France Travel Guide

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France and Italy are probably the most visited countries in Europe. Both these countries are rich in culture, history and offer unparalleled gastronomical delights. Perhaps the best known and some of the most beautiful places here are the French and the Italian Riviera. The coastlines in both these countries have long sandy beaches with crystal clear water, sunny weather, charming fishing villages and quaint little markets.

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.

So you are about to set off on the trip of a lifetime to one of the most-loved countries in the world — France! You have been practicing your ‘bonjours’ and your ‘mercis’, and studying maps of Paris to work out how to get around, but there is one more thing you can do to make sure your trip is extra special. And that is to immerse yourself in French life by reading some books set in France.

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!