For those of us that don’t want to travel too far, holidays to France are perfect as it only requires a short ferry/Eurotunnel crossing till you arrive at your destination, making it accessible by car and coaching holidays packages. Not only are holidays to France perfect in terms of short travelling times but they can also be easy on the purse-strings too. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the places within France that you might not consider visiting when on holiday. Take a look at our mini list and let us know what you think…

Paris
Known to many as one of the most romantic cities in the world, Paris has all but exhausted the superlatives that can reasonably be applied to any city. We all know about the beauty of the Notre Dame and the Eifel Tower at sunrise, sunset and at night as well as the delights that can be offered via a cruise along the River Seine, but is there anything else we can do when holidaying in France? Encapsulate the village atmosphere by visiting the street markets. Not only do these offer an alternative shopping experience compared to the city boutiques but, they are also great for social gatherings as well as picking up some great culinary tips. Head off the beaten track and visit the Moorish mosque, you have to be modestly dressed to be able to wander through the colonnaded courtyards, listen to the incredible acoustics during the ‘Call To Prayer’ and leaf through ancient Arabic texts in the library. Here’s something a little different, why not escape the hustle & bustle of city life and explore the tiny streets of Île St-Louis? Here you’ll find quaint shops dotted around the island, you can listen to buskers on the riverbanks whilst watching the riverboats glide by. Doesn’t this bring a welcome relief to the usual city breaks to Paris?

Normandy
Think it’s fair to say that Normandy can be summed up in just three words – camembert, cider and cows! This is where you’ll find the lush green countryside of France smashing into the rolling waves of La Manche (the English Channel). Perhaps discover your ‘inner impressionist’ with a visit to Monet’s Garden in Giverny, be bowled over by the magnificent Bayeux Tapestry, sample the seafood delights of Trouville and Honfleur or slip into an architectural bubble and soak up the half-timbered houses and Gothic churches in Rouen. Make a pilgrimage to the D-Day Landing Beaches where the largest military operation in history, code-named ‘Operation Overlord’, was carried out in June 1944 that was followed by the Battle of Normandy which ultimately led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi Occupation. Should you wish to find out more about this greatest military event, make time to visit the Caen Memorial Museum that provides a comprehensive overview of what happened. No holidays to Normandy would be complete without visiting the abbey of Mont St-Michel where legend has it that Aubert, the Bishop of Avranches, was visited by the Archangel Michael in a dream. To this day, a gilded copper statue of Michael slaying a dragon crowns the Abbey symbolising the triumph of good over evil – did you know that?

Provence
Everyone knows that this southern tip of France is one of the most sun and celebrity-riched parts of the country with its glittering coastline, mountain retreats, Roman temples and amazing gastronomic delights that will make your mouth water just thinking about it! Saunter through lush lavender fields, chestnut forests, apple-green vineyards and delectable olive groves. Why not follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh around Arles to the areas where he set up his easel to paint some of his best-known canvases. Hike, bike or drive through the hillsides of Digne-les-Bains. Sip a coffee in a café along the table-lined terrace of 1792 Les Deux Garçons. It’s fair to say that Provence is most definitely an old-fashioned love affair that never ends – in fact, the lure of the region will have you holidaying here more than once, guaranteed!

The prize includes ferry travel from Dover to Calais, two nights’ accommodation at the 3-star Grand Hotel Continental in Reims, tours of the Champagne region, a 3-course lunch or dinner at which you’ll also get to taste three different Champagnes and a case of wine from Morrisons.

You can enter the competition via Morrisons’ website and entries must be received by 23.59 on 27 March 2011.

1. Méribel

Méribel is situated in the centre of the Les Trois Vallees (The Three Valleys) ski area, in the Tarentaise Valley, within the French Alpine region. If you buy a Three Valleys piste pass, you can use Méribel as a base and ski in the neighbouring ski areas of Courchevel, and Val Therons & Belleville Valley as well. The Three Valleys ski area contains more than 600km of piste and experienced skiers can also enjoy off-piste skiing.

Méribel also has two snowboarding parks and an ice rink, and you can take part in a range of other winter sports, such as cross-country skiing, snowshoe walking, tobogganing, husky sledding and piste-bashing.

There are also shops, restaurants and bars at Méribel, so you’ll find plenty to keep you entertained when you’re not on the slopes.

