Area 1. North West France (Brittany and Normandy)

Easily accessible for visitors from the UK and from Northern Europe, Brittany and Normandy offer a variety of coastal and inland tourist destinations, with plenty of attractions. Situated a couple of hundred miles south of the English Westcountry, they are in many respects rather like a warmer sunnier version of the West of England.... with less crowds, notably inland! Historically, Brittany and Cornwall have a lot in common, notably their Celtic roots. The north coast of Brittany, with its rugged granite cliffs and little sandy coves, is fairly similar to North Cornwall, though a bit warmer and sunnier. The south coast of Brittany can be hot in the summer months.... though as with the West of England, rainy weeks remain a possibility in any season. Click here for more about holidaying in Brittany

Normandy, from where William the Conqueror set out in 1066, has much in common with the south of England between Devon and Sussex: sandy beaches, rocky cliffs in the Cotentin peninsula, the famous white cliffs of Etretat, and an inland area full of wonderful small towns and villages, many boasting fine half-timbered houses. One such town is Bayeux, home of the famous mediaeval Bayeux Tapestry. On the coast in the west of the region lies the Mont St. Michel, the most visited historic site in France outside Paris. Normandy is also famous for its stables and racehorses.
Local specialities include sea food ("fruits de mer") , famous cheeses like Camembert and Pont l'Evèque, and of course, like the S-W of England, cider... but also its more potent cousin "Calvados".
If you want to experience the real France without too much driving, Brittany and Normandy are worth considering.

Administrative regions: Brittany Normandy,
Main cities: Caen, Rouen, Rennes, Brest.
Access: Direct ferries from Plymouth and Portsmouth, motorways from Paris or Calais. Flights to Paris, Rennes, Nantes
* Website of the Brittany tourist board
* Website of the Normandy tourist board

* Accommodation: Cottages in Brittany, Cottages in Normandy, Cottages in northern France

Area 2. Paris to the  Loire Valley, Central France

    This part of France needs little introduction. Paris, as they say, is Paris... and it's less than three hours by train from London, or two hours from Brussels. If choosing a hotel in Paris, check out the combined Eurostar/hotel offers available, or look for discounted hotel rates on the Internet. Paris hotels may on the whole be cheap by London standards, but they are expensive by French standards.
     Southwest of Paris lies Versailles, easily accessible for an afternoon trip or a day trip. And beyond Versailles, in the direction of the Loire, lies a region called the Beauce, France's breadbasket, an area where vast wheat fields stretch out towards the horizon . In the middle of the Beauce lies Chartres, home to one of the most magnificent of France's great mediaeval cathedrals.
    The Loire Valley, however, is not too well known, apart from its famous "Châteaux", such as Chenonceaux or Chambord (photo). This is a part of France that is famous for its mild climate, its castles, and its vineyards. Away from the river itself, the region is rich in history and culture. The countryside is gentle, with undulating hills and  quietly flowing rivers - an ideal region for those who just want to be lazy, or to enjoy eating out, fishing or just exploring the byways. The "Sologne" area, south of the Loire, contains the remaining parts of a once huge forest, rich with wildlife, that originally encouraged the kings and princes of France to build their castles in this region.
    In the east of this region lies Burgundy, famous for its wines; but in fact the wine-growing region of Burgundy is quite small, lying in a ribbon along the western edge of the Saone plain, south of Dijon. This part of Burgundy is rich in places to visit, including Dijon and Beaune (the wine capital).

    The Saône plain is a fairly flat region, with lots of lakes (la Bresse) and slow flowing rivers. This region is very popular with anglers and bird watchers.
    Most of the rest of Burgundy is a hilly region (the Morvan), with small towns and villages many of them rich in history. The hills are higher than those further west, and the valleys deeper; the Morvan is hill country, and there are good hiking paths; but it is not mountain country.
Administrative regions: Pays de Loire, Centre, Ile de France, Bourgogne
Main cities: Tours, Angers, Orléans, Dijon. Paris.
Access: Eurostar from London or Ashford (with parking facilities), or flights to Paris; Ryanair to Tours; road access via Channel ferries or tunnel.

*  Tourist information about Paris
*  Loire Valley tourist board
*  Accommodation: Cottages in the Loire Valley,  Cottages in central France,  Cottages in Burgundy

Administrative regions: Nord - Pas-de-Calais ,  Picardie,  Champagne-Ardennes,  Lorraine,  Alsace
Main cities: Lille, Dunkerque, Arras, Valenciennes, Strasbourg, Rheims, Nancy, Metz
Access: Road access via Calais (ferry or tunnel). Flights to Strasbourg, Lille, Luxembourg.

