The Rough guide to French Hotels & Restaurants, 2002 [Paperback]

Rough Guides (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2002 | Series: Rough Guide to French Hotels & Restaurants

Translated from the "Guide de Routard", this volume includes accommoda tion listings throughout France, from village inns to city-centre hotels. Extensive restaurant selections, emphaising both quality and value for money are given along with tips on the local specialities. Fully updated prices are given for every room and meal and maps are included of every region and many of the towns covered, pinpointing the location of recommended establishments.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THE GUIDE’S LAYOUT

The Routard/Rough Guide is divided into twenty-two chapter regions, each with a regional map. The regions are listed alphabetically and within each chapter the main towns (marked by black circles on the maps) are listed in alphabetical order, their names appearing in a dark heading that also shows the postcode:

QUIBERON 57170

Small towns and villages within a radius of 30km of a larger town are included after the entries for that town (and marked by white circles on regional maps); these places are listed in the order of their distance from the main town, and their names are displayed in a light heading:

NEARBY LEVERNOIS 21200 (4km SE)

Within each town hotels are listed first, followed by restaurants, and both are listed in ascending order of price. Note that stars indicated are the official ratings of the French hotel industry and not of this guide.

After the address of the establishments, tips on how to get there are given wherever possible, plus phone number, fax number, email address, closing times and a summary of facilities where relevant.

In addition to regional maps, certain key cities are covered by detailed city maps. Hotels and restaurants in these places are given a two-part map code (eg MAP B2-13) comprised of a grid reference and the establishment’s number in the map key. Sometimes city establishments are located outside the area covered by the map; these are marked Off map and correspond to an arrow pointing in the direction you’ll need to travel in order to get there.

SYMBOLS

The following symbols have been used:
h hotel
k restaurant
% discount

The discount symbol indicates that an establishment offers some sort of benefit to readers of this guide. In the case of hotels, it’s usually a discount (generally 10%) on the price of the room. You are usually obliged to stay for a minimum of two nights to qualify but sometimes the period or the amount of the discount can be different. The benefit can also be limited to certain periods of the year. Where possible these conditions have been indicated in the text. In some instances, the concession consists of a free breakfast or free garage space; many restaurants in this guide offer a free coffee, house apéritif or house digestif, but you qualify only when you order a complete meal and, more often than not, the choice of drink will not be up to you. All establishments will insist that you are entitled to the benefit only if you are carrying the current year’s edition of this guidebook. In all cases, show your copy when you check in at the hotel or before you order your meal! in a restaurant. Hotels and restaurants are familiar with the French Routard guide, and should you have any difficulties claiming the benefits with this translation, point to the front cover where the Routard logo is clearly displayed.

THE EURO

The Euro (1), the European single currency, became the only legal tender in France in February 2002 when its coins and notes replaced the French Franc. Prices in this guide are quoted in Euros and are as accurate as possible, but while everyone is getting used to the exchange there may be small variations when you get to your hotel or restaurant.

THE FRENCH WAY

It pays to know what’s what in French hotels and restaurants and your basic rights as a consumer.

When you’re reserving a room by phone or in writing, it’s not unusual for the hotel to ask for a deposit by way of a guarantee. There’s no law to say how much this deposit should be, but don’t pay any more than around 25–30% of the total. The French have two words for deposit – arrhes and acompte. The first is refundable, the second is not. So in the event of cancellation your arrhes can be returned in full if you give the hotel reasonable notice. If it’s the hotel that cancels the booking, then under Article 1590 of the Civil Code (which dates back to 1804) you’re entitled to double the amount of the arrhes you paid. So if you do make a deposit, be very specific in your letter as to whether it’s arrhes or acompte.

Hotels and restaurants are required by law to display their prices. You won’t get anywhere arguing about extortionate charges if they’re clearly marked on a price list.

Hotels are not permitted to try to sell you something you haven’t requested; for example they can’t force you to book for several nights if you only want to stay for one. Similarly, they can’t insist you have breakfast or any other meal at the hotel unless it’s clearly stated that half or full board is compulsory. Make sure you find this out before you book into a hotel with a restaurant, and bear in mind that half-board prices often apply to a minimum stay of three nights. This is permitted by law.

In restaurants the cheapest set meals are often served at lunchtimes on weekdays only. This should be clearly marked on the board outside. The same menu may cost more at night.

Wine lists aren’t always very clear so be sure that you know precisely what you’re ordering. For example, you might select a bottle of Burgundy at 18 and be charged 116; when you check the list again, you find (maybe in small print) that the price was for a half-bottle. A bottle of wine must be opened in front of the customer – otherwise you’ve no way of knowing that you’re getting what you ordered. A jug of tap water is free as long as you’re ordering a meal.

Occasionally restaurants refuse to serve customers if they feel they haven’t ordered enough. But no one can force you into ordering something you don’t want and refusing to serve you is technically against the law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 880 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 5th edition (April 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858288797
• ISBN-13: 978-1858288796
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,514,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible for independent travelers!, July 6, 2003

By 

"umbrellaman60" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough guide to French Hotels & Restaurants, 2002 (Paperback)

Do you dream of renting a car and roaming France wherever a tree-lined road takes you? Of being able to be captivated by the flowers and stones of a quiet town and wish you could stay one night? This book is the English translation of the Guide Routard, relied upon by the French for their vacations with dead-on descriptions of hotels and restaurants most of us can afford. With this book you can confidently soujourn so far off the beaten path that you may well be the only American that hotel will see this year -- or at least maybe this week.

The hotels listed are the best of the two stars, meaning that you'll find character if not always the firmest of mattresses. The restaurants are truly the best that France has to offer for the local night out and the family Sunday lunch. I wouldn't hesitate to stop at any of their suggestions and I know I won't break the vacation budget.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Advice, February 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rough guide to French Hotels & Restaurants, 2002 (Paperback)

I have found the Rough Guide (in English) or Routard (French) the second most useful hotel and food guidebook for France, after the Michelin Red Guide. I take both along because The Rough Guide offers less expensive suggestions, its range sometimes bridging from Michelin to Let's Go (the specialists for cheap). The Rough Guide includes more remarks than Michelin, so it's the sort of guide that is worth checking out before arriving, to find places you'll like. I agree with another reviewer that it offers listings for more towns than many popular U.S. issued books for France, so it's especially useful for those of us loving the countryside and finding the byways.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable for a driving tour of France, January 18, 2003

By 

Mr. D. S. Stadler (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rough guide to French Hotels & Restaurants, 2002 (Paperback)

I'm slightly shocked to be the first reviewer of this guidebook, which is the best of it's kind I have ever seen. It is strictly a resource for locating restaurants and hotels in France, with little or no guidance about the sites that the towns offer.

That said, I cannot recommend this book too highly. What it is is a guide to small hotels and restaurants offer special value, ambiance, food, or comfort in virtually every city, town, and village in all of France. This guide will allow you to find that 13th century hotel in Dinan or that old restaurant in Troyes. Most of the offerings here are exceptional value in some way, usually offering exceptional comfort at moderate prices. As such it fits below the Michelen Red guides but often offers much better value than the Red Guide. France offers much in culture and cuisine, and staying and eating in historic places can add much to one's experience.