Image: Méribel Mottaret, France

2. Val d’Isère

Like Méribel, Val d’Isère is situated in the Tarentaise Valley, close to the French-Italian border. The ski area surrounding both Val d’Isère and the nearby ski resort of Tignes is known as L’Espace Killy, and includes more than 300km of piste. There are more than 150km of piste at Val d’Isère, and there are ski runs for both beginners and more experienced skiers, as well as plenty of areas for off-piste skiing.

Val d’Isère’s ski area is divided into three smaller areas: Bellevarde; Le Fornet; and Le Solaise. The most popular area, and the best for novice skiers, is Le Soliase. Intermediate skiers will find a number of blue runs in Le Fornet, whilst experienced skiers will enjoy the off-piste areas in Le Fornet and challenging runs in Bellevarde. All of the pistes are open to snowboarders and there is also a snow park at the resort.

Other winter sports activities available at Val d’Isère include snowshoe walking, ice driving, cross-country skiing and glacier walking. The resort is also well-known for it’s après ski facilities, and you’ll find a range of restaurants and bars to choose from.

3. Barèges

Barèges is situated about 37km from Lourdes, in the south-west of France. It’s within the Domaine Du Tourmalet, the largest ski area in the French Pyrenees, and is the second oldest ski resort in the country. In the 1970s, it became linked to a neighbouring resort, La Mongie, and the two are now often referred to as either Barèges-La Mongie or Tourmalet.

You can enjoy more than 100km of piste, and there are runs for all levels. Learn to ski from scratch at the resort’s ski school, or, if you are an experienced skier try one of the 5 challenging black runs or ski off-piste. You can also snowboard, take a cross-country ski tour, snow shoe, or simply relax in the thermal spa in Barèges.

Barèges is a small, traditional village, so it tends to be quieter than some of the Alpine ski resorts. However, there are a number of bars in the village, so you can still enjoy an  après-ski drink or two.

Many international airlines operate flights to France, and there is an excellent rail service within the country.

The winner of the competition can choose a Brittany Ferries holiday programme up to the value of £1,000. To enter the competition, simply complete and submit the online form on the Brittany Ferries website. Entries must be received by the 31st July 2010 and the holiday must be taken before the 31st of October 2011.

1. Paris by Train - Paris is one of the easiest destinations to reach from the U.K., thanks to the Eurostar rail service. Take the train from St. Pancras Station in central London and you can be in the French capital in about 2 and a quarter hours.  See famous sights such as the Eiffel Tower, visit museums and galleries such as the Louvre, relax in a street cafe in Montmartre, or head out of the city for some magical family fun at the Disneyland Paris resort.

2. Rome by Train – it will take you about 17 and a half hours to get from London to Rome by train, but you’ll be able to enjoy a three course meal, sleep, have breakfast and see some stunning Alpine scenery during your journey. Take the Eurostar from London to Paris Gare du Nord, then travel to the city’s Gare de Bercy and catch the TGV Artesia Night Train, which will take you through Switzerland, into Northern Italy and on to Rome. Visit landmarks such as the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, window-shop at some of the world’s most fashionable stores, or head to the museums in Vatican City to see world-famous works of art.

3. Dublin by Ferry – it’s easy to get to Dublin without flying. Simply take drive or take a train to the port of Holyhead and then catch a ferry to Ireland. Two different companies operate ferries between Holyhead and Dublin: Stena Line and Irish Ferries. Once you’ve arrived in Ireland, you can take a shuttle bus into the centre of Dublin. The city’s attractions include Dublin Zoo, Dublin Writers Museum, Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol,  the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Guiness Storehouse.

4. Copenhagen by Train – you can get from London to Copenhagen by train in about 18 hours. Take the Eurostar from London’s St. Pancras Station to Brussels and then take the high-speed ICE train from Brussels to Cologne. For the final stage of the journey, take the City Night Line sleeper train from Cologne to Copenhagen. Once there, you can take a boat trip on the old canal network, see the world-famous statue of The Little Mermaid, take a tour of the Amalienborg Palace and visit the Tivoli Gardens amuseument park.

