France on Foot: Village to Village, Hotel to Hotel: How to Walk the French Trail System on Your Own (Paperback)

by Bruce Lefavour (Author), Faith Eddemeyer (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
LeFavour, a professional chef, has produced a handsome and terrifically useful guide for anyone considering seeing France on foot. France has 110,000 miles of well-maintained walking paths that cross both public and private lands and a detailed system of walking maps for navigating them. This is not an easy guide to tuck into your backpack, but it provides loads of information: the best maps for walkers, different kinds of accommodations, and necessary equipment. LeFavour has obviously walked many leisurely miles in France, soaking up the scenery and ending each day in a comfortable bed (from cottage to chateau) after a delicious meal. He intersperses his own entertaining walking experiences with planning advice. The photographs are beautiful. Essential for travel collections.?Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts Lib., North Adams
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Any book that earns cover blurbs from gonzo illustrator Ralph Steadman and Chez Panisse chef Alice Waters must have something going for it. This large-format volume offers color photos, good maps, excellent directions and fine writing on France's 110,000 miles of off-road footpaths.

"The author is a chef by tradeand his rhapsodic rifts on the joys of good wine and food could inspire the most bloated of couch potatoes to get trekking." -- Bob Sipchen, "Books to Go," - LosAngeles Times, 24 January 1999

"French joie de vivre on foot. This is no backpackers guide. it's walking France on a full stomach." -- Lane Hartill, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 January 1999

"LeFavour creates a French delicacy that mixes practical hiking information about packs and boots, folds in helpful knowledge of maps, hotels and restaurants, then sprinkles on clever anecdotes of people and places in the spectacularly different regions of France." -- Jeffrey Moore, Foreword, December 1998

"My dream has finally come true--I have a month to spend this summer wandering through the French countryside. How do I start planning a walkingtrip?

"Next month, look for France on Foot- Attis Press, $24.95 by Bruce LeFavour." -- Travel & Leisure, December 1998

...the rhapsodic rifts on good wine and food could inspire the most bloated couch potatoes to get trekking. -- Los Angeles Times

I would happily be led, even on foot, by this book to delicious experiences in the French countryside. -- Alice Waters, chef, restaurateur and author of Chez Panisse Vegetables

The photographs are beautiful. Essential for travel collections. -- Library Journal

With practical tips, inspired descriptions, and alluring photographs, this will put spring in your step and France on your agenda. -- The Harvard Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Attis Press (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966344804
• ISBN-13: 978-0966344806
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,893 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read AND an essential guide to planning a walk, October 20, 2000

By A Customer

This book made it possible for me and my husband to walk inFrance on our own -- meaning not only did we avoid organized groups,we could walk wherever we wanted, on any of the thousands of trailsthat wind through France, at our own pace. Because LeFavour doesn'tattempt to give set walks for all his readers, but rather gives youthe information to set up your own walks, you're guaranteed not to beon over-run routes or to find yourself rushing to keep onschedule. Not only was the book a pleasure to read, and look at, itprepared us for all eventualities on the trail so we could enjoy thereal luxuries of the food, the wine and countryside. The best partabout walking in France is that you can really indulge -- you walk itoff and begin hungry and eager to go again each morning. A greatexperience.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only useful, but a pleasure to read, November 26, 2003

By A Customer

(Update: what a shame it is out of print!)

I think the other reviewers have already covered most of the points. This book is written by a chef, and it is composed like a fine meal. The pace is wonderful: relaxing, but never boring-- the same way he advocates undertaking a long walk in France. Although a backpacker (I am one) would find this book useful, it is not intended for anyone who has ever spent a night without a roof, nor for anyone who intends to ever spend a night without a roof. What it will do is lead you to an experience that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment after enjoying a couple of weeks of beautiful scenery and fabulous food in the most relaxing and healthy manner possible. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best books I've ever read.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great place to start, August 4, 2000

By A Customer

I was really excited to have found "France on Foot", since my husband and I wanted to explore the French countryside. We used it as a starting point to plan our week-long walk on the GR, and found Bruce's advice to be invaluable. His suggestions for what books and maps to buy, and, more importantly, how to plan a day-to-day itinerary were fantastic. Also, the recommended research that goes into organizing a walk really familiarizes you with the area that you're travelling and turns into part of the adventure. We're now planning on walking as much of France as we can, something that we probably wouldn't have attempted had we not stumbled across this book. This isn't a detailed regional travel guide, but rather a resource that will guide you through making your own personal travel plan.