It is situated on the estuary of the River Seine and has long been a popular spot with visitors, including artists, writers, sailors and, of course, many holidaymakers.

This picturesque French town, which was founded in the 11th century, boasts a fishing port and yacht harbour and has preserved its heritage and character, making it an ideal destination for a holiday property rental.

Honfleur, on the Normandy coast, is ideal to spend a pleasant short break or a longer vacation, as there are also some lovely places to visit surrounding the town as well as places which are further away.

It’s not surprising why Honfleur is an artist’s paradise. The light and atmosphere here has attracted many famous artists, such as Monet, Renoir, Cézanne and Boudin. In fact, Boudin was born in Honfleur.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Honfleur. You can take a stroll around the town and look at the old buildings – you can see so much more when you go sightseeing by foot. Look out for St Catherine’s Church and St Leonard’s Church. Also, make sure you see Le Vieux Bassin (the Old Harbour) and the boats and waterside houses. There are also some lovely artists studios and galleries here.

If you’ve got time, be sure to visit the Eugène Boudin Museum, which houses some collections of paintings including work by Boudin, the Marine Museum, which has some interesting exhibits, Normandy Culture & Ethnography Museum and the Satie Museum (which looks at the work of composer Erik Satie, who was also born in Honfleur). Another visitor attraction in Honfleur is Naturospace, which is a large tropical butterfly house in which you can walk around while the butterflies fly around you.

After all the sightseeing, you will no doubt want to sit down and have a bite to eat – and a drink, of course! Honfleur has a great selection of restaurants. If you are a fan of seafood, then be sure to check out one of the seafood restaurants in the town during your stay.

The Saturday market is well worth a visit as it sells fresh local produce. It starts early morning and finishes at 1pm. Here, you will be able to stock up on all your items needed for your self-catering holiday.

If you’re staying in Honfleur for a while then you will want to explore the surrounding area. There’s the Pays d’Auge, the Seine Valley, the D-Day Beaches, the coast and other tourist attractions. Paris is only a two-hour drive away, so might even get the chance to see the country’s capital during your holiday!

If you’re in search of a good beach, then be sure to check out the beautiful and popular beach resorts of Trouville and Deauville. Honfleur isn’t far from either and both towns are well worth a visit.

Honfleur is an ideal French holiday destination for everyone. The town and its surrounding area has plenty to offer its visitors, including a great selection of self-catering accommodation.

This lovely alpine town and ski resort boasts a wealth of beautiful mountain scenery, fantastic skiing opportunities, sporting and leisure activities, as well as some great shops, restaurants and bars, nightlife and other tourist attractions.

Chamonix, which is situated at the base of Europe’s highest mountain Mount-Blanc in the French Alps, has long been a skiing destination. In fact, the first Winter Olympics in 1924 were held in Chamonix.

Chamonix is a superb destination, whether it’s for an annual family vacation or just a weekend break. What’s more, it’s an ideal location to take a holiday all year round. It doesn’t matter whether it is winter or summer in Chamonix, there is always plenty of things to see and do.

This area is also ideal for a holiday property rental, as there is a great selection of self-catering accommodation here.

Not surprisingly, in the winter Chamonix is a skier’s paradise. While in the summer there are numerous activities on offer here, such as hiking, climbing and mountain biking.

While you are in Chamonix (and you don’t fancy doing any climbing yourself!) you should take a trip on the Aiguille du Midi cable car, which you get from the centre of Chamonix. From the top station (3842 metres), the views of the Swiss, French and Italian Alps are simply stunning.

If you’ve got the time, be sure to check out the Montenvers Train, which climbs to the famous Mer de Glace, France’s largest glacier.

The skiing here in Chamonix is first class. There is a fantastic mix of slopes for everyone, including beginner’s slopes, gentle runs, down-hill pistes and cross-country ski pistes.

There are five main ski area in the Chamonix valley. They are Les Houches (which has trails through the forest), Le Brévent (which is the closest ski area to the centre of Chamonix), Domaine de Balme (which is at the end of the valley), La Flégère (which is popular with snowboarders) and the well-known Agrentiere/Grands Montets (which is good for experienced skiers).

Even if you’re not a skier, but a keen on other sports, there are some great activities to be enjoyed in the summer months. There are hiking trails, mountain biking tracks, areas for mountaineering and climbing and you can try your hand at paragliding, too. Chamonix even has a golf course.

But if you don’t want a sporting holiday, there are numerous things to do in Chamonix – and that’s not just admiring the gorgeous scenery around this area.