5. Geneva by Train – it’s easy to get from London to Geneva without flying. Take the Eurostar from London St. Pancras Station to Paris Gare du Nord and then take the metro to Paris Gare de Lyon. From here, you can catch the TGV Lyria, which will take you directly to Geneva. You can explore the city, see landmarks such as the Jet D’Eau and the Flower Clock, and visit some of the many museums.

Image: Leon Brocard

All of the terminals are used for both international flights and domestic flights, although Terminal 2 was initially designed to act as a hub for Air France and the airline still operates its flights from there, whilst Terminal 3 is used primarily for charter flights and by low-cost airlines. Facilities at each terminal include a range of shops and food outlets, play areas for children and internet terminals.

You can get to and from Paris easily by train, bus or coach, and you can also take a shuttle bus from the airport to the Disneyland Paris resort. There are taxi ranks outside of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and there are also car parks at each of the terminals.

Here are three ideas for day trips that you can take as part of a Nice car hire holiday:

1. Cannes – Most famous for its annual film festival, which is held in May, Cannes is a glamourous coastal resort and it can be expensive to stay here. However, if you use Nice as a base and drive to Cannes for the day in your rental car, you can explore the town without breaking the bank. Stroll through the narrow streets of the Old Town, gaze at the luxury yachts in the marina and window-shop in the designer boutiques in La Croisette. It will take you about 40 minutes to drive to Cannes in your Nice hire car.

2. Grasse – France’s perfume capital, Grasse, is under an hour’s drive from Nice, so it’s a perfect place to visit as part of a hire car holiday. Take a break from your rental car and explore the town by taking a walking tour, before heading to Fragonard’s Historic Factory, where you can learn about how perfume is made and explore the Museum of Perfumes.

3. Monte Carlo – Situated in the independent state of Monaco, which borders France, Monte Carlo is known for its wealth and as the venue for the annual Monaco F1 Grand Prix. It will only take you about half an hour to drive to Monte Carlo in your Nice hire car. Take a stroll through the picturesque Old Town district of Monaco-Ville, take a tour of the Prince’s Palace (Palais Princier), visit the Exotic Garden (Jardin Exotique) and explore the Oceanic Museum and Aquarium. If you’re feeling wealthy, you can gamble with the rich and famous at the Casino de Monte Carlo or go shopping in Monte Carlo’s designer clothing stores.

Both domestic and international flights arrive at and depart from Nice Airport, which has two terminals. You can check which terminal you need by looking at the airlines list on the airport’s website. The terminals open at 4 a.m. each day and close half an hour after the final flight has arrived.

Each terminal has an information desk, as well as shops, a restaurant and a service centre. There are several internet areas within the terminals andthe airport has its own business centre. Terminal 1 also has play areas for children.

There are bus services from the airport to a number of destinations, including Cannes, Monte Carlo and Saint Tropez, and the town’s main train station, Nice St. Augustin,  is about 15 minutes’ walk from Terminal 1. There are also taxi ranks outside of both terminals.

One of the easiest methods of getting to and from Nice Airport, however, is by hire car. If you book your rental car online, you can pick it up when you land, and simply drop it off at the Nice Airport car hire office before returning home.

Paris squeezes in two thousand years of history and some of the world’s finest art and architecture, earning it top place in the world’s list of most popular tourist destinations. Most travellers arrive with high expectations, and the city’s heady mix of culture and romance rarely disappoints.

Previously, Smart Traveller featured five free things to do in Paris and made a variety of suggestions of trips and places to visit if you were to rent a car whilst in Paris. Car hire in France is an ideal way escape the hustle and bustle of French cities.  From Paris, our favourite excursions included Giverny and Fontainebleau, both within easy driving distances of the French capital.

A Short Stay in Paris

Energetic weekenders can dash about ticking off all the city’s finest treasures: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Musee du Louvre, Palace of Versailles and La Defense.  Romantic couples could easily while away their time ensconced in a cosy café absorbing the French way of life. But Paris oozes glamour and luxury, and if that’s what you want a piece of, the city has a delicious range of special treats to make for a pleasurable trip.

Image – Steven van Wel

A taste of France

No Parisian escape is complete without indulging in some fine French cuisine, and the city’s overflowing with restaurants. Better still, learn to cook your own classic French dishes at the Cook’n With Class cookery school in the heart of bohemian Montmartre. Morning classes, costing 150 euros per person, include a market visit to buy seasonal ingredients, and once you’ve finished cooking you all sit down to eat with a decent bottle of wine.

