France is the largest state in the European Union and is divided into 26 regions – twenty one are on mainland France, one is the island of Corsica, and four are overseas. The capital and the biggest city in France is Paris. It is situated on the scenic River Seine and is one of the leading tourist destinations worldwide.
Why go to France? Because it has it all - major tourist attractions like Paris, beautiful coastline and countryside, winter sport resorts of the Alps, lovely cities, culture, great food and drinks, old towns full of ancient buildings with narrow streets, lively markets and a range of different climatic zones.
The country is famous for its cheese (over 350 kinds; among them Camembert, Brie, Roquefort, etc), wine (the legendary Chateau Margaux, Pétrus, Romanée Conti and many others), perfume (Chanel, Dior, Givenchy) and cars (Renault, Citroen, Peugeot). It is also famous for the Tour de France and the Tour Eiffel.
France is known for its fine food as well. French cooking is thought to be the best in the world. Chefs prepare dishes such as quiche, soufflés, mousse, pâté, croissants, crêpes, and French bread. Many people in France like to drink their hot chocolate from bowls and dip their bread into it.
Other remarkable thing for France is the technologically advanced rail system. It utilizes some of the fastest trains in the world. It also connects the country with England via fast train passing through the Channel Tunnel, in French - Le tunnel sous la Manche, known simply as the Chunnel. The tunnel carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains, Eurotunnel roll-on/ roll-off vehicle transport - the largest in the world - and international rail freight trains. In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers identified the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Not only railroads but a network of various modes of transportation blankets the whole country, including air, land and rail transportation as well as via rivers. There are a total of 474 airports in France, many of which serve international traffic. There are 31,939 kilometers of rail lines in France, approximately 828,000 kilometers of roads (all paved) and about 47% of the waterways are heavily used. The major port cities are Dunkirk, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Le Havre, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, La Pallice, Lyon, Mullhouse, Paris, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, and Strasbourg.
Paris is of course the hub of France with around a quarter of the population and there are excellent travel connections fanning out to the rest of France. Symbols such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, the Georges Pompidou Center, the Arch of Triumph and Disneyland Paris make the city one of the most visited places in the world.
France is the home of many other big and renowned cities. Some of the most popular ones are: Lyon, Marseilles, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Nice, Toulon, Strasbourg, and many others. Excluding the monuments in and around Paris, the most visited historic sites in France include the Mont St.Michel (Brittany), the Châteaux de Chambord, Amboise and Chenonceaux (Loire valley), the Palace of the Popes at Avignon, the Hospices de Beaune (a medieval hospital) in Burgundy, the medieval city and ramparts of Carcassonne (Languedoc), and the site of Rocamadour in the Lot. Popular destination in France is also Côte d'Azur or Azure Coast, also known as the French Riviera – the charming beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez, Cannes (home to the famous international film festival), Nice, Antibes, Villefranche, etc. Convenient roads and regular train service provide easy access to every single corner of French Riviera as well.
Regardless the purpose of visit and trip direction, you would most probably stay in one of the thousands hotels in France. Generally speaking, hotel rates are quite reasonable by international standards. Prices are always quoted per room, never per person, though some hotels may have variable prices on a room, according to the number of people using it. Until 2009 classification went from 0 stars to 4 stars but in 2009 a new five-star ranking was introduced. The largest luxury hotels in France are the Sofitel and Pullman hotels, both part of Accor group hotels. Each of them has a number of outlets in the main cities and on the Riviera. A large chain of three star hotels is Novotel, also part of Accor group, with hotels in most large towns. However, 83% of French hotels are independent establishments, not part of any hotel chain. They are suitable for travelers wishing to stay in city centers, small towns or the country. And for adventurers with limited budget, throughout whole France hostels can be found on very cheap rates starting from €10 per person per night.
However, the rates usually are twice as higher during holidays and fairs. Therefore, it would be useful to know that the official holidays in France are:
- New Year – 1 January;
- Easter – moveable, usually in April (Roman Catholic);
- Labor Day - 1 May;
- Victory in Europe Day (end of WWII) - 8 May;
- Bastille Day (Independent day) - 14 July
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 15 August,
- All saints day - 1 November;
- Remembrance (or Veterans) day (end of WWI) - 11 November
- Christmas - 25 December.