It offers much more than just skiing here. The town offers a warm welcome to its visitors, whatever your age and interests. There’s a good selection of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as a good outdoor market on Saturdays. You will find this very useful to stock up on your food etc during your self-catering holiday.

Everything here is well thought out. The town also boasts a cinema, a bowling alley, a sports centre, an ice rink and other attractions. For example, visit the Alpine Museum, which will give you an insight into the history of Chamonix.

All in all, Chamonix is a charming place to spend a great holiday, whatever the time of year. Whether you’re interested in just spending some quality time relaxing and enjoying the amazing views or if you’re planning an adventurous holiday, you will have fun in Chamonix!

Taking your own vehicle to France is obviously an option, but if you plan a prolonged Gallic trip then hiring a left-hand drive car may prove beneficial. Car rental in France is as competitive as anywhere on the continent and, like everything it pays to shop around before you commit yourself.

Although the whole country has lots to see and do, for a real treat fly to the scenic South of France and pick up your vehicle at the airport. With both the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenees within a few hours drive you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to planning your day’s journeys.

Most of Southern France is off the beaten tourist trap, littered with medieval villages, and containing acres of glorious and scenic vineyards. The areas of Languedoc are particularly beautiful and you can also sample some of the country’s tastiest wines. Travel to the coast and you can sample the high life in Nice, or pop into the principality of Monaco and sample the casino.

One tip if you do decide to opt for car hire in France: get one with GPS. It will be your best ally when it comes to navigating the region. Unless you are fluent in French you will find it difficult to ask for directions, and road signs can be confusing, especially in the mountainous regions. But, don’t rely solely on GPS; also take a good up-to-date road map. Michelin maps include details of the amount of tolls you have to pay on motorways and bridges, plus it has explicit details about to find petrol stations.

Finally, if you do try this adventure you’ll find that car hire in France is easy to arrange on the web before you go, or if you are going on spec, you’ll probably pick up a reasonable vehicle at the your airport without booking.

So why do we notice so many folks treat buying a house in France with so little thought? It’s not a pair of shoes – you can’t take it back if it doesn’t fit right!

Yet too often we hear the same horrors. Someone who has bought a French house without thinking and is now beginning to find problems. Who are these individuals? They must be doing very well to just travel France buying French property as the fancy takes them.

The mad thing is, nothing could be further from the truth. Often – in fact more often than not – these are couples putting their life savings, their whole future, into their French dream house.

And a alarming number of them haven’t got the first idea. They’ve done very little research, they don’t speak any French and they’ve sought no professional advice.

Then when things go pear-shaped they start moaning about the system, the language, the French, the agent… just about anything and everything is to blame but themselves. They treated buying a house in France like getting a lottery ticket and now they’re complaining because their one-in-a-million gamble didn’t pay off!

Now perhaps you think I’m being a bit extreme. I’m not. I know a family who you would think of as very sensible and cautious who signed an agreement to buy a French property while on vacation. They weren’t even looking for a house when they left England but they fell in love with the house.

What they were unaware of was that by the time they got back to the UK ten days later, getting out of the contract would cost them 12,000 Euros.

I can give you another example of a couple who bought a French property to live in part and turn the rest into gites. They wildly underestimated the renovation costs (because they didn’t ask) and now live in a place that needs a new roof. They can’t finish the work so they’ve only got small pensions to live off. The house is in a bad way so they can’t afford to sell and return to England either.

It’s all very concerning, really. I hear one of these stories about every other month and it’s such a pity. Now I’m not perfect, I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself living over here and renovating an old French property, but fortunately my misjudgements have been quite minor because I’ve invariably checked and double checked the costly things.

Which is, when you strip it all back to basics, all anyone needs to do.

The French property market offers a wealth of opportunities and buying a house in France is neither particularly hard nor particularly complicated. The trouble is that unless you’re French or you’ve owned French property before it IS new to you. There will be things you haven’t met before. There will be things that don’t go quite as expected.

The essential thing is to get a degree of knowledge behind you. Search online, buy a book or two, ask questions – and don’t give up until you’re happy with the answers.

France is a great place to live but it’s not dreamland and miracles don’t happen just because you want them. If you crash around blindly in the French property market you will find trouble. Do your homework wisely and buying a house in France will be a delight – which is what it should be and what I wish for everyone who is looking.

To truly experience France and Italy would mean that you would have to stay away from some of the large touristy cities and explore the hidden treasures in the Riviera which is where you would be able to experience the laid back and relaxed lifestyle of the locals and feast your eyes on some of the most breath taking views.

