INTRODUCTION - France 2014 - page 42

Apartments, less common than gîtes, are available in cities and in towns. You'll
find long lists of homes and apartments for rent through TIs and on the Internet, though
these are usually more expensive than staying in a gîte . Here are three good independent
sources to consider: VRBO is an international network of apartment rentals (houses,
apartments, gîtes , etc.), that cuts out the middleman by putting you directly in touch
with the owners ( www.vrbo.com ) . France Homestyle is run by Claudette, a service-ori-
ented French woman from Seattle who handpicks every home and apartment she lists
(US tel. [phone], www.francehomestyle.com , [e-mail] ). Or try
Ville et Village, which has a bigger selection of high-end places (US tel. [phone],
www.villeetvillage.com , [e-mail] ) .
Hotel barges are a fun option in canalside towns; I've listed a few in this topic. If
you're interested in renting one for more than a night or two, try Papillon Barge (mobile
06 86 28 11 55, www.hotelbarge.com ), the Saroche Barge ( www.saroche.com ) , or the
bed-and-breakfast Barge Nilaya offering cheaper rates (May-Sept mobile [phone],
Oct-AprilUKmobile—fromtheUSdial00-11-44-7909-151-611, www.bargenilaya.com ) .
ForacomprehensivesourceofinformationaboutenjoyingtheriversandcanalsofFrance,
check this website: www.french-waterways.com .
Other Options: Airbnb.com makes it reasonably easy to find a place to sleep in
someone's home. Beds range from air-mattress-in-living-room basic to plush-B&B-suite
posh.Ifyouwantaplacetosleepthat'sfree, Couchsurfing.com isavagabond'salternative
toAirbnb.Itlists millions ofoutgoingmembers, whohostfellow “surfers” intheir homes.
Eating
The French eat long and well. Relaxed lunches, three-hour dinners, and endless hours sit-
ting in outdoor cafés are the norm. Here, chefs are as famous as great athletes, and mamas
hope their babies grow up to be great cooks. Cafés, cuisine, and wines should become a
highlight of any French adventure: It's sightseeing for your palate. Even if the rest of you
is sleeping in cheap hotels, let your taste buds travel first class in France. (They can go
coach in England.)
You can eat well without going broke—but choose carefully: You're just as likely to
blow a small fortune on a mediocre meal as you are to dine wonderfully for €20. Care-
fully read the information that follows, consider my restaurant suggestions in this topic,
and you'll do fine.
When restaurant-hunting, choose a spot filled with locals, not the place with the big
neonsignsboasting,“WeSpeakEnglishandAcceptCreditCards.”Venturingevenablock
or two off the main drag leads to higher-quality food for less than half the price of the
tourist-oriented places. Locals eat better at lower-rent locales.