Romantic France Vacations
and Facts About France

Tourist Attractions in France

On your France vacations, you will discover that it is endowed with a great variety of stunningly beautiful scenery, climate, regional culture, great food and wine, and there are spectacular tourist attractions in France.

Here are some facts about France that will inspire you and make it an amazing place for your France vacations.

The country has lush agricultural lands, vineyards, rolling prairies, magnificent mountain ranges, rugged seal cliffs, steppe-like plateaux, six National Parks, 43 regional parks, over 2000 miles of beaches and seashores and at least 32 world heritage sites.

Home to beautiful countryside, vineyards, great food and wine, history, antiquity, architecture, cathedrals, museums and monuments, France vacations manage to provide unique holiday adventures for any visitor as.

Even its cities and towns are diverse and offer a myriad of attractions and culinary experiences with colourful street markets, old ports and historic sections, narrow lanes, cobblestone streets and pathways, picturesque buildings, art, museums and charming hotels.

Map of France

Paris France is not only the capital and the City of Light, it is one of the world’s great cities, one of the most favourite tourist attractions in France and a famous destination of travelers worldwide.

Although the city is massive, it is easy to get around the compact city center of Paris on your France vacations either on foot or with the highly efficient Paris Metro public transportation system.

The Paris Metro itself is one of the many exciting tourist attractions in France. Paris is rich with culture and gastronomy, museums and galleries, shopping and entertainment, with practically an endless amount of things to do on your France vacations.

The city has 20 arrondissements (districts) with great locations near tourist attractions and romantic neighbourhoods.

Paris offers a variety of accommodations to suit every visitor, from bed & breakfast establishments, apartment rentals, charming hotels to grand luxurious suites. For a good choice of hotels with discount prices, visit Place to stay in Paris for more information.

Fascinating Facts to Know
for Your France Vacations:

France has 4 sea fronts - the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.

The largest beach in Europe is at La Baule in the Loire-Atlantique department.
Highest sand dune in Europe is Dune de Pilat - 150 m (492 feet) in the Gironde département of Aquitaine.
One of the favourite winter facts about France is that the highest mountain in Western Europe is Mont Blanc in the Savoy Alps, 4807 meters (15,771 feet).
The highest inhabited village in France is Saint-Véran in the Hautes-Alpes region (2200 m - 7218 feet).
Skiable area is equipped with 4200 ski lifts and 13000 km (8,078 miles) of downhill ski pistes.
6000 species of plant life with 200 being specific to France.
15 million hectares of forest.
Another one of the interesting facts for your France vacations, which will not surprise you is that it has around 35,000 boulangeries (bakeries).
Nature lovers be sure to include visits to a national or regional park in your France vacations.

Because of varied landscape of France, each park provides a different experience. It is no wonder there are so many beautiful tourist attractions in France.

A View of Cote d'Azur in Nice, France

French Beaches and Towns of Cote d Azur

Famous Beaches &Towns on the French Riviera for your France Vacations:

French Beaches and famous towns of Cote d Azur (such as St. Tropez, Cannes, Besiers, Marseilles, Antibe, and others)
Nice France (Provence - Alps)
Monte Carlo Monaco (Provence - Alps)
Eze France (Provence - Alps)

It is convenient being able to go to the beach and also visiting so many tourist attractions in the same day because of the location of these famous towns along the Cote d Azur on the Mediterranean and the great variety of things to do.

Facts about France Parks

Here are 6 National Parks to include in your France Vacations:

Cévennes national park (Languedoc)

Les Ecrins (Provence - Alps)
Le Mercantour (Provence)
Les Pyrénées (Hautes Pyrénées)
La Vanoise (Provence)
Port-Cros (Var, Provence)

The Most Popular Regional Parks for Tourist Attractions in France are:

Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne (the Auvergne volcanoes)
Le Parc régional naturel des Grands Causses (Aveyron - Lozère)
Parc Naturel Regional du Morvan – Monts du Morvan (Burgundy)
Parc Naturel des Ballons des Vosges (Lorraine - Alsace)

Cheverny Castle in the Loire Valley has beautiful gardens

French Castles

Famous French Castles for your France Vacations:

Château d'Amboise (Loire Valley)
Château de Chambord (Loire Valley)
Château de Chenonceau (Loire Valley)
Château de Cheverny a Classical French Chateau (Loire Valley)
Château de Versailles and its Gardens (Ile-de-France)

It is very easy to take a guided tour to the Castles and visiting so many tourist attractions in the castle towns on the same day which are included as part of the tours.

