Canoes on the Dordogne near the village of La Rogue Gajeac, Aquitaine, South West France. © ATOUT FRANCE/Jean Malburet

FranceWith coasts on three seas, magnificent cities and idyllic rural areas each with its own distinctive character you could have a hundred different holidays in France.

FRANCE IS A COUNTRYRICH IN RURAL CHARM ANDUNFORGETTABLE PLACES,ROLLING VINEYARDS,PRETTY CHÂTEAUX ANDTHE WILD ATLANTICCOAST. The east has medieval charm and splendour, half-timberedtowns and magnificent cathedrals, while further south lie themountains of the Jura and Savoy and the glitz of the Côted’Azur. The interior offers unspoilt landscapes such as theever-popular Dordogne and then there are cities like Paris,Lyon, Marseilles and many others, all beautiful and distinctive.

The SOUTH-WEST of France enjoys the lakes and riversof Limousin, the golden sandy beaches, rolling Bordeauxvineyards and beautiful castles of Aquitaine, and the richcultural heritage and diverse landscape of the Midi-Pyrénées.The Poitou-Charentes region has a magnificent coastline and islinked to the superb, refined and locally produced spirit ofCognag and is one of the finest destinations forcountryside holidays.

See SOUTH-EAST France at it’s naturalbest in Auvergne with it’s abundance of greenmountains and wild gorges, shaped by thevolcanic activity that took place over 30million years ago. The Rhône-Alps arefamous for snowy peaks, hiking and winter-sports and the Rhône River runs straight fromthe glacier, south through France towards thesunny Mediterranean. Languedoc-Roussillon,Provence Alps and Côte d’Azur have miles of sandybeaches resting against the Mediterranean Sea andcharming villages, sparkling marinas and the romantic hill-toptowns and magical sunshine of the Riviera. Corsica is a greenisland with pine forests and emerald mountain lakes, not tomention miles of luxurious beaches.

Easily accessible from the UK, the NORTH-EAST ofFrance is home to Calais and the major town of Lille with TGVParis, Brussels and London rail connections. From France’shistorical beginnings in Picardy to the romance of Paris andthe splendour of the Champagne region, this area of France isfull of charm and beauty. Lorraine is at the border of Belgium,

Luxembourg and Germany and Alsace is renowned forgeranium-filled villages and its medieval capital of

Strasbourg. And of course there is Burgundy,famous for its fine wines, and the natural beautyof Franche-Comté.

The NORTH-WEST is home to Brittany, atthe westernmost tip of France, a region withancient countryside, quiet beaches and small

fishing villages. Normandy is fantastic forfamilies from the seaside coasts to child-friendly

activities and the Loire Valley has charming towns,lush gardens and numerous museums and cathedrals.

The north west is perfect for all kinds of pastimes likecycling, canoeing, and hot-air ballooning and the WesternLoire stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, just belowBrittany and is a scenic region with 30 miles of coast and250 miles of waterways.

Choice Villas & Apartments 2010 29

Corsica is awell-preserved

island with twothirds of its surface

being a RegionalNatural Park

The beach at Carnac, a town famous for its megalithic alignments. Brittany, North West France©ATOUT FRANCE/Michel Angot

Fact fileCORSICA is a prized destination for gourmets.Don’t miss the Figalellu (lightly smoked liversausage), Coppa Ham, Canistrelli (lemon biscuits)with chestnuts and Casgiu Merzu: a “dancing”goats cheese swarming with small live whiteworms (asticots)!

The JEWELS OF THE BASQUE COAST isan uninterrupted 27km hike along the Atlanticcoastline from Biarritz to Hendaye. Walk throughwild heathland and narrow Basque streets with theRhune mountains on the French side and the TroisCouvonnes (three crowns) peak across the borderin Spain.

France has almost 2000km of BEACHESspread across 200 resorts. Whether along theEnglish Channel, the Atlantic or theMediterranean, they all have their own individualstyle ranging from sandy, pebble, secret coves orinvigorating waves and tides.

France’s CLIMATE is divided into four climaticzones: The South of France enjoys a Mediterraneanclimate with mild winters and very hot summers. The North, Paris and Central regions have anintermediate climate with cold winters and hotsummers.Alsace, Lorraine and along the Rhone corridorand in the Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central, theclimate is semi-continental with harsh winters andhot summers. In the west from Bayonne to Lille, the oceanic andhumid climate give cooler summers.

Tourist Officewww.franceguide.cominfo.uk@franceguide.comTel: 09068 244 123 (60p min)

Official language French

Average temperatures (July)Nice 23ºC Paris 19ºCMontpellier 23ºCLyon 20ºC

Currency Euro

Local time GMT+1 (end Mar–end OctGMT+2)

Average flying time Approx 11/2 hours

Did you know?The maximum distances in France are:North–South: Dunkirk to Paris-de-Malo, 973km; East–West:Lauterbourg to Pointe de Corsen,945.5km; North-west–South-east:Pointe de Corsen to Menton, 1082km.The French Motorail allows you totake your car to the south of France,saving you the drive. Your car isloaded onto special transportercarriages whilst you relax in thepassenger carriages. Services operateto Brives, Toulouse, Narbonne,Avignon and Nice.www.frenchmotorail.com

Septmonts, Picardy, North East France©ATOUT FRANCE/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot

Along the Orne, viaduct and countryside on the outskirts of Clécy, Normandy, North West France.© ATOUT FRANCE/CDT Calvados

Albigny beach, Lake Annecy, Rhône-Alpes, South East France ©ATOUT FRANCE/Jean-François Tripelon-Jarry

Choice Villas & Apartments 201030

http://www.souillaccountryclub.com

Please quote CVA when replying to ads

Fran

ce

Choice Villas & Apartments 201032

Please quote CVA when replying to ads

South-East, S

outh-West, S

kiing

33Choice Villas & Apartments 2010