The Rough Guide to France puts cheap eats, clubs and accommodation above comfort and style.

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Product Description

The Rough Guide to France covers every corner of one of Europe's most visited countries from Parisian cafes to the chic resorts of the Cote d'Azur. A full-colour introduction includes the pick of the sights and activities with over 50 colour photographs. The guide gives lively reviews of the best places to eat, drink, shop and party, wherever you are and whatever your budget. For every region, there are also practical tips for exploring the French countryside from the peaks of the Alps to the fertile Loire Valley. In the 'contexts' section, the team of experienced writers provide insider coverage of French culture, wine, festivals, history and film and some language essentials. All this, and over 40 maps and plans.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #287345 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1400 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Rough Guide to France follows its now well-established format that puts cheap eats, clubs and accommodation above comfort and style. That is its appeal for the student traveller intent on making the most of limited resources. The 2001 edition adds and updates a host of Web site addresses and includes euro price equivalents. Its 100 maps have improved measurably and its listing of map sources in England remains very helpful.

Yet the guide, despite its assurance that this is an "updated" seventh edition of the book, is a remarkably similar--and unfortunately sometimes outdated--version of much earlier guides in the France series that was launched in 1995. In this Rough Guide edition, for the most part, there are fewer restaurant listings and many of the recommendations remain the same as those touted five years ago. Those with a bit more change in their pocket might find better gastronomic satisfaction from Fodor's France or Cadogan Guide to France for upmarket touring.

On the plus side, the Rough Guide to France goes to great lengths to explain and encourage public transportation rather than driving. For cyclists, the list of routes, rentals and means of transporting bicycles across the Channel is one of the best for a broad-based guidebook. The camping section, too, has more depth than its competitors.

Take the name of the book as a guide: it's for those who want to rough it. --Kathleen Buckley

Times Literary Supplement, London, UK
Pithy and descriptive...undoubtedly the backpacker's bible, but invaluable for almost every independent traveller.

The Express, London, UK
Very easy to use, written in a friendly, accessible style...almost indispensable if you are travelling to France this summer, though a pretty useful guide to the major French cities even in less hectic years.

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Customer Reviews

Detailed, up-to-date and consistently reliable
Initially, I thought that France couldn't be summed up in one book and certainly would not go in to as much depth as separate publications on different parts of France (e.g. Rough Guide to the Loire etc.)- but this guide is one of the most detailed and reliable sources I've ever used.

Although information is condensed - the guide comprehensively covers both the large city areas (rigorously) and the smallest of villages (with useful information and pointers of where to find more information)

The format of the guide is the same as that of previous publications - which, is helpfully easy to navigate.

The book is thorough and up-to-date - with no mistakes (based on my trips since I have bought the book) and without doubt should be an essential part of your hand luggage!

Probably the best guide to France
At least, having compared it to the Lonely Planet guide, I prefer this one. There is a lot of overlap between the two - many of the same restaurants, bars, hotels, tourist attractions etc are mentioned - but I find the information in the Rough Guide fuller and more useful. Although exactly the same size, it packs in over 300 more pages. The index is more useful, and some of the smaller places that were of interest to me were indexed only in the Rough Guide. I also found the town and area maps in the Rough Guide clearer, though this may be a matter of opinion. France is a huge country with a lot to see and do. Like another reviewer, I had my doubts as to whether it would be possible for one book to do it justice, but this book seems to. There are also Rough Guides to the individual regions of France, and the truly dedicated francophile might prefer to go for these, but for the average, occasional visitor I think that the one volume Rough Guide to France will do nicely.

Fantastic even for a student backpacker
I lived in France for a year and travelled a great deal with my rucksack, and this book was like my bible. There were so many times I would have got lost without the maps inside. The best thing is that you even know where the tourist office is before you arrive, and all of the information was spot on. I used this book especially in the South of France and in Corsica, and what I found especially useful was the 'classmark sysytem' of the price of hotels and youth hostels. We had most of it booked before we even arrived, which was such a godsend when we arrived there knackered! The ONLY problem was that it was quite heavy to carry around - but a small price to pay.... Don't go there without it!