RESTAURANTS & ACCOMMODATIONS:


HOTELS, RESTAURANTS IN NICE AND AIX-EN-PROVENCE - Great hotel in Nice, by the way, and on the cheap side, is Hotel de la Buffa on Rue de la Buffa. In the red mich guide. We've had a couple friends stay there and think it was great for the sub $50 category. The Windsor Hotel in the $100 range is also fantastic with art in all the rooms. Had some friends that spend a few days there as well.

Stay in the Aquabella in Aix...If you can find a way to stay and eat at the Relais Ste. Victoire in Beaurecueil outside of Aix, you'll not be disappointed. Of the dozens of restaurants we've eaten at in France, this is one of my favorites. . . And a Michelin star to boot!

– John B. Seattle and Nice, 20 March '02

WEBSITE FOR HOTELS & CHAMBRES D'HÔTES IN PROVENCE - Two web-sites containing information re the towns and villages en route, accommodation etc are www.provenceweb.fr and www.beyond.fr.

– Chris G. 13 March '02

– BLeF - The provenceweb website is a jewel. It gives a complete listing by department and then by town of the hotels and chambres d'hôtes. A great resource for those planning a walk anywhere in Provence.

TWO GÎTES IN CORSICA; A CHAMBRE d'HÔTE IN APREMONT ABOVE NICE - Couple of recommendations (near trails);

Avapessa; called the gîte d'étape there and the mayor answered the phone! He set us up in a little apartment for 200 francs/night (30 euros). Gotta bring your own towel! His number is in the gîte d'étape book.

Ota: (5KM from Porto . . . Which is on the water.) We stayed at Chez Marie's gîte d'étape/bar/restaurant. The real name of the bar is "Bar des Chasseurs." While a couple of Americans in Ota in January was understandably a bit odd for the bar's camoflaged clientele, they were very nice to us. We paid 170FF/night (25.5 euros) each for 1/2 board. Dinner great, breakfast lacking (I've yet to have a reasonable breakfast in a hotel/chambre d'hotes or anywhere but my own apartment in the south of france.) We had a little room to ourselves and the showers as well (communal) but no one was there.

While both of these places are lacking in the creature comforts of any self respecting two star hotel, we always find that the more random the places we sleep, the more interesting stories we get. Being the height of sanglier season, we had wild boar for dinner three meals in a row :) Also, the paysannne soupe from Corsica is unbelievable.

We stayed at the chambre d'hôte in Apremont (about 10K from Nice.) Wonderful, wonderful people. Doable from the GR 5 leaving Nice (or arriving I suppose.) The Teisseyiers are fantastic people who have become friends (they even helped us find an apartment in Nice.)

I continue to blown away by how nice people are to us here. Even the crazy Corsicans :)

– John B., Nice and Seattle, 16 January '02

BASE OF OPERATIONS IN THE PYRENEES - I am interested in going hiking in the Pyrenees. I would like to stay at a small, atmospheric Inn conveniently located to walking trails, and do day hikes. I will be travelling from Paris, and wonder if you could recommend towns that are accessible by train that would be good "bases of operation".

– Carolyn E., New York, 21 December '01

– From BLeF - I have no personal experience here, but I have read of a place that's high on my must-visit list. Issue #46, November 2000, of the magazine Saveur had a long article about a small region called the Cerdagne (Cerdanya in Catalan), which is right up against the Spanish border in the Eastern Pyrenees. One of the places featured in the article was the nine-room inn called Cal Pai in the tiny (89 inhabitants) town of Eyne. This simple but attractive bath-down-the-hall place charged, when the article was written, only $29 per person, and the price included breakfast and a dinner made by the proprietor, often from ingredients she herself foraged that day from the hills. The inn caters specifically to walkers. Perpignan is the closest French city with train service. If you go, the balance of your trip to Cal Pai would probably have to be by bus, though the article suggests renting a car.

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ACCOMMODATIONS: A PERIGORD WALK IN NOVEMBER FOLLOWED BY A COTE d'AZUR RAMBLE ON THE GR 51 - My wife and I did 7 days of walking in the Perigord (from Montignac south to Les Eyzes and east to Sarlat) in early November. It was tough finding accomodations. I planned the entire trip around where we could find a place to sleep (well, almost.) I did get every single night mapped out and reserved before we left for the Perigord which was an excellent idea. Lodging was a little thin. And, it was pretty cold. Surprise. We did have a great time though, had some wonderful food, and learned the difference between white and black truffles. :) And, we stayed in the most fantastic chambre d'hôtes outside of Sarlat. A goosefarm and table d'hote in a 1732 nobleman's house. My wife and I were the only guests they had and the owner and her husband sat down with us for the three hour dinner. Spectacular.

I spent 4 days walking, alone, from Nice to Menton along the GR 51 from Nov 28 to Dec 4. And, I didn't reserve every night before I left (figuring I'd be solo and hence, more flexible.) I made out fine, but we'll say that I was "off" the guide books. In the end (save Nice) my primary source of lodging information was found in the yellow pages and at what ever cafe I stopped at. After a pretty rough (lots and lots of climbing) I stopped in the cafe "La Provencal" in La Turbie which is about 4KM off the GR 51. After determining that all three hotels in the town were closed for the season (something I suspected) I asked if they knew of a taxi in town. "Well yes, but he's in Corsica right now."—tough deal. Took me 1/2 hour to track down a cab to take me to Beausoleil where I could find a hotel. (I know I'm not a purist, but it was dark and I didn't want to walk on those crazy "corniches" at night—even down hill.) Having decended to sea-level the night before, I climbed 800M the next day; literally from the sea to the mountain top where the paragliders jump. The scenery was spectacular but as the department's name might indicate (Alpe-Maritime) it was pretty hilly. I know you mention this in your book. Conclusion: I loved it. We're moving to Nice in January and I'm hoping to do lots of walking!

