France

France is one of the countries we cover most widely, and for good reason. Paris needs no introduction, but there is far more within reach of it: the palace of Versailles, Monet’s garden at Giverny, Chantilly, the champagne houses of Reims and the Normandy coast at Honfleur and Rouen, with Mont-Saint-Michel rising from the tidal flats. To the south-west, the Loire Valley is château country, from Chambord and Chenonceau to Amboise.

The south has a different light. Provence brings lavender, markets and the old towns of Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, Marseille has the oldest port in the country, and the Riviera strings together Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. Lyon is the gastronomic capital, Bordeaux the wine capital, and in the east, Strasbourg and Colmar mix French and German influence, especially at Christmas. Chamonix sits beneath Mont Blanc for mountain views and summer walks.

Food and drink

Every region has its own table. Croissants and baguettes in Paris, crêpes and cider in Brittany and Normandy, bouillabaisse in Marseille, quenelles and bouchons in Lyon, choucroute and flammekueche in Alsace. Wine ranges from Champagne and Burgundy to Bordeaux and the rosés of Provence, and a cheese course is never optional.

How to travel

Our French programme covers almost every style: Paris city breaks, guided walks, photo shoots at the Eiffel Tower and day tours to Versailles and Normandy. The Paris and Nice rail tours use high-speed TGV trains, and London to Paris by Eurostar is a classic first leg. For the countryside, our self-drive routes through Normandy, Brittany and the Loire, Provence and the Riviera, or the whole of France, give you the freedom to linger. Private van tours link France with Switzerland and Italy.