France questions for one who's never been there

1. Where in the Provence region would be a good place to be based?
We're thinking of being there five days or so.

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

Thanks much to any and all.

On 19 Mar 2006 20:07:12 -0800, wrote:

1. Where in the Provence region would be a good place to be based?
We're thinking of being there five days or so.

Avignon and Aix seem to be the two most often recommended. I prefer Aix, myself.

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

Keep right, obey traffic signs, avoid the historic parts of the inner cities.

Seriously, we had no problems at all, except for those caused by an overly-large
rental car with which we were stuck by the rental company.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

If you don't have any French, obtain and study a decent phrase book. Just making
a small effort returns huge dividends.

-- Larry

Provence is not a good place to be based if you intend to travel around,
it's an excellent one if you want to visit that part of France.
Depends on your country of origin, be aware that some drivers are reckless.
Automatic speed traps are everywhere or almost, so careful with that.
If you think it's OK with you to use manual gear shifting, then OK,
otherwise train a little.
Look at all sources on the Net and write to the office de tourisme and other
syndicats d'initiative to get more info.
Bon voyage.

a écrit dans le message de news:
...
1. Where in the Provence region would be a good place to be based?
We're thinking of being there five days or so.

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

Thanks much to any and all.

"Runge" wrote in message
...
Provence is not a good place to be based if you intend to travel around,
it's an excellent one if you want to visit that part of France.
Depends on your country of origin, be aware that some drivers are
reckless.
Automatic speed traps are everywhere or almost, so careful with that.

They are incredibly rare, compared to the UK.

If you think it's OK with you to use manual gear shifting, then OK,
otherwise train a little.

While you can usually only get a manual gear shift at the car hire desk, I
have never had a problem getting an automatic in France by booking at least
a week in advance.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 08:02:18 -0000, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my
surname here.uk.com wrote:


"Runge" wrote in message
. ..
Provence is not a good place to be based if you intend to travel around,
it's an excellent one if you want to visit that part of France.
Depends on your country of origin, be aware that some drivers are
reckless.
Automatic speed traps are everywhere or almost, so careful with that.

They are incredibly rare, compared to the UK.


And certainly compared with NL. The Michelin route planner also gives
the location of ixed speed traps along your route.
--==++AJC++==--

wrote in message
ups.com...
1. Where in the Provence region would be a good place to be based?
We're thinking of being there five days or so.

I liked Aix

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

You can get large on the spot fines for traffic offences and you will be
taken to an ATM if you don't have the cash on you, so try to keep legal,
whatever the locals are doing.

Town name signs with black lettering on white denote the start of the urban
speed limit. The name with a line through it marks the end of the urban
speed limit. Many places now have speed limit signs as you enter as well,
but they are often a little after the town name sign, with the word 'Rappel'
(lit. recall = reminder) underneath, and it is still the name sign that
marks the start of the limit. In general, you will usually find that towns
have a 50kph speed limit, but some urban areas have a limit of 30kph and you
will often find speed humps and / or green road markings in those areas.
Outside towns, the general speed limit is 90kph (assume that if there are no
other limit markings), with 110kph (marked) on some dual carriageways and
130kph (110kph in rain) on Autoroutes. There are, however, many places on
rural roads where lower limits apply, for a fairly short distance around a
bend, for example. Those are marked, but the return to the general speed
limit may not be, so you need to watch for where the limit starts for
traffic going the other way.

There are still a few places, almost invariably in towns, where priority
from the right still applies, but they are now rare enough that there is
usually a sign to warn the locals. In most places, priorities are given by
road markings and/or signs, although the effect of priority from the right
for fairly minor side roads may also be given by an unexpected stop line on
a through road in a town. Outside towns, a yellow square with a wide white
border, set with one diagonal vertical, tells you that you have priority
over side roads. The same sign with a black line across it markes the end of
you having priority.

The French also seem to dislike telling people in advance which way they
will have to go, so, particularly in towns, you may not see a direction sign
until you get to the junctions, by which time you are probably in the wrong
lane. It is, therefore, a good idea to have looked at a map first and to
have some idea as to which way you need to travel.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

Learn French, or at least the basics. The French are much more friendly if
you start out talking to them in French, even if you have to revert to
English eventually. Whatever the books may say, the correct greeting is not
bonjour (or bonsoir), but bonjour monsieur, bonjour madame, or bonjour
mesdames, as appropriate - the last is most often used when walking into a
shop full of people.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 08:32:45 -0000, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my
surname here.uk.com wrote:



3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

Learn French, or at least the basics. The French are much more friendly if
you start out talking to them in French, even if you have to revert to
English eventually. Whatever the books may say, the correct greeting is not
bonjour (or bonsoir), but bonjour monsieur, bonjour madame, or bonjour
mesdames, as appropriate - the last is most often used when walking into a
shop full of people.

Colin Bignell


I never quite remember, when greeting both sexes together they seem to
combine it, is it bonjour monsieur-dame, and messieurs-dames?

Colin's advice is spot on. The French are some of the most formally
polite people I have ever come across, you should be constantly
prepared to bonjour xxx
--==++AJC++==--

"AJC" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 08:32:45 -0000, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my
surname here.uk.com wrote:

Colin's advice is spot on. The French are some of the most formally
polite people I have ever come across, you should be constantly
prepared to bonjour xxx
--==++AJC++==--

And lets be clear about it. If you walk into a small shop (not a diy shed)
you ARE expected to acknowledge everybody , with a smile or a coupla words.

--
John Owens
www.goodviews.co.uk
Fax +44 1509 890822

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

As other poster said, small lanes in villages can be quite 'difficult'.
It WILL be hot. Take a car with air con. Book the car ahead of time - a
consolidator is invariably cheaper than a walk-in . If you can manage it
take the train out of paris and pick up your car when you get further south.


By the way. 1) lunchtime is lunch time so , have lunch. Don't presume that
shops will be open.
2) Buying fuel on Sundays can be problematical unless you are on a motorway.
Many service stations (even the one on supermarkets) revert to an automatic
operation - and the machines only take French credit crads.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare

RESEARCH where you want to go what you want to do. Contact the tourist
offices (Office de Tourisme) and get them to send you brochures.. 5 days is
not long when you take some 'chilling' time into consideration.

Enjoy it.

--
John Owens
www.goodviews.co.uk
Fax +44 1509 890822

wrote:
1. Where in the Provence region would be a good place to be based?
We're thinking of being there five days or so.

2. What are good things to know about driving there? We won't drive in
Paris, but will when we get south.

The most important thing to know for your own safety about driving in
France (and in other European countries) is the right-before-left
priority at unmarked junctions. You are most likely to encounter such
unmarked junctions inside towns on quieter sidestreets. Do not expect
traffic from the right to slow down. If someone hits you coming from
the right, you are automatically at fault, just as if you had driven
through a stop sign.

I have personally witnessed an accident resulting in serious injuries at
such a road junction, and it is not a joke.

T.

3. We have three months until the trip. What should we do in that time
to prepare that would enhance the experience?

Thanks much to any and all.