France

Holidays in Europe

Holidays in France & holidays accommodation in France

Holidays in France - Aquitaine / Dordogne (Bordeaux & Biarritz)

Holidays in France - Brittany (Brest, Nantes & Rennes)

Holidays in France - Burgundy (Dijon)

Holidays in France - Corsica

Holidays in France - Franche Comte

Holidays in France - Languedoc – Roussillon (Montpellier & Perpignan)

Holidays in France - Limousin (Limoges)

Holidays in France - Loire Valley (Angers, Bourges & Tours)

Holidays in France - Midi-Pyrenees (Toulouse)

Holidays in France - Normandy (Caen, Le Havre & Rouen)

Holidays in France - Northern (Boulogne, Calais, Nancy, Reims & Strasbourg)

Holidays in France - Paris / Il de France

Holidays in France - Poitou Charentes / Vendee (Niort & Poitiers)

Holidays in France - Provence Alpes Cote d' Azur (Avignon, Marseille & Nice)

Ski holidays France - Rhone / French Alps (Grenoble & Lyon)

• Holidays in France - Aquitaine / Dordogne (Bordeaux & Biarritz)

France’s Atlantic coast is just as appealing as its counterparts on the Mediterranean. Of course there is the scorching sunshine and the miles of sandy beaches, but there is so much more to this region than bucket-and-spades and summer days.

Lively Bordeaux is becoming one of France’s hot destinations, rich in Museums, restaurants and nightlife and then of course there is the wine, the most renowned wine-growing regions surround the city.

On the coast itself there are the relaxed seaside resorts along the long stretch of virtually deserted sandy beaches and dunes also, if you like to ride the waves you’re in luck. The surf here is about the best in Europe.

• Holidays in France - Brittany (Brest, Nantes & Rennes)

Much of the regions charm lies in its Celtic culture and that is has some of France’s finest coastal scenery. Brittany boasts dozens of classic seaside resorts and offers some of the best yachting, windsurfing and coastal hiking in France.

Brittany is located on the peninsula that extends about 150 miles into the Atlantic, in the extreme northwest of France, and separates the English Channel from the Bay of Biscay and the coast is both rugged and indented.

Composed of rocky land in the north and sandy, sun swept beaches in the south, the 750 mile long coastline is twice as long as it would be if it were not jagged. Doted with small and picturesque fishing villages, much of the coastline, especially at the western tip of Brittany, is characterized by cliffs, capes, islands, rocks and reefs.  The coast is at its most beautiful at high tide, and the difference between high tide and low tide is among the world’s greatest – up to 49 feet.

• Holidays in France - Burgundy (Dijon)

Just a few hours drive from Paris, Burgundy is one of the richest regions in France and very well known for producing some of the world’s finest wines.

Auxerre is in the Yonne region (mid-way between Paris and Dijon) and is a pretty old town that sits on top of a hill where the best views can be seen from Pont Paul Bert. The city has varied architectural buildings and one of the more interesting is the disused abbey St. Germain that is now a museum.

The five main wine-growing areas of Cotes d’Or are Chablis (19km east of Auxerre), Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnais, Macon and Beaujolais. Beaunne is the un-official capital of Cotes d’Or and is a thriving town due to it’s wine and making it, tasting it, selling it and most of all drinking it! To try some out yourself there is Marche aux Vins, Reine Pedauque and Patriarche Pere et Fils among others, where you can be taken on a guided tour, see some very interesting wine cellars and beautiful properties as well as start your own wine collection.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Dijon such as visit some of the many architectural sights, museums and beautiful churches. In the heart of old Dijon is the elaborate Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne (Palace of the Dukes & States of Burgundy), also visit the Palais des Ducs (Eglise Notre Dame) which houses one of the renowned museums in France the Musee des Beaux-Arts, considered by many to be second only to the Louvre.

Park Naturel Regional du Morvan (Nievre) is a 2304-sq-km park made up of beautiful dense woodlands, lakes and farmlands and visitors here can enjoy walking, mountain climbing, biking, and horse riding; rock climbing, fishing and water sports such as rafting, canoeing and kayaking.

Saulieu has been renown for it’s cooking for a long time and still remains to be a gastronomic centre.

Golf In France, Burgundy has a lot to offer golf enthusiasts, there are eighteen golf courses to choose from (including eleven 18-hole courses) any golfer will be in his/her element.

Boating in France, Burgundy has over 1200km of rivers and canals that make for a very interesting and relaxing way to see the countryside. There are many companies that hire out boats and there are also tours to choose from.

