European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel european the go in France by Polly Clingerman on a Bright late october morning we were driving South on a Small French Road it toward the Lascaux caves and their famous paintings when we passed a sign for Lesieux 50 Kilometres to the West Lesieux Home of St. Teresa. I had Long loved that gentle soul who died in 1897 at the age of. 24, the caves could wait. We turned West. That is they Way we tour or maybe i should say Quot Detour Quot France. We stick to secondary roads stay at Small hotels and ignore the inline Rary when it gets in the Way. It is relaxed and exciting. What s More it s cheap. It allows us to do twice the travel for half the Price. Following misinformation that should help you with your travels in trance. Food a picnic when possible. Buy bread cheese and cold cuts a no fancy stuff like pat6s and galantine though or you shoot the budget and eat More than you wanted to. Go to a Coffee bar or cafe for a Sandwich a foot of crusty Baguette filled with Ham cheese or Pate or for a croquet Monsier France s version of a grilled Ham and cheese domed with extra cheese and baked until the Bottom is Crunchy the top puffed and unc Lous. Head for the cafeteria in a super Marche Complex supermarket shopping enter. 5pme  Well known French. Supermarket chains Are Cora Mammoth Centre Leclerc eur Marche and hype Marche. Shopping centers Are Handy for the Motorist because they re usually at the Edge of town. You la see advertising. Along the Road saying super Marche and somewhere on the sign cafeteria. Here you choose from a mouthwatering array of hours d oeuvres salads hot dishes desserts cheese and fruit As Well As wine Beer and Mineral water. These Are Good places to try regional dishes prices look like those in Small restaurants but actually Are much lower because there s no service charge a 20% saving and you Don t have to take a 1 Complete meal. A a Quot if you re really hungry watch for a restaurant displaying the red-White-and-1 Blue retain routers disk. These French truck stops Dot most roads except the big autoroutes., they generally offer a lavish hours d oeuvres Buffet a Choice of main course fruit cheese and dessert wine and water included in the Price of the a meal Are on the tables. These feasts Cost from 45 to 50 francs about $9. No1 service charge no charge for drinks. If you do go to a restaurant Check the menu usually posted outside on the door or a window. Most restaurants in France offer a Complete meal from three to seven courses for a set Price. These menus often change each Day depending on what the. Chef has purchased at the Market. It s generally far More reasonable to order a menu particularly if you intend to have a More than one course than ordering it la carte. A a a lodging a stay in Small hotels away the French Riviera is renowned for its beaches sparkling Blue water and easygoing lifestyle Gus Schueller from the big cities and highways a reservations Aren t vital. A use the fat red Michelin guide see Story on guidebooks Page 46. This Book is indispensable to the Gypsy Auto traveler _ it lists every town and Village in France a a that has a comfortable hotel something no other guide has space or resources to do. Don t get a room with Bath. Most Small hotels have them but the Price shoots up. Out of All proportion to the convenience you receive. Every room has a sink and Mirror so you pay a lot to avoid walking a couple feet Down the Hall. Look for the Logis de France plaque a yellow Pyramid shaped Tower on a Green background. The Logis de France is an association of Small inexpensive hotels generally owned and managed by husband wife teams. They Range from _ modest to modestly elegant and Are a bargain. All the French tourist offices have free guides to these hotels _ France is a loader in reasonable Motel chains usually located on the outskirts of cities and popular tourist destinations. The formula 1 Chain is computerized futuristic. You can use your visa credit card in a machine that lets you Reserve and pay for your room and then gives you a code that opens the front door to the hotel and to your room. All rooms Are exactly the _ same they Are Small but have a television. They Are very popular with non americans. Cost for a triple is 120 francs about $21. Other reasonable Motel chains _1 although a bit More expensive than formula 1, Are climate Campanile and 1 Balladin. In Many cases the Price of a. Room is posted on a billboard outside the hotel which makes it possible to shop around without leaving your car. Yet another Way to Cut lodging posts is to stay in a private Home. The French equivalent of bed and breakfast is called Chambre d Hotes. Look for Green and yellow signs along the Road to indicate. Locations. Chambers d Hotes Are affiliated a with the cites de France organization. Cites Are Homes and cottages that can be rented for longer stays. More information a a on All of these lodging possibilities is a available from the French tourist office. See Page 38 for  a v Quot shopping a a in France there Are no _ Laws governing when shops and businesses must close. However certain customs generally prevail. With a few exceptions. Such As in very Large cities like Paris _ businesses shut Down from noon to 2 a a  through Friday. Restaurants usually close exactly at two. A a on saturday shops Are usually open until 5 or 6 ., although they May close earlier in Small towns. On sunday shops. That sell food and sometimes one pharmacy in a town will stay open until 1 or 2  Monday is a Day of rest for Many shops in France. In Small towns most services and businesses close All Day. In some r places such As Paris Many shops open Only during the afternoon on monday. Money tipping a in France banking hours vary. However with the exception of popular tourist areas Banks Are usually a closed monday mornings and All Day saturday. In Paris Many Banks will not change Money. Tourists must rely on change offices that Exchange Money and Are located throughout the City Check out the ate posted then ask How much commission is charged. Rates and a commission fees vary so it s Best to inquire before changing Money. In almost a i restaurants and cafes service is included in the Bill a look for the letters Quot Etc Quot a Toute taxes comprises or All taxes included however you should leave a bit More. In a cafe just leave Small a change from a few centimes to a few francs depending on the amount of your Bill. In a Good restaurant leave As much As 10 percent extra.,credit cards Are widely accepted for just about anything a including toils on some of the busier autoroute. Sightseeing a be it Paris or Perpignan France abounds with interesting places to visit. The National museums in the country Are closed All Day , . Is free entry to these museums on _  visitors should investigate the carte inter Musee. For 50 francs $8.60it entitles you to visit any of 60 different museums in the City on one Day. The card. Can be purchased foe 3 and 5 Days also. Transportation a the Paris metro subway is a Joy. With a a Tro map it s easy to use in Many stations there is a Large my Tro map at the Entrance. You can press a Button indicating which Stop you want a series of lights then goes on to indicate your route. Quot metro tickets can be purchased at the subway Entrance. A Book of 10 tickets Carnet is a worthwhile Purchase if you know you will be travelling on the m6tro for several rides. There Are also tickets valid for unlimited travel during a specified number of Days. A free Lance writer Polly Cligerman who now  Virginia lived and travel throughout Europe for Many years. A my stars and stripes travel Europe May 22, 1991my