The Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries [Paperback]

Eileen Barish (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006 | Series: Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries

This is the only guide to French monastery lodging for American tourists. Peaceful, safe and very inexpensive, these historic monasteries, ancient castles, villas and abbeys welcome visitors of all faiths. The monks and abbesses embrace visitors as family for the duration of their stay with hearty, wholesome food and helpul tips for enjoying the region. The wealth of information offered here includes

* in-depth personal interviews with residents and staff of each monastery

* website and email addresses

* an overview of accommodations and prices

* complete contact information, including driving directions, public transportation, email addresses and web sites

* reservation form letters in English and French

* photographs for each listing

From Paris to small, enchanting villages and everywhere in between, France has never been so affordable and authentic.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eileen Barish, a multiple award-winning author, columnist and travel expert, has written many best-selling pet travel books, including Vacationing With Your Pet. Her books have been critically acclaimed in the NYT, LA Times, USA Today, CNN and WSJ.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Anacapa Press (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884465234
• ISBN-13: 978-1884465239
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #517,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The following review appeared in the February 15, 2006 issue of LIBRARY JOURNAL - under the heading of Travel & Geography, March 11, 2006

By 

Eileen Barish "Linda M. Kaufmann" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries (Paperback)

LODGING IN FRANCE'S MONASTERIES - $22.95 Anacapa Press

Travel writer Barish adds a third volume (along with Spain and Italy) to her series on unique and inexpensive accommodations in monasteries, convents and religious guest houses, many of which are located in some of the most beautiful towns and villages in France. Travelers can stay, for example, in a 16th century building just a few feet from Chartres Cathedral or in a former castle in the village of Moulins-les-Metz in Lorraine. Most of the more than 150 institutions profiled accept guests without any religious obligation but some of them offer only spiritual retreats. Each entry includes information on the number of rooms, amenities, cost, availability of meals, any special rules, directions and contact information, and two to four pages on local tourist attractions. The average cost per person per night is $30 (meals may add $5 to the cost) and some monasteries ask only for a donation. Barish has also included a reservation form letter in English and French. This is a worthwhile addition to any travel collection and will intrigue travelers on a strict budget and those who want a holiday with a twist. Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good for history buffs rather than travellers, June 2, 2007

By 

MBR (Sussex, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries (Paperback)

This book has obviously taken a great deal of work to put together, so it's a pity that the final result is not as polished as it could be. It provides travellers with a long list of monasteries in France that provide accommodation, including contact info and pricing where available. But where if falls short for the prospective traveller is in not giving much information about the accommodation, the buildings in which the accommodation is provided, pictures of the accommodation, or location maps - all the things that readers would expect from a travel guide.
Descriptions would have been more helpful if they had been organized under heads in a more systematic manner - like LOCATION, HISTORY, ACCOMMODATION, LOCAL AREA, ETC. At present they tend to be long and rambling and focus mainly on the history of the monsatery and the town which, interesting as it is, really misses the point - the accommodation. There are lots of black and white pictures, often of mixed quality. These frequently relate to the town or local sights and numerous entries fail to show, or indicate the accommodation. This is not much help if you want to see where you are going to be lodging. So it can be a question of taking pot luck! Having said all this, the book does give one a useful starting point.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining book but not as useful as I'd hoped, December 1, 2011

By 

M. Michael Hardcastle (France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries (Paperback)

There are limitations with monastaries which were not clear from the book's description. Not all of the monastaries are open to solitary travelers or couples, many stipulating, 'Groups only'; and don't expect that they will replace hotels as a place to stay on a holiday where late nights are the norm. But there are many which would be fine for a night's accommodation when traveling from north to south or east to west in France.