Since summer is a busy season for travel to France, expect to pay a premium for tickets; Hopper has identified a “good deal price” as being roughly $915, if you’re leaving from U.S. East Coast airports (New York’s JFK, Washington’s Dulles, Boston’s Logan) and $1175 if you’re leaving from San Francisco or Los Angeles. […]
Read Full Story: How to Plan a Tour de France Trip – Bloomberg
These charming B&Bs, guesthouses and gîtes offer comfortable pitstops on a French adventure, but with their mouth-watering regional food and wine they may prove hard to leave
Ideally placed for a visit to the antiques markets of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and the “perched villages” of the Luberon, Nina and Thierry Crovara’s Provencal mas is the epitome of rural Provence. The couple met at hotel school in Switzerland and Thierry later trained under Anton Mosimann at the Dorchester in London. The meals Thierry cooks depend on what catches his eye at the market each day. Often appearing in pink braces over a pink shirt, he chats to guests before disappearing into the kitchen to prepare dishes such as red snapper and basil, Mediterranean meatballs, fried courgette flowers, rabbit with garlic and thyme or sea bass with ratatouille. Their cat, Rokey, spends most of the day sunning himself on the terrace, where two huge trees acts as giant parasols for outdoor meals. The mas is in the heart of peach, melon and honey country, so buffet breakfasts are delicious and there is always a fridge full of drinks beside the pool. The couple also run cooking courses in March and October.
• Doubles from €120, +33 4 90 20 32 85, masdesgres.com
READ ALL 10 at SOURCE: 10 of the best foodie retreats in rural France | Travel | The Guardian
Next summer, my wife and I will be visiting Belgium for the first time. Linda loves chocolate and waffles. I have been known to enjoy an occasional beer. Sang the Ink Spots, “My prayer, is to linger with you, at the end of the day, in a dream that’s divine.” It will be something like that. We’re coming, chocolate, waffles and beer. We’re coming. [ – Pas De Merde – ]
In Belgium, beer (bière in French, bier in Flemish but said just like beer in English) is an institution. As much as the Mannekin Pis (terribly disappointing and underwhelming) and frites (delicious in every which way), beer is an integral part of Belgian identity (…)
READ MORE: Beer, bière, bier – Saturday Features – The Kathmandu Post
Speaking to Journal du Dimanche, she said: “We are going through an extremely difficult period, marked by terrorist attacks and extreme weather conditions.”But all is not perdu (lost).
After trips to Tokyo, New York and Boston to discuss the city’s malaise with high-level tourism professionals, Pécresse has come up with a six-point plan to woo foreign visitors back to the French capital.The plan will focus on three main areas: hospitality, quality of service and security.
READ FULL STORY at Source: Paris tries to woo tourists back with better English skills and a more friendly state of emergemcy
Travel writer and entrepreneur Andy Steves published his most recent guidebook, “Andy Steves’ Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget,” this summer to help travelers tap into the top hidden gems and budget-friendly stops across 13 popular European cities.As the son of famed travel writer Rick Steves, Andy visited Europe every year growing up. He developed a knack for finding local favorites, and eventually created his own company, Weekend Student Adventures, which plans trips for students studying abroad in Europe.
READ FULL STORY at Source: Andy Steves’ Tips for Exploring the Best of Europe on a Budget | Travel + Leisure
One of the proposals, which is sure to be music to Anglophone ears, is the introduction of training sessions to teach basic English to those working in the tourism sector, including bus and taxi drivers as well as staff at museums, hotels and restaurants.
Another measure to facilitate tourism is the planned creation of a CityPass, which will serve both as a ticket on public transport and for entry into popular tourist attractions. READ FULL STORY at Source: Paris tourism workers to get English lessons – The Local
Pas De Merde 