Why go to France? Because it has it all - major tourist attractions like Paris, beautiful coastline and countryside, winter sport resorts of the Alps, lovely cities, culture, great food and drinks, old towns full of ancient buildings with narrow streets, lively markets and a range of different climatic zones.
The country is famous for its cheese (over 350 kinds; among them Camembert, Brie, Roquefort, etc), wine (the legendary Chateau Margaux, Pétrus, Romanée Conti and many others), perfume (Chanel, Dior, Givenchy) and cars (Renault, Citroen, Peugeot). It is also famous for the Tour de France and the Tour Eiffel.
France is known for its fine food as well. French cooking is thought to be the best in the world. Chefs prepare dishes such as quiche, soufflés, mousse, pâté, croissants, crêpes, and French bread. Many people in France like to drink their hot chocolate from bowls and dip their bread into it.
Other remarkable thing for France is the technologically advanced rail system. It utilizes some of the fastest trains in the world. It also connects the country with England via fast train passing through the Channel Tunnel, in French - Le tunnel sous la Manche, known simply as the Chunnel. The tunnel carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains, Eurotunnel roll-on/ roll-off vehicle transport - the largest in the world - and international rail freight trains. In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers identified the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Not only railroads but a network of various modes of transportation blankets the whole country, including air, land and rail transportation as well as via rivers. There are a total of 474 airports in France, many of which serve international traffic. There are 31,939 kilometers of rail lines in France, approximately 828,000 kilometers of roads (all paved) and about 47% of the waterways are heavily used. The major port cities are Dunkirk, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Le Havre, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, La Pallice, Lyon, Mullhouse, Paris, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, and Strasbourg.
Paris is of course the hub of France with around a quarter of the population and there are excellent travel connections fanning out to the rest of France. Symbols such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, the Georges Pompidou Center, the Arch of Triumph and Disneyland Paris make the city one of the most visited places in the world.
France is the home of many other big and renowned cities. Some of the most popular ones are: Lyon, Marseilles, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Nice, Toulon, Strasbourg, and many others. Excluding the monuments in and around Paris, the most visited historic sites in France include the Mont St.Michel (Brittany), the Châteaux de Chambord, Amboise and Chenonceaux (Loire valley), the Palace of the Popes at Avignon, the Hospices de Beaune (a medieval hospital) in Burgundy, the medieval city and ramparts of Carcassonne (Languedoc), and the site of Rocamadour in the Lot. Popular destination in France is also Côte d'Azur or Azure Coast, also known as the French Riviera – the charming beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez, Cannes (home to the famous international film festival), Nice, Antibes, Villefranche, etc. Convenient roads and regular train service provide easy access to every single corner of French Riviera as well.
Regardless the purpose of visit and trip direction, you would most probably stay in one of the thousands hotels in France. Generally speaking, hotel rates are quite reasonable by international standards. Prices are always quoted per room, never per person, though some hotels may have variable prices on a room, according to the number of people using it. Until 2009 classification went from 0 stars to 4 stars but in 2009 a new five-star ranking was introduced. The largest luxury hotels in France are the Sofitel and Pullman hotels, both part of Accor group hotels. Each of them has a number of outlets in the main cities and on the Riviera. A large chain of three star hotels is Novotel, also part of Accor group, with hotels in most large towns. However, 83% of French hotels are independent establishments, not part of any hotel chain. They are suitable for travelers wishing to stay in city centers, small towns or the country. And for adventurers with limited budget, throughout whole France hostels can be found on very cheap rates starting from €10 per person per night.
However, the rates usually are twice as higher during holidays and fairs. Therefore, it would be useful to know that the official holidays in France are:
- New Year – 1 January;
- Easter – moveable, usually in April (Roman Catholic);
- Labor Day - 1 May;
- Victory in Europe Day (end of WWII) - 8 May;
- Bastille Day (Independent day) - 14 July
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 15 August,
- All saints day - 1 November;
- Remembrance (or Veterans) day (end of WWI) - 11 November
- Christmas - 25 December.
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