– John B., Aix-en-Provence and Seattle, 13 December '01

LODGING & RESTAURANTS IN THE CANTAL – There is excellent accommodation in the area from camp-sites to very good (and cheap!) two-star hotels. Some of the hotels will organise to move luggage if you wish to do a several day circular walk around the area (for example see www.hotel-cantal.com ). Hotels are generally in the 35 to 40 euros region and good meals can be found for less than 50 euros.

There are two main GR's in the area (4 and 400) but there are numerous well marked PR's as well.

Much background information on the area can be found in www.cantal-walking.com

– Dave & Margaret H., 1 December '01

LODGING IN SOSPEL NEAR THE CÔTE d'AZUR – I can highly recommend the Hotel de France in Sospel. The owner, Ingrid Berg, is an extremely helpful and friendly Swedish lady who speaks perfect English (as well as half a dozen other languages). Her restaurant was closed for the winter, but Sospel has plenty of places to eat. I can also highly recommend the Star Hotel in Nice, which is efficient, helpful, comfortable, 10-15 minutes walk from the railway station and very reasonably priced...

We were surprised by how quiet it was in October. Some of the restaurants and shops in Sospel were already closed for the season, although there were enough open that it wasn't a problem. Most days on the paths we met no-one at all - a couple of French mountain bikers on the Sunday, and another English couple who were also walking to Menton. Many of the hotels close in November; I think it would be hard to find accommodation any later in the year than late October.

(For more about Carole's week of walking from Sospel, click here. - BLeF)

– Carole, England, 15 November '01

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LODGING IN LOURMARIN - THE LOUBERON IN PROVENCE –We just got back from two days walking in the Luberon (200M to 700M and back again.) I'm certainly no expert, but they look like real live mountains to me. It was hard. Stayed in Lourmarin in the Villa Saint-Louis Chambre d'Hotes. Wonderful lady. Late start meant we had to pull up early in Lauris about 3KM away from Lourmarin. The woman at the Citroyen garage offered (kindly) to call my wife and I a cab (weenie time again, it was dark and having just walked for an hour in the dark along the road, had no interest in a repeat attempt at scaring the two of us silly.) No cab could be found; madame drove us! Unbelievable.

– John B., Seattle and Aix-en-Provence, 6 November '01

PARIS NOTES NEWSLETTER – I just received my first issue of the ten-issues-per-year Paris Notes newsletter. It's eight pages contain good, detailedd information about selected musems, restaurants, hotels and, in this issue, gardens of Paris. There are also short notices about all sorts of interesting items like the ferris wheel on the Place de la Concorde, fishing in the Seine, etc. A subscription costs $39 to USA addresses, $50 elswhere, a small price to pay for all the knowledgeable and up-to-date information. Subscribers have online access to a long list of links (including walking information), two-plus years of back issues and much more at www.parisnotes.com, where you can also go to subscribe.

– BLeF, 2 August '01

USEFUL LISTING OF GITES AND TOURIST OFFICES BY DEPARTMENT – I just stumbled across a very useful site: www.gite-etape.com, which lists alphabetically by town not only all the gîtes in each department but also the auberge de jeunesse or youth hostels. There is also a similar data base for tourist offices. A great resource, specially for the walker on a tight budget.

– BLeF, 25 July '01

LOGIS DE FRANCE HOTELS – Mark, proprietor of Walking Tours of France (www.francewalkingtours.com) wrote with some advice following a spring walk in the Auvergne/Aubrac region. For a complete rundown about his walk click here.

We also highly recommend the Logis de France hotel chain. We stay in these hotels every chance we get. Most are in rural areas, are family owned, have large rooms with modern conveniences, and have a restaurant with excellent food. Although their prices go up in peak season, we paid from 240 - 320 francs a night for the room. Most of the restaurants had menus beginning at 70 - 145 francs. We have had a number of customers requesting the Logis de France guidebook. We don't sell it, but many of the hotels we stayed at gave it away for free or sold it for a nominal price (15 FF). These hotels are easy to spot with the bright yellow/green signs they display in front of the hotel.

– Mark Beffart, 23 May '01

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ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE GR 6 FORCALQUIER TO SISTERON – In your description of the GR 6 hike in Provence, you mention that the mountain trail from Forcalquier to Sisteron takes 2 days. I checked the road map and can't find any towns or villages on the way. What does one do for lodging on that stretch of the trail?

– Nick A., Winthrop, WA, 18 April '01

– From BLeF - Did I say 2 days? Sorry. Because of the way the accommodations are spaced out it's really a 3-day hike up and over the Lure.

A 1:1,000,000 road map is not detailed enough to use as a planning map. Instead I'd suggest the IGN greem 1:100,000 Top 100 map #60, Cavaillon Digne-les-Bains. Also, I hope you have the Chambres et Tables d'Hôtes guidebook from Gites de France.

