France Vacation Rental Chateau, Self-Catering Apartments.

It's hard to generalise about France - as Charles de Gaulle once remarked:
'how could one describe a country which has 260 kinds of cheese?'
Yet there is something about this magnificent land which draws millions of francophiles back year after year for a taste of la vie française. Could it be the chic boulevards of Paris, the sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches, a dusty game of boules, or coffee and croissants in an undiscovered village? Or perhaps it's a tour of the majestic châteaux of the Loire that appeals, the glamorous jet-set lifestyle of the Mediterranean, or a relaxing picnic in Provence, where the air is fragrant with wild herbs and lavender?   
 
Consider also the delights of other lesser-known regions such as Franche-Comté, Gascony or Berry, deep in the green heart of France - regions firmly rooted to the land, whose snoozing villages offer visitors a chance to sample the true douceur de vivre of provincial France.
There is no denying that France is a land of great contrasts, offering an endless choice of enticing destinations, a rich diversity of landscapes, cuisines, climates and peoples, with an exceptional cultural heritage.

France is easy to travel around. Restaurants and hotels proliferate, the lower-budget ones being much cheaper than is most other developed western European countries. Train services are admirably efficient, as is the road network - especially the (toll-paying) autoroutes - and cyclists are much admired and encouraged. Information is highly organized and available from tourist offices across the country, as well as from specialist organizations for walkers, cyclists, campers and so on.

There are all kinds of pegs on which to hang a holiday in France: a city, a region, a river or a mountain range, physical activities, cathedrals, châteaux. And in many cases your choice will determine the best time of years to go. Unless you're a skier, for example, you wouldn't choose the mountains between November and May; nor at this time would you head for the seaside - except for the Mediterranean coast which is at its most attractive in spring. Climate, otherwise, need not be a major consideration in planning when to go. Northern France, like nearby Britain, is wet and unpredictable. Paris perhaps has a marginally better climate than New York, rarely reaching the extremes of heat and cold of that city, but only south of the Loire does the weather become significantly warmer. West coast weather, even in the south, is tempered by the proximity of the Atlantic, subject to violent storms and close thundery days even in summer. The centre and east, as you leave the coasts behind, have a more continental climate, with colder winters and hotter summers. The most reliable weather is along and behind the Mediterranean coastline and on Corsica, where winter is short and summer long and hot.

The single most important factor in deciding when to visit France is tourism itself. As most French people take their holidays in their own country, it's as well to avoid the main French holiday periods - mid-July to the end of August, with August being particularly bad. You can easily walk a kilometre and more in Paris, for example, in search of an open boulangerie, and the city seems deserted by all except fellow tourists. Prices in the resorts rise to take full advantage and often you can't find a room for love nor money, and not even a space in the campsites on the Côte d'Azur. The seaside is the worst, but the mountains and popular regions like the Dordogne are not far behind. Easter, too, is a bad time for Paris; half Europe's schoolchildren seem to descend on the city. For the same reasons, ski buffs should keep in mind the February school ski break. And no one who values life, limb, and sanity should ever be caught on the roads the last weekend of July or August, and least of all on the weekend of August 15.

La Rochelle
Superbly intact as a medieval port, thanks to the efforts of a past communist mayor whose legacy includes the free bicycles you can ride around town, La Rochelle offers beautiful beaches, delicious seafood, and boat trips to surrounding islands.

The French Alps
The French Alps are glorious in summer. To go walking, take one of the many ski lifts that operate year-round. Pretty towns to visit include Annecy, on its turquoise lake, set against the peaks of La Tourette.

Paris
There is so much life on the streets of Paris, plus a tremendous amount of public art and wonderful architecture, that just wandering the streets is a delight and doesn't cost you any money. The city centre is very compact so there's little chance of getting lost.

Champagne
If you like drinking bubbly, there's no greater experience than quaffing the stuff in the region where it's made. A visit to Reims will enable you to catch one of France's most impressive Gothic cathedrals, as well as take in several caves, including the famous Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin.

Chartres Cathedral
Go to Chartres and see the Cathédral Notre-Dame, whose greatest asset is its magnificent rose window. Situated on the hilltop, the enormous building has plenty of other enthralling visible wonders, such as the geometry of the building and the 130 other stained glass windows.

Provence
From its Medieval hilltop villages, through a rich agricultural countryside of vineyards, olive groves and fields of sunflowers, to the fascinating cities of Arles and Aix en Provence, this is perhaps the most irrestistible area of France.

Cheese
For cheese, head for Normandy, particularly the area known as the Pays d'Auge, whose lush green fields help produce the rich milk so essential for the area's delicious Camembert.

Cycling
The country which runs the world's most famous bike race (the Tour de France) is a rewarding place to cycle, and you may even get bigger servings in local restos if you indicate your means of transport. You don't have to rely entirely on pedal power, however - you can take bikes on certain trains for free.

Camargue
The Camargue is a flat, marshy delta area, with flamingo-filled lagoons. Its long stretches of coastline include the popular resort of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, which offers plenty of facilities, and less commercialized areas, such as the plage de Piemancon.

Marseille
Marseille, the second most populous city of France, though undeniably deprived, is a wonderful place to visit. It's a down-to-earth yet cosmopolitan city which spirals out from the old port. To check out its excellent seafood cuisine try the cours Julien behind the Vieux Port's southern quay.