Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mid-April-May: Crops of brilliant yellow colza bloom, mostly in the north (best in
Burgundy). Wild red poppies (coquelicots) begin sprouting in the south.
June: Red poppies popupthroughout the country.Late inJune,lavender blooms be-
gin covering the hills of Provence.
July: Lavender is in full swing in Provence, and sunflowers are awakening. Cities,
towns, and villages everywhere overflow with carefully tended flowers.
August-September: Sunflowers flourish north and south.
October: In the latter half of the month, the countryside glistens with fall colors, as
most trees are deciduous. Vineyards go for the gold.
Know Before You Go
Your trip is more likely to go smoothly if you plan ahead. Check this list of things to ar-
range while you're still at home.
You need a passport —but no visa or shots—to travel in France. You may be denied
entry into certain European countries if your passport is due to expire within three to
six months of your ticketed date of return. Get it renewed if you'll be cutting it close.
It can take up to six weeks to get or renew a passport (for more on passports, see
www.travel.state.gov ) . Pack a photocopy of your passport in your luggage in case the ori-
ginal is lost or stolen.
Book rooms well in advance if you'll be traveling during peak season (spring
through fall) or any major holidays (see here ). Some famous Parisian restaurants (but not
ones I recommend) require reservations several weeks in advance.
Call your debit- and credit-card companies to let them know the countries you'll
be visiting, to ask about fees, request your PIN code (it will be mailed to you), and more.
See here for details.
Do your homework if you want to buy travel insurance. Compare the cost of the in-
surance to the likelihood of your using it and your potential loss if something goes wrong.
Also, check whether your existing insurance (health, homeowners, or renters) covers you
and your possessions overseas. For more tips, see www.ricksteves.com/insurance .
Consider buying a railpass after researching your options (see here and
www.ricksteves.com/rail for all the specifics).
All high-speed TGV trains in France require a seat reservation—book as early as
possible, as these trains fill fast, and some routes use TGV trains almost exclusively. This
is especially true if you're traveling with a railpass, as TGV passholder reservations are
limited, and usually sell out well before other seat reservations do. If you're taking an
overnight train (especially between a French destination and Barcelona or Madrid), and
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