| Author | Message | ||
     Borrowedbike |
Anyone have advice on a trip to France? Wife and I are planing on going this year for vaca. I want to see Normandy, and we are both Wine snobs, so Bordeaux, Dijon, Alsace are all potential destinations. Any advice on tour companies? Rent a car or go by train? (Or barge?) Any advice would be great... | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I would get the Rosetta Stone language course if you don't speak French it will really be useful. English is spoken all over europe, I could never find a speaker when I needed one. Watch the money market and try to buy a bunch of Euros before you go. You save a lot of money that way, especially the first days there. The exchanges are brutal when the commissions are added. They call them discounts! If you decide to travel by train get a Eurail pass, plan your travel with overnight trains and save a ton of money on hotels. Some of the youth hostels I saw over there this past summer were relatively expensive. If decide to rent a car you have to get an International Drivers License, can be had from the Auto Club (AAA) for a fee of course. Be prepared to gain weight. The food, wine, bread, and desserts will hurt you. Some of the villiages have greatest stuff, until you get to the next one. Ask me how I know.  | ||
| Arcticktm |
Bcordb3, Why do you need in international license to rent a car in France? I have rented cars in the UK and Germany with no troubles with my US license, and thought it was the same throughout the EC. Going to Germany again in Feb, and may drive into France, so curious what you know. | ||
| Hexangler |
We just recently enjoyed the movie on DVD: "Paris, je t'aime" You might too. Hex | ||
| Pwnzor |
check the rider assistance network and pm one of the BadWebbers who live in France for info. Mr. Grumpy comes to mind. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
Jim, I don't know why, getting the international license was advised by my son-in-laws employer in Italy who arranged for the rental cars, he and my daughter had a car for 4 months and I had one for a couple of weeks in Italy. I was passing on what information that I had and believed to be accurate. If it isn't needed that is a good worth $15.00 and trip to the auto club. | ||
| Dfbutler |
FYI http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/france-200 8-will-be-tough.htm | ||
| Bcordb3 |
Don that article was incredible! I will never complain about riding thru Scottsdale (AZ) again. At least they take your picture! The LEO's just don't think your going to fast! Not to high-jack the thread, this is worth reading. Maybe a stand alone thread. Don its your thing go for it. | ||
| G234146 |
I was fortunate enough to visit France twice. In my experience, an "off season" visit will be cheaper, with less crowds, and it won't be nearly as scorching hot as it's been the past few years. You'll feel more of an imersive experience. "off season" is considered between Sep to Nov and Feb to May (aprox.) Da missus and I HATE tours. They just sheep you around from place to place. We rented cars, took the train, bus, and ferry. The cool thing about car rentals is you can return them to any of the same dealers, in another town. So you don't need to back track. When we found a spot we liked we would just spend more time there, without worrying about schedules. Oh yeah, most folks speak English. Heck, most folks speak several languages there.  | ||
| G234146 |
RE: Intl license I didn't need one. or at least, they didnt ask.  | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Don't forget insurance. Auto and health !!...make sure you're covered | ||
| Bill0351 |
How long are you going? I was lucky enough to spend 5 weeks in Greece when I was in my 20's. My girlfriend and I stayed in dumpy rented rooms, ate at grocery stores and rented beat up motorcycles everywhere we went. I spent less money vacationing then I did for a comparable amount of time in the US. The whole trip ended up being about $3,800. I went to the library and got every Greek guide book and read them cover-to-cover. The hints in them saved me thousands of dollars and made the trip way more fun. I bet they have the exact same books for France. I think they were The Real Guide, The Rough Guide, and several others. Good luck! Have fun. Bill | ||
| Alchemy |
I go to France about twice a year for business in Strasbourg in the Alsace area. I don't speak a word of French and when I first started to think about these possible trips I was a bit unenthusiastic given what I had heard. Check out the book "French or Foe". It is mostly about learning to understand their culture on their terms. It is a bit out of date in some ways but it puts some key concepts very clearly. I really helps to understand how unbelievably foreign their culture can be vs. the US and what to expect. I found it very helpful particularly for business at first. I have great respect for the French people and their accomplishments. Some of it comes with a little difficulty but it is worth it. One thing I notice on almost every visit is how much louder the Americans or Germans are than most of the French. The French cafes have tables on top of one another yet they speak so quietly that there is still a sense of privacy. Americans seem to be used to speaking louder and sometimes you can hear every word from 4 tables away. In Strasbourg there is some sort of law about recorded music. Most all music is live. Most public places like the streets are more quiet than you would expect. Just generally the volume is lower and it takes a few days to adjust. I really enjoy traveling there now even though I still don't speak much French. For the first time I am going to visit for vacation this year... I hope. Paris is bit expensive but in other cities it is not too bad. I don't travel much to the UK but I think it is much more affordable than the UK even with the Euro being a bit expensive these days. MC