The itinerary is as follows: One day up the pass staying at either the hotel or in one of the 3 B&Bs (all of which offer a table d'hôte) in St-Etienne-les-Orgues. Altermnately you could also stay at one of the 2 B&Bs (one of which offers a table d'hôte) in Cruis. The next day up and over the pass, staying a little off the main route at the B&B in Noyers-sur-Jabron (again with table d'hôte). Also, there used to be and still may be a small, rather basic hotel in La Tour, which is on the main route. I'm afraid I don't have the phone number or name of the place, but the somewhat eccentric proprietor requires that you let him know you're coming. Perhaps the people in St-Etienne or in Cruis will have more information about the place? The final day is a relatively short and easy one that takes you into Sisteron.

If you don't have the Gîtes de France guidebook, you can find the name and phone #s of the chambres d'hôtes mentioned above on the Gîtes de France website. Go to www.gites-de-france.fr where you can navigate down to the Provence map/section of the chambres d'hôtes listings. Select "Forcalquier" and/or "Sisteron" as your "closest city" to find the listings for all 3 places. (Instructions vary since the site gets revised frequently., BLeF, 30 July '01)

ONLINE GUIDEBOOKS WITH DOWNLOADABLE TEXT – For a list of online guidebooks to accommodations along the GR system go to Guidebooks.

– BLeF, 18 February, '01

ACCOMODATIONS NEAR LE PUY ON GR 65/ST.-JACQUES TRAIL – End May/early June is probably the best season for this part of France. Gîtes are plenty on GR 65, perhaps crowded at this precise date (this is typically the date of departure for pilgrims walking Le Puy-Santiago de Compostella).

– Pierre L., Lyon, France, 14 February '01

ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE GR 36 IN THE LOIRE - RMW in Georgia inquired about the availability of accommodations on the GR 36 between Le Mans and Saumur in the Loire. The question drew the following response:

– Answer from Pierre L., Lyon, France, 14 February '01 - As concerns Le Mans/Saumur :

I walked this section long ago, at the end of the 80s (as sectional walks) and I fear accomodation might be sparse. I had walked one rather long day from Le Mans to Mayet, one very reasonable one from Mayet to Le Lude, a reasonable one from Le Lude to Noyant... and had underestimated Noyant-Saumur which is more than 40 km.

You'll certainly get accomodation in Le Lude, which is a little touristic place, with a quite famous castle; further north. Ecommoy, Mayet aand Aubigné-Racan are on the train line Le Mans - Tours, so that you might keep a hotel room in Le Mans for two or three nights, and get on your walk with a lighter bag. For the last stretch, Noyant is miraculously linked to Saumur by a SNCF bus which goes in the unexpected direction: town to countryside in the morning (Saumur 6.37 am - Noyant Méon 7.07 am) and countryside to town in the evening (Noyant Méon 19.02 pm - Saumur 19.33 pm) and may be used to go sleeping in Saumur. On my last day on this stretch, I had even used this bus to get left in the middle of the (boring) pine forest north of Saumur, not too far from where I had left the previous year...

Don't expect crowds on this path : I had asked water to a local south of Le Mans who had greeted me as "the first person he had seen walking on this GR for ten years." You might be the second...

CLERMONT-FERRAND TO LE PUY – Four friends and I plan to walk from Clermont-Ferrand south on the GR 4 to the junction with the GR 65 near Le Sauvage, turning then northeast on the GR 65 to end the walk in Le Puy. We shall be beginning the walk in early June. What sort of weather and temperatures can we expect and what is the accommodation like in gîtes etc. along this route. Any advice would be welcomed.

– Anonymous, 13 February '01

– Answer from Pierre L., Lyon, France, 14 February '01 - On GR4 also, the density of gîtes is clearly sufficient to avoid any accomodation problem. I especially recommend Buron d'Eylac, the gîte near the summit of Cantal, pleasant and hearty.

– From BLeF - The weather at that time of the year should be good or at least warm—it can rain at times throughout the year anywhere in France, and your experience will depend in some part on luck.

As for locating the gîtes along your route, I would suggest visiting the website www.gites-refuges.com and/or buying the guidebook, Gîtes d'Etape et Refuges, which that site illustrates/posts online. If you plan to stay in B&Bs and hotels as well as in gîtes, then you'll need other guidebooks as well - for those see the "Maps & Guidebooks" section of this website.

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COSTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS ALONG THE GR 5 - During the summer of 2000, Jeff from Los Angeles walked the full length of the GR 5 from Holland to Nice. He sent the following information concerning accommodations along the way:

Refuge huts with demi pension (a nights lodging including a hot evening meal and breakfast) ranged from 150-250 FF depending on the location and whether it was a CAF (Club Alpin Francais) or private refuge. Approximately half that if you didn't want the demi pension, maybe even less than half. I did have a CAF membership and received a discount on the lodging portion whenever applicable.

In Holland I was spending between 18 and 40 guilders per night for a bed in a youth hostel. In Belgium it was 400 to 500 Belgian francs for a bed in a youth hostel.

Hotels: In Holland I paid between 50-100 Guilders for a one person room (without WC whenever possible) In Belgium between 1000-1900 Belgian francs and in France Between 150-250 FF. The difference in the prices was generally more dependent on the city or village, not the overall quality. One night I would have a really nice room with a WC and shower for 160 or 180 FF and the next night would be a total dive with out the WC or shower for 250 FF.

