Tourist Info > France

Tourist Information for France.

France is a very proud country with a long and interesting history. A centuries old rivalry with England is still present, although now a lot less violent. This can sometimes create a less than friendly response from the locals if approached with the English language. Do not take a cold response personally, the French are not known for their warm welcomes and a generally disenchanted disposition is commonplace.

France offers several different types of holiday and several types of climate. The north of France has a traditional central European climate and this changes the further south you go until in the far south of France you can expect a typical mediterranean climate. Other parts of the country are popular ski resorts.

Normandy and other parts of the north of France were key battlegrounds in the first and second world wars and now benefit from historic tourism. Bayeux is home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of England in 1066 and the events that led up to it.

Bayeux is also the location of the largest World War Two cemetry so during the summer months it can get quite busy with tourists.

Paris is a natural hotspot with some very famous attractions, but doesn't live up to the standards of London or Rome as a tourist capital.

La Rochelle, on the west coast, is probably the best of France's coastal resorts thanks to its stubborn Mayor. This foresight is now paying dividends by attracting the higher paying tourists that prefer style over beer fuelled yobs and noisy nightclubs. The south of the country is home to the more traditional coastal resorts and also the independent state of Monaco. No visit to the south of France is complete without visiting this home of the rich and famous.

Cuisine

The French are very proud of their food and this is deserved in a lot of respects, and in others, their pride is greater than their quality. French bread and French cheese is very good. French wine, while not bad, is being pushed out by cheaper foreign wines of equivalent quality but lesser kudos. French cooking is very palatable but is distinctly lacking in variety compared to other national cuisines. The famous frog's legs and snails dishes are a national delicacy that I'll let you form your own opinion on!

Transport

The French rail service, SNCF, is one of the best in Europe and is a source of national pride. It is also very good value. Users of Interail tickets and other passes will certainly appreciate French rail service, where it is one of the few countries where all the trains are covered by the tickets. Only the TGV charges a nominal seat booking fee. The TGV currently holds the record as the world's fastest train. It has been adapted and sold to other countries so trains such as the Eurostar, serving the channel tunnel, Spain's AVE and the Thalys are really just TGVs with a face lift.