or VISA work better than AMEX. Cash machines can usually be found that will accept your card. Now I hit the Cash machine in France at the airport rather than exchange currency in the US. Tipping is generally less all around. Food is generally but not always a notch above US food. Portions are smaller but taste is really great. It sort of grows on you with time and by the time you are leaving you are thinking of ways to sneak a loaf of bread home etc. My favorite thing is to get wine and cheese from any local quick market and some room service soup and rolls and just eat in the room when I am alone. The bread, wine and cheese is a constant exploration and at a bargain price generally. You have to watch out for the bicycles which can sneak up on you. TV is poor and very adult later in the evening. Quite a cultural difference. Walking is great and generally safe but don't be stupid and if it feels wrong get a cab. You will spend more than you expect but that may be better than not doing things and then regretting it later. Plan to bring a lot of stuff home so pack accordingly light. When the dollar was stronger it was cheaper to buy some things in France. Worse thing I brought home was a 30 lbs stone statue I tried to carry on. Got as far as Paris but had to check it there. The hotel rooms are generally small and efficient but it doesn't matter if you spend your time elsewhere. Murphy's law is fully functional in France so be prepared for some weird events. Stay relaxed and have a great time. | ||
| Borrowedbike |
Thanks all! Sounds like renting a car is the best bet, and we'll get International Drivers Licences. (Hell, just getting the road sign cheat sheet is worth a few bucks) I'm covered for health insuriance, good tip on travel insuriance. Next door neighbor lived in France for two years, and we are al great friends, so she's speaking french to us on a regular basis so we can pick up some lingo. Doubt I'll rent any bikes, unless we opt to stay in a smaller town for a couple days. Paris would scare me on a bike, as I'd be distracted enough by the sights, much less traffic laws and congestion. Doesn't leave enough room for paying attention to rideing an unfamiliar bike (Keith Codes ten bucks sort of thing) Oh, and great tip on buying Euros here! Thanks guys keep the tips coming! Any places we should be sure to see? | ||
| Bcordb3 |
When you go to get the international drivers license be sure the ask for the M/C endorsement, you never can tell, and its doesn't cost extra. | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
I PM'd Mr Grumpy, he is from France. | ||
| Borrowedbike |
PM'd Him Yesterday  | ||
| Buellinator |
I was in Normandy France last June for the D-Day celebrations. It was incredible. We landed in Manchester, England and rented a couple of VFR's and rode to Dover where we took the ferry and crossed the channel. Ultimately, we ended up in Arromanche and the riding was incredible. Very fast and very curvy (is that a word?). Lane splitting was acceptable and there was virtually no police presence. We were riding down beautiful 2 lane country roads at 85 MPH and got up as high as 125 MPH. Cars would just move out of way as we approached. If you haven't done a trip like this you really should. What a rush! The D-day celebrations really made me appreciate our veterans. Omaha Beach and the cemetery were incredibly touching. I was in tears walking through the cemetery as I read the tombstone crosses. The ride back was great except for the fact that my brother in law crashed going through a roundabout in France and was forced to ride the final 295 miles with a severely sprained ankle which turned out to be a chipped bone, on a smashed up bike. Talk about hard core. France? I'd do it again anytime. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Get a hold of Mr. Grumpy, He lives there | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I'm back, been on the road since wednesday & not been near a puter. Yes, get an International licence, it's not obligatory but it will make the rental experience easier, also if you do have a run in with the cops it's something else to throw at them. I wouldn't worry too much about the speeding thing, just observe the limits which are reasonable, 50mph on single carriageway, 70 on double & 80 on the Autoroute; If you do get flashed by a fixed radar, generally the hire companies will pay the fine & dock it off your credit card (it's in the small print) If you get stopped it's on the spot fines for foreigners, & you go nowhere til it's paid! As previously stated, the food's great (as my expanding gut will testify) but don't go expecting "Texas" size portions. Out of season is best if you don't want to be drowned in tourists. I know of a dealer here in Rennes who rents out his trade-in bikes, should you wish. You can get a Hotel room for around $50 a night at the low end. There's loads of other stuff I could tell you but that would spoil the surprises & it wouldn't be so much of an adventure. Oh yeah one more thing, learn to drive a manual shift before coming, slush-boxes aren't very available on the cheap end of the rental fleets. It's a great place with lots of history & great roads, if you go carefully & courteously, you'll have a great time. My number's in the RAN if you want to talk, or mail to mrgrumpym2@gmail.com | ||
| Borrowedbike |
Thanks Innes! I'll pink you when I have more details, and see if it meets your approval! | ||
| Dobr24 |
My wife and I just attended a wedding in the mountains of Provence which is by Nice in the south of France. They have the most spectacular Rose wines there I have ever tasted. We stayed in an old Knights Templar Castle. http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/search-book/hotel -restaurant/stmartin/ It was fantastic and the roads are kick ass motorcycle territory! Well worth the trip and money. Chris | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
You're most welcome. |
