantries and take manners seriously: Say “Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur” when entering an establishment and “Au revoir” when you depart. Always say “Pardon” when you accidentally bump into someone. With strangers, people who are older than you, and professional contacts, use vous rather than tu (vous is the polite form of the pronoun you).

Family Travel To locate accommodations, restaurants, and attractions that are particularly kid-friendly, look for the “Kids” icon throughout this guide.

Health For travel abroad, Non-E.U. nationals should consider buying medical travel insurance. For U.S. citizens, Medicare and Medicaid do not provide coverage for medical costs incurred abroad, so check what medical services your health insurance covers before leaving home. U.K. nationals will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive free or reduced-cost medical care during a visit to a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland (go to www.ehic.org.uk for further information).

Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels—otherwise, they won’t make it through airport security. Carry the generic name, in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name.

For further tips on travel and health concerns, and a list of local English-speaking doctors, contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT; 716/754-4883 in the U.S., or 416/652-0137 in Canada; www.iamat.org). You can also find listings of reliable medical clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org). See also “Doctors,” “Drugstores,” “Emergencies,” and “Hospitals.”

Holidays Major holidays are New Year’s Day (Jan 1), Easter Sunday and Monday (late Mar/Apr), May Day (May 1), VE Day (May 8), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter), Pentecost/Whit Sunday and Whit Monday (seventh Sun and Mon after Easter), Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption Day (Aug 15), All Saints Day (Nov 1), Armistice Day (Nov 11), and Christmas Day (Dec 25). For more information on holidays, see “France Calendar of Events”.

Hospitals Dial 15 for medical emergencies. In Paris, the American Hospital, 63 bd. Victor-Hugo, in the suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine (01-46-41-25-25; www.american-hospital.org; Métro: Pont-de-Levallois or Pont-de-Neuilly; bus no. 82), operates a 24-hour emergency service. The bilingual staff accepts Blue Cross and other American insurance plans. Hospitals in other major cities include Hôpital Rouen, 1 rue de Germont (02-32-88-89-90; www.chu-rouen.fr), in Rouen; Hôpital Bretonneau, 2 bd. Tonnellé (02-47-47-80-29; www.chu-tours.fr), in Tours; Hôpital Civil de Strasbourg, 1 place de l’Hôpital (03-88-11-67-68; www.chru-strasbourg.fr), in Strasbourg; Hôpital Edouard Herriot, 5 place Arsonval (08-20-08-20-69), in Lyon; Hôpital de Avignon, 305 rue Raoul Follereau (04-32-75-33-33), in Avignon; Hôpital St-Roch, 5 rue Pierre Dévoluy (04-92-03-33-33), in Nice; and CHU de Rangueil, av. du Prof. Jean-Poulhes (05-61-32-25-33), in Toulouse.

Hot Lines S.O.S. Help is a hotline for English-speaking callers in crisis at 01-46-21-46-46 (www.soshelpline.org). Open 3 to 11pm daily.

Internet & Wi-Fi In French cities, many hotels and cafes have Internet access, and Wi-Fi (pronounced wee-fee) is becoming increasingly common in cafes and public spaces. There are also hundreds of cybercafes all over France. To find cybercafes, check www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com. A reasonably priced option in Paris is Luxembourg Micro, 81 bd. Saint-Michel, 5e (01-46-33-27-98; Métro: Luxembourg; www.luxembourg-micro.com). It’s open daily from 9am to 10pm.

Language English is increasingly understood in France, especially among younger people who have studied it in school. People are more likely to understand English in centers such as Paris and the Riviera than in the more remote provinces. Service personnel in hotels tend to speak English, at least at the front desk. For handy French words and phrases, as well as food and menu terms,“Useful Terms & Phrases.” A good phrasebook is Frommer’s French PhraseFinder & Dictionary.

Legal Aid In an emergency, especially if you get into trouble with the law, your country’s embassy or consulate will provide legal advice. See “Embassies & Consulates”.

LGBT Travelers France is one of the world’s most tolerant countries toward gays and lesbians. “Gay Paree” boasts a large gay population, with many clubs, restaurants, organizations, and services. Lesbian or bisexual women can pick up a copy of Lesbia. This publication and others are available at Paris’s largest, best-stocked gay bookstore, Les Mots à la Bouche, 6 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 4e (01-42-78-88-30; www.motsbouche.com; Métro: Hôtel-de-Ville), which carries publications in both French and English. In addition, both www.paris-gay.com and www.gayvox.com have updated listings about the gay and lesbian scene and events.

