France
Getting there
For access from the UK, please see the relevant section:
Getting to Paris
Getting to
Normandy
Getting to
Brittany
Getting to Bordeaux &
Angouleme (for Bordeaux & Charente)
Getting to Nice &
Toulon (for Cote d'Azur)
Getting to Bergerac (for
Dordogne & Lot)
Getting to Pau, Toulouse
& Biarritz (for Gascony)
Getting to La Rochelle (for
Ile de Re)
Getting to Carcassonne,
Beziers, Montpellier & Perpignan (for Languedoc)
Getting to Nimes, Avignon,
Marseille & Lyon (for Provence)
back to topGetting Around
The whole of France is laced with an excellent network of paying
motorways. The speed limit is 130 km/h in good weather, 110 km/h in
bad weather. Avoid travelling over the first weekend in August if
possible, when the whole of France sets off on its holidays.
The motorways of the south offer easy access from Paris,
Barcelona, Rome and Geneva. The A7 heads south from Lyon to
Marseilles, with the A9 forking southwest at Orange for Nimes,
Montpellier and Spain. At Marseille the A54 heads west to Arles
(and Nimes), while the A8 forks east for St Tropez, Cannes,
Antibes, Nice and Italy.
The country roads of Provence and the Côte
d’Azur heave with traffic in high season – the
competition for a parking space in town on market day can be
intense. The A8 Riviera motorway from Marseilles to Monaco is busy
in July and August. Country roads are well-signposted, though the
old avenues of trees make them fairly narrow in places. Watch out
for the cyclists, who are afforded greater respect in France than
in any other European country.
Car hire is widely available at reasonable prices; all TGV
stations and airports are represented by the major companies, as
are the big towns and cities.
Holiday
Autos has outlets in all major airports and cities and is
competitive on price.
When To Go
Southern France claims 300 days of sun a year and
holidaymakers pass through all year round. Early November is often
wet, occasionally with extremely heavy rainfall. Avignon,
Montpellier, Marseilles and Nice are big cities with vibrant
year-round cultural calendars. Nimes has shot up in popularity
since Ryan Air started flying there, while country towns like Uzes
and Arles have a fair number of tourists in the off season now. On
the Côte d’Azur you still need to book a table at a
restaurant at the end of October, the markets are busy in November
and February. As always May and September are great months to
travel; high season is yet to start, the prices can be lower,
there’s greater availability, less traffic, and bright
sunshine without the oppressive heat of July and August.
Paris is famously lovely in the springtime, but frankly it's
pretty lovely in the autumn, summer and winter as well - all for
different reasons. Winter is quiet tourist-wise - a good
time for galleries and museums - apart from Christmas (lots is
closed), New Year (Réveillon or St Sylvestre,
when thousands enjoy Champs Elysées fireworks and fabulous
feasts in restaurants) and Valentine's Day. Mid-November heralds
the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau in bars around town; from
December to March there's free ice-skating at the Hotel de Ville.
Spring and autumn are lovely in terms of weather, but Easter
and October half-term are predictably busy, and watch out for
salons (trade and fashion fairs) which fill hotel rooms for
a week; Feb-Mar and late Sept-Oct are busiest. Early April sees the
film festival and Paris
Marathon, late May-early June the
French Tennis Open,
while the autumn festival (Sept - Dec) bring contemporary theatre,
dance and opera to the city. Summer is prime time except for
August, when many shops and businesses close down, leaving the city
relatively quiet and traffic-free. Some hotels lower their rates,
and you can bask on Paris-Plage (imported sand and potted
palms on the banks of the Seine), or enjoy dance festivals in the
Tuileries and jazz in Vincennes park. 21 June sees the
Fete de la Musique (free
open air concerts, from rock on the banks of the Seine to classical
in the Sainte Chapelle), 23 June the Gay Pride march, 13-14 July
the 'storming of the Bastille' celebrations (fireworks at the
Eiffel Tower), and the summer
festival and La Villette open
air cinema both run from mid-July to mid-Aug.
Bear in mind that many museums are closed on Mondays (and a
few on Tuesdays); restaurants typically have their fermeture
hebdomadaire from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon; and
entry to state sites is free on the first Sunday of each month.
Visas/Entry Requirements
EU citizens do not need a visa. North Americans, New Zealanders and
Australians do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
back to topOther Essentials
No vaccinations necessary. Free healthcare is available for all citizens of the EU (you should carry a European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC), though we strongly advise you take out medical insurance to cover emergencies.
back to topNeed more Info
TOURIST BOARDS
Contact the French tourist board for more information about your
visit
Lincoln House
300 High Holborn
WC1V 7JH
London
Tel: 0207 061 6646
Or visit French Governent Tourist
Office