France

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in France, independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Aube’s Champagne and Templars.

14/02/2017 by .

Winter fun in the Three Valleys

08/02/2017 by .
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The Three Valleys in south east France offers up some of the best skiing in Europe. Andy Mossack explores what lies beyond it’s hallowed slopes.

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Truffle Hunting in Uzès, South of France

26/01/2017 by .
Skate with leeks and truffle

If there’s one reason to visit the South of France in winter, when despite the brilliant sunshine, it’s freezing cold from the Camargue to the Cote d’Azur, it’s truffles.   Fittingly for an area associated with luxury travel, this – particularly the area surrounding the picturesque town of Uzès –  is one of the most prolific hunting grounds in the world for tuber melanosporum, as the black truffle of winter is known.

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Benard Magrez Luxury Wine Experience

02/12/2016 by .
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Classic French châteaux are by nature impressive beasts, but when you stay in one that was once the Bordeaux home of Pope Clement V in 1306, well that is another thing entirely. Such is the divine experience that accompanies a stay at Château Pape Clément with the Benard Magrez Luxury Wine Experience

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Calais five must-see places

14/10/2016 by .
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It’s easy to forget just how easy it is to get to Calais, whether by ferry, tunnel or train but most people just drive straight through on the way to somewhere else. That’s a shame because it makes a great weekend destination, perfect for stocking up on wine and other foods and enjoying excellent meals. Here are my Calais five must-see places to visit.

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Hiking Ecrins National Park

19/09/2016 by .
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I’d always wondered what life is like in those high altitude French Refuges, often no more than wooden shacks, nestling in the shade of the mountains. Even better, when I hear about a Tour Gourmand, or gourmet tour, hiking between them, I’m even more interested. So I pack my rucksack and set out to try hiking Ecrins National Park, about a 90 minute drive East of Grenoble.

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Walking the High Alps in France

07/09/2016 by .
Mont de Grange Summit with Hiker

I’m always looking for a challenging walk but find that many self-guided walks offered by the hiking companies are not tough enough for me. Since you always get thrown out of your hotel after breakfast, you need a good few hours walking if you’re not going to arrive at your hotel too early. My perfect walk keeps me occupied most of the day and finishes about an hour before dinner – just enough time to grab a beer, have a quick shower, and then settle down to dinner. One of the most demanding is walking the High Alps in France and I fly to Geneva with my partner to tackle it.

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Three days in Lyon

03/08/2016 by .
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The greatness of Lyon’s past is amply matched by its contemporary cultural dynamism and diversity. Sited at the meeting point of two great rivers, was always a guarantee of prominence, and today Lyon is France’s second city. Here is my travel guide to three days in Lyon

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Travel Guide to Rocamadour

03/08/2016 by .
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Travel guide to Rocamadour. Looking from a distance rather like a bad architectural pile-up in imminent danger of collapse, the lovely village of Rocamadour in the department of Lot rises high above the Alzou canyon, a tributary of the Dordogne river. 

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Travel Guide to Exploring Angers

01/08/2016 by .
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There is a buzzing exhilaration about exploring Angers, a bright modernity underpinned by a unique and fascinating heritage. This lively city of noteworthy architecture, rainbow-coloured trams and more than 150,000 souls is highly regarded as urban friendly, full of fun, lively with festivals and street theatre – such as the Anjou Festival, the second biggest outdoor theatre event in France – and, with more than 1,500 acres of parks and green spaces, worthy of its accolade as one of the greenest cities in France.

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