HOTELS IN FRANCE
FRANCE – WHY GO?
Nobody does romance like the French, and whatever your idea of a romantic holiday, France can offer it in abundance. Stay in a fairytale chateau or a chic boutique hotel, an atmospheric farm guesthouse or a sumptuous townhouse. Paris is legendary for lovers but there are many other great cities to explore. Prefer the great outdoors? Then try the beaches of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic coast, the mountain scenery of the Alps or Pyrenees, or the unspoilt countryside of the Limousin and Auvergne. Small wonder that most French people choose to holiday in their own country!
ACROSS THE CHANNEL
So near and yet so different! Within hours of leaving home, you can be horse riding or sand yachting on the broad sandy beaches of the Channel coast, strolling the chic seaside resorts of Le Touquet and Deauville, or exploring the lush countryside of inland Normandy. Visit the pretty harbour of Honfleur, the Art Deco Gare Maritime at Cherbourg, and iconic Mont St Michel. Head inland to see the Bayeux tapestry and the half-timbered houses of Rouen, the vibrant city of Lille and the hilltop Old Town of Boulogne, leaving time to pick up those hypermarket bargains of course.
BRITTANY AND ITS BORDERS
The rugged coastline, atmospheric stone villages and pretty fishing harbours of Brittany have much in common with Cornwall, and Breton culture is very distinct from the rest of France with a rich heritage of Arthurian legends and local folk tales. You can still see women in lace head-dresses at special events and hear people speaking the ancient Breton language. Dinard and La Baule are stylish seaside resorts, Vannes boasts beautiful timbered houses, and Nantes recently topped a poll for the city where most French people would like to live.
CHAMPAGNE AND ALSACE
Stock up on bottled bubbles to bring home at the many small producers based in the champagne vineyards around Reims, Epernay and Troyes, but don’t forget that historic Troyes is also the factory shopping capital of France – great for fashion bargains! Heading east into Lorraine and Alsace, the rolling countryside that saw so many wartime conflicts is home to historic towns like Nancy, Strasbourg and Colmar - expect a Germanic flavour as you cross into Alsace.
PARIS AND AROUND
Paris simply oozes romance with world-famous attractions like the Champs-Elysées and the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, but often it’s the hidden corners of the capital that linger longest in the memory. Paris is a city to enjoy on foot, so kick off the killer heels – at least till evening – and get out and enjoy its iconic architecture and indefinable atmosphere, building in frequent stops to kick back on a café terrace and just watch the world go by.
THE LOIRE VALLEY
If Cinderella was in the property market, she’d certainly find her dream home along the Loire Valley, where French aristocracy once competed to have the most elegant country homes. Many a fairytale property now caters for paying guests, so live like a lord and enjoy this pretty part of France in style. Tours and Saumur sit astride the meanders of France’s longest river whilst Le Mans, to the north, is famous not just for the 24 Hour motor race but also for its picturesque old town.
THE ATLANTIC COAST
La Rochelle’s pretty marina, guarded by stone towers, is one of the best-known views on the Atlantic Coast, where one glorious sandy beach runs into another. Walk or cycle round the chic Ile de Ré (otherwise known as Paris-on-sea); visit the Roman arena at Saintes, and take in Saint-Emilion and the big-name vineyards around the vibrant city of Bordeaux. Further south, Biarritz is an upmarket resort packed with elegant Belle Epoque villas, while Saint-Jean-de-Luz combines a sheltered sandy bay with a colourful fishing harbour and some great places to eat.
THE DORDOGNE AND AUVERGNE
The lovely valleys of the Dordogne, Lot and Tarn are dotted with romantic fortresses, hilltop villages and some of the most spectacular river scenery in France. Take in the historic wine towns of Bergerac and Cahors, go underground to see prehistoric cave paintings and stalactite-hung caverns, then pick up a river cruise in a traditional wooden barge for a duck’s eye view of the area’s waterways. Limousin, to the north, is an unspoilt area of forests and lakes, while the dramatic Auvergne includes a unique line of extinct volcanic peaks.
