What's New at Walking Tours of France (Archives)

• For at least the next two months, we will be donating 20% of our profits to the American Red Cross to help aid the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Buying an extra map or trail guide will benefit these people, some who are our customers and friends. (09/04/2005)

• We have added a regions index to the FFRP page to help you jump immediately to the trail guides you are looking for. If you have never purchased a FFRP guide, we recommend that you read the introduction for that page.(09/04/2005)

• Several of our web site pages have been updated. (08/18/2005)

• Our New Products page has been updated with new titles. (08/18/2005)

• Several new titles have been added to our FFRP page. We are in the process of adding index maps and covers of each guide as they are made available to us.(08/18/2005)

• Several new titles have been added to our Cicerone Press page. (8/18/2005)

• We get asked this question about once a month. Why don't you have a shopping cart system in place like many web sites have? For the answer, refer to the same question at the entry 2/15/2004. (08/17/05)

• The FFRP has raised their prices 5-10% on their trail guides. We are updating this page to reflect these changes.(08/11/05)

• The cost of Randonnées Pyrènées maps has increased to $17.95 each. The good news is that this price is not affected by the Euro exchange difference since we are now able to get most of these maps from our USA wholesaler. (08/08/2005)

• We have added trail guides from the publisher Editions Glénat. These colorful trail guides will be useful on the trail and good edition for any outdoorsman's library. For a complete list, check out our web page for this publisher.(06/25/05)

• We have added the page First-time Hiking in France? to help those who have never hiked a trail in France.(06/24/2005)

• WOW! The Euro is finally dropping, partially due to the political fuss surrounding France's refusal to sign the new European Constitution. As high as one euro equaling $1.38, it was $1.21 today. Since we buy in Euros, this is a great time to stock up on maps and trail guides. When we are able to buy them for less, we pass the savings on to you.(06/20/05)

• We are adding a couple new trail guide series, plus all of our regular publishers are coming out with new maps. Take a look at our New Products page.(06/18/2005)

• WTF Buy-Back Program. For major GR trails, it can take 20-30 blue series maps. So, what do you do with all of them after your trip? You only need so many souveniers. If they are in good condition, we will buy them back from you. Let us know what you have and we will let you know what to send. After we examine them, we will give you a quote which you can accept or reject. For excellent condition (not used), it may be as high 50% of the original cost. (06/11/05)

• It saddens us that the web site France on Foot has kind of gone by the wayside with no current updates since July 20, 2003. It was a great site to get current info on trails when you were heading for France. We used it to prepare for our trips. It told us if a storm had gone through and damaged the trail, etc. Quite Invaluable.

  In light of that, we are going to try to create a similar page based on what you the customer sends us. Tell us about your trip; where you went, what you saw, was it what you expected, difficulty of the route, your type of accomodations, food, etc. Amongst those that submit something each month, we will hold a drawing for free merchandise. (06/10/2005)

• Coming Soon!!! Trail of the Month where we will highlight a particular trail, letting you know what to expect, guides and maps you need.(06/08/05)

• After being in bankruptcy proceedings for the past 2-3 years, which made their products hard to obtain, Didier-Richard has now reorganized and is selling a new series of 1:50,000 sclae maps which we are obtaining. For this scale, these are best. Much better than IGN of same scale. We are in the process of updating that page. They specialize in Alps & Provence locations. So, if you are heading that way, consider these maps.(06/08/2005)

• Prices have dropped on several Cicerone Press titles. We have a new distributor for this press and are able to pass the savings on to you. (05/21/2005)

• We have several new maps and guides available. Check out our New Products page. (05/13/2005)

• The summer months are the best time to visit France for high alpine hiking journies. Let us know how we can be of service to help plan your trip. (04/30/2005)

• Thank you for another great year as our business continues to grow! In fact, we have been so busy in 2004 that a lot of the plans we had for this web site had to be put on the backburner. In 2005, as we add new personnel and office space, the information will be more current. All suggestions for web site improvement will be considered. (01/02/2005)

• The dollar lost a lot of ground to the euro in 2004, going from as low as one euro equaling 1.16 to as high as 1.37. This has been hard on our business since we buy in Euros and we know some of our customers are putting off trips until it improves. We want you to have the best price possible and hope you will continue to support this business despite the added cost of our products. (01/02/2005)

