what was that great guidebok called?
 

When I was in rural France a few years ago I met quite a few english travellers who were doing independent driving trips the way I like to do and they all had a fantastic accommodation book the name of which I have forgotten but which I had vowed to remember. <BR>It may have included the word gites in the title,but the accommodation was b@bs, farmhouses and little moderately priced hotels with ambience. Can anyone suggest what it might have been?

Gites de France is an association of B & Bs including everything ranging from castles to cottages. <BR>See http://www.gites-de-france.fr/ <BR> <BR>Ed

Fodors Rivages - Hotels of Charm and Character in France - also do one for Italy, Spain and Portugal. They also have a Fodors Rivages - B & Bs of charm and character - have 'em - good books

I don't know that exact guidebook, probably a British pub., but it sounds like something you could maybe get as a combination of the gites info (for gites and B&Bs or chambres d'hote in French--gites & B&BS are two diff. things; gites are just places for rent by indiv. owners thru the French Gites org.; hotels are not in there) and the www.logis-de-france.fr for the hotel part.

Thanks for suggestions. <BR> <BR>Are there any Brits out there who travel independently in France and would like to make a suggestion about this book? All the English travellers seemed to know and/or use it. Could it have been an A.A. publication?

We travel to France most years and our 'bible' for places to stay is the Logis de France guide, we have never sayed at a bad logis, some are more basic than others but that is always reflected in the price you pay. If you think it may have been an AA publication check out their web site at www.theaa.co.uk click on travel and motoring then on bookshop a complete list of AA publications is shown. Hope this helps.

We always use the Michelin Red Guide for lodgings and restaurants. We lived in France for a few years, used the Red Guide frequently (like every couple of weekends!) and never got a bum steer

We've used Alastair Sawday's guide to French Bed & Breakfasts. This is a British publication from which we've booked several places.

Check out the Guide Routard.It's published in English by Rough Guide, titled "French Hotels and Restaurants". We have found some wonderful gems using this resource.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions....even if they are not the same book I'll enjoy checking out your recommendations. Jan, I have a feeling it is Logis de France...I'll check out the aa site but really just suspected it was theirs because so many English travellers had it.