A slow bake yields fine results!

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Well its come around so quickly I'm afraid if I blink I'll find myself fastening my seat belt on that Singapore Airline. We have 4 weeks until we leave and I thought it might be useful to note down the preparation proccess before our departure. I don't know how other people go about organising a trip for a month in France that costs $16,000.00 but this is how I did it. (and let me just say its the first time too)

December 2006 book and pay for return tickets at sale price including travel insurance through Fair Flights Thirroul NSW. International Insurance with Cover-More. Singapore Airlines - stopover in Singapore for about 2 hours each way. This agency is very friendly but they are not very consistent with their service team .... I got passed around alot, which becomes a bit annoying.

January through to early March we decided on our route which was influenced by art, architecture and bicycles! I proceeded to hunt out interesting accomodation. I hate hotels so we agreed to stay in B&Bs/ guesthouses and apartments.

Our trip is as follows: Land in Paris AM and stay over night. Hire a car (paid for in full) the next day for 10 days to drive to Dijon for 1 night, Lyon for 3 nights, Nice for 2 nights, Arles for 2 nights and Le Puy-en-Velay for 1 night. We dump the hire car in Montlucon and are collected for our 7 day bicycle tour around the Creuse region. From here we catch a train back to Paris where we will stay in a private apartment in Les Halles for 11 nights.

For our 11nights in Paris I found a company called Lodgis who are an agent for private rental apartments worldwide. Their website is very easy to use and has excellent images of the apartments. So we decided on an affordable 1 bedroom place for Paris in the 2nd arrondissement. The agency take a nice sum and I ended up parting with about AU$600.00 in deposits to Lodgis and the landlord combined. We pay the balance of the rent on arrival and meet the landlord to get the key. But in the end it will be cheaper than a hotel and given breakfast is our favourite meal I don't think we'll be missing those hotel buffets. For 12 days we want to feel like we live in Paris!

With Paris booked I went onto find a B&B in Saint-Sernin du Plain, 15 minutes out of Dijon and apparently close to vineyards and castles. The lodging is called 'Le Clos de l'Abbaye', and the people who run it were very helpful and good communication was kept by email. Next was Lyon. We looked at a few gay run B&B's but most were too shmick and expensive or too out of the way. I found a b&b called 'LA VILLA CATALPA' in a town called Lentilly outside Lyon, 25 minute drive through rolling countryside to town - gosh how unbearable! Again the owners were extremely helpful and offered us their bikes to ride!

One thing I need to mention is, when making deposits by Internet Bank transfer - beware of mystery fees. This is an outrageously expensive way to transfer money OS. I was charged fees here and then what was accounted for in Euro to be the correct amount never seemed to total when it arrived in the French accounts. I have lost at least $60 ontop of fees already paid for two transfers. Bastards!

Anyway, onto Nice. Here we found a gay website with gay owned apartments that are all very nice! Vivre A Nice were helpful and we have splurged a little on this one. A 1 bedroom apartment that is in the north of the city and close to the "old Town". Again found on the web and all communication done via email. Deposits made by credit card. Receipts received. Parking was always in the back of my mind when looking for apartments, as we will have the hire car.

To keep track of documenting deposits and receipts I have a folder which is full of paperwork. I plan to transfer all this into a smaller folded form to take with us - maybe envelopes for each place of abode. I might make copies and give them to a family member just in case they are lost.

From Nice we drive to Arles - famous for Van Gogh's last period of his life. It was built by Romans and was once a port, but the oceans have subsided since then. Here we stay at 'HOTEL LE CLOITRE' - apparently and old church with lots of character. From Arles to Le Puy-en-Velay for one night at 'Le Regina' hotel. We were told of a gigantic Virgin Mary that stands atop a very steep hill that you can climb inside. Credit card info sent and booked.

The next week we will spend riding bicycles through the Creuse region. A company called Bikeit you'll Likeit was started by a customer of mine only last year ... and I realised after contacting him to show our interest and get things booked in that Betty and I will be their very first clients! This older couple are originally from England, moved to Australia, had kids and got fed up with life in Austinmer so moved to France to run their own bike tour company. They were good customers and avid cyslists. We will be good guinea pigs for them! We then leave Auzances on Saturday 30th by 4 hour train to Paris.

So if all goes to plan, we should have a very eventful French holiday ahead of us.

Kate

Points to add:

Books we bought: Fodors France 2007, Lonely Planet France 2007 and Fast Talk Phrase books, an old Paris Rough Guide for $9 2nd Hand, Everyman MapGuides Paris

Maps: Hema France (too big and double sided) but detailed.

Helpful Websites:
http://www.bonjour.com
http://www.hot-maps.de/europe/france/paris/homeen.html
http://www.lodgis.com
http://www.absoluliving.com
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk
http://www.eurotrip.com/destinations/Paris_Restaurants/paris_restaurants.html
http://www.bikeit-likeit.com

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Comments

[LAS & JAK]

chocolahhh!
J'attends avec intérêt d'entendre parler de vos aventures françaises! Ooh la la! ........Hehehe!!