Bottle your memories

Smell evokes memories in a way that no other sense can, so a perfume workshop not only helps you to create your own signature scent, but also gives you a souvenir that will bring all your Paris memories flooding back. Panache Tours offer workshops – for men and women – lasting two to three hours, teaching you about the properties of different scents and helping you to create your own.

Dinner cruise on the Seine

One of the most romantic ways to spend an evening in Paris is on a moonlit dinner cruise on the Seine. Accompanied by good food, fine wine and live French music, a river trip usually lasts around four hours. Paris City Tour runs cruises from around 150 euros per person, with supper prepared by Chef Yves Gras, a member of the Académie Culinaire de France.

Paris from the air

Take off for a sightseeing helicopter flight around Paris and you’ll get a spectacular aerial view of the capital’s monuments and its surroundings, offering a fresh perspective on the city. French Adventures offer flights costing 250 euros per person for 25 minutes.

Luxury Resorts and Hotels in Paris

For a sumptuous splurge, the Four Seasons Hotel ‘George V Paris’ is one of  the ultimate luxury hotels in Paris. Housed in a beautifully restored landmark building, the George V is located in the famous ‘Golden Triangle’, the city’s most upmarket shopping district. It strikes the perfect balance between elegance and hospitality, shrugging off the stuffiness of many top-end hotels without losing any of its class. Service is impeccable: staff are both attentive yet unobtrusive. Rooms don’t come cheap, but review after review will tell you it’s worth it, if you can afford it.

A more intimate choice is the much talked about Hotel Sezz, a chic design boutique hotel just 500 metres from the Eiffel Tower. Hidden behind the Art Nouveau exterior is an ultra-modern interior; rooms are minimalist but have plenty of luxuries including a double jacuzzi in every room. Expect to be greeted by a personal butler, who will welcome you with a drink and look after you during your stay.

In the next in our series about free attractions, we move away from the UK and look at some of the free attractions that Paris has to offer. The French capital city has a reputation for being fairly expensive, but there are plenty of free attractions that you can visit in order to reduce the overall cost of your trip.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting Paris on the first Sunday of the month, you can visit many of the city’s museums free of charge. Participating museums include The Louvre, The Picasso Museum (Musée National Picasso), the Musée D’Orsay, the Musée Rodin and the Pompidou Centre.

However, there are also many other attractions in Paris that are free at all times. Here are five things that you can do for free during your stay in the city:

1. Take a free guided tour of the Fragonard Perfume Museum (9 Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris). The Parfumerie Fragonard’s perfume factories are in Grasse, in the South of France, but it has several stores in Paris as well as the museum.

2. Take a walk in the Jardin des Tuileries. The Jardin des Tuileries stretches from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde, and is the perfect place to take a stroll. The gardens were begun by Catherine de Medici and were redesigned by Andre le Nôtre between 1665 and 1672. The gardens contain some wonderful sculptures, and there are cafes and a small lake.

3. Visit Maison de Victor Hugo (6 Place des Vosges, 75004 Paris). It’s free to visit this museum which is located in the apartment in the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée in which Victor Hugo, the poet, playwright and novelist who wrote Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), lived between 1832 and 1848. Exhibits include manuscripts and other items relating to Hugo’s life.

4. Explore Pére-Lachaise Cemetery. Visiting a cemetery might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning things to do on a holiday, but Pére-Lachaise Cemetery is a popular place, mainly because it was the final resting place of Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors. Other famous people buried in Pére-Lachaise Cemetery include the novelist Honoré de Balzac, the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the composer Georges Bizet, the dancer Isadora Duncan, the playwright Moliere, the singer Édith Piaf and the novelist, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.

5. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame is one of the best-known landmarks and most popular tourist attractions in Paris and although you’ll need to pay for access to the Cathedral Towers and the Crypt, admission to the main part of the building is free of charge. You will be able to admire the Great Organ, the Choir Organ, the South Rose Window and the sculpture of Notre Dame de Paris. The exterior of the building is also stunning, with its imposing West Facade, which features sculptures and friezes, and you can also see the cathedral’s famous gargoyles.

Image: © Wam1975 | Dreamstime.com