France

Overview

France has been the world's premier tourist destination for more than twenty years, and with good reason - the country offers a great diversity of holiday possibilities. It is a country that is rich in culture, gastronomy (wines, cheeses, and food of all nature), wonderful nature and a deep history. For visitors from new world countries, it serves up a magical combination that is difficult to match. Stay in a holiday home to experience the real France.

Top holiday destinations

Paris

Paris is without a doubt one of the most stunning and cosmopolitan cities for tourists. With more than 2 million inhabitants in the central city area, there is always something to do. Paris is cut by the river Seine which creates wonderful scenery for your walking tours, romantic weekends and cultural adventures.Paris is known for its fantastic restaurants, rich museums including the Louvre, Picasso Museum, Museé D'Orsay, Moulin Rouge, and sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Lido and of course the Champs Elyseé.If you're traveling for more than a night or with your family, try renting a holiday apartment rather than paying high prices for a small hotel room. You can choose from 123 different holiday rental apartments here on SunnyRentals.

Other French cities

France's other cities all offer something different. Try visiting Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles, Nantes, Lille, Bourges, Toulouse, Strasbourg and of course Cannes during the film festival.

French Regions 

France's rich regions make for fantastic site seeing, culinary adventures and driving holidays. But don't try to do too much in one trip. Find a base, rent a local house, gite or apartment and explore the region using day trips. There are 22 regions in France, here are some highlights. Visit any of the following regions and you will experience each their own local traditions, styles and produce.

• Alsace - a beautiful valley of Alsace lies along the German border and therefore shares a lot of its culture. It can especially be seen in architecture and cuisine. Alsace is famous for its wine, the most popular varieties are Riesling, Sylvaner or Gewurtztraminer. Strasbourg is the capital of Alsace and is one of the most impressive cities of France. It is rich in historical monuments one of which is collosal gothic cathedral Notre Dame.

• Brittany - lying in the northwest corner of France, is one of the great historic provinces of France. As a holiday region, the coasts attract the greatest number of visitors; the inland regions are on the whole quite tranquil and for this reason have attracted a lot of second-home owners from other parts of France, and from Britain. 
• Normandy - is situated along the English Channel coast of Northern France and with the historic links and proximity with South England, they have much in common. The prosperous agricultural and historic region of Normandy is divided into Upper and Lower Normandy. This region attracts big crowds from Paris for long weekends or vacations. Many well-to-do Parisians have holiday homes here, for others there is a huge variety of unique cosy gites and holiday villas for rent.
• Bourgogne (Burgundy) - is one of the great historic and main wine producing regions of France. It is situated in the heart of France with the historical capital Dijon. Visiting Burgundy is a unforgettable experience for gourmets and wine lovers. Burgundy is well known for it's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, and is home to Beef Bourguingon.
• Provence - situated in the south of France, this region has it all - beautiful and majestic Alps mountains, stylish sea resorts of Côte d’Azur and Riviera and endless lavender fields. You will never get tired of Provence, there is so much to see and do - you could spend a lifetime here. Packed with big and modern cities like Marseille, Nice and Cannes it also offers many beautiful historic villages and nature reserves.

The French Alps

The French Alps boast the highest mountain in Western Europe - Mont Blanc. There are different alpine areas that are popular for skiing in the winter including Chamonix, Brides-les-Bains, Les Deux Alpes, Vaujany, La Grave, Villard Reculas, Les Arcs, Argentière, Champagny en Vanoise, La Plagne, Montchavin-Les Coches, Tignes, Val d'Isère, Méribel, Oz-en-Oisans.

Wine regions

Visit some of the most well known wine regions such as the Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and others.

The Mediterranean

One of the most famous part of the Mediterranean coast is the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur). With its great climate and glamourous and stylish resorts, French Riviera is one of the greatest places of attraction in Europe. Altghough Nice is the biggest city of the Riviera with its numerous posh resorts and endless beaches, the region is also famous for St.Tropez, Monaco, Antibes, Cannes Film Festival and many more.

When to go

France is good at any season! Depending on your preferences and interests, you can pick the right region for the right time of year. Paris is great for visiting in May, September and October. July and August are worst for crowds. Locals go away on holidays leaving the city to the tourists. French Riviera is great in August and September. Alpian region is great any time of year - for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.