Lost & Found To speed the process of replacing your personal documents if they’re lost or stolen, make a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport and write down your credit card numbers. Leave this information with someone at home (to be called in an emergency) and your traveling companion. If your credit card is stolen, you can call American Express (call collect U.S. 336-393-1111), MasterCard (08-00-90-13-87; www.mastercard.com), or Visa (08-00-90-13-87; www.visaeurope.com). In Paris, all lost objects—except those found in train stations or on trains—are taken to the Bureau des Objets Trouvés (36 rue des Morillons, 15e 08-21-00-25-25; www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr). It’s better to visit in person than to call, but be warned that there are huge delays in processing claims. It’s open from Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm and Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Objects lost on the Métro are held by the station agents before being sent on to the Bureau des Objets Trouvés. If you lose something on a train or in a train station, go to the Lost Property office of the SNCF station in question.

Mail Most post offices in France are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and every Saturday from 8am to noon. Allow 5 to 8 days to send or receive mail from home. Stamps are also sold in tabacs (tobacconists). Tariffs depend on the weight and size of the letter or package, but more information can be found at www.laposte.fr.

Medical Requirements Unless you are arriving from an area of the world known to be suffering from an epidemic, especially cholera or yellow fever, inoculations or vaccinations are not required for entry in France.

Mobile Phones The three letters that define much of the world’s wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border mobile phone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. You can use your mobile phone in France, provided it is GSM and triband or quad-band; just confirm this with your operator before you leave.

Using your phone abroad can be expensive, and you usually have to pay to receive calls, so it’s a good idea to get it “unlocked” before you leave. This means you can buy a SIM card from one of the three French providers: Bouygues Télécom (www.bouygestelecom.fr), Orange (www.orange.fr), or SFR (www.sfr.fr). A SIM card with 5€ call credit costs about 10€. Alternatively, if your phone isn’t unlocked, you can buy a cheap mobile phone. To top-up your phone credit, buy a Mobicarte from tabacs, supermarkets, and mobile phone outlets. Prices range from 5€ to 100€.

Money & Costs Frommer’s lists exact prices in the local currency. The currency conversions quoted were correct at press time. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing, consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.

It’s always advisable to bring money in a variety of forms on a vacation: a mix of cash, credit cards, and traveler’s checks. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM. In many international destinations, ATMs offer the best exchange rates. Avoid exchanging money at commercial exchange bureaus and hotels, which often have the highest transaction fees. ATMs are widely available in Paris, but if you’re venturing into rural France, it’s always good to have cash in your pocket.

Not just Paris, but all of France is a very expensive destination. To compensate, you can often find top-value food and lodging. Part of the cost is the value-added tax (VAT in English, TVA in French), which adds between 6% and 33% to everything. Rental cars (and fuel) are expensive, and flying within France costs more than within the U.S. Train travel is relatively inexpensive, especially with a rail pass. Prices in Paris and on the Riviera are higher than in the provinces. Three of the most visited areas—Brittany, Normandy, and the Loire Valley—have reasonably priced hotels and restaurants.

Visa (known as Carte Bleue in French) is the most common credit card in France, but most international credit cards are widely used. In an attempt to reduce credit card fraud, French credit cards are issued with an embedded chip and a PIN to authorize transactions. Non-French cards (which don’t have a chip) do work, but they print a slip that requires a signature. This does mean, however, that they cannot be used in automated machines, such as those in Métro stations. There are still shops, restaurants, and bars, often family run, that don’t accept credit or debit cards, so it’s always good to both check in advance and have cash on you. The minimum amount you have to spend to use a credit or debit card is slowly decreasing, but in some shops and bars—again, often smaller businesses—it can be as high as 15€.

You can buy traveler’s checks at most banks, and they are widely accepted in France, although, frankly, merchants prefer cash. They are offered in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and sometimes $1,000. Generally, you’ll pay a service charge ranging from 1% to 4%. The most popular traveler’s checks are offered by American Express, Visa, and MasterCard. You can change traveler’s checks at most post offices. If you carry traveler’s checks, keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your checks, in the event that they are stolen or lost—you’ll get your refund faster.

For help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer’s convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile/ and click on the Travel Tools icon.

Multicultural Travelers See “Safety,” later in this section.

Newspapers & Magazines Only 20% of French people read a national paper. The most famous is the serious, center-left Le Monde, which is strong on both politics and economic issues. Le Figaro is more conservative and tends to favor lifestyle features over controversial issues. Libération, founded in the late 1960s by Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, has good news and arts coverage and is considered more left-wing.

