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This book was originally published in 2015 and has been fully
updated in 2017 and provides you with all you need to know to
enjoy a
visit to France with a motoring twist – when to go, how to get
there,
and where to find out more. There are nearly a dozen new
entries
and other entries have been rewritten and extended. There
are 140
new images and the practical information data (opening hours,
address,
public transport services, GPS satnav co-ordinates, website,
telephone
number, email) has also been updated.
There is also an extract from the French chapter in the companion
volume Driving In Europe.
Most
years, the Marsh family either holidays in France or travels
through
France to a destination in another country. As a committed
Citroën enthusiast, this meant poring through guidebooks or
latterly,
searching the net for Citroën-related attractions to visit (or
inflict
on the other members of my family who are less than enthusiastic
about
looking at and talking about cars). The trouble with the
former
approach is that all too often, the smaller motoring-related
attractions are not listed and the latter approach presents too
much,
non-specific information. And for those who do not speak
the
Language of Angels, the search results will be next to
incomprehensible
since few French websites are translated into English.
Using a book might seem like a Luddite approach but in many
ways, this
makes much more sense than using the internet since access to
the net
can be a bit hit and miss in rural France. However, those
who are
suspicious of old-fangled technology like books and maps can
visit http://www.driveguide.guru
where there is a wealth of extras including downloadable POI
files for
most satnavs; an events calendar; a list of automotive websites,
and
lots
of other information. Furthermore the guide is also
available as
an eBook and as a series of smartphone/tablet apps, with live
links,
zoomable maps and extra photo & video content.
So how does one set about reviewing a book like this? It
is
certainly not the kind of book that one reads from cover to
cover. The approach I took was to look at museums and
shows that
I have visited and to see how easy it was to locate them and to
read
the entries and look at the pictures and see how they stack up
with my
recollections. Given the limited space available for each
attraction, I thought the results were excellent; in a few words
and
with a few colour photos, there is enough information to whet
one’s
appetite.
Helpfully, the book is divided, using colour coding at the top
of each
page, into geographical locations and thereafter, again using
colour
coding into Museums; Shows & Tours; Market Place; and
Circuits. Furthermore, at the beginning of each
geographical
section, there is a map showing the locations of each of the
attractions mentioned.
To sum up then, this is an excellent book and every car
enthusiast who visits France should buy a copy.
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