France Travel Guide

Posts Tagged ‘weekend’

If you appreciate the great outdoors, then be sure to head to Chamonix, which is in the Haute-Savoie region of France.

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!

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.