French Riviera:

The French Riviera is known for its elegance and chic sophistication with sea side resorts that can make you feel basked in luxury just by the sheer beauty of the place. St. Tropez is one of the most locations in the French Riviera, the playground of the rich and famous. Here you would find yourself lost in a maze of outdoor cafes, cobble stoned streets, colorful little markets and chic beaches like the Pampelonne beach.

Cannes, which in synonymous with film festivals is another location you must consider visiting. There are several offshore islands off Cannes like Isles de Lerins which are perfect for day excursions if you want to just relax and soak in the sun on the beautiful sandy beaches. There are so many such hidden islands here that perhaps the best way to visit them all is by a French Riviera Yacht charter. Having a French yacht will allow you to visit some of these hidden jewels in luxury.

Some of the other locations to include in your itinerary are Portofino, San Fruttuoso and Camogli.

Italian Riviera:

The Italian Riviera is a pristine stretch of coast line that can perhaps only be described as “picture perfect”. The Riviera has several locations that offer a rich experience for all the senses, full of color and beauty.

Elba is the most visited island in the Riviera and for good reason, the coastline here offers several beautiful beaches, some of which are so well hidden that you would not find any visitors there. To explore some of the many untouched islands here Italy yacht charters are the best options. The island of Giglio has beaches that would leave you stunned. With its historic connections and the enchanting markets there is something for everyone here.

Porto Santo Stefano was once a small fishing port situated close to Porto Ercole. Both these ports are still kept well hidden from the throngs of tourists that are otherwise seen in most of Italy which gives you the opportunity to seek refuge in solitude at these beautiful ports.

American fathers have an interesting if somewhat aggravating habit on trips. Yes, I am talking about the desire to see everything there is to see. This was particularly problematic in France, which has a gazillion things to see. For some reason, my memory is a blur! I’ll have to refer back to my Nomad Travel Journal, but here we go…

Churches. Big churches. Small churches. Church ruins. New churches. For three days, my grandmother had insisted we stop at every church we passed. She is just about the greatest grandmother a kid could hope for, but she had been a grade school teacher for forty years and there is just no disobeying. Did I mention we looked at churches?

We pulled into Lyon as the third day turned to evening. It was raining. We were tired and grumpy. After a minor argument, we pulled up in front of an older hotel with vacancies and checked in. Family arrangements being what they were, my parents had one room while my grandmother and I shared a second. We all agreed to take a nap and meet a little later.

As I lay on my bed, I watched the rain come down hard on the windows. I also admired the old, intricate wood structure that was our hotel. I dozed off and was awaken a few hours later by my grandmother.  

“The door is stuck!” she told me.

Grumbling, I walked over to the door and gave it a yank. Then I gave it another yank. Like a bad comedy, I put one leg up on the wall and yanked again. Alas, the wood seemed to have swollen and jammed the door shut. I couldn’t budge it.

At this point, my grandmother made a passing comment about the two years of French I was taking in high school and pointed to the phone. Dutifully, I called down to the lobby and chaos ensued. Somehow, we had lost the key, so I couldn’t tell them what room we were in. It just got worse.

What is the French word for “door?” Don’t know? Neither did I nor do I now. All I could say to the person at the front desk is, “We are stuck!”

To top matters off, I also started yelling my last name, Chapo, thinking they would at least come investigate. After being hung up on twice, it occurred to me that the pronunciation of my last name means “hat” in French. Yes, I was yelling,

“We are stuck! Hat!”

“We are stuck! Hat!”

Intensely cussing up a storm, I walked over to the door and banged it with my fist. It bounced open. My grandmother and I stared at each other and burst out laughing.

I hoofed it to my parent’s room to tell them the story. Half way through the tale, my mother plugged in her hair dryer, flipped it on and blew out the electricity for the entire floor.

We left very early the next morning.

France has many faces waiting to be discovered. When you travel in the country, the many hidden secrets unfold one by one and it is certainly a unique experience. Most importantly, the country invokes that feeling of adventure in everyone. Check out the capital city and glamour city of Paris to the Alps and the lush and relaxing countryside, you will never be out of options. At one time, France was a destination for the rich upper class people from America and Great Britain, as travelling to France was linked with luxury. However, the things have changed and now it is now a destination for travelers on any kind of budget. One will find hotels in France, which cater to tourists on a lavish vacation or on a tight budget.

Tourists will find France truly a land of contrasts. The country has a range of landscapes, which the country takes, pride in. Almost 80% of France is countryside, spreading out in the all directions. The inviting countryside is rich and diverse, and each region welcoming the visitors with a warm welcome. The country will endow the tourists with a number of adventures right from a tour of the museums housing major works of art to historical monuments reminding of France’s history. You wish and the country has it for a memorable holiday. It is just not the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, but there are several other tourist attractions to experience. Of the many things about France, the French wines need a mention. It is the great national treasure rooted in history. With over half million vineyards in the country, French wine is renowned the world over.

