From world-class art at Paris's Louvre to Brittany’s windswept sandy beaches, France is a feast for the senses. Medieval history comes alive along Strasbourg’s cobblestoned lanes, while sporty types head to Chamonix for skiing. Lavender-hued Provence was Cezanne’s inspiration, and in Amiens, the bells ring out from its gothic cathedral.
Paris is romance, from gazing wistfully at Rodin’s marble sculpture The Kiss, to hand-in-hand walks up to multi-domed Sacré Coeur basilica. In Lyon, lose yourself in traboules alleyways in the silk-workers' old quarter. For isolated bliss, wander through in Provence’s olive groves and dine in Les Baux’s romantic restaurants.
At larger-than-life Disneyland Paris, the kids will love dressing up as a fairytale princess or swashbuckling pirate, then saying ‘hi’ to Mickey and Goofy. Try your hand at watersports, or let the kids loose at play areas on Marseille’s shingle beaches. In pink-hued Toulouse, step into the future at the interactive Cité de l’Espace to see the Mir Space Station.
In Toulouse, dress up and enter through the pink marble columns to watch opera at 19th-century Théâtre du Capitole. Bar-hop your way around Marseille’s Italianate Old Port to hear live world music, or to sip on a post-dinner pastis. Nice's glamorous beaches are perfect for an evening promenade to people-watch. For glittery Paris nightlife, catch a cabaret show in Pigalle to relive the 1920s.
Flakey croissants and strong coffee in terrace cafés are the perfect way to start your day. Feast on bouillabaisse from fresh seafood on Marseille’s old harbour. Toulouse sausages and white beans in an earthenware pot make hearty cassoulet stew. In Bordeaux, taste wild boar accompanied by local red wines in the old quarter’s traditional restaurants.
