Carcassonne to Rocamadour - too much to see!

You all were so good with help in the other direction. We will be leaving Carcassonne late morning and would like to be at our B %26amp; B outside Rocamadour by 4 pm 1600 hrs. I know we could spend days on Cahors, Albi, etc, but we just don%26#39;t have any more days! St. Cirque Laropopie looks nice, is it worth the detour, or are we better off having lunch and a visit in Cahors. Peche du merle sounds really interesting, but again, do we have time?

By this point on or trip, we will not be interested in museums at all, mostly into architechure, wine, pretty villages. I am thinking lunch and a quick walk around and look at bridge in Cahors, then a drive around St. Cirque to look at village from distance and not fight the crowds then on to Rocamador. Is St. Cirque worth the detour or are we going to see enough beautiful villages in the Dordogne?

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Whatever you do, don%26#39;t miss the cathedral in Albi--it%26#39;s spectacular. The nearby Toulouse-Lautrec museum is also worth your time, if you think you%26#39;ll be museumed-out by that time.

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What about St. Cirque Lapopie, is it worth the detour? Would the drive to Roc ion the back roads from there be more interesting or more frustrating than the motorway?

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Removed on: 3:16 am, September 30, 2009

Apartments-Parisbestlodge.com

My husband %26amp; I just returned from Paris on May 12, 2008, it was our first time in Europe/France. Fabulous! We rented an apartment from parisbestlodge.com, the owner is Thierry Faradji a wonderful man. He is helpful and accomdating. I had read about parisbestlodge.com on the forum about eight months ago and looked into it. His prices seemed reasonable for Paris. Never having been there and having nothing to compare it with we took a chance and booked with him. I%26#39;m so glad we did, we would book with Thierry again it was a pleasure doing business with him. At the time of our booking all he had left in the area we wanted(4th) was a small loft apt but we took it. We are in our 50%26#39;s and in excellent health but we would probably not want a loft again. It was very clean, good location %26amp; bus stop right outside our apartment door, the size was perfect for us. You can see pictures of all his apartments on his website.

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Which of his apartments did you rent? I%26#39;m thinking of renting one of his units in the 4th next year. It will be the first time in a dozen trips we will not be staying in a hotel.

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We just returned from Paris on Sunday, we had Thierry%26#39;s Place des Voges apartment in the Marais for 2 weeks.

We loved the apartment and the neighborhood and Thierry himself is a joy to deal with. You can read more about our thoughts on the apartment and the trip itself on our thread %26quot;In Paris from May 10-25%26quot;

We would not hesitate to rent from Paris Best Lodge again.

Jo

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We rented the Place des Voges %26amp; really loved it and the area.

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Apartments are definitely better than hotels.

The last few times I have been we have stayed in this apartment:

www.stayparis.net

Its in a great location in the 3rd, walking distance to the Marais and Notre Dame.

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Removed on: 3:16 am, September 30, 2009

Hotels in the Normandy area

Hi there, my wife, 1 year old son and I are travelling to France in September. I am a WWII buff and am looking formward to seeing the many sites of the Normandy region. We have not booked any accomodation at this stage and would like feedback from people out there. We are looking at at least 3 star accomodation. Can anyone recommend any particular hotel not too far from the sites of interest. Thanks, John

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Can I ask if you are looking for a Hotel by a beach or in town and will you have transport? narrows the search down a little.

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I%26#39;d suggest you buy the Michelin Green Guide to Normandy and make a start at deciding what you%26#39;ll want to see in the time available. Normandy is quite a large region; it would take at least a week to just see some of the many highlights. It%26#39;s difficult to recommend hotels without knowing just what you plan to visit.

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We plan on staying for 3 nights and 4 days. I have looked at hotels in the Caen area. We will be mobile via a rent a car and would like to see the major D-Day landing beaches, point du hoc, Pegasas bridge and some allied war cemetaries. I have looked at the Novotel, Caen and it looks pretty good. Anyone stayd there? Thanks.

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We stayed at the Novotel last Saturday night. Although they are a chain hotel and others prefer places with more character, we use them because they are always child friendly and there is plenty of space in the rooms, we have two kids and they sleep and get breakfast free.We stayed in four Novotels last week and they were all pretty similar.

The Caen Novotel is fine, our room had been refurbished and it has an outdoor pool and childrens play area. It is right next to the ring road so there is some traffic noise. Have you looked at the Bayeux Novotel? Also the Mercure Omaha Beach if you can get a good deal.

