The Best of France

The Nice Carnival will run from 15-29 February in 2020 . It’s the most important event on the French Riviera, indeed, in the whole of France. Every February for two weeks , over a million people from all over the region, the country, and the world flock to the festival to enjoy and participate in the events and soak up the buzzing Carnival atmosphere. The Carnival’s theme for 2020 is “ King of Fashion ”. Expect flamboyant floats, colorful costumes and stunning parades reflecting a theme that is such a strong part of French culture. There will...

By Naomi Dalton A great way to start immersing yourself in French culture and language before visiting France is to watch a few French movies or movies set in France. The first French-language film I ever watched was Les Visiteurs with actor Jean Reno (of Leon fame). We were in French class at school and our teacher let us watch the film as it was the last double lesson before we finished for the holidays. Prior to that, I’d always been too lazy to watch foreign language films - reading the subtitles seemed like too much work! But we all found Les...

As part of preparing for and getting excited about your trip, we recommend immersing yourself in literature, films, and music related to France! You can learn a lot about our country from the things people have written, and their descriptions of the landscape and the people. In this post, we have included a selection of ‘easy reading’ and classic novels set in France. Stuff Parisians Like - Olivier Magny This is a tongue-in-cheek, short book about the qualities and flaws of Parisians. Many things are very true in this book, as you may discover on your trip to Paris! We like this synopsis of...

If you're visiting France this year, you will certainly want to buy some souvenirs and gifts to bring home with you. But sometimes it's hard to find things that are absolutely authentically French, as opposed to things that are made and imported from elsewhere. Here we recommend some very French and high quality souvenirs for you to look for in different regions in France. Your own signature perfume (French Riviera) France is famous for its designer perfumes, such as Chanel, Clinque, Lancôme and Jean-Paul Gaultier. But why not create an extra special souvenir of your trip to France? Visit the...

If you are anything like us at France Just For You, you may already be planning your vacations for 2020! If you’re planning to visit France, we recommend making a list of the French cities you would like to visit. This will help you to plan out your travel itinerary. Start with the cities, then research the small towns and villages you would like to visit between each city, and then plan your driving route. Of course, if you would like to book one of our self-drive tours , we will take care of all of the planning, so you don’t have to! Here we share some of our favorite...

If you plan to visit Paris in December, wrap up warm and head out into the streets to soak up the Christmas spirit! From mid-November onwards, the City of Lights begins to live up to its name as Christmas displays are constructed in store windows, Christmas lights brighten the boulevards, and Christmas markets start popping up all over town. There are also special bus tours and river cruises along the Seine to see the Christmas lights, and several open-air ice skating rinks to choose from near Paris’s...

There has been a lot in the news lately about the problem of ‘ overtourism ’ in some of the world’s most popular tourism destinations. Not only is this an issue for the people who live in these destinations, in terms of pushing up the cost of rent, house prices, and other services, it can also be a turn-off for tourists themselves. Nowadays, travelers are seeking more authentic experiences away from the tourist traps. They want to meet the locals and explore destinations by heading off the beaten track . Luckily, we have...

For travelers who are interested in geology, caves and prehistoric art, there are many prehistoric caves in France that are worth visiting. Some are the original caves and some are replicas - but both types are worth visiting. Here we list some of our favorite caves in France, any of which we can try to include in your itinerary . All of the below are located in the Dordogne and Lot region s of southwestern France, except for the Chauvet cave, which is in Provence . Lascaux Cave Of all the prehistoric caves in France, this is one of the most famous. Discovered on 8th September 1940 by 18-year...

Cassis, France. Approximately 15.5 miles south-east of Marseille, Cassis is a typical colorful Mediterranean port . This stunning area offers several pretty beaches , a historical harbor , impressive landscapes , and fine wines . Although the town of Cassis attracts the tourist crowds in the high season, it is nonetheless a lovely little coastal town to visit in the south of France. The bes t beaches in Cassis c an mostly be found in the famo us calanques , or creeks, just...

There may only be one ancient wonder of the world left – the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt – and France does not feature among the modern wonders of the world. However, for those who are interested in discovering the most wonderful places in France, we have compiled this list, and we're calling it ' The Seven Wonders of France '. Marqueyssac Gardens in Dordogne As a nod to one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , we are starting our French Wonders list with one of the most beautiful gardens in France . The ...