Cycling in France, Burgundy has been a long time favourite for the cycling enthusiast due to its comfortable climate and beautiful scenery. You can cycle among some of the most famous vineyards, follow the rivers and meandering canals, and climb some of the hills to explore the enchanting countryside or historic towns and mediaeval villages. It is easy to plan your route also there are plenty of organised tours to choose from as well. 

Hiking in France, Burgundy’s rich and stunning landscape is a wonderful place to explore and one of the best ways to savour it is on foot. There is a very extensive network of trails throughout France called Grande Randonnies (GR) or in English – great walks. There are three in this area GR2, GR7 and GR76 and they are all very well marked and easy to follow.

Horse Riding in France, there are schools in the region that can offer indoor lessons as well as rides through the beautiful countryside.

• Holidays in France - Languedoc – Roussillon (Montpellier & Perpignan)

Situated in the extreme south of France, and boarded by the Pyrenees, Andora and Spain, this region is noted for its relaxed pace of life. In the north of the region it extends as far as the Massive Central and in the south it has a long Mediterranean coastline of sandy beaches stretching 180km from the Spanish boarder.

You can enjoy here a typical Mediterranean climate with long hot summers, temperatures often reaching over 30 degrees, and then short and mild winters. The inland hills are colder during the winter and the Pyrenees has a thick blanket of snow.

There is a good choice of beaches and resorts along the coast that offer a wide variety of water sports and many golf courses throughout the region from 9 to 18 holes. Also a number of vast nature reserves that are ideal for hiking, rambling, cycling, riding and the lakes and rivers offer good fishing. In the winter there are some very good cross-country ski routes that offer excellent skiing and after all that there are numerous health spas that offer treatments to help you relax and keep you in good health.

• Holidays in France - Limousin (Limoges)

There are around 175 known prehistoric sites; some are caves that have marvellous artwork in the Vezere Valleys, the more famous being the Lascaux near LeBugue. The Musee National de Prehistoire that is built into a cliff is also very interesting to visit with a very well presented collection of artefacts.

Foie gras and truffle lovers will want to visit the beautiful, well-restored medieval town of Sarlat-la-Caneda to taste their local produce and the year round market on Saturdays.

Other trips to make are a visit to the open-air market at Villefranche de Rouergue, or take a look at the pretty villages Gimel-lesCascades and Collongnes-la-Rouge and take an underground river cruise at Gouffre de Padirac.

Bergerac is the capital of the Perigord Pourpre wine-growing region and is surrounded by nearly 130sq-km of vineyards. Take a stroll around the old city and harbour and soak up the ambience, there is also the Musee du Vin et de la Batellerie, which showcases the historic role of local wine making. Then on Saturdays there is the market held here and also another in the nearby village of Ste Foy la Grande.

Southeast of the Dordogne is the region of Quercy and one of the most relaxing ways to see the areas beautiful cliffs and villages is by boat trips. Around Bastille day (14th July) there is the week long Festival de Blues that bring in some of the biggest names in jazz.

Golf in France, there are very good courses set in secluded and beautiful countryside. If you have a handicap certificate you can also play in the weekend competitions.

Cycling in France, it is a popular area here for cyclists and it is easy to rent mountain bikes or regular bikes for children and adults by the day or week. You can enjoy the countryside in the valleys, along the Dordogne River or the vast green forest areas.

Hiking in France, there is a very extensive network of trails throughout France called Grande Randonnies (GR) or in English – great walks, here you will find GR6, GR36, GR46, GR65 all are well marked and easy to follow.

Horse Riding in France, there are stables that provide guided rides for the intermediate and above rider which is a very exciting way to explore the valleys and vineyards in this area. These stables will also provide indoor lessons for beginners.

Tennis in France, there are plenty of tennis clubs and also other sports centres that have tennis and badminton courts, it is always advisable to book.

• Ski holidays France - Rhone / French Alps (Grenoble & Lyon)

Blanketed by snow and ice in the winter, and bathed in warm sunshine and blue skies in the summer months, the mountains and valleys of the French Alps contain some of the country’s top tourist destinations. 

The Alps are the home to winter sports with skiing and snowboarding being the region’s main attractions. But, the mountains are also a hugely popular destination in the summer when the snow melts to reveal lush green valleys, meadows and fields of wildflowers offering hundreds of kilometres of walking trails.

The Alps stretch for 370km from Lake Geneva in the north and almost to Provence in the south. With Chamonix at its base stands Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain.