Here are some other services, all run by good friends, that can help to make your stay in Europe even more enjoyable.

Azur Art Tours
The unique light along the Côte d'Azur has always made this area irresistible to artists. Get an inside look at the highlights with fellow food-lover and neighbor Kathryn Tomasetti, whose tours are as relaxed as they are informative.

Nice Pebbles and Riviera Pebbles
My good friends Matt and Gayle manage many apartments on the French Riviera, all with great locations and comfortable furnishings. You can count on them to make you feel at home during your stay in Nice or along the coast. Several apartments are available in the Old Town, near where Les Petits Farcis cooking classes take place. Their websites also contain a wealth of useful information about the area. For apartments in Nice visit Nice Pebbles; for apartments on the Riviera see Riviera Pebbles.

My French Apartment
If you would like to stay in the Negresco area, Richard Huysers rents his lovely one-bedroom apartment year-round. Take a cooking class with Les Petits Farcis and rent his apartment and you will receive 10 per cent off on both!

Promenades Gourmandes
My good friend Paule Caillat takes small groups on market tours, followed by a hands-on cooking class in her home in the heart of Paris. Paule is a warm and entertaining person who goes to great lengths to explain how her scrumptious French recipes can be reproduced at home.

Divina Cucina
Judy Witts Francini is truly a Diva of Tuscan cooking! In the spirit of Les Petits Farcis and Promenades Gourmandes, she offers market tours, hands-on cooking classes and gourmet tours in Florence and Chianti.

On Rue Tatin
My friend Susan Loomis, author of several authoritative cookbooks on French cooking including The French Farmhouse Cookbook (Workman) and most recently Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin (Morrow Cookbooks), offers fascinating week-long programs at her gorgeous former convent in Louviers, Normandy.

Blu Aubergine
American former restaurant chef Dana Klitzburg leads small groups around the food highlights of Rome and holds cooking classes ranging from the Roman Jewish cooking to the basics of Roman cuisine.

Totally Nice
If you fall in love with Nice, as I did, you might decide to purchase your own apartment there. Totally Nice deals with every aspect of purchasing an apartment, from finding your dream pad to finalizing the paperwork. They are nice guys, too!

Paris Notes Newsletter
This subscription-only newsletter remains the best way to stay connected and learn about Paris, its history, culture and food - you'll feel like an insider even before you arrive.

Time Out online
Thoroughly researched and entertainingly written, the Time Out guides will give you the confidence to tackle any major city. The Paris Eating and Drinking guide (which I have edited for the past eight years) is the most comprehensive and frequently updated English-language restaurant guide to Paris.

Fodor's
For insightful tips on where to eat and sleep on the Côte d'Azur (I should know, I contribute to the guide!), pick up Fodor's Provence and the Côte d'Azur. The Fodor's website is an invaluable resource for travelers, too.