France, located in Western Europe, shares its borders with Belgium and Luxembourg in the northeast, Germany and Switzerland in the east, Italy in the southeast and Spain in the southwest. The Pyrenees Mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea touch France while the Atlantic Ocean coastline defines its western border. In the north lies the English Channel, this connects France to England.

France is seen as the world's most popular tourist destination with 77.6 million visitors arriving here in 2003. It boasts of major tourist attractions, like Paris, Côte d'Azur or the French Riviera, Atlantic beaches, winter sports in the Alps, Castles of Loire Valley, etc. But two of the really famous French things are wine and cheese.

PLACES TO SEE

The greatest landmark of France is the Eiffel Tower but that is not the only landmark. From the vineyards to the Chapels, France has a variety of landscapes, museums, and historical artifacts to offer. France with its enigmatic appeal and unparalleled beauty will hold you back. French architectural heritage is nothing less than extraordinary, and Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Sacré Coeur, butte Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, Latin quarter and Saint-Germain de Prés, Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle, Ile Saint-Louis, Pont Neuf and Le Louvre Museum, Bordeaux Vineyards, Arcachon and Cap Ferret, Dordogne and Perigord, Chateau de Chenonceau and Mount Saint Michael are a few among these.

FESTIVALS

Techno parade: During mid-September DJs and (usually young) fans from across Europe, converge on Paris for five or six days of dancing etc. culminating in a parade whose route traces roughly from Pl. de Bastille to the Sorbonne.

Bastille Parade: Bastille Day falls on July 14 and celebrates the beginning of the French revolution. The day in particular falls on the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison by Parisians. Paris hosts several spectacular events on the day. The parade begins on the Champs-Élysées at 10:00 AM.

The Cannes Film Festival: One of the most respected festival in the movie world.

TRAVEL TO FRANCE

France is well connected to the rest of the world through airports like the CDG or Charles De Gaulle. There are other major airports in Paris like the Orly International Airport. Some of the airports within France include Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse, and the Bâle-Mulhouse, which is shared by France and Switzerland.

The other mode of transport is railway and the French rail company, SNCF, provides direct services from most European countries. There is the Eurostar service, which uses high-speed to connect Lille and Paris with London via the Calais-Dover channel tunnel. The Thalys service, another rail service in France uses high-speed TGV trains to connect Paris to Brussels, Netherlands and Germany. If you are not too comfortable traveling by train, then you can opt for the bus services. Euroline Buses connect over 500 destinations, covering Europe and Morocco. But most certainly one of the best ways to enjoy France is by driving through it by car as France has a well-developed system of highways. France is also a good and safe country for hitchhiking.

STAY

Although there are plenty of good hotels and Bed & breakfast accommodation available in France, camping still remains the most popular option. Most campsites are generally a little away from the city centre and offer basic facilities like Shower/toilet blocks, bars, and restaurants, self-service laundries, swimming pools or bicycle hire.

By: Brian Zinn
I'm Brian Zinn and ZinnTravel.com is my Travel Booking Engine . I'm Specializing in Travel Articles for ZinnTravel.com on subjects such as, Romania, Bucharest, Constanta, Berlin, London, England, Miami, Ibiza, Clubbing, Sightseeing, travel tips and things to do.

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