France

If you went to France on holiday several times a year for a decade, you would still not be able to fit in all the delights on offer!  The sun drenched hills and lavender fields of the Cote D’Azur and Provence merge into the French Riviera – mix with the celebrities and the jet set in the film festivals of Cannes and the harbours of Nice, St Tropez and Monaco.

In the heart of the countryside, walk or cycle around vineyards and farms, admire the medieval buildings and villages and feast on the gastronomic delights throughout France. There are plenty of opportunities for food and wine tours in all regions. Reims is one of the main gastronomic centres of France and is a great place for a weekend break with it’s upmarket atmosphere, champagne houses and cafe terrace bars. Wine lovers heaven can be explored throughout the regions of Burgundy, Champagne and Alsace with rolling hills and independant vineyards. The Dordogne has stunning landscapes, wide rivers and pretty medieval villages.

The landscapes of France provided inspiration for many Art masters, visit the museums and galleries around Paris, including of course the Louvre (now the biggest art museum in the world). Throughout France’s cities there are galleries and small local artists shops.  Glitzy cities such as Monte Carlo and Cannes are some of the most sophisticated places in the world. Cannes, on the Mediterranean is a mecca for yachts and the rich and famous holiday here with the film stars! Nice is a mix of turn of the century Belle Epoque and the former Italian influence at the port and with a warm climate is a popular destination year round.

Heading to the sea you can choose from the beautiful climate and sandy beaches of the Cote d’Azur, a year round destination, or Langeudoc-Roussillon which has quaint fishing villages, buzzy resorts and sandy beaches too. For nature lovers head to the Carmargue and Cevennes for bird watching and flowers. On the far south west coast near Spain, visit Biarritz for music and dance festivals and enjoy the long sandy beaches, famous for their surf. The Atlantic Coast as a dramatic line of beaches and cliffs, seafood restaurants, villages and flower meadows. Brittany has some stunning coastlines and pretty fishing villages. Enjoy a bucket of ‘Moules et Frites’ with a glass of cold white wine or local cider – heaven!

The north of France has plenty of open countryside and acres of ancient forests, there are some good golf courses here, especially around Le Touquet. The Loire Valley is the ‘garden of France’ with chateaux lining river banks and lots of sleepy ancient villages and beautiful gardens. The area known as ‘Royal France’ south of Paris is full of elegant palaces and was the original land of the Kings and Queens of France.

Close to home, explore Brittany and Normandy with battlefields, beaches and cider growers! In France there are many opportunities to take to the water whether it be on a narrow boat, river cruise or canoe, the choice is endless.  Don’t forget the mountains – in the winter some amazing skiing can be enjoyed around Mont Blanc and Courchevel and in the summer, this is a beautiful area for stunning alpine scenery. The Pyrenees too, on the border with Spain, have stunning vistas and hiking, great for birding and wild flowers and the food of Gascony and the Basque country is a delight to be savoured!

Take the Eurostar or ferries to France and explore by self drive or travel by rail to Lyon, the south coast or through to Spain.  What about rail travel on the Orient Express through to Italy?

Self catering properties are to be found throughout France ranging from tiny cottages to huge gites and chateaus.  Ask me about a villa holiday to the destination of your choice – if you have a large family group please book as far in advance as possible as the larger properties fill up fast.

Take a look at my testimonials page to see what travellers say about my services, including reviews from travels to France:

Bonjour!  We have just returned from a trip to France organised by Travel With Jules.  We were so pleased with everything Julie did for us, we  started with  four  days in Paris with a day trip to Monets Garden (a must) and of course the Moulin Rouge, then from Paris to Monaco, Nice, St. Tropez , Dijon, Tours and returned to Paris for the last 3 days, we travelled (from Australia) four weeks in all everything went very smoothly, I am sure due to the fact that Julie put in so much effort to make it so.  The thing that I really liked was if you wanted to contact Julie on any matter you were not sure about she was always there with a reply asap, she become like a friend – nothing was too much bother for her. We will certinally contact Julie again when next we travel.  Au revoir!

Mike and Shaz travelled from Australia in April 2013 and are previous clients of Travel With Jules.