France has everything — not least a wider variety of tourist destinations and landscapes than any other country in Europe. Here you’ll find mountains, lakes, great rivers, forests and sandy beaches, from the Channel and the Atlantic coast right round to the French Riviera. Proper villages and ancient towns host world-class culture, from prehistoric cave art (the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche, southern France, is particularly astounding), via the finest Roman ruins outside Italy, to Renaissance châteaux and grandiose contemporary projects such as the Millau viaduct.
Thanks to its history, France crams pretty much the whole of western Europe into one country. Planning a trip across the nation could take you from the Flemish far north, or pleasingly Germanic Alsace — with its half-timbering and choucroute — on to the Celts of Brittany, ending with the Spanish and Italian influences that curve up around the Mediterranean. In all these places the French will be welcoming. Their haughtiness is no more marked than that of any other nation.
Bewitching is the word — and that’s before we tackle some of the planet’s finest food and wine. No other nation has such civilised practices associated with eating and drinking. The evidence? Take a seaside terrace table, perhaps on the Côte d’Azur, order a grilled john dory and a bottle of rosé, survey the sunlit scene and . . . what more could you need?
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What to do
Culture-seekers might start in Paris with the Eiffel Tower, Europe’s greatest “celeb” monument, famous mainly for, well, being famous. Elsewhere — from the Louvre, to the Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides, Sacré Coeur and countless fine bridges — the French capital is uplifted by institutions and monuments testifying to the nation’s image of its own grandeur. (Don’t forget its flipside of fragility either.) The most sublime Parisian monument, meanwhile, may be the Sainte-Chapelle, where the stained glass windows compensate for the current inaccessibility of nearby Notre Dame.
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Renaissance monarchs left Paris for the Loire valley. It’s a good example to follow, if visiting an outstanding collection of châteaux set in soft-lit Ligérien landscapes sounds tempting — and why wouldn’t it? Your best bet is to plan to see no more than four in one trip, starting with Chenonceau, the loveliest of all.
Tougher medieval castles were necessary further south, where the Dordogne was long disputed between the French and the English. Subsequently bypassed by national life, the region has stayed rustic and untouched. Villages and towns such as Sarlat probably look better now than they ever did before. It’s a place to lead a tranquil, well-fed life, and remains remote.
Next up, the lavender fields of Provence. This region abounds in culture — from Roman amphitheatres to the legacies of great modern artists, drawn there by the light and insouciant morality — but is also one of Europe’s greatest playgrounds. Switch culture for nature and bound about hiking, biking, climbing, gliding, riding, tubing, canyoning and rafting down the Roya valley.
As for beaches, there are hundreds. If you want rocky, rugged and Celtic, it’s Brittany. Miles of sand and rollers to surf? The Atlantic coast below Bordeaux. Creeks, farniente and beautiful people? The Côte d’Azur. Best of the lot? Plage Notre Dame on the Provençal island of Porquerolles.
Where to stay
If you are an international A-lister, real or wannabe, then try the Riviera, retreat of the rich and celebrated for 200 years. Surprisingly, stays are reasonable around Nice and Cannes — expect to pay no more than you’d pay in Torquay. If money isn’t an issue then try the palace hotels. If you need to ask the price then you’re in the wrong place. The region also has opulent rental villas, where you can swan around for many thousands of euros a week.
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That said, the smarter French set often abjures the Riviera these days for less spangly spots on the Atlantic coast — the islands of Ré, Oléron or Noirmoutier, or the Cap Ferret peninsula, where luxury and living it up are more discreet.
Naturally, Paris and all of France’s main cities have their share of lavish accommodation, though, again, also offer hotels affordable for the average city-breaker. Some of these will be family-run establishments, others usually efficient chain hotels.
Beyond the towns — in, say, the Loire valley, Dordogne or Normandy — France’s great strength is the château hotel. Built for fighting and later for leisure, these châteaux can now cosset any aspirations of aristocracy for as long as your money holds out. Meanwhile, France remains the European champion of camping, with more sites than anywhere in the world (bar the US). Top dog is Argelès-sur-Mer on the Roussillon coast. The small seaside resort has 54 camp sites. In recent times most French sites have grown much more swish — as have many chambres-d’hôtes, France’s other significant gift to holiday accommodation. These are B&Bs, but without the downmarket overtones. The best chambre-d’hôtes mix conviviality with a class that would cost you double in a hotel.
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Don’t miss
The Auvergne. Here, where France rises to the Massif Central mountains, you can reverse out of the 21st-century into green uplands of lakes, sleeping volcanoes, wild flowers, sloping pastures heavy with sheep and Salers cattle — and folk who define themselves by farming. But first you’ll need to get a grip on the volcanoes by riding the rack railway to the 4,800ft summit of the Puy-de-Dôme — dominant, conical, soft-sided, as a volcano should be. Some 80 other volcanoes line up roughly north-south. The Vulcania theme park has the story, and will throw you about in a simulated eruption.
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Now roam the mountain roads. Sheltering under a wooded hillside, Orcival has one of Auvergne’s finest Romanesque churches, the roofs of its chapels fanning out as if performing a spinning plates trick. Then, unavoidably, you tumble into spa towns where clear air bathes raffish gentility that has barely faded since the Belle Époque. These places love to send you out walking, riding or hiking. You return to the sort of rural welcome where dinner comes in heaps of potatoes, ham and cheese rather than in prissy foams and fusions.
Best time to visit
Anytime, depending on what you want to do. Spring is, all round, the finest of times — warm, alive with the colour of flowers and of life re-awakening but, in the south especially, without the searing heat that melts tarmac and sometimes inconveniences those from more northerly climes. Summer has its charms too, with everything in full gear, especially around the coast. Autumn, too, is lovely for its new season wines and the bounty that comes with harvest. And winter for skiing, obviously, but also city breaks.
FAQs
Which part of France has the best climate?
This very much depends on what you require from a climate. If it’s snow and skiing then the answer is obviously the Alps and resorts such as Val Thorens. If your dream of France is cobalt skies and unfiltered sun, you’re best off heading for Provence or Languedoc.
Is food expensive in Paris?
As in most European capitals, dining can empty the best-stuffed wallet — you might be paying £300 a head at La Tour Blanche. But you needn’t. Neighbourhood bistros abound and can feed you three good courses for under £30. And that’s without considering takeaways and restaurant chains (don’t turn your nose up at the Hippopotamus steakhouses, especially if you have kids).
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What can you see in seven days in France?
I once met an American chap in a baseball cap who had quartered the entire country (Paris-Lyon-Nice-Monaco-Bordeaux) in five days. He was very proud. Much can be crammed in in a short time, but I’d scale back ambitions, concentrating on one region to get the hang of the place properly. It could be pleasant, say, to do Normandy before or after Paris. Brittany could be toured or investigated from one base. However, one region is enough — otherwise you’ll need to be in the next place before you’ve arrived properly in the first one.
Inspired to visit France but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from Tui and BA Holidays, as well as the best tours of France from our trusted partners.
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