France

France

• About France

  France conjures up images of romance, sophistication and an enviable lifestyle of street cafés, al fresco dining, vineyards, fine wines, great food, beautiful monuments and breathtaking museums. It also provides some glamorous seaside locations and stupendous mountain scenery. France also offers very affordable holidays for millions of people each year especially outside Paris. Whether you visit the Palace of Versailles or the ancient amphitheatre in Nimes or enjoy the brilliant views from the Eiffel Tower or any one of the many other available attractions you cannot ignore Frances special history, charm and culture. As a result of all this and more France holds the position as the number one tourist destination in the world.

• Attractions

  Northern France

  Includes flatlands and towns like Lille and the Channel. This region is often compared to Belgium due to its gentle contours and picturesque scenery. Good driving country.

  Paris

  The capital city is rich with beauty, splendour, elegance and history. Home of the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré Coeur Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world. Walk down any street or boulevard and you will find out why.

  West of France

  Includes Normandy and Brittany with their rolling hills, sandy beaches and quiet little harbour towns. The regions of Normandy Brittany include rugged coastlines and plentiful Neolithic sites. The exclusive and attractive resort of Biarritz is perched here.

  Eastern France

  Includes Alsace, Lorraine and Burgundy. You will find beautiful rolling hills and exquisite cities to match including Strasbourg and Dijon.

  Central France

  The centre of France includes the Loire valley which has many great castles, châteauxs and some of Frances beautiful towns including Chartres with its lovely medieval cathedral.

  Alps

  Setting for superb skiing holidays in winter and great walking, hiking, motorycling or touring in the summer. Simply awe-inspiring. Grenoble and Chambéry are just some of this regions picturesque towns.

  South of France

  One of the major tourist areas of France along with Paris. This is the region which has attracted some of the worlds finest painters including Cezanne and Van Gogh who came for views of Provence and the Cote DAzur. Here you will find a proliferation of breathtaking towns, villages and cities include Aix, Nice, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Monaco and Marseille.

  Corsica

  Famous as the birthplace of Napoleon, the vast island of Corsica is a beautiful place rich with a distinctive brand of French culture. Its famous for food, wine, nightlife and stunning natural sights including its spectacular cliffs and historical buildings.

• Travel To France

  Travelling in France is easy with extensive and well maintained roads and reliable train services.

  SNCF - The French state owned Railway Company is one of the better run companies in the world offering high speed TGV trains linking Paris to Marseille. Its also easy to travel by train from the UK to France via Eurostar from London to Lille. It takes just one hour 40 minutes and then you can hop on a 186mph TGV.

  Flying to France has never been easier than today with a variety of cheap flights available online including BMI, Ryan Air, EasyJet and Flybe. Regular flights are offered to many major towns and cities including Nice, Brest, Grenoble, Toulouse, Cherbourg, Rennes and of course, Paris.

• Weather

  France is temperate but the climate varies including cold winters and hot summers in the north and centre while the South of France is Mediterranean in outlook with mild winters and hot summers.

• Did You Know?

  Since 2002 the French police (Gendarmes), have to be fluent in English.

  France has more public monuments than any other country in the world.

• Key Facts

  • Capital - Paris
  • Total area - 550 000 km²
  • Population - 60.4 million
  • Currency - Euro
  • Language - French
  • Political system - Republic