A holiday makers guide to France |
Mention France to anyone and instantly dozens of pictures flash through the mind that represent our feelings for the country. Colourful markets, fields of lavender, old white houses with pale blue shutters, and of course, sunshine and sandy beaches, France just seems to have it all. All these things coupled with a slower pace of life has made France the country we all seem to have fallen in love with. It’s not surprising then that the country has a huge number of people of all nationalities, especially the English and Dutch who have moved to France to live and have set up their own bed and breakfast (Chambre d’Hote) or gite businesses.
 For the holiday maker, where in France you go is determined by what type of holiday you are looking for. If you like wide-open countryside, chateaus and rivers you might head for the Loire or Rhone valleys. Those looking for almost guaranteed sun and sandy beaches may head for Provence. Most Brits have taken a holiday in Brittany or Normandy where seafood is the favourite dish along with galettes and Breton cake. Both departments are steeped in history, Normandy in particular with its WW2 historical sites. The Dordogne and its neighbour, the Lot have always been popular holiday destinations because of the outstanding natural beauty of the areas with their green hilly countryside carved by beautiful rivers in steep sided gorges. The small towns and villages here are where most people have memories of sitting outside a bar or café in the sunshine just watching the world go by, something the French do very well. An oft overlooked area of France is the Creuse which is about as central in France as you can get. This is a spectacularly beautiful and unspoilt area of France, hilly and densely forested with many lakes. Hot in the summer and very cold in the winter this is the ideal place for anyone looking for a holiday where they can feel they have gotten away from it all. Ideal for walkers and cyclists. Moving south east of here to the southeastern corner of the Massif Central you will find the increasingly popular area of the Ardeche. Usually very hot and dry in the summer this is another area where you will feel you have left the hustle and bustle of life behind. Getting to and around the heart of this area is as difficult as it is spectacular. Steep sided gorges with fast flowing rivers twist their way though this area as do the roads that try to follow them. This area has many fantastic camp sites which often sit on a river bank and you may even find yourself being entertained by the French air force who’s pilots seem to like to train in the area. Of course it’s not always a case of hot sunny days on the beach. France has its borders with Switzerland, Germany and Italy in the Alps where winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding attract holidaymakers throughout the winter months. Whatever type of holiday you are looking for you will find it in France. This site goes into more details about the different areas in France and indeed about other countries in Europe which you can find using the navigation menu at the top left of this page. If you are interested in looking for holiday accommodation now you can brows the site or fill in the form below to do a quick, town specific search. If you are driving to your destination the you will find the following site a great help in calculating the cost of fuel and tolls for your journey. Look HERE Have a great holiday |
Holiday accommodation in FranceYou can search for holiday accommodation in France by clicking on the map below in the department of France you wish to visit. Most of the results will come with their gps coordinates. You will be taken to a list of Bed and breakfast, Chambres d'hotes, hotels and campsites in that area. |
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