• If you order IGN blue series maps for an uncommon area (not the popular tourist destination), please note, that it takes 2-5 weeks for delivery from France as we probably do not stock the maps you want. There are over 3,000 blue series maps of which we only stock our top 200-some best sellers.(12/29/2004)

• The Rother Walking Guides have been increased to $19.95 by the publisher. (10/31/2004)

• We no longer accept the American Express credit card for payment. The extra fees they charge for the privelege of accepting their card negates their worthfulness. (05/18/2004)

• WARNING! A large percentage of the products we sell are in French. If you order these items from us and come back later saying you thought they were in English, we will not refund your money if it was a special order or an item that is hard to sell. (3/03/2004)

• The IGN regional map series (Red) has changed its numbers. We will have a new index map online. (2/19/2004)

• We are in the process of getting a new supplier for Cicerone Press titles which will help us lower our prices for you. (2/18/2004)

• Customer Question: A customer asked us the other day why we did not have a shopping cart system in place like many web sites have. Two words: Variable Pricing. Due to the fluctuations of the euro, we do not have a set price for the products we purchase from France and Europe. Therefore, we would have to input new prices into that system every week which is too labor intensive for our small company.

  We have debated on whether to raise our prices to the maximum it might go. But, is that fair to you? We don't think so. We want to offer you the best prices possible. If the Euro returns to its humble beginnings, then it is a savings for you.(2/15/2004)

  You, the customer, are very important to us. If you have an idea for a better solution, please let us know. We will reward good ideas with credits for future purchases.(2/5/2004)

• Gites de France has released the new 2004 Chambre d'Hotes guide.(2/4/2004)

• The dollar continues to lose ground against the Euro, as high as one euro equaling 1.33 with the average around 1.25. That was part of the European Economic Union's plan, to have parity with the dollar so they can compete in world markets with us. They are blowing us away and it has been hard on our business since we buy in Euros. We want you to have the best price possible and hope you will continue to support this business despite the added cost of our products. (2/4/2004)

• IGN has increased their map prices by 6%. (2/4/2004)

• In France, guides that are annually updated usually come out in March and April, including the Michelin atlases and the Gites de France guides. (1/06/2004)

• Check out our new web page: Travel Guidebook Publishers. Here, are web site links to all the travel publishers we use to obtain guidebooks about France. (12/06/2003)

• We have added some new maps and guidebooks/trail guides to our New Products page. (12/06/2003)

• Our Late Fall-Early Winter 2003 Inventory Sale starts today! This is your chance to get great discounts on maps and trail guides for your upcoming 2004 trips to France. To learn about sales like this ahead of web surfers, subscribe to our online newsletter by sending us an e-mail with subscribe in the subject line. (11/29/2003)

• Late Fall-Early Winter 2003 Inventory Sale is coming soon whereby we offer deep discounts on current items in our inventory to clear room for new products in 2004. To learn about it first, subscribe to our online newsletter by sending us an e-mail with subscribe in the subject line. (11/21/2003)

• We have joined an affiliates program which will link you to travel web sites where you can buy clothes, boots, packs, and other equipment for your hiking journey, as well as book your airline flight to France and reserve an automobile and/or hotel rooms if needed. The links to these sites are on our home page, plus there are more companies on our web site links page to other France walking and hiking web sites, plus French products you may enjoy.(11/11/2003)

• All Didier-Richard maps are on sale for $10.95 each. After we have sold our inventory, we are discontinuing this map series as they are hard to obtain since their bankruptcy in 2002. (10/28/2003)

• On our home page, we have added a link to XE.com, a currency converter site. (10/28/2003)

• Several new maps have been added to our Map Sales & Clearance page. (10/22/2003)

• Like their politics, the French do not do business like we do in the U.S. Often it seems inane and nonproductive such as the IGN's practice of letting their inventory on a title go to zero before printing more. No forecasting there despite a title's popularity.

  Because of this, there will be occasions when you are notified that we are unable to get a title you ordered, an event out of our control. C'est la vie and a Gallic shrug is the best we will get from them until the title appears at a later date. (10/10/2003)

• As we noted to you on September 9, we are in the process of creating a new web page that shows the cover of each FFRP guide, along with a map that shows the trail(s) it covers which should better help you choose the guides you want to order. After evaluating that decision, we saw the page as being too massive. Instead of one large page, we are breaking it down by region.

