Frommer's France 2005

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's France features gorgeous color photos of the chateaux, cathedrals, vineyards, villages, and gorgeous countryside vistas that await you. Much more detailed and comprehensive than the major competition, this is simply the most reliable and in-depth guide you can buy. It's personally researched and full of candid opinions. Our authors have chosen the very best places to stay, from the grand hotels of Paris and the chic beach resorts of the Riviera to charming and affordable guesthouses in every provincial town. And of course, we'll make sure that you dine memorably throughout France, whether you're splurging on a world-class restaurant in Paris or looking for a little-known neighborhood bistro that serves all the classics. Wherever you go, you'll rely on Frommer's for authoritative but fun-to-use coverage of all the historic, artistic, and cultural treasures. You'll get a complete shopper's guide, the latest trip-planning advice on everything from bargain airfares to rail passes, and a complete shopper's guide. Frommer's France even features a color fold-out map and color map of the Paris Metro!

Frommer's 2000 France is a beautiful package, with nearly 800 pages of stellar text sandwiched between gorgeous color photography and comprehensive maps of Paris and France. The pictures are stunning; showcasing the diversity of France, with the controversial 71-foot glass pyramid of the Louvre and the ancient grandeur of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, a village street in Rouen and a Loire Valley ch?teau, plus Monet's gardens, Rhone valley vineyards, market day in Dijon, and a game of petanque along the C?te d'Azur.

The "Best of France" chapter offers even more highlights, and ultimately helps narrow the field to a doable itinerary. After browsing the "best of" lists on romantic escapes, driving tours, museums, vineyards, upscale restaurants, and affordable hotels, you can begin to plan your trip in earnest. Focus on Paris, Brittany, and Champagne country, for example, and you can use those chapters to decide on lodgings, plan activities and sightseeing excursions, and dream about specific restaurants and bakeries. To flesh out that dream, an appendix is available on French food, as well as France's history, art, architecture, and wine. There are also appendixes of basic menu vocabulary, an online directory, and useful French terms such as Je voudrais acheter ce livre and Au revoir, Je vais à l'aéroport. --Stephanie Gold