FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Richard_Murphy]

Jordi (and others) --

I am planning to visit this show for the first time in June of this year. It would be very helpful if those who go every year could post some recommendations for first time visitors. For example, it seems like hotels in the town and immediate area will be complete full, so is it practical to stay in Colmar and drive over each day? I have read that parking can be very difficult even with the shuttle buses from the remote parking. Right now my plan is to take the TGV from Paris to Besancon, where I have friends, and rent a car there to go the rest of the way to Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. All recommendations are welcome!

Richard Murphy
San Antonio Texas

[chris]

Hi Richard,

It is often difficult to find accomodations in Val d'Argent, the valley inside which Ste. Marie is located. Usually I stay near Ribeauvillé myself and drive to Ste. Marie. There are a lot of Bed & Breakfasts in the area of Ribeauvillé, and they are often cheaper and more pleasant than hotels. The area is a heaven if you like good food & wine. The road between Ribeauvillé and Ste. Marie is narrow compared to American highways but I think you'll make it (the American friends I have did make it). It is true that parking lots are difficult to find if you arrive late. I would recommend you to drive early and enjoy a coffee at a nearby bar before the official opening. Note that you can buy entrance tickets at parking lots (at least it was possible when I attended and I didn't last year). It will save you the hassle to queue at the show entrances to get them.

The ticket price is higher on Thursday and Friday, but these days are better for a collector wanting to have a close look. Too many people on the week-end, at least for my taste. One thing to remember there are 2 different shows: one for minerals and one for gems.

The Théatre is where high end dealers meet. However even if you have a good budget, don't hesitate to wander in the other parts of the show. Keep an eye on dealers for Morocco as Ste. Marie is often the spot to visit if you are interested in Morocco's minerals (and more generally European mineralogy).

One last thing. Weather is changeable from one year to another. I experienced summer conditions some years, Scottish weather others, so don't forget to bring warm stuff. An umbrella can be tricky when there are a lot of people as Ste Marie streets are crowded with dealers' tents.

Otherwise this is a show like no other. Here no huge hotels or convention centers like the ones you can see in Tucson or Munich. So enjoy the village like atmosphere, the wine, the food & everything else.

Cheers

Christophe

[Richard_Murphy]

This is some really useful advice! Now I can only wonder why the huge drop in fuel prices has not lead to some kind of decline in ticket prices to Europe....:-(

Richard

[arturo shaw]

This week, representatives of the main companies have "explained" that they were "forced" to move the prices up because of the rise in the oil prices and that this had the side effect of reducing their margins and making their life harder. For this "reason", now that the oil is cheap what they are going to do is just to "improve their returns" and that they don't intend to reduce prices for the moment.

Then the guy went home and slept happily, I suppose.

Regards

Arturo