What can I expect from France?
Over eighty million tourists visit France every year, which puts it in first place worldwide. France owes its popularity to the extraordinary diversity, natural beauty, historical monuments, excellent cuisine and quality of services that tourists enjoy here.
Things to do and see in France
- The romantic Paris
- The french wine
- The castles at Loire
- The mysterious Le Mont Saint Michel
- The miraculous Lourdes
- The french cheese
- The magnificent Côte d’Azur
- The lavender fields
- The highest peak in Europe – Mont Blanc
Some interesting facts about France
Sea – France is surrounded by four seas – the Ligurian, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel – thanks to which it has a total of 4,000 kilometers of coastline. If that’s not enough, Corsica and a number of islands, mostly in the Atlantic Ocean, are still at their disposal. We must not forget overseas territories such as Martinique in the Caribbean.
The coast of France is really diverse – sand dunes and long kilometers of beaches in the west, high waves whipping the coast in the southwest, Mediterranean character on the Côte d’Azur.
Mountains – The highest mountains in France are the Savoy Alps and the Pyrenees, which enjoy the interest of skiers in the winter, but even in the summer they can not complain about the lack of interest of tourists. The Central Massif or the Jura and Vosges mountains in the east should not be left out either. All these mountains offer countless opportunities for hiking or biking, swimming or admiring the mountain scenery.
Historical monuments and tourist attractions – France has played an important role in the past, which is still remembered by an incredible number of historical buildings and monuments. Paris itself offers more sights than any other city in the world, such as the iconic Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Sacré-Coer Basilica, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Elysées and Montmarte. The attraction for children is the nearby Disneyland.
However, such gems as Mont Saint-Michel, the castles of the Loire, Avignon with the papal palace, the Pont du Gard or the cathedral of Chartres are not left behind.
Traveling with kids? You should also know...
Nature Parks – France offers a wealth of amazing natural scenery, rivers, lakes and natural monuments.
Over two percent of France’s territory – a total of 3,710 km2 – consists of protected nature parks, a total of seven and in addition, France has three more overseas.
French gastronomy – France is famous for its cuisine, which many people consider the best in the world. It is not for nothing that a prestigious Michelin-starred restaurant award arose in France. Not only are French cheeses and wines legendary, but the term is also such an “ordinary thing” as a baguette.
Tour of France – The most difficult cycling stage race in the world is held in France every year, which is a unique combination of a sports competition and a television tourist guide to France.
May be useful
Currency: euro
Official language: French
Sockets: 220V
Telephone prefix: +33
Speed limits: in the city 50 km / h, in the village 80 km / h, outside the village 90 km / h, long-distance road 110 km / h, highway 130 km / h
Time zone: UTC +1
How to spend time actively in France?
Of course, France offers countless monuments that we would need several years to see. However, it is also possible to get to know this beautiful country from other angles.
We will definitely come up with sports first. Suitable natural conditions attract mainly to tourism. You can easily adapt the hiking trail to the level of your physical condition, the most demanding can try an adrenaline experience in the form of a hike in the Pyrenees. This is also associated with the possibility of using the conditions for mountaineering.
You don’t even have to give up cycling. There are over 250 bicycle rentals in France directly at the train stations. As a tip, we recommend using one of the wine cycling trails in the Champagne or Burgundy region.
Fans of winter are advised to use the Alps for downhill skiing, while in the Pyrenees, cross-country skiing is more common. Other major sporting events include the Monte Carlo Tennis Tournament in June, the Monaco Grand Prix and Le Mans at the end of May.
Let us now move from the field of sports to the other attractions that France abounds in. Of course, like any tourist destination, France offers a lively nightlife, especially in large cities. Paris in particular is famous for its cabarets.
