Rentals-France Newsletter September 3 1999. Number 5.

I try to give information and provide links to other sites which are accurate and useful. Please write to me with any comments and let me know if there is a special subject you would like mentioned.

We are trying very hard to make our sites at
http://www.rentals-france.com/
http://www.goto-provence.com/
interesting and helpful.

Our policy is to only offer properties in these regions which we know or which a local manager knows personally, which offers good value and which we are confident to recommend. Our client is you, the person or family taking the vacation, not the owner of the property. We do not make any charge to the property owner for putting their home on our site, this is to ensure we are free to act in your interests and to try to make your vacation in France the best possible. If we receive complaints about a property, we remove it from our lists. ======================
This week. Just one topic.

Women Traveling alone in France
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This weeks newsletter is dedicated to a subject which I have asked to give advice on, Women travelling alone. Rather than give you my own totally unqualified thoughts on this, I have asked two people far better suited to speak on the subject. Barbara has lived in France for over 20 years, originally from Southern Germany, Barbara is a successful business woman and has traveled extensively through Europe. Cheryl originates from Texas and has lived and worked in many far flung corners of the world. Cheryl has been staying here in Nizas for the last three months.
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From Barbara, "Is travel in France safe for women on their own?" Oh Yes? You should be aware of pickpockets, but a personal attack is very rare in France and your chance to get involved in this is unlikely.

Bars and Restaurants : You can go there on your own and French women do. A lot of French women are working and always lunch in restaurants or are travelling for their work. Others like to be on their own. I go on my own whenever I feel like it.

Bars/Cafes/Tearooms/Brasserie/Restaurant : Salon de the = tearoom : provides tea and coffee, cakes, and mostly ladies go there. Bar : This is the same thing as a cafe in france, this is a place for drinking whether alcohol or not. They can provide sandwiches and littles snacks Brasserie: that is a "brewery" go there for drinks but at lunchtime , dinnertime or even breakfast, they provide very good food. Restaurant: in general only open for lunch or dinner, they don't have a licence for alcohol sales without having a meal and when you go there you are supposed to have a meal and not just a drink.

In a Cafe/Bar If you are sitting at a table on your own, hardly ever someone is going to speak to you. If you like to talk to people you can stand up at the bar or sit on a bar chair and ask for information, what I often do is to ask for the newspaper and read it. French "machos" are very respectful of women. Be aware of drunk people - they can annoy you but they are hardly aggressive. If you have a cup of coffee that is very safe. If you are asking for a double whisky in a bar where only men are sitting, they could be surprised. How to order water (always very safe)a glass of water means a glass of tap water, it's free but only served if you have ordered something, for instance : coffee or ice-cream. If you want mineral water, you never ask for just mineral water but for a brand mark, if they don't have the brand they will offer the equivalent : Perrier = very fizzy Badoit = less fizzy but mineral Vittel = not fizzy (like tap water but out of a bottle) Then you have the whole range of International and French soft drinks. You can drink a reasonable amount of beer any time and alcohol for aperitif (lunch or dinner time) or digestive (after dinner) without being suspected.

The most important thing is if you walk in you say nice and loud either 'bonjour' (or 'bonsoir') or 'Messieures - Dames'.

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From Cheryl. WOMEN ALONE : How to travel in France. A women traveling alone in France is sure to encounter a variety of experiences that are enjoyable as well as exciting. Being off your beaten track opens the possibilities of meeting all sorts of people and maybe clearing a few things as well. But there are a few rules and reminders to keep your money safe and your holiday fun. First, be prepared but not paranoid. While preparing for the trip you need to follow some basic guidelines. Copy your itinerary and leave it with friends and family. Devise some way to keep in touch either through the telephone, by e-mail or Fax. Pack carefully. Keep your luggage as light as possible. Struggling with a couple of mammoth suitcases can hamper your mobility creating situations that are both frustrating and physically trying Train and air stations have luggage carts but porters are non existent these days. Schlepping heavy suitcases onto a train can be unpleasant at best. Keep your carry-on piece light That is where you pack your valuables. Carefully label your luggage. It is important that your identity label cannot be easily read by a casual onlooker. I take a business card and fold it in half before inserting it into a covered identification holder. If you travel often, buy European appliances. I have a hair dryer for both Britain and Europe. Dont weigh yourself down with unnecessary items;

Get a good hair cut before you leave. pack enough of those beauty products that you just can't do without. Ther are plenty of shops offering cosmetic items so you can fill in if necessary. be sure and take enough of any prescription drug that you must have. If in doubt about any drugs that you might need, have your doctor write a prescription to take with you Keep these somewhere with you but not in your purse.

Photocopy credit cards and your bank card Keep these documents with you but not in your purse. Leave a copy with a friend or family member.

Don't take a lot of cash. bank cards work well. You can access teller machines all over France, even in the most unlikely places. Traveler's checks still are useful, but there are banks that will add a surcharge to cash them (Barclays being one)and you must wait for banking hours whereas the tell machines offer 24 hour service. But, if you are using the machine, be aware if others are lurking a bit too close for comfort. If you fell uncomfortable in any way, find another machine.

