5 Ways to Save Money When Traveling To Europe

These are difficult times for anyone accustomed to traveling across the Atlantic in the good old days when the dollar was as strong as an ox.

European travel now requires serious planning if you want to avoid breaking your bank.

Check-out these 5 tips for saving money.

1) Book an apartment instead of a hotel
If you’re going to be in the same area for at least a week consider renting an apartment.  They’re generally cheaper than hotels and can provide a more enriching travel experience.

2) If you do stay in a hotel, skip their breakfast
14 Euros for a croissant and a cup of coffee?  I don’t think so Francois.
Forego breakfast at your hotel and head out to a local bakery.  You’ll have more fun, save money, and eat better food.

3) Pick the right credit card
Almost all banks charge a fee for

Christmas Eve in St Tropez

Brigitte Bardot on the beach in St Tropez

I‘ve only been to St Tropez once and let me tell you my expectations were not high.

It was Christmas Eve day several years ago and my wife and I, with our good friend Yamina, decided to hop in the car and take a leisurely ride.

A little under two hours later we were pulling into St Trop.

I had mixed emotions.

Images of Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson cavorting on a yacht with their drunken entourage were a bit hard to shake, and I didn’t really have any interest

The French Riviera: Best Drives

Click here for information on Le Stuff’s French Riviera Mini Cooper Driving Adventure!

Into The Back Country

I recently posted tips for driving the celebrated, and often congested, corniche roads.  I would now like to offer a few suggestions for those wishing to break free from the constraints of traffic by heading north into the vast arriere pays (back country).

Begin your journey in the tiny hamlet of Pont du Loup and head west on D2210 in the direction of Le Bar sur Loup.  Bar is a beautiful and uncrowded working class village that sits on the side of a hill overlooking the Loup Valley.
Consider having lunch at the recently renovated L’Hostellerie du Chateau (the food is sublime) located in the town’s main square.  You may also want to stop by the tourist office (just steps away from the Chateau) and make arrangements for a guided village walking tour.

Le Bar sur Loup

Trip Notes:
Auberge des Gorges du Loup
Pleasant, affordable accommodations and a good restaurant in the tiny town of Pont du Loup.
http://www.auberge-gorgesduloup.com

L’Hostellerie du Chateau
Beautifully renovated 14th century chateau in the the main square of Le Bar sur Loup.  Exquisite restaurant and 6 tastefully decorated rooms.
http://www.lhostellerieduchateau.com

Continue east from Bar on D2210 in the direction of Pre du Lac.  As you enter Pre du Lac take a sharp right onto D3 and begin twisting your way up to one of the most beautiful villages in France

10 Things I’d Like To Do in 2010

Happy New Year everyone.

Here is a list (in no particular order) of 10 things I’d like to do in 2010.

1) Have lunch at Il Vino in Paris
2) Go somewhere with my brother
3) Increase subscriptions to this blog
4) Dramatically simplify my life
5) Take my wife to dinner at Primola in New York
6) Get out of debt
7) Go on a French barge cruise with my mother
8) Ask my cat very politely to please not rip my hand off when I try to pet him
9) Write a comprehensive e-book on travel to the south of France
10) Spend more time with the people I care most about

Do you have a list?  Send it to me in the comments section….

Paris: The 10th

I realize this is a blog mainly about the south of France, but occasionally I feel the need to branch out a bit, and this happens to be one of those times.

So bear with me.

Lately I’ve noticed much blogging about the 10th arrondissement in Paris.  The 10th is garnering a lot of attention as one of the up-and-coming neighborhoods in the city of light.  For those looking to snatch a good deal on a Parisian apartment, I’m told this is the first place you should look.

The Canal-Saint Martin neighborhood is in the 10th, between the Gare du Nord and Republique in northeastern Paris.  It is quirky, a bit seedy, and

To Catch A Thief: Take 5

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #7

Having narrowly escaped the police in Monaco, John Robie flees to Cannes in a motor boat with Danielle Foussard.  Once in Cannes, he slips into the water and casually swims to the beach (while a police airplane circles above).

The beach is directly across the main boulevard (La Croisette) from the famous Carlton Hotel.  The Carlton plays a prominent role in To Catch A Thief, but more on that later.  It is here, on the beach, that we get our first glimpse of Grace Kelly.

If there has ever been perfect casting in a movie, it may be Grace Kelly for the part of Francie Stevens.  Icy cool and strikingly beautiful