BURGUNDY AND THE ALPS
A trip to Burgundy is like travelling through a wine list, as one famous vineyard runs into another. Expect great gastronomy to match. Stop off for a tasting or three but leave time to visit Dijon, once home to one of the most powerful dynasties in France, and some of the area’s many spectacular abbeys. South of Burgundy, Lyon showcases 2,000 years of history from Roman theatres to the best of contemporary art, while beyond France’s second city lie the spectacular French Alps.
PROVENCE AND THE COTE D'AZUR
Stylish resorts such as Cannes, Nice and St Tropez have made the French Riviera internationally famous as the playground of the rich and famous, but head into inland Provence and you enter a world of perched stone villages, magnificent Roman remains, and scented fields of lavender and herbs. Visit the famous bridge and papal palace in Avignon; the Roman towns of Arles, Nîmes and Aix-en-Provence, and the perfume town of Grasse.
THE PYRENEES
The high mountain chain of the Pyrenees acts as a natural barrier between France and Spain but there’s a distinctly Catalan feel about the seaside resort of Collioure and the nearby artists’ town of Céret. Visit the fortified villages and perched castles of the Cathars, the fairytale fortress at Carcassonne, and the castle and promenade gardens of historic Pau. For a vibrant city break, try the ‘pink city’ of Toulouse, famous for its spectacular sunsets and vibrant café culture.
TAKE HOME
• Hand-made sweets and biscuits, cheeses, jams and honey
• Soaps made with olive oil and natural perfumes
• Provençal pottery and table linens in bright sunshine colours
• Beautiful coffee-table books of scenic regional photographs
GET IN THE MOOD
• Read: Victor Hugo – poet, playwright, novelist and national icon
• Listen: Charles Aznavour – the ultimate romantic crooner
• Watch: A Good Year – Russell Crowe falls in love with the vineyards, villages and local ladies of Provence
INDULGE YOURSELVES
• Oysters from the Atlantic Coast
• A kir royale – champagne flavoured with blackcurrant crème de cassis
• Rich dark chocolate
• Crisp warm baguettes fresh from the local patisserie
• More than 300 regional cheeses
LOVE IT UP IN FRANCE
• Take a hot air balloon over the extinct volcanoes of the Auvergne
• Gaze at the illuminated monuments of Paris on a champagne dinner cruise
• Sip spiced vin chaud at a traditional Christmas market
• Create your own perfume in Provence.
• Watch the sun set beneath the pink bridges of Toulouse.
MAKE A DATE
January
Men’s Alpine Ski World Kandahar Cup, Chamonix
Created in 1928, the first international Alpine competition to include both downhill and slalom makes nail-biting watching.
February
Enduropale, Le Touquet
Thrills and spills in high octane motorbike races on the town’s vast sandy beach.
March
Carnival time on the Riviera
Music, dancing and fireworks at the grand finale of spectacular Nice Carnival and the Lemon Festival in Menton.
April
Springtime in Bourges
Festival of contemporary music in the Loire Valley featuring more than 100 well-known and up-and-coming artists.
May
Cannes Film Festival
Join the crowds to star-spot and see the films everyone’s going to be talking about.
June
French Tennis Open at Roland Garros
Catch the on-court action at France’s premier tennis tournament.
July
Aix-en-Provence International Festival
Hear operas by Mozart and Rossini, Britten and Stravinsky at one of Europe’s most prestigious festivals.
August
Tour de France
Join the roadside crowds and enjoy the party atmosphere as men in lycra battle it out on two wheels.
September
Lille Braderie
Two days and a night of non-stop collectables at Europe’s largest open air flea market.
October
Arc de Triomphe horse race, Longchamp
Enjoy the atmosphere and spectacle of one of the world’s most famous flat races, close to Paris.
November
The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
Barrels of top quality Burgundy are auctioned off in aid of the famous hospital for the poor.
December
Fête des Lumières, Lyon
Four-days of nocturnal outdoor fun at Europe’s biggest urban festival of lights.