Nigelt

Thanks for that.  Walking the streets on Google earth, looks as if there is a Franprix just round the corner. Nigel T

Can anybody recommend any hypermarkets in the centre of Paris?  I believe there is one at La Defence (Auchan?).  I know there are plenty of small supermarkets dotted around, but there don't appear to be any hypermarkets. Thanks Nigel T

Thanks for the info.  I was hoping to go by TGV, but I don't think it runs through Chateauroux.  I will have to consult my timetables! Nigel T  

Hi Alistair      try the link below, it gives the towns and times for the stage.  Not too sure why the tour website doesn't have this amount of detail. http://www.indre.fr/jahia/Jahia/portail/sport/pid/10954 Looks like it only covers the race in Indre. Nigel T

I am looking at going to Paris in July from the Brenne.  Does anyone know if there is plenty of parking at Chateauroux railway station?  only going for the day (depending on times), but I get bit paranoid about parking in busy car parks and finding dents etc when I get back. Thanks Nigel T

What are the rules regarding flags on UK numberplates?  I have a welsh flag on my plate.  Originally, I thought that was sufficent when travelling abroad.  Looking a bit further into it, it appears that I still have to display a GB sticker on the car. Nigel T

The link below seems to cover all the airlines. http://www.flycheapo.com/

Has anybody used the sleeper seats Portsmouth/Le Havre?  They had no cabins left for our crossing in July.  Looking at the website, it seems as if they fold out like a bed.  Do they provide pillows etc? Nigel T

Has anyone used euro travellers cheques recently?  last time I took some over to France in 2000, I had a lot of problems changing them.  Either banks wouldn't change them or charged astronomical charges.  It always used to be the case that when changing French franc cheques you were charged the commission in the UK when you purchased them, and then when you cashed them in France you were given the face value with no commission taken off (as it had already been paid) From memory, La Poste charged X amount per cheque and some others would charge per transaction.  I wonder whether it was because it was during the introduction of the euro.  I prefer to take travellers cheques because it can be easier to budget on holiday this way. Any experiences? Nigel T

One advantage of using Tom Tom on a PDA is that there are quite a lot of add-ons available.  For example, I have downloaded the locations of all the Auchan hypermarkets in France.  This allows me to navigate straight to them.  You can also download the locations of speed camera sites and set up warnings when you are approaching them.  I know that speed camera detectors are illegal in France, but does anyone know what the rules are on using this information, as it is a database rather than a detector? Also, are there updates for the maps on these systems? I was using Tomtom 2 in the Limousin last summer and found that the motorway wasn't on the map. 

We are looking for details of co-operatives in the Loire Valley. We are travelling down from Le Havre to the Correze in September and thinking of stopping off at one to stock up on the way down. The route we will be taking will probably take us down towards Tours/Azay and then down towards Le Blance from there, so somewhere on the route would be ideal. Are there any websites with lists? Nigel T

We are flying into Lyon airport in july and are looking for a chambre d'hote at a reasonable price, preferably serving evening meals, in the southern Burgundy region. Has anybody got any suggestions/reccomendations?