A popular destination like France, it has a plethora of accommodation options though the hotels France remains the most accepted of the accommodation options. With thousands of hotels in the country, visitors would not come across accommodation problems but as is the case with all popular destinations, reservations made ahead of your arrival are advisable. A great choice of lodging options is available, catering to all kind of travelers too. The capital city Paris is the world center for fashion, art and style, making it the top destination for visitors with over 30 million travelers visiting it every year. A romantic and beautiful destination Paris has much to offer and the hotels in France Paris furnish the needs of its visitors. The number of hotels in Paris exceeds the total hotels in France. For the adventure enthusiasts the lodging in the campsites, ski resorts, and inns is quite appealing, and satisfying the adventure cravings. Hotels France are fantastic, not disappoint its guest’s with its superb facilities and services.

The Louvre is a good position to travel to. It is situated in the French capital, Paris. Art, traditions and historical past aficionados would certainly appreciate the area. It is the household of pieces like the Mona Lisa and Egyptian sarcophagus. But take note, touring the Louvre would take a lot of time. When you estimate how massive the Louvre is, its length is as huge as the length of 3 to 4 Eiffel Towers combined. To tour the whole thing, you have to devote far more than a week, so choose the location you would want to visit in there wisely.

If you want to see style, alternatively, the spot to see may be the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. This long strip may be the home of many high style flagship stores. These include Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Chanel. This is also a great location to see come Christmastime as each and every shop comes up with stunning and creative window displays.

There are likewise other places to see in France, like the Versailles palace, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. France will be the epitome an attractive land. Whether you are inside of a city or in a small town, you’ll come across beauty, tradition, class and taste.

Reading novels set in Paris or the French countryside will give you an insight into the country which is impossible to get from the guide books. As the characters walk along the Seine or drink their coffee at a table on the Parisian pavement, it will fill you with anticipation to do the same — making the experience so much sweeter when you finally get to do it yourself. If the novel is set in the past, you will have more appreciation for France’s history, bringing many of the places and old buildings alive when you visit them on your trip. And if the novel is set in the present day, there’s nothing more fun than trying to find the streets, bars and restaurants that might be mentioned in the story.

So what books should you read? Here is a selection of five novels which do a great job in bringing France to life, even before you set foot on that plane.

‘Foreign Tongue’ by Vanina Marsot
Nursing a broken heart, Anna moves to Paris from Los Angeles. She begins working as the translator of a cryptic erotic novel and of course, finds herself some romance. The book is a love-letter to the city, with plenty of wanderings through the streets as well as descriptions of French life, food and cafes.

‘The Coral Thief’ by Rebecca Stott
History, mystery, romance and intrigue intertwine in this novel set in post-Napoleonic Paris. It is 1815 and a young Englishman travels to Paris to take up a position at the renowned Jardin des Plantes. But when the collection of rare coral specimens he is carrying is stolen by a beautiful woman, he is drawn into a plot involving revolutionaries, spies and the intelligentsia. Victorian Paris comes alive in this novel, which will surely enhance any present day visit to the Jardin des Plantes, France’s main botanical garden.

‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ by Susan Vreeland
Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ is a famous painting depicting a group of Parisians enjoying lunch on the terrace of a restaurant on the Seine. In this novel Vreeland tells the story of those in the painting and how they came to be there. It is a glorious look at Paris at the time of the Impressionists, and you can still eat at the restaurant itself today.

‘Five Quarters of the Orange’ by Joanne Harris
Now we move out of Paris and into the Loire Valley with this novel by Harris that takes us to a village occupied by the Germans in WWII. The book moves between WWII and the present day, giving us an insight into the long-term effects the Nazi occupation had on the French people. And as it is a book by Joanne Harris, there is a of course lots of time spent exploring French food!

‘The Matchmaker of Perigord’ by Julia Stuart
We finish up with something fun and quirky, in a fictional village in France’s south-west. Amour-Sur-Belle might not be a real place, but it gives a taste of some of the declining villages of rural France. Here, the town barber decides to reinvent himself as a match-maker, quite a task when there are only 33 residents to match up. Filled with delightful characters and semi-ridiculous situations, this novel should just leave you giggling and enjoying the French temperament.

So if you have your tickets booked for Charles de Gaulle airport or you just WISH you had a holiday planned for France, try the books above to immerse yourself in a bit of French life and culture. And if you find yourself enjoying them…well, there’s plenty more to explore…Bon Voyage!