Some of the best experiences that I had would be when I could find out at the VVV or tourist information office that there was a private home that would rent out rooms and sometimes provide a meal also. These experiences far surpassed just staying in a hotel and really added a cultural element to the nights stay. I did this several times and enjoyed each experience. (One time) in Belgium, I was basically given my own apartment (a very very nice one at that), ate dinner with the whole family from grandparents to grand kids, had an authentic Flemish meal, got a ride to town for drinks after dinner and was supplied with a big breakfast as well as cookies and sandwiches for the road! That cost me 1,500 Belgian francs which at the time was around $35!! I will never forget experiences like this one.

(See just below for Jeff's camping recommendations.)

... the most luxurious and extravagant lodging I stayed in throughout the entire trail was in Lorraine. It was a place called Chateu Altiville. It was built in 1765, very gorgeous rooms, a nice dinner with everyone staying there of salmon and duck with 4 kinds of wine. Everything about it was decadant and I was treated just like anybody else, despite my appearance upon arrival!

– Jeff, Zurich, Switzerland, 27 January '01

CAMPING ALONG THE GR 5 - During the summer of 2000, Jeff from Los Angeles walked the full length of the GR 5 from Holland to Nice. For his equipment recommendations click here. He sent the following information concerning camping along this route:

I would definitely have camped out much more. I don';t know what I was thinking to not carry the proper equipment in the first place. There are multiple reasons for this. After a long day of walking, there were often days when I disliked the idea of goinginside. There would be such gorgeous evenings and I often wished that I could be outside still. I would say that it is possible to camp out (or refuge hut) the entire length of the GR5. I also preferred sleeping outside the refuge huts in a tent to staying inside. Usually it is lights out at 10 PM.... I preferred laying on a mattress and watching the stars and sipping on some wine... It was also much, much less expensive. I remember one night whent someone in a refuge hut was snoring sooo loudly that I was hardly able to sleep at all. In the morning, I noticed that he was wearing earplugs!

(A friend I met on the trail) only !stayed in 2 hotels over the duration of her walk from Maastricht to Nice. Once due to excessive flooding (in a previous year in Alsace) and once...due mostly to poor planning.

– Jeff, Zurich, Switzerland, 27 January '01

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ACCOMMODATIONS IN WINTER ALONG THE GR 4 IN PROVENCE - In late November and early December Jory completed a walk on the GR 4 between Nice and Castelane. For the complete report about this walk, click here.

I've always been curious about hiking in late November/ early December—a time when its great to be away from my home state of Maine. So on November 29, I flew to Nice, bused to Grasse and hunkered down in the Hotel Napoleon ($30)...

About 5 PM, in semi-darkness I limped into Gréolieres and again hunkered down. There is now a gîte d'étape in Gréolieres as well as the hotel...

The second morning, I left the Hotel at 6 AM in a steady downpour, and headed up the steep cliffs to the north, hiking up to the col about 11 AM and beginning to question my wisdom...By 3 PM, I arrived at Aglun, at the Auberge de Calendal, an extremely welcome refuge.

That evening, after the owner had fed me a luscious trout dinner, he sat down with me and my maps and gave it to me straight: "Sir," he said, "you are not being wise. If you have any immobilizing accident, you're as good as dead. Hiking alone, without a cell phone, in the off season, on a wet steep trail—we'd find your skeleton next spring." He advised me to follow back roads, having about one car an hour, which is exactly what I did, first to St. Auban, where I stayed in a gîte and then another day's hike brought me to Castelane, where I stayed in the Hotel de Verdun...

In Castlane I found that further thru-hiking was impossible: all gîtes and hotels until Moustier were closed until at least March. So...giving up the GR 4 for the season, (I) spent the rest of my holiday mountain-biking in the Esterel National Park between Cannes and Fréjus. I stayed in the youth hostel in Cannes, rented a mountain bike nearby ($12/day) and usually entered the park at La Rague, near Napoule...

So my advice to December hikers is...Call ahead each evening to the next night's accomodation. Carry enough extra food and water for emergencies...

– Jory S., Maine, 20 December '00

ACCOMMODATIONS ALONG THE GR 4 IN THE CEVENNES - Click here to see Brian's complete report on his seven-day walk in the Cevennes.

Auckland New Zealand to the Ardeche Gorges seems a long way for a walking holiday, but I fell in love with the Cevennes after spending two weeks travelling in Cathar country around Herault and Lozere in 1999 and determined if I ever came back it would be on foot. I used the Cicerone Guide, Walking the French Gorges, by Alan Castle as my bible, and decided to pick up the GR4 at Pont St Esprit as it was relatively easy to get there by bus from Avignon, the nearest TGV stop to the Ardeche Gorges. I reckoned on walking for a week and connecting with a train back to Paris at Langogne.

... The gîte d'étape at Labastide proved comfortable and welcoming but had been considerably upgraded since the publication of my guidebook. It no longer provided meals and was now really a rather superior chambre d'hote with a pool and all mod cons.with prices to match. Labstide had a very agreeable and moderately priced restaurant, La Vielle Porche, and an excellent display of the history of silk farming in the district on display in the "Bastide" tower.

... the next gîte d'étape at Comps.This was a 17th Century farmhouse with a warren of outbuildings in the centre of the village. The rooms, cavelike with thick walls and hung with lithographs, the work of the owner of the gîte. No food available in Comps and too far to walk to Grospierres, the next town. A pack of freeze-dried food would have been a useful thing to have had for an emergency meal.

