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Books, Maps & Guides

Maps	Books
Travel Guides	Travel Insurance
French Shops

Over the last few years we've spent considerable time advising our friends and Guests on what to take when they visit. To save time, we have provided our recommendations here, which are linked to several reputable and reliable sources e.g. Amazon.Com. We use many of these maps and references ourselves, so we can readily vouch for them. Others are provided based on feedback received from our Guests. A few books are no longer in print or available in bookstores, but because we value ours so much, we've provided them through ABEbooks.com, a bookseller of used and out-of-print books. Click on any thumbnail photo below and a new window should open with details about any item.

You might find some items locally, but if not then these can be delivered within several business days directly to your front door. Some delivery times might vary if you're in the UK, Europe, Australia, etc.

Regardless, we're still always available to answer questions so please feel free to contact us anytime...Bob & Suzie

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Insurance (Travel, Medical and Trip Cancellation)

So when does it make sense to buy travel insurance? You may want to consider it if you suspect you may need to cancel your trip at the last minute (i.e., you have a sick family member). You might also consider insurance if you have a complicated itinerary with many connecting flights. While some banks that issue Visa cards offer travel interruption insurance, notes Janet Yang, a Visa USA spokeswoman, it isn't a feature on all cards.

Consumer Reports recommends purchasing insurance from a third party, not the travel agent or travel supplier. You want to make sure you're getting coverage from a firm that's highly rated and in no danger of going belly up. If your travel agent or travel supplier closes shop, you're in danger of losing your deposit, and your insurance may not cover you. "Our motto is better safe than sorry," a Consumer Reports spokesman says.

Regrettably, over the years we have had several Guests affected by adverse events: cancelled trips, street thefts, automobile accidents, serious accidents requiring medical evacuation, etc. We've also had things happen to us, so we know how nice it is to have someone reliable to turn to for help. We STRONGLY advise that you protect yourself, at the least to protect your vacation investment as we cannot make refunds once we have committed staff and resources towards your holiday plan, so we offer these links to reputable firms who offer such services. When you're "on the road" it's good to have peace-of-mind, because you just never know when you'll need help...and we ask that you please plan ahead for any eventuality. More info here...

World Travel Center - Senior Market Sales, Inc. (SMS). 8420 W. Dodge Rd, Suite 510; Omaha, NE 68114. 1-800-786-5566 or +1-402-397-3311 (ask for Travel Dept) . These guys have it all. Global medical insurance, travel insurance and trip protection plans. No matter where you live or where you're going; you're covered. They also provide international medical insurance for expatriates and citizens of all nationalities either traveling or residing anywhere. Instant online quotes and convenient online purchasing.

HTH Worldwide Insurance Services - 12900 Federal Systems Park Drive, Suite 2A, Fairfax, VA 22033-4421 USA. 1-888-243-2358 or +1-703-322-1515. Travel insurance through Unicare. TripProtector includes trip cancellation & medical evacuation coverage. TravelGap Multi-Trip provides maximum health & accident coverage for frequent domestic or international travel and TravelGap Vacationer for single trip health and accident insurance for international travel.

Maps

Frankly, I find it difficult to go touring anywhere without my maps, and the more detailed the better. If you're heading "over there," then I strongly recommend a good map - Michelin is the historically preferred favorite. I remember my French grandfather always planning our family "voyages" on the kitchen table with his trusted Michelin map. You can find these maps yourself on Amazon or Michelin, or save yourself a little time and effort and use links I've compiled below. I have and use most of the maps below, but am less familiar with the "Green Guides", which I hear other travelers rave about. Having spent so much time here, my personal tendency has been to forego guides, but were this not the case - and knowing how much there is to see here, I think I would probably spring for either one or both Green guides. I highly recommend taking a good car compass, preferably illuminated. You can get one as cheap as $10, or as high as $160. I have found this particularly handy in any large built up area (Nice, Marseille, Paris etc.), when every city block looks the same, and you simply need to maintain the same general direction to get to a main road. I especially appreciate it at night. You're welcome to use mine if you see it in the apartment. It's a little old, but is illuminated, plugs into the AC adapter, and I've already set up for the local declination...Bob

Michelin Map #115. Michelin French Riviera - East with maps for Cannes and Antibes. Includes road numbers, distances, political boundaries, parks, castles, ruins, and churches.	Michelin Green Guide to Provence. Practical info with up-to-date suggestions on what to see and do, as well as background on area history and cultural heritage.	Michelin Green Guide to the Riviera. "The" area guide to glamorous coastal towns & quiet hilltop villages perched among olive groves, snow-capped mountains, and bright blue skies!
Michelin Map #528. Regional map with comprehensive road information. This or Map #114, #115 or #341 are recommended for area daytrips! 1:200,000 Good "GP" map I like to have in glove box	Michelin Map #341. The local area map for our Maritime Alps area. This map also has City Plans for Nice and Cannes as well as a local place name index. New map!	Michelin Map #103. Battle of Provence covers big picture details for troop movements of the August 1944 battle. This historical reprint has legends in both French and English.
Michelin Map #114. Western French Riviera, Var and magnificent Gorges du Verdon. This map is recommended if you plan to visit this French "Grand Canyon"!	Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas (Spiral) #1092. This famed guide has been used for years by French truckers and tourists. It covers all of France, is 240 pages, and has a detailed city, town and village index with 75 city maps. Scale 1:200,000 (1cm=2km) This is a little large, like an oversized magazine, but fits easily in my suitcase. I use it whenever we tour outside the area - it's an excellent comprehensive road atlas and ALWAYS come in handy when I am planning our routes.

