Yes, the craziness of Summer is suddenly upon us. 9 folks have already stood in the wrong place for the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the festival made famous in the US by macho-man extraordinaire Earnest Hemingway. Damian Corrigan notes, sadly, that "the Pamplona Running of the Nudes 2008 didn't take place this year." Score 9 for the bulls and 1 for the prudes.

The Tour de France has also begun. France Travel ace Kelby Carr is keeping us posted with the routes, today's being Stage 3 - Saint-Malo to Nantes Saint Malo is a hauntingly gorgeous town in Brittany, and Nantes one of the most desirable places to live in France (and one that Americans seem to ignore as a holiday destination).

The Avignon Festival has been going full tilt since July 4. Avignon is one of my favorite cities in Provence. Just look at the Avignon Pictures to see why.

With the price of gas rising, many of you might wish to consider the train for your trip. We've just uploaded a large rail map of France, along with some information on rail passes and train types.

The price of rail passes is set at the start of the year, so now that airlines are raising prices and the price of gas or diesel fuel rises almost daily, many passes that didn't seem like much of a bargain are looking better these days.

Check out our France Rail Map and Train Travel Information if you're going to France on your European Vacation.

More European Train Travel: Buying the Right Rail Pass | Do Rail Passes Always Save You Money?