France With coasts on three seas, magnificent cities and idyllic rural areas each with its own distinctive character you could have a hundred different holidays in France.

1. Canoes on the Dordogne near the village of La Rogue Gajeac, Aquitaine, South West France. © ATOUT FRANCE/Jean Malburet
FranceWith coasts on three seas, magnificent cities and idyllic
rural areas each with its own distinctive character you
could have a hundred different holidays in France.

2. FRANCE IS A COUNTRY
RICH IN RURAL CHARM AND
UNFORGETTABLE PLACES,
ROLLING VINEYARDS,
PRETTY CHÂTEAUX AND
THE WILD ATLANTIC
COAST.
The east has medieval charm and splendour, half-timbered
towns and magnificent cathedrals, while further south lie the
mountains of the Jura and Savoy and the glitz of the Côte
d’Azur. The interior offers unspoilt landscapes such as the
ever-popular Dordogne and then there are cities like Paris,
Lyon, Marseilles and many others, all beautiful and distinctive.
The SOUTH-WEST of France enjoys the lakes and rivers
of Limousin, the golden sandy beaches, rolling Bordeaux
vineyards and beautiful castles of Aquitaine, and the rich
cultural heritage and diverse landscape of the Midi-Pyrénées.
The Poitou-Charentes region has a magnificent coastline and is
linked to the superb, refined and locally produced spirit of
Cognag and is one of the finest destinations for
countryside holidays.
See SOUTH-EAST France at it’s natural
best in Auvergne with it’s abundance of green
mountains and wild gorges, shaped by the
volcanic activity that took place over 30
million years ago. The Rhône-Alps are
famous for snowy peaks, hiking and winter-
sports and the Rhône River runs straight from
the glacier, south through France towards the
sunny Mediterranean. Languedoc-Roussillon,
Provence Alps and Côte d’Azur have miles of sandy
beaches resting against the Mediterranean Sea and
charming villages, sparkling marinas and the romantic hill-top
towns and magical sunshine of the Riviera. Corsica is a green
island with pine forests and emerald mountain lakes, not to
mention miles of luxurious beaches.
Easily accessible from the UK, the NORTH-EAST of
France is home to Calais and the major town of Lille with TGV
Paris, Brussels and London rail connections. From France’s
historical beginnings in Picardy to the romance of Paris and
the splendour of the Champagne region, this area of France is
full of charm and beauty. Lorraine is at the border of Belgium,
Luxembourg and Germany and Alsace is renowned for
geranium-filled villages and its medieval capital of
Strasbourg. And of course there is Burgundy,
famous for its fine wines, and the natural beauty
of Franche-Comté.
The NORTH-WEST is home to Brittany, at
the westernmost tip of France, a region with
ancient countryside, quiet beaches and small
fishing villages. Normandy is fantastic for
families from the seaside coasts to child-friendly
activities and the Loire Valley has charming towns,
lush gardens and numerous museums and cathedrals.
The north west is perfect for all kinds of pastimes like
cycling, canoeing, and hot-air ballooning and the Western
Loire stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, just below
Brittany and is a scenic region with 30 miles of coast and
250 miles of waterways.
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Corsica is a
well-preserved
island with two
thirds of its surface
being a Regional
Natural Park
The beach at Carnac, a town famous for its megalithic alignments. Brittany, North West France
©ATOUT FRANCE/Michel Angot

3. Fact file
CORSICA is a prized destination for gourmets.
Don’t miss the Figalellu (lightly smoked liver
sausage), Coppa Ham, Canistrelli (lemon biscuits)
with chestnuts and Casgiu Merzu: a “dancing”
goats cheese swarming with small live white
worms (asticots)!
The JEWELS OF THE BASQUE COAST is
an uninterrupted 27km hike along the Atlantic
coastline from Biarritz to Hendaye. Walk through
wild heathland and narrow Basque streets with the
Rhune mountains on the French side and the Trois
Couvonnes (three crowns) peak across the border
in Spain.
France has almost 2000km of BEACHES
spread across 200 resorts. Whether along the
English Channel, the Atlantic or the
Mediterranean, they all have their own individual
style ranging from sandy, pebble, secret coves or
invigorating waves and tides.
France’s CLIMATE is divided into four climatic
zones:
The South of France enjoys a Mediterranean
climate with mild winters and very hot summers.
The North, Paris and Central regions have an
intermediate climate with cold winters and hot
summers.
Alsace, Lorraine and along the Rhone corridor
and in the Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central, the
climate is semi-continental with harsh winters and
hot summers.
In the west from Bayonne to Lille, the oceanic and
humid climate give cooler summers.
Tourist Office
www.franceguide.com
info.uk@franceguide.com
Tel: 09068 244 123 (60p min)
Official language French
Average temperatures (July)
Nice 23ºC
Paris 19ºC
Montpellier 23ºC
Lyon 20ºC
Currency Euro
Local time GMT+1 (end Mar–end Oct
GMT+2)
Average flying time Approx 11/2 hours
Did you know?
The maximum distances in France are:
North–South: Dunkirk to Paris-de-
Malo, 973km; East–West:
Lauterbourg to Pointe de Corsen,
945.5km; North-west–South-east:
Pointe de Corsen to Menton, 1082km.
The French Motorail allows you to
take your car to the south of France,
saving you the drive. Your car is
loaded onto special transporter
carriages whilst you relax in the
passenger carriages. Services operate
to Brives, Toulouse, Narbonne,
Avignon and Nice.
www.frenchmotorail.com
Septmonts, Picardy, North East France
©ATOUT FRANCE/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot
Along the Orne, viaduct and countryside on the outskirts of Clécy, Normandy, North West France.
© ATOUT FRANCE/CDT Calvados
Albigny beach, Lake Annecy, Rhône-Alpes, South East France ©ATOUT FRANCE/Jean-François Tripelon-Jarry
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