 *  Alsace tourist board
 *  Accommodation:  Holiday gîtes in Alsace Lorraine and north east France 
 *  Photos of Picardy by Stephane Bouilland

Area 4. The French Atlantic coast and hinterland

     The west coast of France is a popular tourist region. From the mouth of the Loire as far as the Spanish border, France's Atlantic coastline is characterised by long expanses of sandy beaches, offshore fishing, and a broad band of very flat land, some of it marshy. In several parts, notably around La Baule, the coastline is quite heavily built up with sea front development; but in other parts, notably away from the towns, there are long sections of unspoiled coastline. The ports of La Rochelle and Rochefort are very attractive, as well as being popular with yachtsmen.
    Inland from the coast, in Poitou-Charentes, the area is very pleasant; the Charente Maritime region is often called the "green Venice", on account of its extensive network of drainage canals and waterways. This is a region where the pace of life is slow, like the water in the rivers that flow through it. Rowing boats can be hired in many places.
    North west of Bordeaux, capital of Aquitaine,  lies the Saintonge, the home of Cognac and the aperitif wine "Pineau". This generally flat agricultural region is famous for its historic churches, many of which have exquisite mediaeval carvings. South west of the historic city of Bordeaux lie "les Landes", the largest continuously forested area in Western Europe; and of course, around Bordeaux lie miles and miles of famous vineyards, producing a wide range of wines that include some of the best and most expensive in the world.
    Inland from Bordeaux lies the Dordogne "department", rising from the coastal plain in the west towards the Massif Central (sector 5, below) in the east. The Dordogne, centered round the town of Perigueux, is famous for its farmland and fine cuisine. Its pretty villages and towns have long attracted holidaymakers and retirees from Britain, to such an extent that there are now villages with their own cricket club and pub "à l'anglaise", not to mention a range of craftsmen and artists who have fled the hassle and the colder climate further north.
    The climate on France's Atlantic coast is generally mild to warm; and although rain cannot be excluded even in summer, the clouds often pass over the coastal region, before breaking over the hills further inland. 
   
Administrative regions: Poitou-Charentes, and parts of the Pays de la Loire and Aquitaine regions
Main cities: Nantes,  St Nazaire, Niort, La Rochelle, Poitiers, Bordeaux, Périgueux
Access: motorway via Paris or Rouen. Flights to Bordeaux or Nantes, as well as La Rochelle, Rochefort, Rodez and Bergerac.

Area 5a. Montagne (Mountain France west - Limousin - Auvergne  - Massif Central, central French uplands)

Mountain France divides into four distinct zones, some of which are far better known, and far more touristic, than others. The Western Massif Central (including the Dordogne), the Eastern Massif Central, the Prealps and Alps, and the Jura.

    The western Massif Central includes essentially includes the Quercy,  and Limousin the area round the city of Limoges. In many respects, this is like southern England on a larger scale - which is probably why like neighbouring Dordogne it is so popular with British second-home owners. The climate is warmer and sunnier than further north, the hills are higher, and the rivers bigger than in southern England; but the western side of the Massif Central catches the rain blowing in from the Atlantic, and remains relatively green for most of the summer. This region is famous for its gastronomy, its historic castles and "bourgs" (fortified rural towns), and its very attractive countryside.
    The central and eastern Massif Central includes the mountains of the Auvergne (photo left),  and the other mountain areas between Auvergne and the Rhone valley. In 2003,  the Auvergne was France's fastest growing region in terms of tourism, but this is largely due to the fact that until recently, its massive potential was virtually undeveloped. And even if the region is becoming appreciated for its true value (The Sunday Times called it "France's best kept secret" in 2003) Auvergne remains a region where you can really get away from the crowds. The small city of Le Puy en Velay is remarkable for its mediaeval churches perched on outcrops of volcanic rock.
    With peaks at over 6000 ft, the Monts d'Auvergne are the highest points in central France. In this region there is plenty of good hill walking, as well as other activities on the area's fast flowing rivers. This region is also drier and sunnier in summer than the western Massif Central, and less touristic too, largely because it has not yet been "discovered;" it is a region  rich in history and culture, with fortified castles, old churches and historic towns, as well as being very beautiful, with many hiking trails and its deep river valleys ideal for river sports.

Administrative regions: Limousin, Auvergne, and Rhône Alpes region west of the Rhône, plus the department of Lozère.
Main cities: Clermont Ferrand, Limoges.
Access: motorway via Paris or Rouen. Flights to Clermont Ferrand, Limoges or Rodez.

