The best way to enjoy the best bits of this marvellous place is to book guided travel. You’ll make the most of every scrap of your precious time on holiday, see things you might otherwise have missed in the usual tourist melee, and place true relaxation at the heart of your adventures. Because everything’s sorted for you, you can chill out and soak it all in. So let’s explore.
The spectacular Loire Valley
The gorgeous Loire Valley’s forty two fairytale chateaux are just a few of its many attractions, and if you’re into cycling the valley is sheer heaven. The Vélo Verte network of bike routes gives you an astonishing 5000 km of cycle routes to enjoy at leisure, passing through lovely green countryside, pretty little towns and charming villages along the river’s long and leisurely route.
The Loire à Vélo itself is the star of the show, 900km of safe cycling along the Loire River past vineyards and castles. Then there’s the Indre à Vélo, Scandibérique, the Cœur de France à vélo, and the Châteaux à Vélo routes. If you’re not into cycling don’t worry, France offers excellent public transport, there’s always car hire, and when it’s necessary guided travel comes with transport.
Lying only an hour from the capital, the Loire Valley is also perfect for discovering the great outdoors, with endless lovely walks. The valley has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and sustainability is a big deal here. The valley itself is a 170 mile stretch of central France, spanning the Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire regions. 310 square miles of fabulousness awaits you, affectionately known as the Cradle of the French and the Garden of France thanks to its countless fertile vineyards, fruit orchards, and endless fields of artichokes and asparagus.
Also famed for its history, architecture and wines, this place has sustained humans since Palaeolithic times. The oldest Neanderthal engravings known to science are here, in a cave at La Roche-Cotard, dating back to more than 57,000 years old. It’s a poignant experience seeing the art made by our fellow hominids such a long time ago. To this day most Europeans have some Neanderthal DNA, signalling the fact that we weren’t that different. We met, we communicated, and we clearly liked each other!
The Loire Valley wine region is world famous, including the riverside Muscadet region on the Atlantic coast, and Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé near the city of Orléans. You’ll want to sample the wines, and you’ll find them fruity, fresh and crisp.
There’s culture as well. Follow the river from Montsoreau to Orléans to take in some of the world’s finest art at places like the Château de Montsoreau-Contemporary Art Museum, CCCOD Tours, Domaine Régional de Chaumont sur Loire, and the Frac Centre Orléans.
The castles themselves are quite something. Elegant Renaissance homes, imposing medieval fortresses and stunning classical facades are the name of the game here, a beautiful setting to step back in time. Many have gorgeous gardens to visit. In fact the Loire Valley is home to several remarkable Renaissance gardens, from the ultimate in romantic to gardens stuffed with exotic specimens and impressive collections. Many also offer exciting activities like cookery classes and learning how to make cosmetics.
Wander the towns and cities of Bourges, Chartres, Orleans, Amboise, Blois, Tours, Angers, Chinon, Le Mans, Saumur, Loche and Vendome, each stuffed with amazing things to do and see. Slow things down, meet the locals, enjoy fun stuff like canoeing and kayaking on the river, segway rides, goat farms, wine tasting experiences and more. It’s a little slice of heaven.
The fascinating Normandy Coast
Normandy’s long and often wild coastline is a place of historical landmarks, including a whole load of wartime history at the famous D-Day beaches. There are war memorials everywhere; the US cemetery at Omaha Beach, Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer, infamous Arromanches with its artificial bridge, and the Pointe du Hoc symbolising the bravery of the young US troops. Explore the many war museums, monuments, artillery, tanks and more. Then there are the popular 1800s resort towns of Cabourg, Deauville, Trouville and Honfleur, each a little slice of French perfection.
The coast is an impressive 640km long, studded with great beaches like Côte d’Albâtre, Côte Fleurie, and Côte de Nacre, with lovely beaches and spectacular cliffs to enjoy from Tréport to Cancale. The Côte d’Albâtre runs from Tréport to Le Havre, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its vast chalk cliffs that mirror the white cliffs of Dover just over the English Channel., and a thrilling variety of seaside activities awaits you here.
Etretat offers the world famous monumental arch on Aval Cliff, pretty Dieppe is just a stone’s throw from Newhaven, and lovely Rouen, the City of a Thousand Bells, is on the menu too. Just don’t forget to wash it all down with the local apple and pear brandy called Calvados, brewed here as far back as the 8th century. The magnificent Côte Fleurie comes with more than 40km more of lovely sandy beaches, many backed by towering cliffs.
Discover the Cotentin Peninsula, Bay des Veys, and rocky Nord Cotentin, nicknamed the ‘edge of the world’, all dizzying cliffs, pebbly beaches and masses of gorgeous wild flowers. Marvel at the massive Jobourg Cliffs, 128m high and some of Europe’s highest. Then go to La Manche to visit the Anglo-Norman islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Aurigny, Sercq, Chausey and more.
Cherbourg’s beaches are calm and peaceful, sheltered from the east and north winds and enjoying the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Here there’s a whopping 100km of sandy shores, rocky outcrops and quaint harbours. Right at the end there’s magnificent Mont Saint Michel, known as the Wonder of the West, a sunny place with some of the EU’s most dramatic tides.
The deliciously pretty Luberon
The Luberon lies in sleepy, hot Provence, a place of lovely hilltop villages with deep red terracotta roofs and honey coloured stone, pine-clad hills and endless vineyards, olive groves and fragrant bright purple lavender fields. 40km east of Arles and Avignon and north of Aix-en-Provence, it covers Vaucluse to the west and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the east.
Known and loved as one of the most attractive areas of France, Luberon is famously mellow. The medieval streets of beautiful Bonnieux, Gordes, Ménerbes, Roussillon and Saignon, each as attractive as the last, sit at the top of many people’s list. Expect outstanding natural beauty, lush limestone hills, forested valleys and everywhere you go, wonderful ancient villages on top of the steep hills, the glittering highlight of the Luberon experience. Then there’s the Petit Luberon region, a sub-region particularly rich in these amazing hilltop villages. Some of them are among the most beautiful villages in France, and each has its own personality. This is where UK authors Peter Mayle wrote his famous book, A Year in Provence, which inspired hundreds of adventurous Brits to move here.
Don’t miss lovely Menerbes, where the Sorgue River starts life at Fontaine de Vaucluse. The spring it emanates from is a dramatic sight in the early part of the year when the river is at its most full and lovely, and the nearby village of Gordes is one of the most attractive of all.
The Luberon Regional Natural Park is drive-able from east to west, where you’ll see yet more attractive villages with countryside views to die for. Visit lovely Oppède-le-Vieux, Ménerbes, Lacoste, where you can visit the spooky castle where the Marquis de Sade lived, and pretty Bonnieux at the eastern end. Then make your way to Roussillon with its ochre mines and colourful homes, and onwards to the little villages of Cucuron, Ansouis, and Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt.
In the Luberon’s less-visited east you’ll find a more authentic Provence, with the market town of Forcalquier a highlight, along with the sweet villages of Lurs and Mane, and the towns of Manosque and Oppedette, where you’ll find dramatic scenic gorges.
And that’s just the start of your French guided travel adventure…
France consistently tops the list of the planet’s most visited country. Captivating cities, awe-inspiring landscapes, the vast mountains of the Alps and Pyrenees, the varied coast and splendid food and wine have made it a holiday legend. So where will you explore first?
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