Check the website regularly for early and late booking deals.You can book a room at full price and then cancel and re-book when a deal comes up.

We have visited most of the D-Day sights over the years so I will try to answer any questions youb have.

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Thanks for your replies. Boysmum, we are fans of Novotel hotels as we have stayed in several and even had our wedding reception at the Novotel in Homebush Bay, Sydney. We are staying at the Novotel in Brussels when we leave France. I will check the rates for the other hotels you mentioned. Also, any recommendations for a hire car company in Caen. We are catching the train from Paris to Caen and hiring a car from there to check out the sites. Thanks.

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Sorry Tals123 but we are from the UK and take our own car on the ferry or through the tunnel.

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You might also consider staying in Bayeux, which is nearer the landing beaches and a charming town in its own right. There you can see the Bayeux Tapestry (actually, an embroidery) and enjoy the restaurants in the evening. Le Petit Bistro gets high recommendations, but it was closed the night we were there. Instead we ate at the Italian restaurant across the street and had a terrific meal--especially the pizza bolognaise, a kind we had never seen before.

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Removed on: 11:16 pm, September 29, 2009

Nice or Mote Carlo

Hi and thank you in advance. My wife and I are going to nice for 5 days of R%26amp;R and fun. We are flying into Nice but have hotel reservations at both Le meridians in Nice and Monte Carlo. I know their only 10 miniutes away but which city should we acually sleep? I know it%26#39;s a tough question. We want a good beach, good food and not a ton of sightseing but will see the best.

Any idea which Le meridian is better???

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If you really mean it when you say you want %26quot;a good beach%26quot;, then I am afraid Nice is the wrong town for you, unless you like hobbling around on large stones.

Monaco has a lovely sandy beach at the eastern end of the town. On the other hand Nice has a lot of good affordable eating, and you can always ignore the great sightseeing opportunities.

(I wouldn%26#39;t bank on the %26quot;10 minutes%26quot; between towns unless you are travelling by helicopter or your real name is Lewis Hamilton).

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You think everyone knows who Lewis Hamilton is...LOL.

That%26#39; i did know Nice had rocky beaches. That makes my decigion easer. How far is Nice from Monte Carlo

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Hey Andrew,

Who the heck is Lewis Hamilton? Is he any relation to Speedy Gonzalez?

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Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix winner May 2008

…wikinews.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton_wins_2008_…

Suspended from driving in France for a month after being caught speeding at 122 mph (196 km/h) on a French motorway.

Could probably get you from Nice to Monaco in under five minutes.

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Just to add my two penn%26#39;orth - Le Meridien in Monaco also has it%26#39;s own private beach and swimming pool. Once you%26#39;re on the beach, there%26#39;s no traffic nearby, unlike the racetrack that is the Promenade des Anglais. Nice is great for many things, but a quiet beach holiday is not one of them. If all you want to do is relax on a sun lounger, choose Monaco.

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I just stayed at Le Meridien Nice for 9 days and saw the outside of Le Meridien Monte Carlo, and the one in Monte Carlo looks much nicer. The one in Nice also is not on the beach--you have to cross the street and the Promenade. We took a taxi from Nice to Monte Carlo (approx. 80-Euros--yikes!), and it took us about 20 minutes.

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Great thanks, I canceled the Nice hotel. Now, What would be the top 3 or 4 must sees in Monte Carlo and Nice

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As to your last question. I can%26#39;t think of even one %26quot;must see%26quot; in Monaco unless it is the Oceanography museum or the Prince%26#39;s Classic Car museum. As for Nice, there are sooooomany. Like art?

The Chagall, the Matisse, the Momac, the Beau Arts and on and on. The old town in Nice, the Russian Orthodox Church. Just take your pick...and that%26#39;s only in Nice!