English-language newspaper International Herald-Tribune, based in Paris and published Monday to Saturday, is distributed all over France and sold at newspaper kiosks and in the lobbies of first-class hotels. Copies of Time and Newsweek are also widely sold. A far larger selection of U.K. magazines and newspapers is available. London newspapers arrive in Paris an hour or so after publication.

Passports Citizens of the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States need a valid passport to enter France. The passport is valid for a stay of 90 days. To prevent international child abduction, E.U. governments have initiated procedures at entry and exit points. These often (but not always) include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child’s travel from the parent or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, facilitates entries and exits. All children must have their own passports.

Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially spring). Keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you’ll pay a higher processing fee.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia. Visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au for more details.

For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at Passport Canada agencies throughout Canada. Forms and further information can be found at www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a passport using the Passport Express service at most post offices. Further information can be found at www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website, www.passports.govt.nz.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a passport, visit your nearest passport office or major post office, or download the forms from the website www.ips.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States: Whether you’re applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov.

Police In an emergency, call 17 or 112 from a mobile anywhere in France.

Safety The most common menace, especially in large cities—particularly Paris—is the plague of pickpockets. Take precautions and be vigilant at all times: Don’t take more money with you than necessary, keep your passport in a concealed pouch or leave it at your hotel, and ensure that your bag is firmly closed at all times. In cafes, bars, and restaurants, it’s best not to leave your bag under the table or on the back of your chair. Keep it between your legs or on your lap, to avoid it being stolen. Never leave valuables in a car, and never travel with your car unlocked.

Much of the country, particularly central France, the northeast, Normandy, and Brittany, remains relatively safe, although no place in the world is crime-free. Those intending to visit the south of France, especially the Riviera, should exercise caution; robberies and muggings are more likely to occur here than in other parts of the country. It’s best to check your baggage into a hotel and then go sightseeing instead of leaving it unguarded in the trunk of a car, which can easily be broken into. Marseille is among the most dangerous French cities.

In general, Paris is a safe city and it is safe to use the Métro late at night. However, certain Métro stations (and the areas around them) are best avoided at night: Châtelet-Les Halles, Gare du Nord, Barbès Rochechouart, and Strasbourg St-Denis. Violent incidents and robberies have been known on the RER, particularly RER B, so it is best to find alternative transport to and from the airport (such as buses or taxis) late at night or early in the morning. Also, around the major sites, it is quite common to be approached by a young Roma girl and asked if you speak English. It’s best to avoid these situations, and any incident that might occur, by shaking your head and walking away.

Most nonwhite travelers won’t experience any problems. Although there is a significant level of discrimination against West and North African immigrants, there has been almost no harassment of African-American tourists to Paris or France itself. S.O.S. Racisme (51 av. de Flandre, 19e (01-40-35-36-55; www.sos-racisme.org) offers legal advice to victims of prejudice and will even intervene to help with the police.

Female travelers should not expect any more hassle than in other major cities, and the same precautions apply. Avoid walking alone at night and never get into an unmarked taxi. If you are approached in the street or on public transportation, it’s best to avoid entering into conversation and walk away.

Senior Travel Many discounts are available to seniors—men and women over 60. Although they often seem to apply to residents of E.U. countries, it pays to announce at the ticket window of a museum or monument that you are 60 years old or more. You may not receive a discount, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. “Senior,” incidentally, is pronounced seenyore in France. Senior citizens do not get a discount for traveling on public transport in Paris, but there are senior discounts on national trains. Check out www.voyages-sncf.com for further information. Frommers.com offers more information and resources on travel for seniors.

Smoking Smoking is now banned in all public places in France, including cafes, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

Student Travel Student discounts are less common in France than other countries, but simply because young people under 26 are usually offered reduced rates. Some discounts apply only to residents of E.U. countries, but it’s worth carrying ID to prove your age and announcing it when buying tickets. Look out for the Ticket Jeune when using the Métro in Paris. It can be used on a Saturday, Sunday, or bank holiday, and provides unlimited travel in zones 1 to 3 for 3.40€. SNCF also offer discounts for under-26-year-olds traveling on national trains (www.voyages-sncf.com).

