France Travel Guide

Archive for the ‘France Travel’ Category

The below gardens are some of the most beautiful and well known in France that your gardening group may enjoy. Each of these locations does have coach travel in a variety of forms but you will need to research the exact times based on the time. Remember your return fare and agree on a good time to meet with group if you separate at any time. 

Some of these locations have free admittance, but traveling to each of the locations will cost a fee and should be planned on accordingly. You can save money on these fees by traveling together in a group. If there are ticket fees for one of the gardens, you can save money by purchasing all of your tickets together as a group.

When traveling, always remember to carry a small pocket guide of translations with you and a map of the area. You might also wish to print up text directions for all members of your party and even a bit of the history of the areas you will be visiting.

Clos du Coudray, Etaimpuis - Open April 1-October 31, daily 10am-7pm, last entry 6pm. Admission €7.5  www.leclosducoudray.com Travel from Folkestone to Calais via Eurotunnel (www.eurotunnel.com) costs from £49. Other travel may be determined from visiting the main website. Vicinity of Dieppe and Rouen,  are well marked but a good map is essential

LE JARDIN PLUME – Normandy Open from 1 April to 1 November, between 2pm and 7pm, every day except Wednesday. Guided tours for groups between 9am and 7pm, any day by appointment. The garden is situated between Dieppe and Rouen, in Grigneuseville.

Les Jardins Agapanthe, Grigneuseville Halfway between Dieppe and Rouen to the east of Totes, on N29. Open April 1-November 1, 2-7pm, daily except Wednesdays. Plants for sale. Admission €7

Manoir de Troguindy – The RBG, or Royal Botanic Garden, is a garden in all senses of the word. This garden is beautiful and filled with all kinds of plants. Local transportation can take you there. If you decide to walk or drive yourself, you should take the right of the square at Treguier in front of the cathedral and follow it to “Lannion/Perros Guirec”. When you come to a stop sign, proceed straight. After 1km, descend the right and follow it all the way to the village of Le Guindy. Follow the road to your left and the entrance is on the right.

Sceaux – Le Nôtre designed the garden on a hill running between a valley and another hill. The garden was completely deserted and left unattended during the revolutionary years. However, in the nineteenth century, a new chateau was built and the gardens were completely renovated. A canal system and large pool has been added, complete with water plants.
Address Sceaux, Ile-de France, Paris, France, 92330
Opening times All year, Daily, Open 7am to 7.30pm in summer, Open 8am to dusk in winter

Paris is one of continental Europe’s most beautiful cities, but it is also a haven for top professional sports such as rugby, football, tennis, basketball and one of the world’s premier cycling events – The Tour de France.

The gruelling endurance race has climaxed in Paris every year since 1975. In fact, the Champs-Elysees close to regular traffic, allowing spectators to cheer the remaining Tour de France competitors down the glorious boulevard to the final tape in the shadow of the imposing Arc de Triomphe. This is the race that every endurance cyclist wants to win, and to be the rider wearing the coveted yellow jersey on the entry to Paris is the ultimate honour.

It’s not only cyclist enthusiasts that are drawn to sporting Paris. Over the past 100 years France’s capital has hosted two football World Cups and one Rugby World Cup finals tournament. It also boasts one of the best stadiums in Northern Europe – the magnificent Stade de France. Although custom-built for the FIFA 1998 World Cup Finals, the stadium is now home to Rugby Union side Stade Francais and it also doubles as the national sports stadium. It is here that France’s rugby union and national soccer team play their home games, as well as various track and field athletics meetings.

But, of the regular events that take place at the stadium it’s possibly the Six Nations games that attract most interest. Indeed, the majority of Paris hotels, not just those close to the Stade de France, are booked up weeks in advance of Six Nations rugby games. As such, guests arrive from all over France in addition to tens of thousands of followers of the travelling team. The Welsh, Scots, Irish, English and Italians all enjoy visiting the city to watch their team in action, as they can also take full advantage of all the culture and entertainment that Paris offers!

From Montmartre to Montparnasse, during a Six Nations weekend the streets of Paris are full of rugby fans all sporting their team’s colours while gleefully soaking up the unique Parisian ambience. For them a touch of sight-seeing is usually interspersed with a few timely stop-offs at various bars and cafes en route to the stadium.

So, if you are planning a trip to Paris and sport doesn’t interest you, then you may wish to avoid being in the city when one of the Six Nations games is taking place. Conversely, if you thrive on the buzz and the sights, sounds and colours of a sporting event, then you are sure to experience a memorable visit.