...The gîte at Les Vans is 30 mins walk past the town but worth the extra effort. A comfortable bunk room, good showers and well stocked kitchen with a supermarket quite close.

...Up over the hills and down to Thines, the "jewel of the Cevennes," but preceded by another treasure, Chez Natalie at La Blacherette, serving wonderful icecreams and cold drinks to tired walkers. Thines boasts a wonderful 12th Century Romanesque church and cottages of split stone which have survived centuries of harsh winters. The gîte adjacent to the church is comfortable and has an amazing view of the mountains. Food was available at the alimentation-gift shop and the food at the restaurant is plentiful and cheap.

...Loubaresse a sleepy village with a tiny alimentation and a wonderful gîte d'étape seving fabulous country food al fresco on the lawn. It is possible to wash clothes in a communal stone tank fed by a spring in the centre of the village.

...The gîte d'étape at La Bastide was particularly hospitable and allowed us to shower and repack before boarding the train. Connections from this line allow a rapid return to the Rhone valley to change to the TGV at Nimes.

Overall this route had everything that one thinks of as representing the depthes of rural France: trails through forests, over high country, charming old villages, basic country food and a sense of profound isolation. I only wish I had had another week to just keep on walking.

– Brian, Aukland, New Zealand, 22 November '00

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ACCOMMODATIONS & RESTAURANTS ALONG THE GRs 4 & 6 IN PROVENCE - In early October M.R. completed his second walk in the year 2000 in Provence. To see more about his experiences on his second walk click here. To see information about his earlier trip click here.

– After-walk report from M.R., 2 November '00 - Our favorite meal was at the Auberge in La Colle-Saint-Michel. We were the only guests. Besides our table, there was a huge L-shaped banquet table set for about 30 people. We thought perhaps they were expecting a tour bus. As we went through the preliminary courses, local people kept filing into the barroom next door. The main course was a stew. We asked what kind. Sanglier (wild boar), prepared with a delicious, rich sauce. It turns out the table was set for the celebration of a successful hunt, and we were joining in enjoying the result. After we finished eating and the rest of the villagers—probably all 30 of the permanent population—finished their pastis, etc., we left and they moved into the dining rooom for their celebration. Our host and hostess were late for our agreed-on 8 AM breakfast the next morning. It turned out the sanglier celebration lasted until 4 AM. So, over all, we were more the beneficiaries of hunting than the victims of it.

A couple days later we ordered sanglier off the menu of the Hotel Vauban in Entrevaux. It was awful, so our enjoyment of the meat in La Colle-Saint-Michel was not a testament to the meat itself so much as the preparation. We have more respect for your former profession. (For 23 years I was a restaurant chef. - BLeF)

Again, we found it imperative to call ahead for lodging, in the same morning or the day before, except for hotels in the larger towns. The small villages and the small number of off-season walkers mean they might be closed and certainly they would be unprepared.

One day our goal was Les Mujouls. We could not find any information about a chambre d'hôte there, other than a printout of some website I was carrying, but we called the mairie (town hall) and the lady who answered said sure, there was a chambre d'hôte and a room was available. However, there was no restaurant in Les Mujouls, the village on top of the hill, or in Collongues, the village at the base of the hill. After some discussion, she said that because of our pedestrian status, her grandmother could come up with something to eat.

Les Mujouls was exquisite, another village perché. It had seven full-time residents, and was the smallest in the departement. In order to bring money into the commune, they got together and had built a brand-new chambre d'hôte, with about six very comfortable rooms and meals in season. Our room had a great view looking out over the valley of the Esteron. Our dinner and breakfast en famille with the grandmother, her cousin and his wife from Burgundy, and various other people who came and went freely, were a lot of fun.

BURGUNDY HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS - Early in October '00 R.A. spent a week in Burgundy taking day walks, both in Vézeley and Beaune regions. For specifics on the trails they walked click here.

– After trip report from R.A., 29 Octrober '00 - Hotelwise, we spent a couple of nights at L'Espérance at St-Père-de-Vézelay. Everyone was as friendly and helpful as could be and our room across the road in the water mill was very nice. The dinner at 144 euros a head (set meal) was almost peculiar in the first 3 courses but then it picked up, main (baby lamb) dish was delicious as were the cheeses and never ending chocolates and desserts.

Our best meal and probably accommodation in terms of price and service and meeting our needs was at Le Montrachet (in Puligny-Montrachet south of Beaune). Actually, we generally had great service where ever we were and found just about everyone very, very friendly (having a little French does help that). I seldom had the feeling that people expected more tip than was in the prix inclus. More often than not we did not even see the bills at the hotels until we checked out, so there was not even an opportunity to add an extra tip. The one hotel that was disappointing was Villa Louise at Aloxe-Corton. I had read so much about quaint it was. It's now loking very run-down and past its prime. The breakfast was very good, though. They get their pastries and breads from some very good baker in Beaune.

ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE ALPINE SECTION OF THE GR 5 - Refuges are very well spaced and are all marked on topo guides with phone numbers. I strongly recommend (that anyone) book in advance (in) August (as this) is main vacation time in France and is very busy in the Alps. I went in July and had no problem. Average cost per night about 60 francs for bed only. Food is available and quite reasonable.

