France welcomes 82 million tourists each year, which makes it the number one destination in the world. Just the Eiffel Tower attracts over 6 million people a year. However, aside from the cultural value and historic past of Paris, the nation also provides beaches, beautiful landscapes and skiing.

France is of course world-famous for its cuisine and so finding a fine dining experience is a simple task whether it be anything from a simple and affordable brassier or bistro to a Michelin starred restaurant. Service charges and taxes are already included in your restaurant bill.

France is the wine cradle and truly a paradise for wine lovers who visit. The quality of the various wines you can discover is astounding, but try not to indulge in too much wine as French authorities are fairly strict when it comes to drivers who are over the limit. Beer is also popular, especially in the north.

French hotels rank from one to four stars, as authorized by the Ministry of Tourism. This rating is prominently displayed on a blue shield at the entrance to every hotel. By decree, any and all hotels are required to show or make visible their prices outside of the building, but don’t hesitate to go in and ask about the best price.

A beneficial choice would be to book a city center hotel, as they are generally very small and quiet. Make sure you check on the parking arrangements, especially in big cities.

Many rural areas in France offer Bed and Breakfast, or Chambres d’htes, establishments. These establishments work on a nightly basis similar to the many motel-style hotels along the roadsides

If you travel to France for a longer stay, you may also rent a house, apartment or villa from a reputable website. This is also a good option if you plan to travel to France with a group of people.

French Phrases

Where to stay in Paris is a tough question to answer because there are so many fabulous places.

One of the best ways to start deciding is choosing which district you’d like to be in. Paris has twenty districts to choose from so to keep it from becoming cumbersome you should probably divide your choices into the two most popular areas, the right and left banks. Then choose your districts based on which inn or hotel suits you best in those specific districts.

By “left or right bank,” we mean the two sides of the Seine river, which divides the city in two halves. The “left bank” refers to the southern section of Paris, and the “right bank” refers to the northern half, since the River Seine runs westward.

Knowing this route will be helpful when you are trying to figure out where to stay in Paris. While the two banks make up a essential whole, they differ from each other in significant ways.

If you are into art, fashion, and the Bohemian lifestyle, the left bank is for you. It features many historical sites, interesting architecture and is the heart of Parisian popular culture. In Paris there is a great selection of exciting hotels, bed and breakfasts and inns, and some are affordably priced.

The right bank, however, is the epitome of high-society sophistication that usually goes hand-in-hand with Paris. It is also the business district where you will find the Champs Elysees and the L’Arc de Triomphe. It  is considered very metropolitan and the neighborhoods are very affluent and beautiful with contrasting architecture from classical to very modern.

Learn French for free here: French Phrases

For some years now a group of the so-called “budget airlines” in Europe have been embroiled in a price war attempting to offer the lowest air fares to a huge number of European cities. It’s quite normal to see that one of the leading budget carriers such as Easyjet or Ryanair has an offer of return flights from the UK to Spain, France or Germany for £1 (approx $1.45). There could be airport landing fees and taxes to be added to the fare, but it remains an absolute bargain if you’re looking to see a variety of European cities. One of the biggest disadvantages of flying with the budget airlines is that they frequently fly to the smaller municipal airports instead of the more well known majorinternational ones. This sometimes means that a flight that is supposed to be flying to a big European city actually lands up to fifty miles away. In fact there are a number of plus-points with this arrangement, the municipal airports will always offer a much quicker service on check-in and luggage since they are catering for far fewer flights. The downside is that transportation serving these airfields can be scrappy at best and a very popular option is to hire a car from the airport. The following are some of the wonderful cities that we’ve visited whilst making use of cheap floghts from the low cost airlines. We’re sure that you’ll enjoy visiting any of these scenic, without doubt they have plenty to offer to visitors to their shores.

Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow, once the butt of so many jokes about the slums of the Gorbals has undergone a Renaissance and has become a wonderful, architecturally diverse city attracting huge numbers of tourists throughout the year. The trendy West part of the city is home to one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom. Perched on a hill amidst the Medieval region of Glasgow, its students add greatly to the fun loving and vibrant atmosphere of that area. The low cost carriers utilise Prestwick Airport which is approximately 35 miles (51 km) north east of the centre of the city and you will find a good road between the airport and the city centre. It’s a popular sightseeing area, so you are advised to hire a car at Glasgow Airport in advance of your trip. A congestion free half hour journey from the airport on the M77 motorway takes you to the centre of the city. Glasgow is a perfect starting point for an adventure in the Trossachs National Park. Just 13 mile (20 km) journey out of Glasgow and you could find yourself enjoying stunning countryside on the back of a pony, whilst a 50 km (30 mile) drive eastwards along another excellent motorway will find you in Edinburgh together with its ever popular festivals, Princes Street shopping, the historic Castle and Holyrood Palace.

Florence, Italy

Without doubt one of Europe’s most impressively beautiful cities, Florence is served by the airport at Pisa, which is 50 miles (84 km) west of the city. Hire a car at Florence airport and you will be perfectly positioned to explore Pisa with its leaning tower, majestic Florence and a selection of Europe’s most picturesque countryside, that of the majestically beautiful Tuscany. It is therefore not surprising that Florence is high in the popularity stakes when looking at European cities. Once you arrive at the city of Florence you will find that most of the city centre is pedestrianized thus preserving its many ancient architectural treasures and statues from the vibrations and pollution associated with hectic traffic. The traffic free status brings a sense of tranquility as you meander from one fragment of history to the next. You do not need to walk too far before being hit by the evil, ear splitting roar of Florence’s legion of scooter riders. Apart from the Ponte Vecchio the remainder of the bridges into the city centre are noisy, polluted places, thus giving us a further reason to stay within the ancient alleyways and peaceful sanctuaries of Florence’s beautiful piazzas.

Tours, France

Tours, the centre of the famed Loire Valley chateaux with not a single chateau to its name! The ideal centre for discovering the Loire Valley famed for its wonderful array of palatial residences, the city boasts a number of charms of its own. Although the little airport is only a couple of miles from town, it’s pretty much essential that you rent a car in the Loire Valley to fully explore some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found throughout France. Along the banks of the River Loire between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, a number of cultural treasures are presented for the visitor to enjoy. The Loire valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers beautiful countryside, historic villages and lots of flamboyant castles. During the renaissance the Loire Valley was known as the “Retreat of Kings and was a big favourite of the French royal family. Built originally as working fortified castles, the buildings were converted into the palatial chaeaux that you will find today. Tourists from around the world are attracted to the historic towns that are situated along the banks of the Loire. Towns such as Blois, Chinon and Tours have lots to see and do whilst the most popular of all the chateaux is probably that on the Chambord Estate. Throughout the area you will discover small, family owned vineyards offering a variety of wonderful wines at budget prices. Look out for the word “degustation”, which means sampling I guess, and provided that ‘Le Patron’ is not in the middle of a long leisurely lunch you will be made very welcome and he will be more than willing to offer you a tasting of his complete selection of wines. Of course, it is strongly advised that you take a non-drinker as your chauffer, some of these tasting sessions can get very serious!.