United States Dept. of State - includes information on how to obtain a passport and other useful information for U.S. citizens travelling abroad.

France is organized into Province>Departments> Cities/towns/villages. For  example, Gard is a department of the  Languedoc-Roussillon province. Uzes is a town in the Gard department. Herault is also a department of the the Languedoc-Roussillon province. I thought it was a good idea to organize GoingEuro.com Southern France along the same lines. For example you will find information on Uzes by clicking on the link for the Department of Gard or if you want information on Montpellier you would click on the link for the Department of Herault and so on. This site is an ongoing project, so I will be adding additional places from time to time. When I add a new place I will put a “New-added on such and such date” beside the entry. If  I update a page I will put “Updated on such and such date” to let you know to check that particular page for additional information. If you have any questions or comments email

Thank you for stopping by. Have a safe and enjoyable trip! Be sure to check out the Travel/Guide Books for a list of recommended guide books to take on your trip.

Arriving:

There is a TVG station at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The trip to  Avignon takes approximates 2 1/2 hours. For more information about the TVG or purchase tickets click on the link.. The site has an English version. When you are purchasing your ticket you have the option of a unreserved seat or for an extra charge to reserve a seat. I have noticed on several occasions the train can get crowded. On two occasions someone was actually in my seat, so I find it’s worth it to spend the extra money and reserve a seat. Hunting around  for a unoccupied seat time can be difficult and time consuming not too mention trying to keep track of your luggage. It’s better to be assured a pleasant uninterrupted trip. 

The car rental agencies are  right outside of the Avignon-TVG station. I like using  Avis France. For more information click on the link . The website is in French and English.

Other websites that cover the South France:

ProvenceBeyond - travel information in English.

Office of Tourism for France - Searchable events calendar and listing of towns in France along with links to local tourism websites. 

France for Families - Under Regions>Markets in Languedoc-Rousillion there is a. list of the markets by the day of week. There is also a section on wine tasting under Food+Wine.

Languedoc Home Page - The site has sections on buying property in France and living in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  

House Rentals:

Beautifully restored mas. Located in the department Gard in the Languedoc-Roussillon region . For more information including photos go to www.mas-esperandieu.com. 

Specialty Tour Operators:

GoBarging - Offers luxury barge cruises along the waterways of France. The regions covered are Provence, South of France, Burgundy, Liore, Alsace Lorraine & Beaujolais. Some cruises spefically focus on wine, art and golf.

Books, language CD’s and magazine(s). For more information on the product click on the link. For guidebooks on France please visit GoingEuro France section.

French Complete Course : Basic-Intermediate, Compact Disc Edition French Cheeses: The Visual Guide to More Than 350 Cheeses from Every Region of France       “An excellent source for information on France. Comes out 6 times a year.”

The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence. After reading this book I not only had a better sense of the history, but I also had a visual picture of what the area looks like. This was helpful when deciding what to see and where to go. In the back of the book there is a section called “Useful Information” - listing of hotels, restaurants, festivals and market days. And after my trip I had a great book for the coffee table. Markets of Provence A must for those who are planning on doing some cooking while in France. The book provides recipes and tips when shopping at fresh markets. In the back of the book there is a glossary of names of food including herbs and spices in English and their equivalent name in French. Also included are French phrases you might use while at the  market. There is a conversation chart for measuring in metric along with a section called Restaurants and Places of Interest. The writer visited a different market every day of the week. Starting on Monday and ending on Sunday in none other than l’Isle-sur-la-sorgue, one of my favorite markets and towns.

A Year in Provence The first in a series that chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Peter Mayle (a Brit) and his wife after they purchase their dream home in the South of France. Not only is this a really funny series, but you gain inisght into the locales and customs of this part ofFrance. The second book is the series isToujours Provence and the third and final book in the series is Encore Provence.   French Lessons is not part of the “A Year in Provence” series”, but it is a good read and. focuses on the gastronomical delights of France.   A Year in Provence (DVD version) is the hilarious television series based on the books, starring John Thaw as Peter Mayle and Lindsay Duncan as his wife.

Abroad: A Travel Organizer and Journal Destinations: A Travel Journal Everywoman’s Travel Journal

I have used the Abroad: A Travel Organizer and Journal on several trips and found it not only useful for organizing the trip, but I found it fun to record my thoughts and impressions during the trip and to jot   down interesting little asides for my next trip. Just in case you want to keep photos, postcards or other souvenirs corner tabs are included along with blank pages. The rubberized cover makes it durable and can take a lot of wear and tear. I haven’t used the other two journals listed above, but both have received favorable reviews on Amazon.

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