– Ray, 16 October '00, England

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ACCOMMODATIONS ON GR 4 BETWEEN MANOSQUE & MALAUCENE - On 26 September '00, A.B. from Germany queried this site concerning accomodations on the GR 4 between Manosque and Malaucene. He was particularly interested in accomodation around Mont Ventoux since the Topo-Guide for the area mentions the "Chalet inter-club Mont-Serein," but the phone number for that lodging wasn't working.

I've just received an answer to my question from the FFRP. I'm forwarding it to you since it may be interesting to other people as well.

"Le chalet interclub de mont Serein vient en effet d'etre fermé. Vous pouvez trouver au Mont Serein des chambres d'hotes au 04 90 60 49 16 chez Mr Faraud" – The Chalet inter-club at Mont-Serein was recently closed, but Mr Faraud maintains a bed and breakfast in the same town. His phone number is 04 90 60 49 16.

– A.B., Germany, 9 October '00

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REASONABLY PRICED PARIS RESTAURANTS & HOTELS - Two sites, www.wfi.fr/ and www.parisinsiderguides.com/, were just called to my attention. Though they don't deal directly with walking, I include them here because they should prove very useful for those on a tight budget who will be spending, as many do, some time in Paris before or after their walk. The "wfi.fr" site will lead you to a free, useful monthly newsletter about Paris and the "parisinsider" site allows you to buy four downloadable guidebooks. Two in particular caught my eye, The Insiders Guide to Paris Hotels Under $100 by Suzanne Foster and The Leeds Good Value Guide Paris Restaurants by Adrian Leeds. There are print versions of both books available for 98 FF each or 169 FF for the two, but you will save both time and money buying the online editions for 87 FF each or 158 FF for the two. I bought and downloaded both and am very impressed by their thoroughness and attention to all the details you really want to know about.

I did use the restaurant guide in November '00 and the three restaurants from the book that my wife and I tried were indeed reasonably priced. The quality of the food was passable in two of those, with, as might be expected given the low price, canned and frozen ingredients predominating in all three. Being a chef I prefer fresher, more inventive food, but if you have few francs to spend on food, then the saying "beggars can't be choosers" applies. The guide will steer you away from the truly bad, leading you instead to the fairly good.

– BLeF, 26 September, 3 December '00

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MARKETS AND RESTAURANTS IN THE LUBERON - We have rented a mas between Apt and Bonnieux for the first two weeks in October. On this visit, we would like to get to know the French in smaller towns rather than cities. We'll obviously be doing more than our share of sampling the food and wine of the region, but one of the main reasons for choosing the Luberon is to do some walking in the parks. With leads from your excellent site, I have ordered from Elstead Maps the IGN maps covering the park. Can you suggest any other resources that might help us in our enjoyment of the area in general and with suggested day hikes specifically?

– H.M., Sterling, Virginia, 29 August '00

– From BLeF, 30 August '00 - While Apt the town is not particularly attractive, the Saturday morning food market there is one of the finest in Provence. Follow the crowds and the longest lines and you'll find the best of everything in the region.

On a warm evening nothing beats a meal on the patio of the restaurant "le Fournil" in Bonnieux. And the restaurant in the modest hotel "Des Voyageurs" in St-Saturnin-d'Apt has great food, particularly game.

And if you like food markets, bustle, crowds and, specially, antiques, the Sunday morning market in l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a must. For its rural and much less sophisticated opposite visit the Monday morning market in Forcalquier.

– Followup from H.M., 18 October '00 - We just got back from our trip. Unfortunately, wet weather curtailed our walks on the second week but we hastily repaired to appropriate restaurants for 3 hour lunches.

We visited so many hill towns that they have become merged in my memory—Viens, Rustrel, Gargas, Gordes, Menerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Saignon and Auribeau. My favorite spot was St-Saturnin-les-Apt and we did have a spectacular lunch in the Voyageurs last Friday—one of my best meals ever on a day of heavy downpours. We stayed on the hill overlooking Apt and it was a great center, despite Apt not being especially attractive itself. We came to like Apt a lot and, as everybody notes, the Saturday market is incredible.

Incidentally, I thought the wines of the Luberon and Ventoux regions were really great. Chateau de Mille just outside Apt was really special.

Click here for more from H.M. on the walking trails of this region.

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A BED AND BREAKFAST AT CHASTEUIL ON THE GR 4 OVER- LOOKING THE GORGES DU VERDON - I just received an e-mail from Pascal Beguin and Nancy Herfield, proprietors of a chambre d'hôtes, Le Gîte de Chasteuil, situated in the small— population 20—village of the same name. Their 4-room inn overlooks the Gorges du Verdon. Chasteuil is about about half way between Castellane and the Point Sublime and is right on the GR 4 . I haven't stayed here myself, but the place and the town sound charming. In and near this village perché there's a Roman road and a château, as well as a community of young artists and artisans. A double room with private bath in this renovated stone school house goes for $40 US (at 7 FF to the dollar), and in the summer a table d'hôte is served for under $14 a person, wine included. English is spoken. For more information about the chambre d'hôtes send your e-mail to gchasteuil@aol.com, and for more information about walks in and around the gorge, go to the useful and interesting website, www.beyond.fr/sites/verdon.html.

The gîte itself now has its own informative web site, www.gitedechasteuil.com.

– BLeF, 18 July, 11 November '00

– A personal experience from Mary, 10 October '00 - I am a librarian and have done several day-walking vacations in France.

