The Rough Guide Provence & the Cote D'Azur 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) [Paperback]

Rough Guides (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2003

"The Rough Guide to Provence and the Cote D'Azur" gives detailed coverage of France's most famous region, from the glamour spots of the coast to the unspoilt inland villages and countryside. There is a 24 page full colour introduction with photographs of the region's highlights, followed by topical accounts of every town and region, from Marseilles and Nice to lesser known towns and villages. There are also critical reviews of the best places to stay, eat and drink - to suit budgets stretching from camping to casinos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Useful for planning every last detail - Rough Guide has thought of everything" Independent on Sunday

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When to go

Beware the coast at the height of summer. The heat and humidity can be overpowering and the crowds, the exhaust fumes and the costs overwhelming. For swimming the best months are from June to mid-October, with May a little on the cool side, but only by summer standards. As for sunbathing, that can be done from February through to October. February is one of the best months for the Cte d'Azur - museums, hotels and restaurants are mostly open, the mimosa is in blossom, and the contrast with northern Europe's climate at its most delicious. The worst month is November when almost everything is shut and the weather turns cold and wet.

The same applies to inland Provence. Remember that the lower Alps are usually under snow from late November to early April (though recent winters have had snow in Nice followed by no falls on the lower ski-resorts). October can erupt in storms that quickly clear and in May, too, weather can be erratic. In summer, vegetation is at its most barren save for high up in the mountains. Wild bilberries and raspberries, purple gentians and leaves turning red to gold are the rewards of autumn walks. Springtime brings such a profusion of wild flowers you hardly dare to walk. In March a thousand almond orchards blossom.

The only drawback with the off-seasons is the Mistral wind. This is a violent, cold, northern airstream that is sucked down the valley of the Rhne whenever there's a depression over the sea. It can last for days, wrecking every fantasy of carefree Mediterranean climes. Winter is its worst season but it rarely blows east of Toulon, so be prepared to move that way. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 5 Sub edition (November 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858288924
• ISBN-13: 978-1858288925
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,038,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Really Disapointing, almost ruined our trip, September 29, 2004

By 

soupparis (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide Provence & the Cote D'Azur 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

I haven't had such a bad time with any guidebook before. The authors seem to really dislike most of the places in this area, so almost put me off visiting a really nice town, and their restaurant research seems confined to the few standard tourist offerings and then a listing of fancy expensive restaurants. It's not difficult to find a good meal in France for 35 EU, any hotel can recommend one, we wanted the book to help find which was the best of the cheaper places. I saw a ton of restaurants in Marseille with menus 20 EU and under, but no clue which of them were good. Really disappointing, useful for the usual city maps and all, but the opinions for things to visit, eat, etc. not helpful at all.