$3,495 + air

24-28 people

Begins in Reims and ends in Villefranche-sur-Mer

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France is overwhelmingly rich in history, art and culture. Any preliminary reading, viewing or listening you can do will help you get the most from your trip. For more information on any of these books, visit your favorite bookstore or check out amazon.com; for video information, go to imdb.com. Rick Steves guidebooks are available at our Travel Center in Edmonds and also on our website's Travel Store.

Recommended Reading

Non-Fiction  

• French or Foe?; Savoir-Flair — Polly Platt
• Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong — Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow
• The First World War — Michael Howard
• The Road to Verdun — Ian Ousby
• A Year in Provence; Toujours Provence — Peter Mayle
• Portraits of France — Robert Daley
• Postcards from France — Megan McNeill Libby
• From Here, You Can't See Paris — Michael Sanders
• Adapter Kit France: A Traveler's Tools for Living Like a Local — Terry Link
• Culture Shock: France — Sally Taylor
• Traveller's History of France — Robert Cole
• Travelers' Tales: France — James O'Reilly
• Marling Menu-Master for France

Fiction

• Inspector Maigret — Georges Simenon
• A Very Long Engagement — Sebastien Japrisot
• Chocolat — Joanne Harris
• Birdsong — Sebastian Faulks
• Joy of Man's Desiring — Jean Giono
• The Fly-Truffler — Gustaf Sobin

General Europe

• Europe 101 — Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw: History and art overview for the traveler; humorous and easy to read.
• A Distant Mirror — Barbara Tuchman: A well-written history of French nobility during the Middle Ages.
• Innocents Abroad — Mark Twain: Humorous classic recounts an American group's 1867 "Grand Tour" through Europe and the Holy Land.
• Civilisation — Kenneth Clark: BBC-TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else.
• Connections — James Burke: Fascinating book and TV series that links historical events and scientific discoveries across the centuries.

Rick Steves' Travel DVDs

For a fun, informative preview of your next tour destination, watch a DVD from our "Rick Steves' Europe" TV series! Our online Travel Store has 80 shows available on 12 DVDs (a generous four to eight shows per disc).

Films with a French Accent

To Catch a Thief (1955); La Grande Vadrouille (1966); Jean de Florette (1986); The Man Who Planted Trees (1987); Cyrano de Bergerac (1990); My Father's Glory (1991); My Mother's Castle (1991); French Kiss (1995); Ronin (1998); Chocolat (2000); The Chorus (2004); A Very Long Engagement (2004);  La Vie en Rose (2007)

Mood Music

Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet, French Kiss, Gigi, or Amélie soundtracks (pop); Francis Cabrel (folk); Paris Combo (jazz/swing)