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Removed on: 5:17 pm, September 29, 2009

guidance on restaurant choices/entertainment

Hello,

My husband and I are leaving for Paris in TWO WEEKS! I am usually very organized and well-planned out at this point, but the kid%26#39;s sports and school schedules have left me no time to plan. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary at Taillevent. We have four other nights with no reservations. We will be staying at Jay%26#39;s which is near the Arc de Triomphe. I am not sure how important it is to plan on restaurants nearby as compared to getting transportation. Following are some considerations:

Bistro de l%26#39;Olivier

Baef sur le Toit

Il Baccello

Osteria

Le Petit Zinc

Le Bistrot du Dome

Market

Banyan

L%26#39;Orenoc

You may notice that several of these choices are Thai, Italian, Asian fusion, etc. My husband and I are more of the seafood/vegetable/ethnic dinner types vs. classic french (foie gras, etc.). We also like hip/happening spots. We were also considering seeing a show at Moulin Rouge or the Lido. Is this recommended? Is there somewhere that you would recommend to dine before/after in the area of Moulin Rouge? I have no idea what time the shows are. We do prefer late-night dining. As far as other evening activities, we are considering a drink at Buddha Bar (mu guide did not recommend this for dinner), Hemingway%26#39;s Bar, Le Bar de L%26#39; Hotel, Man Ray, Le Bilboquet. Any advice would be SO appreciated!! Thank you.

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For hip, happening spots, have a look at damedecanton.com

I%26#39;ve heard and it looks like it%26#39;s loads of fun. I%26#39;m making reservations for November.

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Voila some suggestions :

Japanese experience, www.guiloguilo.com, the chief come from Kyoto, he has just opened in Paris, and you have 2book very early for a table ...

If you like seafood in an elegant atmosphere, go to www.leviolondingres.com and check Les Fables de la Fontaine ...

A %26quot;round the apple gourmet journey%26quot; ? try www.pomze.com ...

More french but typical and nice brasserie decoration : www.autobus-imperial.fr

Sushis and sashimis, one of the best in Paris is Isami on the Ile St Louis, infortunately no website and you have to book, small and always full. Ask your hotel concierge to book ...

About the shows i would rather suggest Bobino, the dinner and the show, both are of great value :

www.bobino.fr

And if you dine at the Orenoque, just check the jazz program (if you like jazz) of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club at the same adress ....

Enjoy it

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and one more thing, forget Le Boeuf sur le toit, quoted 2,5 on a 5 scale (french patron%26#39;s comments) on Cityvox.com, a french website

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We celebrated my 41st birthday at Taillevent – and it was everything we expected (despite the fact it had lost a star since our previous visit). Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Close to you are the Table du Lancaster (Michelin 1*), which has very interesting, fusion cuisine and the Table de Lauriston, an upmarket bistrot that attracts lots of locals where the chef has a light hand which emphasises the simplicity and freshness of the produce.

On the Ile St Louis, we love Mon Vieil Ami (which does great things with vegetables) and people who we trust think Itinéraires in the Latin Quarter is very good value for money.

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I so appreciate your kind responses and advice! I planned our last trip (a Med. cruise) thru all of my research on trip advisor and it was wonderful...all perfect recommendations! This site really is invaluable.

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Removed on: 12:26 am, September 30, 2009

Romantic beaches on the East Coast (GA, VA, NC, SC, or FL)

OK, we have searched and searched and searched and now I need your help! Does anyone have a recommendation for a nice romantic spot along the east coast? We%26#39;d like the beach or as close to it as possible. We have looked at a B%26amp;B in Ocracoke, NC but as much as I want to relax I%26#39;m worried I%26#39;d get bored.

We are driving from East TN and would like to keep the under 12 hours. We are also open to flights if they aren%26#39;t too expensive!

HELP! HELP! HELP!

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Either a major earthquake has caused Germany to sink below sea level, thus giving France an East Coast; or you have posted this in the wrong forum.

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Yeah, I was actually working on getting this moved or cancelled! Thanks!!!

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Removed on: 3:17 am, September 30, 2009

Arriving Nice airport at 21.00 and need to get to Cannes

Other than the very slow bus and the very expensive taxi/shuttle(quoted 110 Euros)how do I get to Cannes from Nice airport when the plane does not arrive until 8.55pm.The last express bus seems to be at 8pm so would I be best just getting a hotel near the airport and travelling the following day or is there some other way?

thanks

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Hi there,

The bus should be OK at that time of night.

After 8pm the traffic dies down and the slow bus is actually fairly quick: the 22.00 service only takes an hour to Cannes and should run to schedule.

There%26#39;s also the train from Nice St Augustin station near the airport which runs late, but the first train that you could reasonably expect to catch is at 22.16, so not much of an advantage and you%26#39;d have to get to the station.

niceaeroport.com/acces_stationnement_en/trai…

Hope this helps

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Removed on: 2:23 am, September 30, 2009