Credit cards can be used almost anywhere as well. American Express is not as universally accepted as it once was Visa and Mastercard have scarfed most of that business. Credit cards offer an easy way to travel without taking cash. You can even pay the tolls on Frances excellent autoroutes with your credit card.

Some people wear money belts from which they draw out either cash or traveler's checks when necessary. i suggest that you carry a purse which fits over your shoulder and high under your arm, or wear a shoulder bag bandoleer style. Do not carry a shoulder strap bag that swings across your back a,d fanny packs, while convenient and uncomplicated are a sure sign of a tourist. The fashion world has come out with flat belt bags that can fit against the body and are worn on the front or side. These seem to be a fine addition to the traveler's security portfolio. If the weather is cool, you can also wear a top coat or jacket that has deep pockets. It is possible to find light-weight rain coats that feature interior pockets. These are nifty wardrobe additions as well as an extra security measure. When you arrive in France, you will see locals wearing fanny packs and back packs. No matter how low you keep your profile, you can still be recognized as a tourist. (Clothing, walking style, facial expression, etc) Just don't make yourself a mark.

There are obvious places where thieves congregate and that is where the tourists go. Anywhere in Paris, especially at Metro stations; Any must-see monuments throughout the country are magnetic for the light fingered artist. Don't make it easy for them. Keep your purse tight against your body. Don't put it down to look at maps. Don't leave valuables out while paying for purchases. Don't hang your purse over the back of a chair in a restaurant. Keep your valuables in a hotel safe or better yet, travel with nothing that must be locked away.

Another tactic used to separate the tourists from her money is the short change gambit. Often you pay for a small purchase with a large denominated bill. (Banks can give you nothing but big bills for some reason) In return, the cafe or tourist shop will give you lots of complicated change that does not add up. I most shops, this does not happen. But if you are visiting the Pont du Gard and buy a souvenir for 30 FF and pay with a 200 FF bill, count your change.

Another alert for the savvy tourist is the fact that counterfeit moneys are passed easily during the press of tourist season. I got a 10 FF clunker at a cafe frequented by tourists. Just be aware.

Dressing for France is easy. Wear good quality, casual clothing that is comfortable and washable. i wear cotton and lined during the hot season. Do not buy new clothing festooned with logos. This is a sure give-away that you just got off the Air France flight from New York. Refrain from splashy jewelry or other expensive clothing items. Don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself. French people other than the young do not wear athletic shoes. For walking, buy a couple of pairs of dark, casual shoes. French women tend to wear more dresses than American women and these dresses are often much shorter than what American's prefer. What you do not want to wear is a tee shirt announcing that you are a satisfied resident of the state of Michigan. Just use good sense when dressing. You are not out to win best dressed awards. You want to look good, be comfortable and not worry about cleaning establishments. If you enjoy dining at elegant restaurants or plan to attend the opera in Paris, then by all means bring a suitable outfit for those events.

While visiting tourist sites, be aware of who is around you. Use your street skills. Thieves generally work in groups of 2 or 3 or even 4. Try to look confident and move with purpose when you are our sight-seeing. That does not mean you can't sit and enjoy the sites. While having a coffee, just keep your notebook by your side. If you are sitting by the Eiffel tower reading your guide book, keep your purse tucked under your arm or close by your side. The greatest danger is at the big sites during the heady hot days of the tourist season. Just be aware.

There is nothing that you can't do as a woman traveling alone in France. Chose reputable hotels that are located in attractive areas. That does not mean that you must pay lots of money for a hotel. Many small, attractive and less expensive hotels hold good addresses. Just do a bit of homework.

This advice also holds true about sight-seeing. There are some monuments that you might want to see with a group. Read more than one good guide book before embarking on your trip. There are numerous publications dealing with women traveling alone. Seek these out as well.

If you want to rent a car for a driving holiday, do so before you arrive in France. Be sure that you know how to drive a manual shift if you are unable to rent an automatic transmission. Not knowing how to drive a manual shift car can put you in physical peril. The french are fast aggressive drivers. Do not be put off by the tail-gater. Just let him pass and maintain whatever speed you find comfortable. The autoroutes provide the quickest and safest routes between cities, but they are not the most interesting. If you want to travel on the Routes National or the smaller Deparmental roads, have a detailed map. Be sure and travel with your doors locked and when parking, make sure that you have locked your car. Rental cars in france have distinctive number plates, therefore they are easily identified by those who wish to do so. If you drive through town with your windows lowered, keep your pocketbook on the floor. When parking, be sure that there is nothing left in the car. If there is nothing to attract the attention of vandals, generally, they will look for something more interesting. A map left open on the seat indicates that you are traveling. Keep your maps folded out of sight. Another thing, if you are regularly traveling on the toll roads, it is easy to keep change on the console for easy access. be sure and remove change when leaving your car.