The lovely port city of Saint Malo is a popular tourist destination and one of the jewels of the Brittany coast. In 2018, Saint Malo Beach was named the nicest beach in France . Here we give you an overview of the history of this charming town and some things to do and see in Saint Malo if you plan to spend a day there. The History of Saint-Malo Saint Malo's position on a rock at the mouth of the Rance estuary has offered the city an excellent natural defence against invaders since pre-Roman times. Interestingly, the walled city of Saint Malo was in fact named after a Welsh...

I grew up in the Loire Valley, so my family didn't venture as far as the French Riviera for our summer beach vacation. We tended to head to the expansive sandy beaches of the Normandy coast, or to the beautiful Saint-Malo in Brittany. I was actually in my late 20s and seven months pregnant the first time I visited the Côte d'Azur. Guillaume and I had just started France Just For You and we wanted to visit the regions in France that we hadn't been to before. It was a long but scenic road trip through the winding mountain roads as we headed to the warmth of the Mediterranean. Truth be told, my...

On our self-guided tours , we take pride in sending our travelers off the beaten track. However, there are some places that, in spite of being very touristy, we recommend visiting nonetheless. Arles, Les Baux de Provence and St Remy de Provence are cases in point. Some of the most beautiful villages in France , Les Baux is an immense and superb stone fortress and without a doubt one of the must-sees on the Provencal tourist trail. Arles and St Remy remain very famous for their connection to Dutch artist Vincent...

In 2019, the 86th annual Lemon Festival in Menton, known locally as la Fête du Citron , adopted the theme ‘Fantastic Worlds’ ( Des Mondes Fantastiques) . The theme for the 2020 festival will be ' Les Fêtes du Monde ' or ' Parties Around the World' . See below to check the dates for the events planned for the Menton Lemon Festival 2020. Menton is just a 10-minute drive from the Italian border, and it is easy to observe the Italian influences in the town’s architecture, colors and cuisine. If you were...

If you're planning to spend a day in Normandy , the gorgeous little harbor town of Honfleur on Normandy's coast is a great option. The best of Honfleur can be seen in half a day, though you may like to stay longer and relax on Butin beach (la Plage du Butin) about a mile and a half from downtown. We found quite a nice short video that gives an overview of the lovely old town and the harbor. Video: Videoframe Vlog, YouTube Where is Honfleur? On the Normandy coast, Honfleur is located on the estuary where the River Seine meets the English Channel. It is just across from Le...

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France Association consists of 155 of the most beautiful villages in France, worthy of any travel bucket list. These villages want visitors to experience the best of French culture and heritage beyond the most popular tourist sites. Most of these villages only have a population of a few hundred people, offering tourists a more intimate and authentic experience of our wonderful country. Here are seven of our favourite French villages. Gourdon, Provence The drive from Tourrettes-sur-Loup to the little French village of Gourdon offers some magnificent...

We visited the Lérins Islands on our first research trip of the French Riviera , during the early days of France Just For You. We knew that we would include this region in our self-drive tours of France, so it was essential that we knew it inside out. Our first port of call on the French Riviera was Nice, and the crowded pebble beach there was nothing to write home about, though I did enjoy our swim under the stars that night. Only in the French Riviera is the sea warm enough to bathe in at night in October! However, after a couple of days in this southern...

One of the real beauties of France is its many gardens open to the public. They surround medieval castles, baroque palaces, and museums, and are a delight to explore and enjoy. Here we list some of the loveliest gardens to visit in France – a garden tour de France , you might say! Scroll down to check out the gardens in the French regions you'll be visiting. We hope that these beautiful photos will convince you to visit some of them! In and Around Paris Jardins des Plantes If you want to escape the city without actually leaving the city, we recommend taking a visit to the ...

Most people who visit France will know about the most famous places to visit in Paris - the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Moulin Rouge, to name a few - and we agree that a visit to these places is a must! However, at France Just For You, we pride ourselves on sending our travelers to places that many tourists don't know about. We want you to have a truly unique and authentic experience of France. Here we suggest some alternative places to visit in Paris which you may not have thought of: MONET'S WATERLILIES AT THE MUSEE DE L'ORANGERIE The Musée de l'Orangerie is on the other side of the...