Ask Lonely Planet: Plenty to stomach in Paris

The French capital is bursting at the seams with fine dining establishments. Photo / Thinkstock

My wife is going to Paris for a conference in July and is staying on for a week afterwards but, because of various commitments, I'm only able to join her for three days. We'd like to spend that time having a real binge on French food and wine. We'd prefer to do that in a small town that we could explore in between pigging out. Can you suggest somewhere within striking distance of Paris where we could indulge ourselves?
- Jacko Johnson

Shawn Low, Lonely Planet's travel editor (Asia-Pacific) writes:

If you want to splash out on food, the Michelin Guide details all the top restaurants in France. A true gastronome will no doubt be toting a well-worn copy (along with the Lonely Planet France guide) around the country in search of the next meal.

Within Paris, look out for typically French bistros and classic dishes. L'Epi d'Or (25 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau) serves classics such as gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb) cooked for seven hours. For some Michelin-starred goodness within Paris, seek out these restaurants: Guy Savoy (18 Rue Troyon), L'Arpege (84 rue de Varenne), Helen Darroze (4 rue d'Assas). There are at least 12 three-starred restaurants in Paris and more than 20 that are one- or two-starred.

Île-de-France, the area immediately surrounding Paris, has some fabulous cathedrals and extravagant chateaux. For food, Versailles, 30 minutes from Paris, has L'Angelique (27 rue de Saint-Cloud), a modestly priced Michelin-starred establishment. Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant is also found in Versailles at 1 boulevard de la Rein.

Further afield, you could consider travelling to Les Crayères (64 boulevard d Henry Vasnier) in Reims, just over an hour northeast from Paris. Reims, being in the Champagne region, is a great launching-pad for a cellar tour. Taittinger and Pommery are both in Reims. Épernay, also in Champagne is, of course, home Moët & Chandon.

Wired up while on holiday

We are planning a holiday to Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan). I need to stay in touch with my customers via a laptop. What is the best temporary high-speed broadband connection option? I do not want to rely on internet cafés and such. I have to be able to work from my room and I don't want to clock up huge bills. A lot of hotels and motels have internet connections in the room. Is it better to purchase a wireless broadband USB device? This would mean that I can access the internet anytime, anywhere.
- H Janssen

Shawn Low, Lonely Planet's travel editor (Asia-Pacific) writes:

First, the easiest and most mobile option would be to buy a wireless USB broadband modem/dongle.

When you get to Canada, visit one of the many telcos and ask about pay-as-you-go mobile broadband plans.

I found some plans via a Google search. Virgin Mobile Canada offers 500mb for C$30 ($40) per month and 1GB for C$35. Rogers Wireless also offers similar deals.

With regards to the modem, you can most certainly purchase one in Canada but the one you purchase in New Zealand will most certainly work too.

Make sure that the one you get is unlocked and able to be used with any SIM card.

You are also correct in that hotels have internet connections. However, some charge for usage. When you are booking your room, find out if they charge for internet and see if you can find a room where access is free.

Ironically, youth hostels often have free Wi-Fi throughout the premises (or at least in the common areas).

Most hostels have really decent private rooms with attached bathrooms and this might be a good option. Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, make sure your hotel room has internet access and find out what charges are.

There are also free Wi-Fi connections at local cafes such as Starbucks.

Win a Lonely Planet guide book

Email your questions to travel.info@lonelyplanet.com and they'll be answered by Lonely Planet's experts. In addition the best question each week will earn a Lonely Planet guide book. To win, add your postal address and the guide book you'd like to receive. You can find out about Lonely Planet books at LonelyPlanet.com. Not all questions are necessarily answered and Lonely Planet cannot correspond directly with readers, or give advice outside the column.