Most Visited Sites and Tourist Attractions in France

Aquaboulevard Water Park (Paris)
Arc de Triomphe (see Things to Do in Paris)
Carcassonne
Cathedral of Reims (gothic architecture)
Chapel of the Miraculous Medal (Paris)
Eurodisney (Disneyland Paris - Marne la Vallée) Domaine National de Saint-Cloud (national park) is another spectacular tourist attractions in France
Ecomusée d'Alsace (near Colmar - France's largest open-air museum)
Eiffel Tower is the most famous of all the tourist attractions in France (Tour Eiffel see Paris France Vacation)
Étretat Cliffs and Seaside Resorts - Normandy
Fontainebleau Forest and Castle Futuroscope in Poitiers
Georges-Pompidou Centre (see Tourist Attractions in Paris)
Gordes (village in Luberon)
Great Dune of Pilat (largest sand dune in Europe located in 60 km from Bordeaux)
Île de Ré (Isle of Rhé - an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle)
Island of Oléron
La Rochelle ( old town & harbor Atlantic coast)
La Villette (science exhibition park - see Paris Vacation Ideas)
Les Baux-de-Provence (villages)
Marineland (Antibes)
Mer de Glace & Montenvers (rack-and-pinion railway - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc)
Be sure to include Mont-Saint-Michel in one of your France Vacations
Monte Carlo - the Rock of Monaco
Musée du Louvre or Louvre Museum is one of the greatest tourist attractions in France (see Paris Attractions)
Musée d'Orsay - a Beaux-Arts building and the former railway station
Musée Picasso
Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral
Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière Basilica
Notre Dame-de-la-Garde Basilica
Notre-Dame de Lourdes
Notre Dame de Paris (see Tourist Attractions in Paris)
Parc Astérix (amusement park in Plailly)
Parc Borély (botanical gardens in Marseille)
Parc National des Pyrénées (national park)
Père-Lachaise Cemetery (see Paris Holiday Ideas)
Pont du Gard (aqueduct in southern France)
Puy du Fou (historical theme park)
Riquewihr (village in Alsace)
Sacré-Cœur Basilica (see Time in Paris)
Saint-Malo Citadel
Saint-Ouen Flea Market
Strasbourg Cathedral

A View of the Louvre Museum from the Seine River

Include Unesco World Heritage Sites
in Your France Vacations

Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe
Amiens Cathedral
Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments
Belfries of Belgium and France
Bordeaux, Port of the Moon
Bourges Cathedral
Canal du Midi
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims
Chartres Cathedral
Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay
Fortifications of Vauban
The Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains, the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, and the production of open-pan salt
Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana also know as Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve
Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge
Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne is a stunning and romantic place to include in your France vacations
Historic Site of Lyons
Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret
Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau
Palace and Park of Versailles
Paris, the banks of the Seine River are some of the most desireable tourist attractions in France
Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy
Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct)
Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley
Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs
Pyrénées - Mont Perdu
Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Strasbourg – Grande île
The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes
Vézelay, Church and Hill

The Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco is a great place to visit

Climate and Weather Forecast for France Vacations

France is influenced by four climate types:

Temperate maritime climate in the west, mid latitude continental climate on the interior, mountain climate on high elevations and Mediterranean climate in the south. Depending on what areas you visit, you can expect to experience a variety of weather forecast France.

The northern part of France, including Île-de-France and Paris, has a temperate climate with warm summers, cold winters and rainfall throughout the year.

The Jura Mountains and the French Alps experience alpine climate and the weather of the French Alps is variable so be prepared to come prepared for a variety of weather forecast France on your mountain vacations.

The western coast, from the Loire to the Pyrenees, is milder and the summer days can get very hot.

Southern France, other facts about France is that areas such as the French Riviera, Provence and Roussillon, has a warm Mediterranean climate with mild, humid winters and hot, dry summers.

In the weather forecast France, you can expect to hear about the mistral, a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind coming from the north, accelerates as it heads south down the Rhone valley, Provence and to the Cote d'Azur.

The mistral is another of the important facts about France. These winds generally occurring during the winter and spring plays an important part in the climate of Provence and often causes sudden storms in the Mediterranean between Corsica and the Balearic Islands.

Monument aux Morts, a French Memorial in Nice, France

Map of France - A Guide to the Regions and Departments

France has 26 regions, which are subdivided into 100 départements. The departments are numbered mainly in alphabetical order and this number is used in postal codes and vehicle number plates.

Regional Map of France

Facts About France Regions:

Here is a list of the 26 Regions of France and the 100 Départements to help you with planning your France vacations (not including overseas):

Île-de-France
Paris

Northeast France
Picardie (Picardy)
Aisne
Oise
Somme

Le Nord (Nord-Pas-de-Calais)
Nord
Pas-de-Calais

Champagne-Ardenne
Ardennes
Aube
Marne
Haute-Marne

Alsace
Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin

Lorraine
Meurthe-et-Moselle
Meuse
Moselle
Vosges

Western France
Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy)
Eure
Seine-Maritime

Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy)
Calvados
Manche
Ome

Bretagne (Brittany)
Côtes-d'Armor
Finistère
Ille-et-Vilaine
Morbihan

Pays de la Loire (Loire Valley)
Loire-Atlantique
Maine-et-Loire
Mayenne
Sarthe
Vendée

Central France
Bourgogne (Burgundy)
Côte-d’Or
Nièvre
Saône-et-Loire
Yonne

Centre (Massif Central)
Cher
Eure-et-Loir
Indre
Indre-et-Loire
Loir-et-Cher
Loiret

Franche-Comte in Eastern France
Doubs
Jura
Haute-Saône
Territoire de Belfort

Rhone-Alpes (Rhone Valley and French Alps)
Ain
Ardèche
Drôme
Isère
Loire
Rhône
Savoie
Haute-Savoie

Southwest France
Aquitaine
Dordogne
Gironde
Landes
Lot-et-Garonne
Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Auvergne
Allier
Cantal
Haute-Loire
Puy-de-Dôme

Limousin
Corrèze
Creuse
Haute-Vienne

Midi-Pyrenees (Pyrenees)
Ariège
Aveyron
Haute-Garonne
Gers
Lot
Hautes-Pyrénées
Tarn
Tarn-et-Garonne

Poitou-Charentes (Poitou)
Charente
Charente-Maritime
Deux-Sèvres
Vienne

South of France
Languedoc-Roussillon
Aude
Gard
Hérault
Lozère
Pyrénées-Orientales

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (Provence and Cote d'Azur)
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
0Hautes-Alpes
Alpes-Maritimes
Bouches-du-Rhône
Var
Vaucluse

Corse (Corsica)
Corse-du-Sud
Haute-Corse