Harbour of Nice, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hafen_von_Nizza.jpg Author: Tobi 87
France is a country in Western Europe. With a size of 674,843 square kilometers (260,558 sq miles), France is the biggest country in Continental Europe. It shares a border with many other European countries including with Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast, Germany and Switzerland to the east, Italy to the southeast, and Spain to the southwest. In addition, the tiny principality of Monaco forms an enclave to the south of France while Andorra is a small independent country between France and Spain. Across the English Channel lies the British Isles to the northwest.
Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bordeaux_Porte_Cailhau.jpg Author: Luidger
The 2010 estimate places the population of France at around 65.4 million. It is the fifth largest economy in the world by nominal Gross Domestic Product, and the 8th largest by Purchasing Power Parity. The capital of France is Paris. This city of 2.2 million is located in a Métropolitan area of 11.7 million people. It is both the largest city within one of the most populated Métropolitan areas in Europe.
In addition to mainland France, which is called Métropolitan France, the country also count a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica. The forms of government in these territories range from overseas department to overseas collectivity.
The tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_Napoleon_Bonaparte_D%C3%B4me_des_Invalides_Paris_France_001.JPG Author: Riggwelter
France is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. It has much to offer in terms of sights and is particularly famous for its cuisine, history, fashion and culture. In this Travel Guide to France, I want to provide you with a description of every major tourist destination and sight that the country has to offer. You will find these listed on the right column. When I complete describing each destination, I will place a link to this page, so check back often as the information is added regularly.
L'église de la Madeleine Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madeleine_Paris.jpg Author: Jebulon
Porte Saint-Pierre, a medieval gate at the Maréchal-Foch town square in Nantes Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nantes_-_Porte_Saint-Pierre_01.jpg Author: Selbymay
Basilique Saint Amable, Riom, Auvergne, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FRANCE_-_Auvergne_-_RIOM_-_La_basilique_Saint_Amable_Interieur.JPG Author: Jean-Marc Aubelle
Planning your trip to France
The following are the airports serving Paris:
Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) is located 23km (14 miles) to the northeast of Paris. It is the biggest airport in France and a major travel hub for Europe. It also consists of many terminals, and can be confusing. Allow ample time to find your way around, especially if you need to transit. CDG is the homebase for national carrier Air France, which uses Terminal 2 along with its SkyTeam Alliance partners Dutch KLM, AeroMexico, Alitalia, US Continental, NorthWest, Delta Airlines and Korean Air.
Trains connecting CDG to Paris runs every 15 minutes, costs €8.50 and makes the journey to the Châtelet-Les Halles station in 40 minutes. There is a high-speed TGV train station within the airport that provides connection to Lille and Brussels to the north, and Rennes and Nantes to the south, bypassing Paris.
Orly International Airport (ORY) is the older airport serving Paris. It is used by Air France for domestic flights, as well as other international carriers for European destinations. Orly is forty minutes from Paris on OrlyBus from the Métro Denfert-Rochereau station, and the fare is €6.
Aéroport de Paris Beauvais Tillé (BVA) is another airport serving Paris. This small regional airport is used by low cost carriers including Ryanair.
Eure-et-Loir Chartes Les bords de l'Eure, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Bords_de_l_Eure.jpg Author: GIRAUD Patrick
France Entry Requirements
Nationals of US, Australia, Canada, Britain and other EU countries do not need a visa for entering France.
How to explore France by Train
Trains are a great way to explore France. The national railway company is called SNCF, which stands for Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français. The Voyages SNCF website shows you the schedules and allows you to book interregional trains. For regional trains, go to Ter-SNCF website.
La Manneporte, a natural arch located west of Étretat in Normandy Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Manneporte-Etretat-Normandie.jpg Author: Tobi 87
How to explore France by Car
Car rental is plentiful and offers a great way to discover the "off the beaten track" France. Pre-paying for your vehicle gives the best value for cheap car hire in France and avoids any surprises for added extras when you pick up the vehicle. Rental locations can be found throughout the country in all major cities, towns and airports.
How to make sense of the currency of France
France uses the Euro, €. Banknotes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 while coins are in denominations of 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Banking hours are from 9:00am to 12:00 noon and 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
Cabanes tchanquées near Arcachon, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bassin_d%27Arcachon_-_Cabanes_tchanqu%C3%A9es.jpg Author: Karine Deydier
When to visit France
The best time is spring, around May. If you are going to France for skiing, then it's winter that is best in the French Alps and the Pyrenees.
Bourges Cathedral, France Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kathedrale_Bourges_v2.jpg Author: Wladyslaw Sojka
What to wear in France
Lightweight clothing for summer and waterproof gear for the mountains. Warm clothing required in winter, including along the Mediterranean coasts.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.