A friend and I recently returned from a vacation in the Rhone Valley and Provence doing day walks. We stayed at a gîte/chambre d'hôte in Chasteuil between Castellane and Rougon right on the GR 4. I found out about this accommodation on your website from the updates section. It was wonderful. Restored school house in a village of 20 people. No shops other than that of the sculptor. We had supper, in the fall, this is a "light" meal consisting of a wonderful home-made soup, bread, fruit, cheeses and cake. The rooms were modern and clean. American shower and pillows. Nancy is an American, so this is a good place for non-French speakers. Pascal is French but also speaks fluent English. They were very welcoming and helpful. We used the gîte as the base for our walk of the Gorges du Verdon. The gîte is literally on the GR, so could be used as a stopping place if walking from Castellane or Moustier. I highly recommend this place. There are only 4 rooms and they book up in the summer according to Nancy.

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RUSTREL HOTEL ON THE GR 6 IN THE LUBERON & GENERAL INFO FROM THE GRs 7 - 76 IN BURGUNDY - You mentioned in your web page response to someone that there was a very nice Logis in Rustrel... Indeed, the modest two star Logis de France Auberge de Rustreou (04 90 04 90 90) is an exceptionally comfortable hotel for hikers run by a very warm young couple. The food was good too.

Going shorter distances—less than 15-18 km—posed probably our toughest problem which, was a shortage of options of where to eat and sleep. Making our guidebook was tedious (but fun). We tended to not put in as many alternative accommodations and restaurants as we should have. Many times we had to accept the expense (or stay at fleabags) as these were the only places to stay...

There were often only single accommodations and restaurants in small villages. Probably the most frustrating thing was to arrive in a town (after 16-17 km) and learn that the hotel or B&B was 2 or 3 km down the road, and, one might have to walk another 2-4 km round trip into the town for a good restaurant meal. Finding a place to buy lunch materials was often difficult. Monday closing and no stores constantly bugged us. Working this out ahead of time was important. In one case, our hotel put up a sumptuous lunch to take on the trail (and it partially lasted/was extended to three days!)...

We did find the population figures above almost all villages and towns on the topo maps very useful. If no major road passed by, a town with population less than 300 was almost certain to not have a mom & pop store or bar. Problematic was a town between 300 and 500 population. A village more than 600 was almost certain to have a boulangerie (bread bakery), a mom & pop, a bar, a B&B, and possibly a hotel and restaurant. If a village was on a main road, the probability of having a bar was increased. We were constantly walking into a wonderful clustered village having finished an hour earlier our two-liters of water, thirsty as hell, and not finding a store or bar.

Some of the least pretentious meals were the best like ris de veau (sweetbreads) in a fleabag in Tramayes (in the Mâconnais) and freshly sauteed chicken liver over garden fresh lettuce with vinaigrette dressing and splendid boeuf bourguignon in a scroungy bar outside of Santenay (in the Côte de Beaune in southern Burgundy).

– Bob & Liz, Covallis, Oregon, 25 June ‘00

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CAMPING & REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS IN NORMANDY - We have decided to take (a) southern, rural route out of Paris to Normandy and the D-Day beaches. We are very short on $, is it possible to camp out? Are we out of our minds to think we can find very reasonable accomodations with private home owners?

– Tanya and Steve, Seattle, 14 June '00

– From BLeF - Yes it's perfectly possible to camp out while walking in France. First, many if not all towns and villages have a camp ground where you can pitch a tent (amongst the trailers and RVs). Some primitive ones are free while others with hot showers and cooking shelters may charge as much as $10-15. Some are run by the municipalities while others are private. Also, I've heard that many French farmers will give permission to camp on their land if asked. But do ask.

After you arrive in Paris I would recommend that you stop by the wondrous IGN store at 107, rue La Boétie just to the north of the Champs-Elysée (see appendix of France on Foot). There you'll find guidebooks for campgrounds in all of France and (hopefully) just for Normandy that will detail prices, amenities and, most important, location. Buy the best or, perhaps, best/lightest one and carry it with you.

Gites d'étape are your most reasonable places to stay. Also, many chambres d'hotes charge as little as $30 (at today's great exchange rate) for 2 including breakfast. It's all the more important if you are on a tight budget to make your own guidebook (see chapter 9 in France on Foot), which will show you, as you walk, where the more reasonable places to stay are located.

Last but not least, I've heard (but never done it) that, yes, some French villagers will take you in for a modest sum. This would work best, I think, in very small villages. It's hard to count on this method for finding a bed, but the way to go about it is to ask the mayor or the café owner to steer you to someone willing to rent a room for an overnight. You may end up in a hayloft but, then again, you may end up in a feather bed.

– After-trip Report from Tanya & Steve, 27 October '00 - For a full report on their walk click here.

We hiked quite a few miles that day and found our selves in the middle of farmland at 7:30 that evening. Exhasted, and not finding a safe place to set up our tent, we decided to ask a farmer family if we could camp on their land. They were extremely nice and showed us to the hayloft where we comfortably slept all night. Luckily we slept in the hayloft as the next morning there was the most incredible thunder storm I've ever seen!

(In general) We managed about 20 miles per day. We camped at campgrounds, some were nice, others weren't.

CAMPING IN FRANCE - While I personally prefer to stay in hotels or B&Bs when walking in France it's perfectly possible to camp out. In fact it's a necessity for those on a very tight budget. First, many if not all towns and villages have a camp ground where you can pitch a tent (among the trailers and RVs). Some primitive ones are free while others with hot showers and cooking shelters may charge as much as $10-15. Some are run by the municipalities while others are private. Also, I've heard that many French farmers will give permission to camp on their land if asked. French law allows camping anywhere above the treeline.