  When you enter the main page which lists all the FFRP titles we sell, click on the region which will take you to its cover/maps page. We hope you enjoy this new feature. Our first page up covers Brittany.(10/04/2003)

• We are offering the book Paris for Free (Or Extremely Cheap) for free with any order $55.00 or more. For details, go to our Special Offers page. (09/25/2003)

• We are very excited about the Rother Walking Guides we have recently obtained, a series of trail guides from a publisher in Munich, Germany that are translated into English. The four titles they publish for France are Around Mont Blanc, Provence, Côte d'Azur, and Corsica (Click here for cover shots). Each guide contains 40-50 hikes for the region which vary from short day-hikes to long distance on GR trails. For each hike there is a written description with color photograph(s) and a map (1:50,000 scale). Their small size (4.5 inches x 6.5 inches) makes them easy to transport in a fanny pack or shirt/pants cargo-style pocket. They are $17.95 each.

  For those that might like to hike in other regions of Europe and nearby (with an emphasis on island locations), they also have Walking Guides titles in English for the Azores, Crete, Cyprus, Gomera, Gran Canaria, Iceland, La Palma (Spain), Madeira, Mallorca, Norway, Spanish Pyrenees, Sardinia, Sicily, Tenerife, Tuscany, Valais East (Switzerland), Valais West (Switzerland), Zugspitze (German Alps). We can obtain these for you from the same supplier. They are $17.95 each. (09/23/2003)

• Pricing changes
  After hitting a record high on 5/30/2003 of one Euro costing $1.22, the current devaluation of the dollar to the Euro has improved a little with one Euro costing $1.14841 (9/23/2003 rate of exchange). Our products are priced on the scale of one Euro = one dollar. Since we buy in Euros, the price you see on your invoice may be slightly higher than what is listed on our web site or quoted to you. To obtain the new price, we split our cost with you. We thank you for your understanding.(09/23/2003)

  Heavy or oversized titles will incur a higher shipping rate than the norm. This includes most guides over 400 pages such as the Chambre d'Hotes guide (1,000+ pages) and the Michelin Motoring Atlases. (09/10/03)

• This month we began sending out a newsletter via e-mail to our customers and interested people. If you wish to subscribe to our newsletter, please contact us via e-mail and enter "Subscribe WTF" in the subject line.(09/23/2003)

• We have added seveal new map titles and trail guides to our inventory. See our new products page. (09/23/2003)

• We are in the process of creating a new web page that shows the cover of each FFRP guide, along with a map that shows the trail(s) it covers. This should better help you choose the guides you want to order. (09/02/2003)

• PLEASE NOTE:All of the FFRP trail guides are in French. We have had non-lingual customers in the past upset with us because we sent them a book in French which they could not read. It is clearly stated on our web site that these guides are in French unless otherwise noted. We give you the information. It's up to you to read it clearly or ask us questions beore you place an order if you do not understand what we are saying. (08/30/2003)

• We are in the process of getting from the FFRP (see below), the map index for each of there trail guides. This will show exactly what the book covers and will help you make the correct order. (08/29/2003)

• The FFRP, overseer of the GR trail system in France, has come out with some new titles. Go to our page for FFRP guides and look for NEW in bold caps. A few other guides have also been updated with new versions. (08/21/2003)

• The current devaluation of the dollar to the Euro has improved a little this week with one Euro costing $1.12. Our products are priced on the scale of one Euro = one dollar. The price you see on your invoice may be slightly higher than what is listed on our web site or quoted to you. (08/12/2003)

• If you find a better price for any of the products we sell from a U.S. retailer, we will better it. (06/15/2003)

• Heavy or oversized titles will incur a higher shipping rate than the norm. This includes most guides over 400 pages such as the Chambre d'Hotes guide (1,000+ pages) and the Michelin Motoring Atlases. (06/13/2003)

• New Products page added. This page will list new or updated maps, trail guides, and guidebooks about France that you will want to know about. (06/01/2003)

• Devaluation of the dollar to the Euro hit a record high this week with one Euro costing $1.22. Our products are priced on the scale of one Euro = one dollar. The price you see on your invoice may be slightly higher than what is listed on our web site or quoted to you. (05/30/2003)