Michelin Map #114 - Western Riviera
Var and Gorges du Verdon
Scale: 1/100,000 - 1cm=1km

Michelin Map #528
Provence, C�te d'Azur
Scale: 1/200,000 - 1cm = 2km

Michelin Map #341 - Maritime Alps (New!)
Plan of Nice, Cannes. Place name index.
Symbols as images. Legend/Key in French
1/150,000 - 1cm = 1,5km

Michelin Map #115 - Eastern Riviera
C�te d'Azur, Alpes-Maritimes
Enlargements of Cannes and Antibes
Scale: 1/150,000 - 1cm = 1,5km

Books

Good background!	C�te D'Azur: Inventing the French Riviera - Mary Blume explains how the C�te came to represent fantasy, escape, or a place of dreams for so many: Queen Victoria, Picasso, Coco Chanel, Tobias Smollett, Fitzgerald, Huxley, Maugham and many more of the great, merely dubious, or the wildly eccentric of each generation. Barnes & Noble	Personal favorite!	Michelin "In Your Pocket" (South of France: Riviera) - This is a great daytrip and weekend guide, and one we personally refer to. It has four sections: "Background" has history, culture, and geography; "Exploring" covers must-see sights; "Enjoying Your Visit" has a calendar of area events, shopping, restaurants; and an "A-Z Factfinder" section.
	Marling Menu-Master for France - This is a handy and fantastic little menu translation guide. We carry it whenever we go out to eat here! It explains many of the regional dishes, local preparation styles, and other French culinary and menu terms, which we often find ourselves puzzling over when we're "exploring" restaurants. Very helpful in ANY French restaurant!		The Birth of France: Warriors, Bishops, and Long-Haired Kings - The story of ancient France, 5th-8th c. of which so little is written. A compelling read of the fierce Celtic/Teutonic warrior chieftains, and Merovingians who bridged the collapse of the Roman Empire to early medieval France; Clovis, Lothair & Charles Martel, and the early Christian bishops who re-constituted a foundation for the beginning of France.
	Hidden France- Richard Binns. This Englishman and fellow "mapoholic" shares his vast personal knowledge of the France most tourists never see. His magical guide enables you to truly savor the sights, sounds and tastes of the most scenic and unspoiled back country of rural France. SUPER off-the-beaten path tour guide!		France: A Phaidon Cultural Guide - Richly illustrated comprehensive guide and index to the cultural treasures of France - towns, churches, ch�teaux, museums, theaters ... 800 pages + photos. Packed with only the very best examples of French art and architecture and indexed by town. Hardback only 8x5x2 inches!
	Southern France (Off the Beaten Track). Hard-to-find guide provides 14 guided area itineraries tracing the history of Southern France, from the windy dunes of Aquitaine to the Pyr�n�es, the quiet areas of the Camargue, the medieval villages of early English kings, and to Provence and the C�te d'Azur. We also love our companion Northern France (Off the Beaten Track)		The Champagne Campaign - Robert Adleman & George Walton recount the spectacular Allied airborne invasion that turned the tide for the Battle for Southern France in 1944. Excellent historical perspective filled with numerous anecdotes, photos, and illustrations. Fascinating narratives of the area's liberation from the Nazis.
	Operation Dragoon (1999) - VHS. Video describing one of the most controversial campaigns of World War II...the liberation of Southern France. The film covers the campaign's operational details, as well as the larger and more controversial national, political, and international strategic issues that raged behind the scenes, and dominated military leaders' planning and execution of the second largest invasion of World War II.		Operation Dragoon: The Allied Invasion - William Breuer recreates the technical and human stories of the Allied liberation of the French Riviera. Provides enough background for a reader to understand operational actions and fills these in with the colorful and personal stories of American, British, French and German participants. Hardback. Good companion book to The Champagne Campaign.

Travel Guides

If I had my choice I would go for a Michelin guide (above), but it is hard to go "wrong" with any of the following popular travel guides. All are good, and each has its own loyal following. Through Amazon.Com, you can link to each and then read the reviews of other readers' with their comments and ratings, to determine which is best for you.

Eyewitness Travel Guide: Provence & the C�te d'Azur	Fodor's Travel Guide: Provence and the C�te D'Azur	Frommer's Travel Guide: Provence & The Riviera
Lonely Planet Travel Guide: Provence & the C�te D'Azur	The Rough Guide: Provence & the C�te d'Azur	Time Out Guide - South of France: Provence & the C�te d'Azur

French Shops

Zchocolat.Com - Fine French gourmet chocolates packaged in elegant wooden boxes. Order online to sample at home!	Le Village.Com - Sample French delicacies in your own home. Order Foie Gras, truffles, escargots, chocolates and more!	Emosaique.Com - Unique items for your home, crafted by hand in Provence. Order ceramics, linens and more.
	CadeauxDeProvence - Provence gifts and products. Small-scale production of authentic Riviera products by local craftsmen in glass-making and chinaware.