Bayonne, located in the South West of France, is particularly known for its ham and its chocolates (and its rugby club). Apart from that, the city is a medieval city that has been reasonably well conserved over the centuries. The inner part of the city centre is old but well maintained. Bayonne is divided by […]

For people who love great food, the name Paul Bocuse is as synonymous to food as the Eiffel Tower is to French landmarks. In other words, the 3 star Michelin chef is a name revered amongst foodies and he is considered the grandfather of the traditional French cuisine.   His primary restaurant (he has a few, […]

Transport Getting There By Air Although there’s a small airport, the biggest airport serving Amiens is Paris’s third airport: Beauvais. Within Amiens Amiens is quite large, but the interesting parts are all concentrated in the city centre. There is a bus service The service is called AMETIS, and although not very widespread, you can get […]

Trouville-sur-Mer is a fishing village, so it’s no surprise that there are many restaurants serving fresh fish. But despite the several very good restaurants, one jumps out; Chez Alain.   Don’t go looking for references of Chez Alain restaurant in any gastronomic guides such as the Michelin Red Book. You’ll not find any. And that […]

Located in the Durdent valley, alongside the Durdent river itself, you will find a paradisiac restaurant called “Le Champetre”. Not a place where you will find gastronomic food, but you will find decent food in a tropical atmosphere. The restaurant has been growing ever since it has been created, and the growth has been wild. […]

The Bec au Cauchois restaurant, with its upcoming superstar chef Pierre Caillet, is located just outside the town of Valmont on the winding road towards Fecamp. Situated in a long curve alongside the Valmont river and lake, the restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star, but they deserve two stars; they’re that good. This restaurant […]

The “Au Souper Fin” restaurant is located in the middle of nowhere, North of the city of Rouen, in a village called Frichemesnil. The village has some 400 inhabitants, but it’s enough to host a 1 Star Michelin restaurant. So you know you’re not going to see many locals in the restaurant but more people coming […]

Transport Getting There Lyon is a major transportation hub in France, second only to Paris. It is easy to get there in almost any kind of transportation. Air: Lyon has a major international airport with flights from many European and French cities. Click here for list of all direct destinations served by the Lyon airport. Within […]

This is part 2 of the introduction of the city of Lyon. To read the first part, click here. As a recap, we are walking from the TGV (High Speed Train) railway station to the hills, a 2.5 km walk. Vieux Lyon – Old Lyon On the other side of the Bonaparte bridge, crossing the […]

Lyon is a city full of contrasts, particularly in its architecture. The city is big, Lyon itself is France’s 3rd largest city, but when you add the suburbs, then the Lyon metropole is France’s 2nd largest metropole (after Paris). It is also the world capital of gastronomy, the city where many of todays top chefs have […]

Transport Getting There Ferry: The closest ferry harbours to and from the UK are Cherbourg, Caen/Ouistreham and Le Havre. Air: The international airport for Caen (click here to access the airport’s web site) is very close-by with regular flights to the UK. Within Bayeux There is no useable bus service, but you don’t need one. When entering the […]

Transport Getting There Ferry: Closest ferry harbours from the UK are Dieppe and Le Havre. Within Caudebec-en-Caux Caudebec is so small that you can walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes. Restaurants There are a couple of restaurants (normal French food, crepes, pizza), but only one springs out above any of them, […]

The hotel and restaurant “Le Manoir de Retival” is a very special place. First of all, it is located on the hillside between Caudebec-en-Caux and the Pont de Bretonne.   The restaurant is in an old style Manor, the Manoir de Retival and it even has an adjacent chapel. They also have a few rooms […]

Transport Getting There Train. There is a train link between Paris and the shared railway station of Trouville-sur-Mer and Deauville. There are several daily direct (and ones where you need to change) trains. Fastest time is 2 hours. Ferry: Closest ferry harbours from the UK are Ouistreham (Caen) and Le Havre. There is an irregular […]

Transport Getting There Train: There are no direct trains to Honfleur. The closest train station is Trouville/Deauville‘s station. Click here to find out train distances. Ferry: Although large cruise ships arrive here, no ferries. The closest ferry harbour is Le Havre. Air: The international airport for Deauville is very close by with regular flights to […]

Transport Getting There Ferry: Closest ferry from the UK arrives regularly at Dieppe. Within Veules-Les-Roses Veules-Les-Roses is so small you’ll spend more time trying to park than you would walk from one end to the other. Restaurants There are several reasonable, even good, restaurants in the village. The old coach inn, the Douce France, has a […]

Veules-Les-Roses in Upper Normandy is one of the best kept secrets for most tourists, especially the foreign ones, but as a place to visit, it is most interesting and rewarding. It’s a very small village (some 600 inhabitants) that is foremost a beautiful, scenic and very photogenic village. Although notable visitors like Victor Hugo stayed here, you really […]

Transport Getting There Air: Caen has an international airport, but it’s not big. Most flights go to Lyon and transfer from there anywhere in Europe, but direct flights to London, Southend are scheduled. Ferry: There are direct ferries from the UK to harbours close-by: Ouistreham (Caen), Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dieppe and one ferry link between Ireland […]

Transport Getting There Air: From both Paris airports, many flights per day, direct to Marseilles. 1 hour 15. The airport also as many international flights daily. Within Marseilles There is a very good transportation system in Marseilles, with a very good and encompassing bus route and two metro lines. Prices are cheap. Restaurants Marseilles, particularly […]

Marseilles is France’s 2nd largest city in population (over 800,000 inhabitants in the city), and France’s biggest harbour. It is also one of the oldest dwellings in France, with cave painting found dating back 30,000 years BC. It doesn’t get any older than that.   NOTE: Below you’ll find an impression of Marseilles, but it’s […]

The Brasserie du Sillon in St. Malo has one major thing going for it: it’s incredible location. The restaurant is not located in the walled city itself, but outside of it, alongside the beach promenade. The views inside, particularly when seated next to a window are fantastic. It’s even more dramatic when there’s a storm […]

Transport Getting There Ferry: from the UK: Daily ferries from Portsmouth, Jersey, Guernsey, Weymouth and Poole. Air: The airport, close to Dinard, is shared with Saint-Malo and offers international flights, particularly those of Ryanair. Other international destinations will require changing in London. Click here to access the airport’s website. Restaurants More than you can handle. […]

Like any big city, Rouen has at least one Michelin starred restaurant, and in this case it even has a 2-star one called Gill (the first name of the chef/owner). It’s located next to the Seine river quai away from the hassle of the city centre, but close enough to walk there. In fact, it’s […]

An institution for those in the know in Rouen, Dame Cakes is a place where you might a well forget about counting calories, it’s a battle you’ll lose. Located next to the Notre-Dame cathedral (hence the “Dame” in their name), the place only opened in 2002 and already it’s very popular.   From the outside, […]