France Country Guide | Guide to France

France is one of the top five tourist destinations in the world. It has everything that you could ever want to see on your holidays: a great city like Paris, wonderful beaches, more monuments than you could poke a stick at, incredible mountain scenery; need I go on? France is also a very pleasant place to stay. It has a dizzying array of wonderful food, great wines and a population that thoroughly enjoy life. And the best thing is (maybe apart from Paris) living in France does not have to be expensive.

The North of France consists of the flatlands around the town of Lille and the Channel. The area will remind visitors in many ways of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Paris - the city of light - and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas of France and with good reason. Paris is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The West of France is turned towards the Atlantic Coast. In the north Normandy and Brittany have rolling hills, sandy beaches, rugged coastlines and quiet little harbour towns. The West has quite a distinct atmosphere from the rest of the country; you can still sense the Celtic origin of the region and its inhabitants. Nantes and Bordeaux are the biggest cities on the west coast.

Bordeaux, capital of the south west, is a stylish city famous for its wines and its 18th century architecture. The Pays Basque is the southern-most part of the Atlantic Coast of France. The resort of Biarritz is posh, but pretty and pricey.

The eastern part of France consists of the Alsace, Lorraine, Franche Comté and Burgundy regions. The landscape features rolling hills and many beautiful cities, such as Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy and Dijon. This region produces many famous wines, including magnificent pinot noirs and chardonnays valued the world over, as well as the famous "Yellow wine" from the Jura Mountain Vineyard.

The Center is in many ways the most quiet part of France. But the great treasure of this region is the Loire valley, with its many wonderful castles and beautiful towns. Chartres with its famous cathedral continually rates amongst the most beautiful French cities.

The Auvergne, centered on the Massif Central mountains that stretch to a height of about 6,000 feet, is one of the most beautiful regions of France. Much of it is upland, traversed by wild river valleys and an unspoilt natural environment. The north of the region stretches towards the flatter Loire Valley. The regional capital is Clermont Ferrand, and the small city of Le Puy en Velay, with its historic churches perched on volcanic pinnacles, is one of the most surprising cities in France

The Alps are great for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Albertville, Grenoble and Chamonix have all hosted the Winter Olympics. But the Alps also have great towns to visit, such as Chambéry, Annecy or Grenoble.

The South with its lovely nature, great food, roman ruins and of course the Riviera draws a ton of visitors every year. Towns like Orange, and Arles but also big cities like Marseille and Toulon are must sees. The Provence is dotted with pleasant small villages. In the South west of France the Dordogne is one of the most quintessential French regions. The Languedoc has its own language and culture. In the south of the Languedoc you find the Pyrenees, a great mountain range separating France from Spain, where you can hike and ski. The towns of Toulouse and Montpellier are wonderful and the medieval town of Carcassone is a must-see destination.

The island of Corsica has enjoys a beautiful natural setting and a very special atmosphere.

the travel guide you write

This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 Licence

France Facts

Capital: Paris

Population: 60,496,000

Currency: euro (EUR)

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

Government: republic

Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

Phone Code: 33