• New 2003 version of Gites d'Etapes Et De Sejours (05/16/2003)

• New title: Chambre d'Hôtes de Charme 2003. Chambre d'Hôtes, regulated by Gîtes de France, are rooms for rent. This 525+ page guide lists the most charming ones. (05/16/2003)

• The Michelin France map #989 has been renumbered as #721. It remains priced at $10.95. (05/16/2003)

• In July 2002, we merged our business with the Traveler's Book Club. Although we operate as a separate unit, they will remain the name on our merchant credit card account. When you purchase an item from us by credit card, their name will appear on your statement until further notice. (05/13/2003)

• Michelin and Didier Richard pages updated with product changes. (05/13/2003)

• IGN has produced its first city map for St-Malo (also includes Dinard) (05/13/2003)

• Michelin has released a new regional maps series which will replace the ones that were formerly in the 200 series. Now numbered in the 500's, they are essentially the same maps as before, just new numbers. (05/13/2003)

• Joseph Heffernan, who has walked the entire GR5 from the North Sea (Netherlands) to the Mediterranean at Nice, is selling his guide to the GR5. It is available from us in several different formats; CDs ($15.00; MS Word format), floppie disk ($5.00; Mac Word and text only format), and hard copy ($25.00; 8.5 x 11 in a ring binder or $15.00 (paper copy only). He describes the trail in sections with resources that you need for it such as trail guides and maps. All additional FFRP trail guides, Cicerone Press guidebooks, and IGN blues series maps for the GR5 in France are available from us. (05/09/2003)

• Price increases on selected Cicerone Press titles (05/08/2003)

• New IGN 900 title added to inventory...IGN 919 Vol Libre en France shows places in France to hang glide and para-sail. It sells for $10.95. (04/05/2003)

• Price increases from publisher on selected IGN 900 series titles. (04/03/2003)

• The FFRP has just come out with their new 2003 catalog which lists several new titles which we have added to our FFRP page. (03/14/2003)

• Les Sentiers d'Emilie day hiking series added to Rando Editions page. (03/14/03)

• Devaluation of dollar to Euro has increased retail prices 5-15%. (03/13/2003)

• We have recently obtained a new European supplier for the Didier Richard maps. They are newly priced at $17.95 each. (03/13/2003)

• New 2003 Logis de France guides and Chambre d'Hotes. (02/20/2003)

• New Rando Editions page. (02/19/03)

• Realizing that some of your trips include more than one country, we have recently begun sellings trail guides & maps for other countries beyond France through our new partner, the Traveler's Book Club. (01/04/03)

• New discounted prices for Cicerone Press guides Chamonix - Mont Blanc - A Walking Guide, The Way of St-James: A Walker's Guide, and Walking in Provence. We are now able to obtain these guides from our U.S. wholesaler at a much greater discount than through our European wholesaler. We are passing that savings on to you.(01/04/03)

• Holiday Walking Guide publication date for Provence title delayed until later this year. See our 12/06/2002 note. (01/04/03)

• Increased postage from Great Britain has forced us to increase prices on selected Cicerone and Sigma Press titles. (12/06/02).

• Holiday Walking Guide series from Sigma Press features new title for Provence. These are great guides for day hikers. Titles also available for Brittany, Dordogne, Loire Valley, and Normandy. (12/06/2002)

• New rules for shipments to international locations. (10/24/2002)

• Our staff is back from France and we will soon have a list of some new products to offer you. Two of us hiked a variety of trails in the Aveyron department, while others went to the Ecrin area of the Alps, Brittany coastal path, and Provence. (10/16/2002)

• We will be temporarily closed from September 23 to October 14, 2002. You can still place orders, but they will not be processed until October 14 at the earliest. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you. But, in order to better serve you throughout the year, our small company (11 people) takes their annual vacation all at once, ala French-style. Some of us may run into you in France. See you there! (09/18/2002).

