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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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RF Newsletter Number 23, April 19 2000 Contents.
Hello from a warm and sunny south of France. === Watch Your Bags; I had a phone call this morning from guests who are arriving here next week. They have just had all their luggage stolen from their rental car which was parked while they visited Carcassonne, one of France's most popular sites. Last year a lady staying with us had her bag snatched from her while she was driving her rental car in traffic in Nimes, another popular town for tourists. The fact is that popular places for visitors attract the crooks who come to take advantage of the crowded resorts and roads and who make a target for rental and foreign cars. In France, the last two numbers on the registration plate can tell you which department (county) the car comes from. We live in Herault which is 34 and we used to live in Ain which is 01, Lyon is 69 the center of Paris is 75 (tres chic). It is very easy for a crook to recognise a car which must have travelled some distance and is likely to have bags, luggage or cameras in it. To make things worse, the rental companies usually register their cars in a few departments where the taxes are lower, so these numbers are easy to recognise as rental cars such as 92, 51 or 26. The solution is to never leave anything in you car. Make sure your bags and valuables are on the floor in the back while you are travelling and keep them with you when you have a break. If you check out of your lodgings and are on the way to another place, don't stop off and leave the car when you go site-seeing with your luggage in the car. Ask you host if you can leave them and then collect them before you make your way to the next stop. I also advise our guests to take the panel out of the back of a hatch-back so you can see into the back and that there is nothing there to take. It really is not a big problem in France, but it does happen, just don't let it happen to you. === In the last newsletter I said that the owner of a super villa in Menton will give a special price for some weeks still left, this got a big response. Other owners are now offering special deals, look at...
http://www.rentalsfrance.com/paraisette/
Bookings were slow for the first 3 months this year, but they are coming in fast now so be quick for the bargains. === I am still working on our "mini portal" site at Many thanks to all of you who have told me about the things you would like to see in this site, I will reply to you all and I am taking notice of all your comments; I am also looking at making a WAP site for travelers. Anyone who has some experience in using their Palm, mobile phone or is planning to buy the new Compaq iPAQ H3650 or Aero, please let me know what you would find valuable; === best wishes to all and Mind Your Luggage Tony Tidswell
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