France Tour Packages

France is superbly easy to travel in — fast trains, beautiful roads, excellent food almost everywhere. The one thing that transforms a trip is understanding a little of how the French do things.

Getting around

• The TGV is the joy of French travel: Paris to Lyon in two hours, Paris to Avignon in under three, Paris to Nice in about six. Book ahead — fares rise sharply close to departure.
• The Paris Metro is fast, cheap and reaches everywhere. Buy a rechargeable Navigo Easy card.
• Hire a car for the countryside — the Loire, Provence, Dordogne and Alsace are made for it. Motorways (autoroutes) are excellent but tolled.
• Combine the two: train between cities, car for the regions. That is how we usually build a France itinerary.

Money

France uses the Euro (EUR), and cards are accepted virtually everywhere, including contactless for small amounts. Keep a little cash for markets and rural bakeries.

Practical tips

• Always say "Bonjour" first. Entering a shop, approaching a waiter, asking directions — greet before you speak. This is the single most important thing in this guide, and skipping it is why some visitors find the French cold.
• Tipping is not expected — service is included by law (service compris). Round up or leave a couple of euros for good service; that is plenty.
• Ask for "une carafe d'eau" and you will get free tap water. It is entirely normal.
• Book major sights in advance — the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles sell timed tickets, and queues without one can be brutal.
• Many shops close on Sundays, and much of the country slows down in August, when the French take their holidays.
• Power is 230V, European two-pin plugs (Type C/E).
• Watch your bag on the Paris Metro and around Sacré-Cœur, Gare du Nord and the Eiffel Tower — pickpocketing is the main nuisance for tourists.

France has a temperate climate with four clear seasons, but it is large enough to have three distinct climate zones — which is useful, because it means there is always somewhere in France worth being.

The three climates

• Oceanic (west and northwest) — Brittany, Normandy, the Atlantic coast: mild, changeable, and often wet. Rarely extreme in either direction.
• Continental (centre and east) — Paris, Burgundy, Alsace: cold winters and warm-to-hot summers.
• Mediterranean (south) — Provence and the Riviera: hot, dry summers, mild winters and around 300 days of sunshine a year. Watch for the mistral, the cold wind that funnels down the Rhône valley.

By season

Spring (April–June) is lovely: mild, green and full of blossom. Summer (July–August) is hot — 25°C to 35°C in the south — and busy. Autumn (September–October) brings warm days, the wine harvest and golden light. Winter (November–March) is cool and grey in the north, mild on the Riviera, and superb in the Alps, where the ski season generally runs December to April.

France is the most visited country in the world, welcoming close to 100 million international travellers a year — and it earns that title. Few places offer this density of art, architecture, landscape and food, all connected by superb infrastructure.

France has more than 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among them Mont-Saint-Michel, the Palace of Versailles, the banks of the Seine in Paris, the châteaux of the Loire Valley, the historic centre of Strasbourg, the Pont du Gard, and the vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne.

The headline acts

• The Louvre — the most visited museum on earth, and home to the Mona Lisa.
• The Eiffel Tower — still the most romantic silhouette in the world.
• Notre-Dame de Paris — magnificently restored and reopened after the 2019 fire.
• Versailles — the sun king's palace and its gardens, at a scale that has to be seen.
• Mont-Saint-Michel — the abbey rising from the tidal flats of Normandy.

And the France beyond the postcards

Lyon's food, Alsace's half-timbered villages, the prehistoric caves of the Dordogne, the calanques of Marseille, the wild coast of Brittany, the vineyards of Saint-Émilion. France rewards a second visit, and a third.

France works all year — the question is what you want from it.

Spring (April to June) — our favourite

Mild, green and beautiful, with long days and manageable crowds. Paris is at its loveliest in May and June. Note that the lavender of Provence flowers from roughly mid-June to mid-July.

Summer (July to August) — peak season

Hot and lively. The Riviera is in full swing, the Alps are wonderful for hiking, and the festivals are at their best. But it is the busiest and priciest time, cities can be sweltering, and in August much of France goes on holiday — small restaurants and shops in Paris often close.

Autumn (September to October) — excellent value

Warm days, golden light, the grape harvest in the wine regions, and far fewer visitors. Arguably the best time for a food-and-wine trip.

Winter (November to March)

Cool and quiet in the north, with the great compensation of Christmas markets — Strasbourg and Colmar are magical. The Alps ski season runs roughly December to April, and the Riviera stays mild and bright.

France is where much of the modern culinary world was invented, and food here is not a category of life — it is the point of it. The good news for travellers: eating brilliantly in France does not require a Michelin star or a fortune.

What to eat

• The baguette and the croissant — the French baguette is recognised by UNESCO. Buy one still warm and eat half on the walk home. Everyone does.
• Cheese — France has hundreds of them: Comté, Camembert, Roquefort, Brie, Reblochon. A cheese course comes before dessert, not after.
• Boeuf bourguignon & coq au vin — the great slow-cooked Burgundian classics.
• Cassoulet — the rich bean, duck and sausage stew of the southwest.
• Bouillabaisse — the saffron-scented fish stew of Marseille.
• Duck confit & foie gras — the soul of Gascon cooking.
• Galettes and crêpes — savoury buckwheat and sweet, in Brittany, with cider.
• Choucroute — Alsace's hearty sauerkraut and charcuterie.
• Steak-frites, moules-frites, escargots — the bistro canon.
• Pâtisserie — macarons, éclairs, tarte tatin, crème brûlée, mille-feuille.

And the wine

Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire, the Rhône, Alsace, Provence — each region has its own grapes, its own rules and its own fierce pride. House wine (vin de la maison) in a good bistro is almost always excellent value.

Where to eat

Book a table for dinner, especially in Paris. Lunch is the best-value meal of the day — look for the formule or menu du jour. Shop the morning markets, eat in bistros and bouchons rather than tourist restaurants with photo menus, and let a meal take its time. We are happy to arrange food tours, market walks, cooking classes and cellar visits.

France is part of the Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa (or visa-free entry) covers France along with 20-plus other European countries.

Visa-free entry

Citizens of many countries — including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and Singapore — can enter France without a visa for tourism, for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. That 90/180 rule is cumulative, so keep track if you travel to Europe often.

Schengen visa

Nationals of many other countries, including India, must apply for a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) before travelling. Apply through the French consulate or its official visa partner (usually VFS Global), ideally several weeks in advance — appointment slots can be scarce in peak season.

What a Schengen application typically requires

• A passport valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure, issued within the last 10 years, with two blank pages.
• Travel medical insurance with minimum €30,000 of cover, valid across the Schengen Area. This is mandatory.
• Confirmed return flights and hotel bookings, and a day-by-day itinerary.
• Bank statements proving sufficient funds, plus proof of employment or studies.
• Biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at the application centre.

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights — if that is France, apply to France.

Coming soon: EES and ETIAS

The EU is introducing a biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) at its borders, and ETIAS — a paid online travel authorisation that visa-exempt travellers (such as UK and US citizens) will need before flying. Timelines have shifted repeatedly, so check the current status before you travel.

Important: visa rules and processing times change. Always check the official French consulate or EU sources before booking. If you travel with us, we will confirm what you need and help you prepare a strong application — including the itinerary and hotel confirmations the consulate expects.