France Travel Guide
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About this ebook
From world class wine and delectable delicacies, to iconic structures and a culture of brooding romance; whether it's described as chic, rude, sexy or snobby, everyone has an opinion about France. As French general and writer Charles de Gaulle once famously said, “how can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six kinds of cheese?” Beyond a reference to France's famous cheese spectrum, running the gamut from wheels of creamy camembert to ripened Roquefort, de Gaulle's words perfectly capture the lure of this country's timeless and multi-faceted culture, a tapestry constantly changing from region to region, from north to south, and yet filled with a very distinctive 'je ne sais quois', or 'I don't know what', a seduction which keeps the world travelling back for more, year after year. So, what is that certain something?
Maybe it's France's architecture known the world over, entrenched in history and folklore: here, you can fulfil dreams of scaling the Eiffel Tower, its looming iron lattice anchoring the whole of Paris together as the capital's stoic, structural symbol; you can marvel at royal Châteaux in the Loire Valley and stay at a restored farmhouse in the sunny south of France. Whichever way you turn here, you're bound to be faced with an iconic piece of history, standing tall, or all the way down to face level with the unfalteringly familiar, France's smaller towns, with their cute, village square markets and lace-curtained bistros.
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France Travel Guide - The Non Fiction Author
France Travel Guide
The France Traveler's Guide to Make The Most Out of Your Trip
By The Non Fiction Author
Published by The Non Fiction Author
Smashwords Edition
Copyright ©2017 The Non Fiction Author
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All pictures are held by commercial license and may not be duplicated by anyone without express permission.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
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Disclaimer
The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. The author's books are only meant to provide the reader with the basics travel guidelines of a certain location, without any warranties regarding the accuracy of the information and advice provided. Each traveler should do their own research before departing.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Are You Ready for an Amazing Journey?
Chapter 1: France at a Glance (North, South, East, West)
Chapter 2: When to Go & Where to Stay In France
Chapter 3: How to Get Around France (Without Getting Lost!)
Chapter 4: Planning Your Trip Ahead (Sample Itineraries)
Chapter 5: Paris and Versailles
Chapter 6: The North of France
Chapter 7: Champagne and the Ardennes
Chapter 8: Alsace-Lorraine
Chapter 9: Normandy
Chapter 10: The Loire Valley
Chapter 11: Burgundy
Chapter 12: Poitou-Charentes and the Atlantic coast
Chapter 13: Limousin, Dordogne and the Lot
Chapter 14: The Pyrenees
Chapter 15: Languedoc-Roussillon
Chapter 16: The Massif Central
Chapter 17: The Alps
Chapter 18: Rhône valley
Chapter 19: Provence and the Côte d’Azur
Chapter 20: Corsica
Conclusion: Aren't You Excited? Your Journey Is About to Begin!
Introduction:
Are You Ready for an Amazing Journey?
From world class wine and delectable delicacies, to iconic structures and a culture of brooding romance; whether it's described as chic, rude, sexy or snobby, everyone has an opinion about France. As French general and writer Charles de Gaulle once famously said, how can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six kinds of cheese?
Beyond a reference to France's famous cheese spectrum, running the gamut from wheels of creamy camembert to ripened Roquefort, de Gaulle's words perfectly capture the lure of this country's timeless and multi-faceted culture, a tapestry constantly changing from region to region, from north to south, and yet filled with a very distinctive 'je ne sais quois', or 'I don't know what', a seduction which keeps the world travelling back for more, year after year. So, what is that certain something?
Maybe it's France's architecture known the world over, entrenched in history and folklore: here, you can fulfil dreams of scaling the Eiffel Tower, its looming iron lattice anchoring the whole of Paris together as the capital's stoic, structural symbol; you can marvel at royal Châteaux in the Loire Valley and stay at a restored farmhouse in the sunny south of France. Whichever way you turn here, you're bound to be faced with an iconic piece of history, standing tall, or all the way down to face level with the unfalteringly familiar, France's smaller towns, with their cute, village square markets and lace-curtained bistros.
Maybe it's the allure of French café culture. Going back centuries, cafés, or coffee houses, were a place to meet for intellectuals, and where philosophical debates were held – and this vision of Hemingway, Picasso and Sartre mulling over a dark, rich expresso, contemplating the nature of existentialism and surrounded by dramatic clouds of tobacco smoke on a cafe terrace, is deeply engrained in the cultural musings associated with France – and still stands strong today.
Those who fall prey to the picture perfect might go weak at the knees for the lavender field landscapes of Provence, unspoilt rural panoramas and the spectacular looming mountains of the Alps, where you can sit at the foot of the Mont Blanc chain, gazing at your reflection in a crystal clear, glacier lake, quietly contemplating the fact that you never want to leave. The sheer physical diversity of France would be hard to exhaust in a lifetime of visits.
Or it might be that people flock to this fabled land of good food and wine. Champagne-quaffing, chocolate sampling and cheese chomping are all a quintessential part of the French experience, and whether you're in France for the weekend, or for four weeks, picking at warm croissants by the River Seine or tearing apart a fresh, crusty French loaf and a doorstop of local cheese whilst walking on the beach in Brittany, is a rite of passage rather than an optional extra. This is gastronomy at its finest.
Is it the art? Much more than perusing famous works by Cezanne, French art is found in the simplest of things – the rhythm of daily life in rural France, gently shifting with the seasons, or mastering the art of strolling the cities as French philosophers have, taking in the every-day beauties or meandering through a lily pond garden, like a live enactment of a Monet painting.
Perhaps more than any country in the world, France strives to preserve and develop its distinctive culture and traditions, and it does so with pride. So whether you're scaling the limestone hills of Provence, marvelling at the canyons of the Pyrenees or exploring the wooded valleys of the Dordogne, you'll find it easy to embrace the French way of joie de vivre – an enjoyment of life.
Chapter 1:
France at a Glance (North, South, East, West)
Before we dive in and explore its essence, culture and how to make the most of your time in France, let's take a bird’s eye snapshot to show you the diversity each of the country's regions to get a feel for them, and what they have to offer.
Metropolitan France is split up into 22 different regions, including the island of Corsica. In this guide, we'll break the 22 down into key areas which have been grouped for ease of travel and regional interest.
Geographically, France is big – in fact it's the largest country in Western Europe - and its size can be both a curse and a blessing when it comes to travelling around it: on the one hand, you can spend several lifetimes exploring and unearthing this country's grand attractions and secret idiosyncracies, and on the other, travelling France with any kind of time limit will leave anyone returning home only to plan their next trip.
A quick tour would take you over fifty percent of lush plains, a sizeable patch of dazzling mountains including Western Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc, in the Alps of southern France, and over to beautiful coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay) and La Manche (the English Channel) sandwiched between Belgium and Spain, and the Mediterranean sea. In fact, France shares borders with eight different nations, which means that travel is easy for neighbouring Francophiles (people who love France – there are so many they even have their own word) to pop over from different parts of Europe, and for anyone to visit France as part of a larger European trip.
France's vast diversity from region-to-region means that moving from one to the other is almost like travelling to several different countries, and no two experiences are the same. On the coast