  *  Auvergne tourist board   Auvergne tourist information
  * Accommodation:  The Dordogne valley area,  Cottages in Auvergne,  Cottages in Limousin and Quercy  ,

    The hills lying between the Auvergne mountains and the Rhone valley include a lot of high land at over 1000 metres (over 3000 ft) altitude, but they are generally less mountainous than the Auvergne mountains. They are covered in large areas of coniferous forest. This is also good hiking country.
    The Alps... well they are the Alps... though it should not be forgotten that the foothills of the Alps, such as the Vercors, are in many ways just as attractive as the high Alps themselves - and less crowded and more accessible! Most winter sports resorts now cater  well for summer visitors too, though the Alps are much more popular in summer for hiking and mountaineering. Away from the ski resorts, there are plenty of  attractive old villages and towns, like Annecy, on the shores of one of France's most beautiful lakes.
    Finally, the Jura and "Franche Comté". France's least-known mountain range, the Jura extends along the Swiss border from Geneva almost to the Rhine valley. Old limestone hills, the Jura peak at about 5000 ft, on the Swiss border; but most of the area consists of a series of high plateaux, getting higher towards the  border. At the southern end, the Jura has a lot of spectacular deep river valleys, and a lot of lakes too. The hills are quite forested, and the villages on the French side of the border are very similar to those on the Swiss side. Franche Comté, which includes the Jura, has the greatest concentration of deciduous forests in Europe. The capital of Franche-Comté, Besançon (photo left), has a remarkable historic city centre, surrounded by a loop in the river Doubs. 

Administrative regions: Rhone-Alpes east of the Rhône, Franche-Comté, plus the department of "Hautes Alpes"
Main cities:  Lyons, Grenoble, Chambéry, Annecy, Besançon.
Access: motorway via Paris, Rheims . Flights to Geneva, Grenoble, Basel-Mulhouse or Lyons.  Eurostar seasonal to Grenoble or Bourg Saint Maurice.

  *  Rhone Alps tourist board
  *  Franche-Comté tourist information
  *  Cottages in the Jura and Alps,

    For more details on the Provence-Riviera region, visit the new Gitelink Provence Guide

    The Midi is generally speaking the most popular tourist region in France, and needs little introduction. The coastal region is very busy in Summer, and travelling to the south of France by car on a summer Saturday can be a nightmare experience; but the region has masses to offer, in terms of climate, history, and landscape.
    Those who do not want to spend their holidays being mass-grilled on a beach will prefer areas inland from the coastal strip, notably to the hills and mountains of Provence,with their dry landscapes and deep river gorges and valleys, or  the valleys of the Cevennes, more wooded and rural, or the inland areas of the Languedoc, with their huge vineyards and "garrigue", arid rocky Mediteranean hills with their vegetation of scrub, aromatic bushes and occasional fields. On their southern flanc, the Massif Central mountains are similar to those in upper Provence, and cut through by deep valleys such as that of the Tarn. (photo).

    The area has a lot of historic cities, such as Nimes with its superb Roman remains, Avignon with its famous bridge, Arles, and the university town of Aix en Provence. The Languedoc coast offers large expanses of sandy beaches, between rather brash modern or sixties resorts such as Cap d'Agde.
    West of  Languedoc lies the Midi-Pyrenees region. The Pyrenees, forming a natural land barrier between France and Spain, are a beautiful range of high mountains, thickly wooded on their lower slopes, but offering good mountain and hill walking higher up - not to mention the attraction of day trips into Spain. The biggest city in the Pyrenees area, Pau, was in the early 19th century a favourite haunt of English travellers. On the Spanish side, the Pyrenees are much drier. Betwen the Pyrenees and the southern flank of the Massif Central, southwest France is in summer a land of warm rolling hills and valleys, a rich agricultural area famous for its abundant crops and cereals. 
    Historic cities such as Toulouse, and Albi, with its astonishing fortified mediaeval cathredal built almost entirely of red brick,  are rich in atmosphere. But if you're driving down from the UK or northern Europe, don't underestimate the journey time, and remember too that these areas can get very hot in summer.

     The Riviera ("la Côte d'Azur") itself is fairly heavily built up in many parts, and accommodation is expensive, particularly in the most famous resorts like St. Tropez, Cannes  or Nice. These however are the most famous points on the Mediteranean coast, and in the months of high summer are swarming with tourists from all over Europe and beyond. Anyone thinking of camping or taking a hotel along this part of the coast in July or August is  advised to book well in advance. The mountainous hinterland, on the other hand, the "Alpes de Haute Provence" and the "Alpes Maritimes",  is very attractive, with its small villages and towns, many of them perched precariously on hillsides or beside trickling rivers that become raging torrents in the springtime. 

Nice's seafront (photo right) is known as the "Promenade des Anglais" - the place where the English like to walk - a name that it acquired two centuries ago when this erstwhile little fishing port was discovered by the first English tourists on their way to or from Italy.