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A
few basics: France is a modern European nation, and one
of the world's major economies.
It is also a country with a very rich cultural and environmental heritage.
The climate is 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! France uses the Euro, and most places accept credit
cards, though not always cards that do not have a microchip. The cost
of living in France is fairly similar to neighbouring countries, though
some things (like supermarket food) may be more expensive. Paris is an
expensive city. 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.
Planning
your holiday: if you have all the time in the
world, you may not need to plan your tirip, you can just go and wander
through France at your own leisurely pace, and it will be a wonderful
and varied experience. But anyone planning a shorter visit is
advised to plan details first. About-France.com will help you choose a destination, or travel through France, discover
the things to
visit in France and its regions, 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.
City-breaks and short trips: Paris
Paris
is Paris ...
Staying in Paris for a couple of nights is a great way to make a first
acquaintance with France... or a second, or a 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 that you
can easily spend days just walking around, savouring the atmosphere,
enjoying the life. 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
larger
countries in Western Europe, France is also the most varied in terms of
scenery and climate. From Brittany
to Provence,
the Auvergne
, the Dordogne
or the
Alps, Burgundy
to the Languedoc and the Pyrenees, each region is
special, each is
a holiday in itself. So what are you waiting for? Click the regions tab
above for more information about the different regions of Fance.
The
essence of France....
Stereotypes die hard; there is still a comic-book image of the
Frenchman dressed in a striped tee-shirt and beret, smoking a Gauloise,
and carrying a string of onions round his neck. But it is doubtful if
this stereotype still exists anywhere; perhaps just here and there, but
without the onions. Even so, rural France is still home to a dwindling
generation of traditional country folk, living life as it used to be;
and the 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.
Bread and wine
Of
course, 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. It really is a matter of seeking out the good
little bakery, or getting to know the town you're staying in well.
There's no sure way of knowing where that really delicious baguette is going
to come from - except that it probably won't be from a supermarket.
Indeed, the pre-frozen "fresh-baked" bread counters in supermarkets are
not even allowed, by law, to call themselves "boulangeries". But where bread is concerned, don't forget that France has a
wonderful range of delicious breads to offer, from the baguette to the batard,
via a whole range of wholemeal breads (pain complet), rye
bread
(pain de seigle),
sourdough bread (pain au
levain), and breads spiced
up with nuts, olives, bacon, cheese and a variety of other natural
additives. The real "boulangeries"
are waiting for you.
If you're travelling through
France, and want to stop and buy Fresh bread for a picnic,
don't forget that many small shops close for up to two hours in
the middle of the day. Boulangeries often stay open beyond the
traditional midday closing hour, but after 12.30 you may well find a
locked door if you stop off at a village bakery.
Be warned.
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. Discover the immense variety on the About-France.com French wines pages.
NORMAL SERVICE IS
SUSPENDED.........
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. See the
About-France.com guide to Public
holidays, Sundays and other holidays for more
information
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