• Michelin has released a new series of 45 maps in the scale of 1:150,000 - 1:175,000 (numbers 301-345) which will replace their 1:200,000 series (numbers 051-090). (08/19/2002)

• If you find a better price for any of the products we sell, we will match it. (08/12/2002)

• New maps and discounts added to Map Clearance Sales page. (08/12/2002)

• Since there are over 2,000 IGN blue series maps and over 1,000 IGN series orange maps, these are usually a special order from France since it is too expensive to keep an inventory for every one. We can get them in 10-14 days average time. So, unless you are in a hurry, it is no problem for us to supply them for you. In light of this, since these maps are non-returnable from the IGN, we have instituted a Cancellation Policy. If you cancel for any reason on a IGN blue and/or orange series order, there will be a 50% cancellation billed to your credit card. This policy also applies to FFRP guides and other products ordered from France or foreign locations. (08/12/2002)

• Due to the increase of postal rates by the USPS this summer, we have increased our base rate for maps from $4.50 to $4.95 for the shipping of 1-3 maps. Additional maps are $1.00 each. The base rate for a single book has increased from $4.50 to $4.95. For rates on other products we sell, go to our Order information page. (8/12/2002)

• Due to our recent merger with the Traveler's Book Club, we have started selling non-France maps and books. We have a selection of maps and books in stock for the countries bordering France (See our Maps Clearance section for some of these that are on sale.), plus we can obtain maps/books for any country/location in the world, including all U.S. states and cities. Just tell us what you need and we will give you a quote for it. Buy five or more non-France maps or books and receive a 15% discount off the list price. (7/26/2002)

• The following new pages have been added to our web site: Why Shop at Walking Tours of France?, Who Are We?, and WTF Privacy Statement. (7/09/2002)

• We have recently merged our business with the Traveler's Book Club. Until we get all of our accounts and computer systems merged, their name may appear on your credit card bill statement. If you have any questions about that, please let us know. Due to their reputation and success as a mail-order company (long before the Internet existed), we will be a stronger company for the future and be able to carry a larger inventory than we normally have due to better cash flow. (7/1/2002)

• Internet Security: Although most of our customers just send their information to us via e-mail since we do not have a shopping cart system in place, let us know if you are worried about Internet security as we have a couple of methods for sending your info to us that will make it safer. (7/1/2002)

• To add a little confusion for the buyer, the IGN is now changing the cover design of its Verte (Green) series to a dark blue color and now calling it Carte de Promenade, as well as printing it on a non-slick paper. It is essentially the same map as previous versions (The IGN were officially calling this series the Top 100 for the past few years.), but what should we call it?

  We have always differentiated the IGN maps by calling the 1:25,000 scale maps as the blue series and this series, the 1:100,000 scale maps, as the green. There's also the orange series which is 1:50,000 scale. All suggestions welcomed. The winner gets a free map of their choice from this series. We'll take entries until we get one we like. (7/1/2002)

• Several of our pages have been updated with new information, plus better design for easier navigation. (7/1/2002)

• The FFRP trails guide page has been re-designed with a region by region format. There have also been some price changes for some of the guides. (7/1/2002)

• Due to the recent USPS price hike, we have upgraded our rates for single item orders for delivery in the United States. Please see our Order Form & Instructions page for the changes. (7/1/2002)

• Walking Tours of France has continued to expand its product line by gaining a couple of new wholesale suppliers from France for walking and trail guide titles that are unobtainable outside of France. These range from guides for experts for specific trails, to day hikes, and hikes geared for families.

  Let us know where you are going and how strenuous a hike you want. We can find a guide suited to your needs. Although most of the guides are in French (some guide-maps are multi-lingual.), the maps contained within the books are fairly easy to follow and a basic understanding of French will help make the trail instructions understandable. To avoid getting lost, we do suggest that you consider buying IGN's 1:25,000 scale maps (each map covers an approximate 10-14 mile section). Let us know the approximate range of your hike and we will let you know how many maps you need. (6/10/2002)

• We have finally gained a supplier for the Gites d'Etapes guides that many of you have requested. Gites d'Etapes are buildings with rooms for rent with cooking/dining facilities that are available near trails. They range from single rooms to large dormitory style living. We can also obtain the Gites de France guides for rural residence stays and the Chambre d'Hôtes guides. (6/01/2002)

• We have a number of new links to other web sites selling and/or offering information about France. (6/01/2002)

• Check out our new Map & Trail Guide of the Month page. (5/29/2002)
  
  
  
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