The Facts:
Capital: Paris
Currency: Euro
Time Zone: GMT +1
www.franceguide.com
Introduction:
With an annual steady stream of over 81 million visitors France is the number one travel destination in the world. It's a country that can after all boast Paris as its capital, inspiring romance the world over whilst oozing iconic style and sophistication. Then there's the food, from frogs legs to French bread, haute cuisine to rustic recipes, a litany of gastronomic splendours can be found in almost every corner of this country, it has 365 different cheeses alone, never mind the rest. There's wine from some of the world's most well known regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as Champagne, cognacs and Pastis to wash it all down. You can climb mountains in the Alps, canoe the Loire and Ardeche valleys, potter through Provence and its Lavender filled fields, visit ornate Chateaux, stay in idyllic restored farmhouses or head for the sun and the French Riveria. France is the second largest country in continental Europe. With all that space and all those sights it's easy to see why people just keeping coming back.
Where To Go:
France is located in Western Europe (although it also includes various overseas islands and territories located in other continents). It extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to France as L'Hexagone, 'The Hexagon', because of the geometric shape of its territory. Metropolitan France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel.
What To Eat & Drink:
- For breakfast visit the Patisserie for freshly baked bread and warm croissants.
- Coq au vin is a well-known French dish, which traditionally is a French fricassee of rooster cooked with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic. Older roosters are traditionally used because they contain a lot of connective tissue, which creates a richer broth when cooked.
- Ratatouille (courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines stew), bouillabaisse (fish stew), tapenade (olive paste), aioli (cod and vegetables served cold with a garlic mayonnaise) and salade niçoise (tuna, anchovies, capers, boiled eggs, green beans, black olives, tomatoes and potatoes) are among the best-known specialities from Provence.
- Alsace and Lorraine are where quiche lorraine and tarte flambée (onion tart) originate.
- Alpine cuisine will traditionally include raclette and tartifilette, hearty mountain dishes in which cheese is a key ingredient.
- Wine is the most popular alcoholic drink in France.
- Pastis is a popular anise-flavoured apéritif
Unmissable France:
5 things you really should do in France
1. Saddle up
Get into the saddle and explore the beautiful Carmargue famous for its wild horses. The region, located south of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the River Rhône delta is also western Europe's largest river delta.
2. Make a run for it
Tackle Europe's longest off-piste ski run, the Vallée Blanche. On this 22km run remote towering Alpine peaks, like Mont Blanc, crevasse hewn glaciers like the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) and limitless powder snow await. If you are fresh to the slopes there are plenty of alternative options for beginners in the French Alps and Pyrenees.
www.chamonix.com
www.neilson.com
3. Go on tour
Follow the Tour de France as this infamous cycle race winds its ways through the country's notorious high passes and valleys. For true cycling fans you can book a holiday and cycle some of the stages yourself.
www.letour.fr
www.sportingtours.co.uk/home.html
4. Find your palette
Since wine is the most popular drink of the nation and with ten different wine-growing regions on offer France is the ideal destination for a wine tour.
www.arblasterandclarke.com
5. See the sights
Whether it's for the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, a stroll down the banks of the Seine, or the city's many museums and galleries, Paris, dubbed 'the city of romance', should be explored. A visit to the Disneyland Paris theme park can always be combined if you are travelling as a family.
www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/
www.louvre.fr
www.centrepompidou.fr
www.disneylandparis.com
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