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RELIABLE
PRACTICAL INFORMATION about France
This
website does not use AI and
does not
carry covert advertising.
For over twenty
years About-France.com has been a
popular
source of reliable and well-researched information about France. At a
time when the Internet is littered with trite ill-informed click-bait
travel blogs, AI generated and unchecked information, and advertorials,
About-France.com takes pride in its
honest
guides,
informed content and
accurate information –
original
content written by
experts with a detailed knowledge of France.
More
than just an
online travel
guide, About-France.com
is a website filled with hundreds of pages of original relevant and
useful
information about France. The practical travel and tourist information
pages on Paris, French regions, driving in France, and a whole lot
more, are
just part of a much wider exploration of modern France.
Other pages of this website cover a wide range of
topics of interest to students and anyone wanting to understand French
life,
culture
and
traditions,
but also the nation's
institutions
and the French
language.
France
– so much more than just the world's leading tourist
destination
► Since 2003 -
An original inside guide to France
– Discover France with the experts, writers with an intimate
knowledge
of
France, and personal experience of life and travel throughout the
country
► France as a
tourist
destination
In spite of
everything, France
remains the world's number one tourist
destination, and by and large it remains one of the safer places in the
world to visit. it's not hard
to understand why. France has it all - or more or less. It has tourist
sights for all tastes; it has some of the greatest
beaches
in
Europe, as well as the highest mountains and the finest
historic
monuments,
the most beautiful cities, the most idyllic
countryside,
the most
magnificent castles, the finest
rivers, and
plenty more, not to mention some of the best
restaurants and the
finest
wines
and more
hotels
than any other country in Europe.
Mont Saint Michel, Normandy
France has something for everyone,
which is one of
the reasons why it remains the world's number one tourist destination.
It has magnificent holiday opportunities for everything from a short
weekend city break, in places such as
Paris,
Nice or Bordeaux, to a relaxed family holiday in a
gite
in the countryside, a week or two's relaxation by the seaside, or an
energetic break hiking, climbing, kayaking or cycling in France's
great outdoors.
Paris
Paris
is just the icing on the cake - the French capital city and surely the
most
interesting city in the world. With its museums and monuments, its fine
boulevards and its river Seine, its culture, its restaurants and its
unique atmosphere, Paris is a city that you can visit for a
week
or a month or a year, and never tire of. In the memorable words of
Thomas Jefferson, "A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history,
beauty, and in the point of life." And much more too. But
Paris
is just a starting point. France is much so much more than just Paris.
Cultural
tourism in France
French
museums
and art galleries
- which contrary to popular belief are not all located in Paris - offer
a magnificent collection of works of art and artefacts; and for those
for whom a holiday is an opportunity to discover Europe's historic
heritage, France's
great
cathedrals, medieval castles, and thousands of
other ancient monuments are a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.
For themed breaks, the châteaux of the Loire (in the
Centre region of
France) are an obvious choice; among the many other historic sites,
consider discovering the
Roman
remains of
Provence
,
the medieval
bastide
towns of the southwest, or the castles and caves of the
Dordogne.
There are even some
scenic
steam railways
for people who enjoy a trip down memory lane. Check out the regional
guides for information on sights, monuments and tourist attractions in
each area.
The
French seaside:
In
July and August, France's Mediterranean beaches tend to be pretty
packed; this is particularly the case in the famous resorts of Provence and
the French Riviera. By contrast, the long sandy beaches of the Languedoc offer much
more legroom. Away from the resorts, Brittany
offers plenty of good beaches, with the added fun of tides and good
waves; and France's Atlantic coast, south of the Loire, has plenty of
long sandy beaches, in the regions of Poitou-Charentes
and Aquitaine.
South of Bordeaux, there are mile upon mile of fine beaches.
For more information see guide to the French coast.
Discover the real France:
If
you want the life, culture and bustle of the big city, go to Paris.
But France is a lot more than Paris. There are plenty of
places in deepest
rural
France that are still very
much off the beaten track; and for
camping
holidays,
gite
holidays, or for those who are content to put up in small rural inns,
several regions in France offer wonderful holiday opportunities away
from it all. Five French departments (counties) that are particularly
worth checking out are the Aveyron (
Midi Pyrenees
area of Occitanie), the Haute Loire (part of the
Auvergne
area, recommended by Lonely Planet as one of the ten regions
of the world to visit),
the Corrèze (
Limousin),
the Jura (
Franche
Comté)
and the Vosges (
Lorraine):
all these departments include sparsely populated areas, attractive
scenery, and plenty of leisure opportunities - or just some great
places to sit back with a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy the peace and
quiet. One of the best times of year to visit France off the beaten
track is
Autumn,
specially in the south of the country.
Driving
in France
France has an extensive network of motorways, and many of them offer
relatively relaxed driving conditions, except at peak periods. Off the
motorways, driving on France's backroads can be a way to discover
motoring as it used to be, a pleasurable experience and a way to
discover the country. For more information click for our
guide -
driving
tips and advice. and our
checklist
of things not to forget before you leave.
French
culture and institutions
Finally, for those who are looking for deeper information about
France, this website contains pages explaining the main French
institutions and the functioning of
French
life, including the
education system
and
French
universities
, plus pages on the French way of
politics,
the
French economy
and the
press.
There is also a clearly written guide to the main points of French
grammar.
Site
search: click here to
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About-France.com
Use the
site search function
to look for information by keyword, or follow the hyperlinks from page
to related page, to discover a wealth of information about France,
French life and customs, tourism in France and the ways and life of the
most visited country in Europe.
With input from specialists in
French and UK universities, About-France.com is a website that applies
academic standards in terms of content, accuracy and style.
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