France
in Brief: France
- a modern European state and
a republic,
is one
of the world's major economies.
France has a population of slightly over 60
million, approximately equal to that of the United
Kingdom;
but in terms of surface area, France is twice the size of the UK. The
capital and the nation's largest city is Paris.
The official language is French, though regional languages such as
Breton and Alsacian are making a comeback.
Metropolitan France (France in Europe)
is
divided, administratively, into 22 regions,
and 96 counties, known as departments. France's currency is the Euro,
and most
garages, hotels and shops
in France
accept credit
cards, though may not always accept swipe cards
without a microchip. The cost
of living in France is fairly similar to neighbouring
countries, though
some things (like supermarket food) may be more expensive. Staying
in Paris
can be expensive - as can staying on the Riviera, particularly during
the peak tourist periods.. On the other hand, fruit, wine, travel,
hotels and
restaurants tend to be cheaper than they are in the United Kingdom,
particularly in rural areas, and there are plenty of ways of avoiding
tourist traps
One of the
oldest
nations in Europe, France - which the Romans called Gaul - is
also a country with a very rich cultural and environmental
heritage.
The climate in
France is quite varied, but generally west European - on the whole a
bit warmer than the UK, a
bit cooler than Spain . Don't expect to find summer in
winter in the
South of France!
The
spirit of France....
 Like any country, France is
"different"; it's a special place, with its
ways, its quirks, its wonderful variety, its joie-de-vivre and its
bureaucracy. Depending on circumstances, life in France can be anything
from incredibly relaxed to frustratingly rigid. Stereotypes die hard;
there is still a comic-book stereotype image of
the
Frenchman dressed in a striped tee-shirt and beret, smoking a
Gauloise,
and carrying a string of onions round his neck; or else driving a
Citroën 2CV to market, with two chickens and a rabbit on the
back
seat. But it is doubtful if
this stereotype still exists anywhere; perhaps just here and there, but
without the onions, and certainly not in modern urban France. And the
iconic 2CV or "Deux-chevaux" is
today
a rare site on French roads.
Even so, rural France is still home to
a dwindling
generation of traditional country folk, living life as it used to be;
and the heritage and traditions of the past are being carefully
preserved and even
reactivated by younger generations, often fugitives from city-life. The
old France is still alive and well, in its own way, and still to be
found in its villages and markets,
traditions and regional specialities, such as the vast and very varied choice of French cheeses. And of course, it is true that
the French eat snails - and very good they are too, as long as they
have been properly prepared by the chef, in a delicious sauce of
garlic, parsley and butter.... More about that on the wining and
dining in France
page.
Bread
and wine
In spite of the great variety to be found in France, some
things like the "baguette",
the famous
French bread stick,
change little from one region to another; you'll find baguettes of all
qualities in all regions, varying from the absolutely delicious, to the
hard and tasteless. Yet a fresh baguette, coming warm from a
traditional bakery, is surely one of the most delicious forms of bread
to be found anywhere in the world! There are many different types of French
bread, but tasty baguettes can be bought all
over France, and a trip to the local "boulangerie" is often
one of the
daily highlights of a holiday in France. But do not confuse the
"boulangerie" with the bread-counter in a supermarket!
Indeed, the pre-frozen "fresh-baked" bread counters in supermarkets are
not even allowed, by law, to call themselves "boulangeries".
Then there's wine.France
is one
of the world's great wine producing countries, and a country with a
vast range of wines, from heavy Mediterranean reds to light fruity
sparkling whites, via less well known varieties including "grey wine"
(vin gris) and "yellow wine" (vin jaune). The About-France.com French wines
pages are there to help you learn about the wines of France; Bordeaux,
Burgundy and Champagne are just the tip of the
iceberg; our wine guide takes you through these and all the
other wine regions of France.
Planning
a trip to France:
France is one of the
world's leading tourist destinations. If you have all the time in
the
world, you may not need to plan your holiday in France, you can
just
wander
along at your own leisurely pace, and it will be a wonderful
and varied experience. Whether you plan to drive or fly to France, you
may find it useful to check out our words of warning tips on booking
your travel to France.
About-France.com provides information to
help you choose a destination,
or travel through France,
check your route
through France, discover
the things to
visit in France and its regions, hire a car, find a place to
stay, for example a holiday
cottage, or a place to study
French, and much more. There's even a page on medical cover for your stay in France,
and what to do if you get taken ill or have an accident, as well as
some advice and information for people interested in buying property in France.
City-breaks
and short trips: Paris
Paris
is Paris ...
Staying in Paris for a couple of nights is a great way to discover
France for the first time... or the second, or the third... Paris is a
city
that people easily fall in love with, and with city-centre to
city-centre transport from Brussels or London, thanks to Eurostar,
Paris is just a short train ride away, and a real break; it has masses
of opportunities for cultural tourism, with some of the world's
finest museums
and monuments; it is one of the world's great shopping
cities, and also arguably the finest city in Europe, a place where you
can easily spend days just walking around, savouring the atmosphere,
enjoying the life. But don't be caught out by France's closing hours and public holidays.
About-France.com provides information
on Paris tourist
attractions including things to do for free, Paris
visitor passes and tips on
how to save money during your stay. And staying in a hotel
in Paris for a couple of nights won't break the bank But, as they say
in the rest of France, Paris
is Paris, it is not the whole of France. So what about the rest of
France?
The
rest of France - summer or winter - a wealth of experiences
to choose from.
One of the
largest
countries in Western Europe, France is also the most varied in terms of
scenery and climate. From Brittany
to Provence,
the Auvergne
, the Loire
Valley, the Dordogne
or the
Alps, Burgundy
to the Languedoc
, Poitou-Charentes
or Aquitaine
and the Pyrenees, each region is
special, each is
a holiday in itself. It is also a country with over 2000 miles
of beaches
and seashores, plenty of space for even the most demanding of
holidaymakers! So what are you waiting for? Click the regions tab
above to learn more about the different regions of Fance.
CLOSED TODAY .........
British and American tourists in France are sometimes surprised to find
themselves faced with closed doors, on reaching a museum or a famous
monument. So it is not a bad idea, before visiting France, to learn
what is closed in France, and when?
On Sundays, public holidays and holiday periods in general,
shops, museums, businesses and public services may be closed. Museums
are often closed on Tuesdays. See the
About-France.com guide to Public
holidays, Sundays and other holidays for more
information.
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