Page 424 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

opening in Paris, Marseille and other big
cities, hip hang-outs with perks aplenty ELECTRICITY
seem to easily outweigh the threadbare
these days.
¨ In university towns, foyers d’étudiant (stu-
dent dormitories) are sometimes converted for
use by travellers during summer.
¨ A dorm bed in an auberge de jeunesse (youth
hostel) costs €20 to €50 in Paris, and anything
from €15 to €40 in the provinces, depending
on location, amenities and facilities; sheets are
always included, breakfast more often than not.
¨ To prevent outbreaks of bed bugs, sleeping
bags are not permitted.
¨ Hostels by the sea or in the mountains some-
times offer seasonal outdoor activities.
¨ French hostels are 100% nonsmoking.
Hotels
Hotels in France are rated with one to five
stars, although the ratings are based on
highly objective criteria (eg the size of the 230V/50Hz
entry hall), not the quality of the service,
France Travel Guide ELECTRICITY
the decor or cleanliness.
¨ French hotels almost never include break-
fast in their rates. Unless specified otherwise,
prices quoted don’t include breakfast, which FOOD
costs around €8/12/25 in a budget/midrange/ Few Western cuisines are so envied, as-
top-end hotel. pired to or seminal. The freshness of in-
¨ When you book, hotels usually ask for a gredients, natural flavours, regional variety
credit card number; some require a deposit. and range of cooking methods is phenom-
¨ A double room generally has one double bed enal. The very word ‘cuisine’ was borrowed
from the French – no other language could
(sometimes two singles pushed together!); a handle all the nuances. The French table
room with twin beds (deux lits) is usually more waltzes tastebuds through a dizzying array
expensive, as is a room with a bathtub instead of dishes sourced from aromatic street
of a shower. markets, seaside oyster farms, sun-baked
¨ Feather pillows are practically nonexistent in olive groves and ancient vineyards mirror-
France, even in top-end hotels. ing the beauty of each season. Discovering
these varied regional cuisines is an enrich-
¨ All hotel restaurant terraces allow smoking; ing, essential experience.
if you are sensitive to smoke, you may need to
sit inside. Restaurants and bistros Range from
unchanged for a century to contemporary
minimalist; urban dining is international, rural
Book Your Stay Online dining staunchly French.
Brasseries Open from dawn until late, these
For more accommodation reviews casual eateries are great for dining in between
by Lonely Planet authors, check standard meal times.
out http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com. Cafés Ideal for breakfast and light lunch;
You’ll find independent reviews, as many morph into bars after dark.
well as recommendations on the
best places to stay. Best of all, you
can book online.

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