Two Weeks in France in September

[mbox]

First, I want to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed reading through your wonderful posts!  

Second, I have a couple of questions.  We'll be traveling in France with a car for two weeks in September.  Would you suggest making hotel reservations ahead of time?  If possible, I'd like to "wing it" but I also wouldn't want to get stuck paying an outrageous sum for an iffy room because of limited availability.  

Finally, I've only been to France once, so I'd love recommendations as to regions not to miss.  We're in the early planning stages right now, but so far we are set on 3 nights in Paris, then some amount of time in Loire Valley, the Dordogne, Annecy region.  Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[cabrales]

mbox -- Please provide some guidance on your hotel preferences, generally intended price range and your cuisine preferences. When you consider regions to visit, what activities would you be most interested in (e.g., restaurant going, visiting of wineries, seeing the French countryside)?

[John Whiting]

My own experience suggests that by September there are very few areas where finding a good room is a problem. As for iffy rooms at high prices, bear in mind that hotels and B&Bs have the prices of their rooms fixed by law on the basis of an inspection, and the appointed price must be posted in the room. The system is under total bureaucratic control -- thank God!

[mbox]

Thanks for your responses!  It is good to know that we don't have to tie ourselves down with a really strict schedule (except for restaurant reservations).  As for B&B's/hotels, we're looking to spend less than 100 euros/night.  I think we'll try to stick with moderately priced meals, picnics, except for a couple of greats.  I'm hoping we can do Michel Bras' and Marc Veyrat's.  I think our main goal is to enjoy the countryside, take in some museums, etc.  We also really love markets.  Thanks again!

[cabrales]

mbox -- Consider booking Bras and Veyrat's restaurant as soon as your schedule has some structure, particularly for weekend reservations (e.g., Friday night, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch).  Veyrat's rooms are very expensive. Bras' less expensive rooms (high 100 euros) can be considered, although there are much less expensive options in Laguiole itself. If you need the listings from the Michelin guide (e.g., you have attempted to access the website unsuccesfully and do not have the Guide Rouge), I can post the indicated alternatives later. I posted in some thread (which cannot currently be searched for, with software problems) about Roquefort-sur-Sulzon being reasonably proximate to Laguiole. There, one can visit the caves for the cheese; tours are available at both Societe and Papillon.

In Paris, you are probably considering the smaller museums -- Rodin (this is nice, with a little cafeteria in the gardens in the back area), Marmottan (spelling? Monet), etc. -- together with the larger ones (incl. d'Orsay).  

I had a very reasonably priced lunch (under euro 45??/person before wine and tip, for certain menus) at two-starred Jamin that you could consider reading about in a thread in the France forum by that name. Also, one-starred L'Angle de Faubourg (easily within the same price range even for dinner) is the bistro of Taillevent's Vrinat and the prices there were very reasonable as well. I will post on that restaurant in the next week, assuming my laptop problems are rectified. I also had a fair meal at La Regalade (same re: price range), which has garnered differing opinions on the board (see the thread in the France forum containing a reference to bistro and "piss pauvre") and on which I also hope to post shortly. At these places, you will not be receiving three-starred food, nor paying corresponding prices. Then, of course, patisseries at Pierre Herme (see thread by name; also contains references to where one can get P Conticini creations without going to Petrossian).  For chocolate shops, others' opinion on the board have suggested Jean-Paul Hevin is a good choice (I have never visited, but hope to do so soon).

[mbox]

Thanks for the great comments!  I'll be sure to post a report when I get back...  I'm still debating going to Veyrat's (pocketbook issues), but we got a confirmation today for our reservations at Bras.  

[robert brown]

mbox, as I have written before, Talloires is the place to stay on the Lake of Annecy. L'Auberge du Pere Bise is expensive, but Le Cottage and L'Abbaye de Talloires are not that expensive. The gorgeous lake view is more available at the latter. You shouldn't pass up a meal at Veyrat even if it means compromising on other meals or accomodations. You can have a fun cheese meal in Annecy itself for example; i.e a raclette or Fondue Savoyard

[Aurora]

Mbox - I would suggest making your hotel reservations in advance. It is true that you may have very little trouble if any finding lodging, but why risk it? Also, the extra little bit of planning will give you more time to enjoy and relax because that part will have already been done.

Keeping what you want to spend in mind, while in Paris, I would encourage you to look at some of the one and two star hotels in the 6th district (Latin Quarter). Two that come to mind are La Familia and Hotel Esmerelda. You are very close to the Pantheon, the shops on St. Germaine, and Notre Dame.

One thing about the Rodin Museum: I found it to be one of the most lovely points of interest in Paris. Just know that they have a tendancy to open and close when they feel like it, and they aren't terribly concerned with providing a reason as to why. Go as close to the middle of the day as you can.

While in the Loire Valley, stop in a town called Tour. It is lovely and central to many of the destinations in the Loire. There is a brioche shop very near the train station. It is always crowded, and you will understand why if you go. There is also a very nice establishment run by two brothers. Really great food. I cannot recall the name at the moment. I will check my notes and get back to you.

What are some of your destinations in the Loire Valley?

If you enjoy the sea, I would recommend visiting the Brittany Coast. One of my favorite towns is called St. Malo. It is right on the English Channel. The town has two parts: old and new. Don't bother with the new part. The old part is surrounded by ramparts and full of history. The beach is amazing, and the tide is powerful and swift--when it comes in, head back to town. Mt. St. Michel is visible from the town (about 10-15 miles to the east along the coast). This town is all about planning a picnic. The dining was pretty ordinary, certainly nothing worth reporting.

Have a wonderful time. September is my favorite time to be in France.

[cabrales]

Note St Malo is very close to Roellinger's place at Cancale.

[Bux]

While as John notes, all hotel prices are overseen by the government, that doesn't mean an impartial inspector has gone around, evaluated the relative merits of each room and assigned a price for each room on a sliding scale. There are better and worse rooms in town at any price and the early bird gets first choice.

As an example recently (in Spain, but the priciple holds) we had a reservation in a town and decided to alter our schedule and arrive a day early. We called the hotel and they were able to accommodate us, but when we arrived they said we had to take a room with twin beds, or one that was much smaller than all the rest, but for which they charged the same price as for all the other rooms. True this same hotel might not be full in September, but then again you never know.

The flip side is that, especially with moderately priced rooms at lesser known hotels, you are often better able to assess what's available in town by seeing the hotels in person. Having a car at your disposal make the flip side a real advantage, but I wanted to set down the parameters.

I think the main issue is whether your interest is in visiting a town or a special hotel. Obviously, if there are inns or dining rooms in which you want to eat, you need reservations for those. If I really want to eat in a multistarred restaurant, I never leave it to chance.

Bras is out of town and if you're not staying at his inn, you might want to reserve someplace in town and limit the after dinner driving. I'd hate to arrive in town without a place to sleep even if Laguioule is unlikely to be booked solidly in September. Veyrat's rooms are seriously expensive and could put a dent in even a well heeled budget. There are other accommodations in town.