Taxes As a member of the European Union, France routinely imposes a value-added tax (VAT in English; TVA in French) on most goods. The standard VAT is 19.6%, and prices that include it are often marked TTC (toutes taxes comprises, “all taxes included”). If you’re not an E.U. resident, you can get a VAT refund if you’re spending less than 6 months in France, you purchase goods worth at least 175€ at a single shop on the same day, the goods fit into your luggage, and the shop offers vente en détaxe (duty-free sales or tax-free shopping). Give them your passport and ask for a bordereau de vente à l’exportation (export sales invoice). This is then signed by the retailer and yourself. When you leave the country, you need to get all three pages of this invoice validated by France’s customs officials. They’ll keep one sheet, and you must post the pink one back to the shop. Once the shop receives its stamped copy, it will send you a virement (fund transfer) using the payment method you requested. It may take several months.

Telephones Public phones can still be found in France. They all require a phone card (known as a télécarte), which can be purchased at post offices, tabacs, supermarkets, SNCF ticket windows, Métro stations, and anywhere you see a blue sticker reading “Télécarte en vente ici” (“Phone card for sale here”). They cost 7.50€ for 50 calling units and 15€ for 120 units.

The country code for France is 33. To make a local or long-distance call within France, dial the 10-digit number of the person or place you’re calling. Mobile numbers begin with 06. Numbers beginning with 0-800, 0-804, 0-805, and 0-809 are free in France; other numbers beginning with 8 are not. Most four-digit numbers starting with 10, 30, and 31 are free of charge.

For operator assistance and French directory inquiries, dial 12.

Time France is on Central European Time, which is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. French daylight saving time lasts from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, when clocks are set 1 hour ahead of the standard time.

Tipping By law, all bills in cafes, bars, and restaurants say service compris, which means the service charge is included. However, it is customary to leave 1€ or 2€, depending on the quality of the service. Taxi drivers usually expect a 5% to 10% tip, or for the fare to be rounded up to the next euro. The French give their hairdressers a tip of about 15%, and if you go to the theater, you’re expected to tip the usher about 2€.

Toilets If you’re in dire need, duck into a cafe or brasserie to use the lavatory. It’s customary to make a small purchase if you do so. Paris is full of gray-colored automatic street toilets, which are free to use and are washed and disinfected after each use. France still has some hole-in-the-ground squat toilets, so be warned.

VAT See “Taxes,” earlier in this section.

Visas E.U. nationals don’t need a visa to enter France. Nor do U.S., Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, or South African citizens for trips of up to 3 months. Nationals of other countries should make inquiries at the nearest French embassy or consulate before they travel to France. If Non-E.U. citizens wish to stay for longer than 3 months, they must apply to a French embassy or consulate for a long-term visa.

Visitor Information Before you go, your best source of information is the French Government Tourist Office (www.franceguide.com), which can be reached at the following addresses:

• United States: 825 Third Ave., 29th Floor, New York, NY 10022 (514/288-1904; fax 212/838-7855); 205 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60601 (514/288-1904); or 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 715, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (514/288-1904)

• Canada: 1800 av. McGill College, Ste. 490, Montreal, QC H3A 2W9 (514/288-2026; fax 514/845-4868)

• United Kingdom: 178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL (09068/244-123 [60p per min.]; fax 020/7493-6594)

• Australia: 25 Blight St., Sydney, NSW 2000 (02/9231-5244; fax 02/9221-8682)

Water Drinking water is generally safe. If you ask for water in a restaurant, it’ll be served bottled (for which you’ll pay), unless you specifically request l’eau de robinet (tap water). Your waiter may ask if you’d like your water avec gas (carbonated) or sans gas (without bubbles).

Wi-Fi See “Internet & Wi-Fi,” earlier in this section.

Women Travelers See “Safety,” earlier in this section.

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Normandy and Mont-St-Michel, France: Frommer's Shortcuts®

Table of Contents

Normandy & Mont-St-Michel

Rouen

Honfleur

Deauville

Trouville

Caen

An excursion to the Forbes Château

Bayeux

The D-Day Beaches

reliving the Allied Invasion of Normandy

Mont-St-Michel

Useful Terms & Phrases

Glossary of French-Language Terms

The Best of France

The best Travel Experiences

The best Romantic Escapes

The best Driving Tours

The best ChÂteaux & Palaces

The best Museums

The best Cathedrals

The best Vineyards & Wineries

The best Luxury Hotels

The best Affordable Hotels

The best Historic Places to Stay

The best Upscale Restaurants

The best Affordable Restaurants

France in Depth

France Today

The Making of France

Art & Architecture

France in Popular Culture

Eating & Drinking in France

When to Go

Tours

Planning Your Trip to France

Getting There

Getting Around