ATMs and road instructions in Provence

Thanks everyone...great advice. Will download the maps for the area to our GPS. Good reminder about the link from the instant teller card to the chequing account...I had forgotten about that.
Cheers
Cathy

Everybody uses international signs, there won't be a problem. Also, I think the French do a better job of sign placement than do the Italians. One quirk, however, is that a turn sign MIGHT be across the road for a turn rather than being on the approaching side (you'd be looking for a turn a bit ahead of the sign, but you just passed it).

I was unaware that Canada has banks (other than trading posts for wolf hides and beaver pelts), so no help there.

A google search will give you the basics of French road signage. If you bring or rent a GPS you shouldn't have any problems.

If your ATM card belongs to one of the major ATM networks (e.g. Cirrus, Plus, Star) you'll have no problem in France. The ATM will dispense euros, your home bank in Canada will determine the exchange rate & debit your account accordingly.

Driving in Provence isn't difficult, but to make life even easier, you might want to bring along a GPS or get one from the rental company.

Hahaha! Ed, such a jokester! Yes, Cathy, your bank ATM cards will work well. Make sure you take at least two ATM cards, in case one gets lost/stolen/demagnetized. And make sure they're tied to your primary chequing account.
If you have an account with the Bank of Nova Scotia, you can withdraw from the French bank BNP Paribas without incurring the extra foreign withdrawal charge. It's the only Canadian bank with such an overseas arrangement.

Cathy,
I can't speak to the Canadian ATM issue, but I can assure you that you should have no problem navigating in provence. If you bring along a GPS with euromaps than you're golden, however, I navigated provence just fine using only maps. If you can spring it, I'd get a GPS, though.

I found the roads in Provence to be easy to navigate with maps. My husband drove and I navigated. You just have to know the name of the town as that is how they mark their highways.

Cathy

Watch out for a yellow diamond with a black line across it. That means, and may also say, "Vous n'avez pas la priorité", which means that you must stop for anything entering from the right, no matter how small. Really.

Then you see a yellow diamond >>without the black stripe<<. Now you have the right of way ... how good is that?

Hi Nigel
Thanks! I thought driving in Italy was 'fun'.
cathy

I'm not a techie and want a "real" map that I can fold and mark up; Michelin #113 has provence and Camargue. We had a glorious two weeks in a gite near Vaison la Romaine June 13-26. Where are you staying?

Hi Cary
We are staying at at B&B in Bonnieux (www.labouquiere.com), which has good reviews on Trip Advisor. We have rented a car for the week and will plan day trips from that base.

We are looking for a winery in the area that has a restaurant as we had such wonderful meals at some of the wineries in Tuscany a couple of years ago.
Cathy

Cathy, for our first trip to France, I took the pages out of our RS France guidebook that had the driving instructions. Even though the signs are international, we needed a little help (particularly the no-parking signs, and the cedez le passage type of instructions). After the first day or so I didn't refer to them, but it was comforting to have starting out.

We've always used the "pilot/navigator with map" method, which we've been fine with -- we like to wander and don't mind having to go through a round-about a few times while the navigator verifies the next town name. And it's true that you need to navigate primarily by town names, as the highway numbers change often and aren't the most prominent direction you see.

Otherwise, driving is quite easy, although in Provence I would recommend having a smaller car, rather than larger (as in small roads, limited parking).

Cathy, you'll love Bonnieux, very scenic. It's a bit north of you but we had a wonderful time at Domaine de Mourchon in Seguret. The owners are English, very passionate about their wine and very friendly.

Cathy You should not have a problem with bank card access. Look for those logos on your card. Driving is no worse than in Oakville and you should already be used to metric distances. Should you get to Vence (might be a stretch for you unless you are heading over to Nice) there is a great restaurant in the heart of old Vence that serves the best omelettes and crepes. I can't remember the name though. I think it's Le Bretagne. Blue awning and out of place in Provence. Enjoy your trip!