France Travel and Guide - Visit France

France information, holidays, hotels and gites, food, wildlife, history, culture...

Explore the regions of France:

North-east France:

• Alsace and
• Northern France (North Calais, Lorraine and Picardy regions)

North-west France:

• Brittany and
• Brittany seaside, coast and islands;
• Western Loire (Pays de la Loire) and
• Normandy (officially two regions - Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy);

South-east France:

• Provence
  including Bouches-du-Rhone and Vaucluse departments and the Cote d'Azur (French Riviera)
• Rhone Alpes
• Corsica

South-west France:

• Aquitaine region
  includes the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne departments;
• Languedoc-Roussillon
  includes the departments of Aude; Gard; Herault; Lozere; Pyrenees-Orientales
• Midi-Pyrenees
  includes departments Aveyron; Lot; Gascony; Tarn; Tarn-et-Garonne; Haute-Garonne; Ariege and Hautes-Pyrenees

Central France:

• To the west: Poitou-Charentes
• central: Auvergne
• north Burgundy and central and southern Burgundy (Bourgogne region)
• the Loire Valley (Centre region)
• Limousin
• Paris
• To the east: Champagne Ardenne and Franche Comte

The administrative 'regions' of France are further divided into 'departments' eg Dordogne, Aude, etc: see departments of France (further subdivided into 35,800 communes of France)

You might also like to visit our regional France travel guides for Corsica and the Dordogne.

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France Travel Information

Discover hundreds of the best places to visit in France with our interactive maps, or see a complete map of France. From the most beautiful villages to the best scenic highlights, from Calais to Corsica, from Provence to the Dordogne.

 

Holidays in France and France gites

Search through thousands of holidays in France - gites, villas, hotels and holiday parcs - in the Holidays in France travel section. Check out as well the Last Minute Holidays in France section if you are looking to travel in the next few weeks. You can make ALL YOUR FRANCE TRAVEL PLANS RIGHT HERE AND NOW!

Wildlife of France

So that you know what to expect when you are walking alone in the mountains, or are trying to guess what that odd noise is from behind the kitchen cupboard in your holiday villa, we have included some of the more common wildlife you might come across, but also some of the less common in our wildlife in France section.

History and Culture of France

Read about the history of France, from prehistoric France to the middle ages and conflicts,  and visit some of the castles in France

The history and culture of France are closely linked - see also France culture.

Food and drink in France

Food and drink play a very important role in France and no visit to France would be complete without some knowledge of what the traditional French recipes and drinks are. We have some of the most traditional (and easy to prepare) easy French recipes including garlic soup, cassoulet and tarte aux pommes, some more French recipes, and also a guide to what you should drink in France if you want to be like the locals, including pastis and diabolo menthe.

Moving to France and Living in France

NEW: PROPERTY FOR SALE IN FRANCE LISTINGS - see property to buy in France. Before relocating to France, take a look at our related information: property renovation in France for anyone thinking a ruin can make a lovely home, and sections about expat finances, moving to and buying property in France - visit the Life in France section.

More Visit France Travel and Holiday Ideas

For more destination inspiration look at some holiday ideas and suggestions. How about a river cruise in France or a motorhome holiday - it's all in the French holidays section?

Make travel arrangements and go shopping

Haven't made your travel arrangements yet? Look through our travel guide to choose the best region of France for you, then visit our travel to France section, where we have tracked down some of the cheapest ways to get to your holiday destination. (See more holiday villas in France) or book gites.

Facts and figures

To do before you visit France? As part of the build-up to your gite france holiday, you will want to see what weather to expect and learn a few interesting facts about France - see the France Info section, where you can also keep an eye on the latest news from France. Other information here looks at everything from the history of the French flag to the words of the Marseillaise.

Other recommended sites

Sometimes we come across other sites that we are pleased to recommend: the Bed and breakfast directory is useful for, well, finding a good B and B. For discussing property purchase in France we recommend Property in France. Head east to stay at one of our personal favourite destinations - the Czech Republic.

Our partner guides to Spain and England are well underway and should be complete end 2009.