As might be expected, the French have published camping guidebooks, which detail prices, amenities and, most important, location. If you will be in Paris I would recommend that you stop by the wondrous IGN store at 107 rue La Boétie just to the north of the Champs Elysée (see appendix of France on Foot). There you'll find guidebooks for campgrounds in all of France and (hopefully) just for the region where you'll be walking. These books could also be obtained before your trip by calling or faxing one of the English bookstores that carry French guidebooks (for contact see Links).

– BLeF, 14 June '00

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ON THE GR 4 - SOLEILHAS GîTE & OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS BETWEEWN GRASSE & THE LUBERON - A British couple we met along the way found the hike from Entrevaux to Soleilhas (in Provence) long, but they and somebody else raved about the Soleilhas gîte and its food.

Another consideration is that, despite beautiful countryside and wonderful weather, the GR 4 is virtually empty at this time of year. We saw not a single hiker—not even a day hiker—in our first six days of walking, until we reached the Gorges du Verdon area.

Therefore, it is imperative to call ahead to arrange accomodations and meals. The people at Caussols called for accomodations at Aiglun, which turned out to be too long a day for us, so we stayed at Gréolières and went to Aiglun the next day. When we arrived there, we received a scolding for not calling to cancel the previous night's reservation—we thought of it when we were at a restaurant outside Gréolières's public phone booth, but did not have the phone number at the time because my "guide book" was in the gîte. They had waited for us and even called the gendarmes to see if we had been reported in trouble. We felt terrible and did not make that mistake again. We quickly learned how to use the actually very simple French phonecard system.

The next night we went to Amirat. The gîte d'étape there is run by the mayor, who wanted the night off, so she had arranged for her brother to let us in and a lady who ran a restaurant in a neighboring town to bring in dinner, breakfast, and the next day's lunch. These are very small hamlets and villages perchées along this less traveled segment of the GR4, but there is a sort of network between places to stay and they really do take care of you.

– M.R., 30 May '00

ACCOMODATION ON A LUBERON WALK - I have been eagerly reading your book for the last few months. I am planning to walk along GR 6 from Gordes to Forcalquier with my girlfriend, starting around July 9. We are young, in good shape, and on a limited budget. We'd like to stay in the least expensive accommodations, only we do not want to carry camping gear. While I fully understand the instructions in your book, I wonder if you could offer any personal insight on this particular walk. Specifically, I'm wondering what gîtes (that would house us for just one night) exist on the trail between Gordes and Forcalquier and whether we will we be able to stop along the route and sleep for under 280 FF each?

I admit, I have not yet sent away for the gîtes guides. I mistakenly assumed that I could find enough information on the various webistes. We fly out of SFO June 14, so I'm skeptical that they would help me now. I'm now hoping that you (or someone you know) has done this particular walk, and could offer some much appreciated help.

– M.M., Livermore, CA, 23 May '00

– From BLeF - Along the GR 6 between Gordes and Forcalquier there are gites d'étape in Gargas, Viens and Simiane-la-Rotonde and 300-FF-and-below-for-two- persons chambres d'hôtes in Gordes, Roussillon, Rustrel, Viens, Simiane-la-Rotonde and Forcalquier. In addition, I found on my own walk there that there is/(was?) an unofficial small gîte in the town of Oppedette—inquire at the town hall. There are also some hotels along your route that you might be able to squeeze into your budget: the "Des Voyageurs" in St-Saturnin-d'Apt (over 300 FF but the food is superb!—eat there if you can.), the "Auberge de Rustreou" in Rustrel and a very modest but excellent hotel/restaurant whose name I cannot remember (it's not in the guidebooks) in the center of St-Michel-l'Observatoire. St-Michel was on the GR 6 when I walked it years ago; today the route goes north through Simiane-la-Rotonde to avoid a long passage on pavement, of which there's already quite enough on this Provence section of the GR 6. (I've been told that, using a blue map, you can still take this shorter, less strenuous but also less wild route to Forcalquier—the blazes are faded but the way is obvious.)

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DELICIOUS LUXURY - If you tire of the trail or if you just want to relax after or before you walk, I highly recommend a stay at the superb Mas du Loup in the hills near Grasse in Provence. The program offered there by Patricia Robinson (an English woman living in Mill Valley, CA, who is also a good friend of both my wife, Faith Echtermeyer, and me) involves a stay in a very comfortable renovated farmhouse with orchards, pool and superb view overthe surrounding countryside. Patricia is an excellent cook and a stay at the Mas focuses on the pleasures of the table. During the day you will visit food markets and producers (if you can tear yourself away from the house) and in the evening you will eat excellent Provençal meals and drink the fruity local wines.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out the website: www.tasteofprovence.com

– BLeF, 23 Feb '00

SCREW-UPS - Anticipate screw-ups in the accommodations .That's what makes a GR walk a uniquely French experience. If you walk too far or are too tired stay another day at the place, but where ever you end up make sure that there is a train station so that you can move on if you're tired of walking, ie give yourself a safety net. Be willing to admit that you've had enough if you are hurting or too tired .The best part is there are many trails to see and experience throughout France this is no test on anyone's abilities.

– Eric, 1 Jan '00

e-mail your questions and comments to walk@franceonfoot.com

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