Mar 21
Pierre FontaineFrance camping, France, holiday, Nature, outdoors, spirituality, sports, travel, vacation, wildife
Camping in France, either in tents or with caravans, is a very famous activity both with French citizens and foreigners from bordering European countries. France owns thousands of camping grounds scattered all over the country that means wherever you happened to be in France you’ll never be too far away from a camping ground.
Even if there is not camping ground near at hand , many hostels in France let you to put up tents in the back garden. Many camping grounds in France are situated near rivers, lakes and even the ocean making for impressive surroundings.
However, camping grounds are scarcely near any sites of touristy or historic importance which means it’s certainly an advantage if you have your own vehicle to get to and from the camping site in France.
In France during winter nearly all the camping grounds are closed and some of them are kept open only during summer to lodge tourists who throng to France during summer thereby filling these camping sites to capacity.
Annual vacation is taken by the French families in summer thanks to the long school holidays in that period in France.
During summer you may not get accommodation in the camping sites if you reach them late in the day. Staff of course will do their best to put you there if you have walked from your earlier destination on foot.
The cost of stay in these camping grounds in France vary depending upon the facilities they offer. Rating between 2 and 4 stars is awarded to these sites. The price for putting up a tent is of course the same as that of using a caravan brought by the traveller.
However, caravans are charged in addition for using electricity. Many camping grounds in France have fixed price deals for up to three people, while children under the age of 12 are extremely discounted.
Unlicensed camping, called camping sauvage in French, is unlawful and could get you in trouble. However, many people still do it. Provided you only set up camp for one night, take down the tent in the day, don’t make much din and don’t light a camp fire, you’ll in all likelihood get away with illegal camping in France.
Train travel in France Is ogenerally cheap and comfortable. There are several places in France you can get to by train if you are interested in Campsites in France.
Mar 14
Max BrownFrance France, provence, provence travel, provence travel guide, Travel Guide
Bordering Italy, Provence is the the southeast of France — on the Meditteranean. It sets itself apart by the unique culture, incredible history, amazing topography and, of course, the local specialities in terms of food and wine. These areas combine to make Provence one of France’s most popular tourist destinations.
There are many historic Provence attractions. Paleolithic sites near Nice date from 900 000 B.C., others between 600 000 and 19 000 B.C. There are caves decorated with drawings of bison, penguins and horses. Provence was colonised by Greeks, Phocaeans, Celts, Gauls and Romans. The Holy Roman Empire dominated until the 13th century with a legacy of exquisite abbeys. This input from a variety of cultures has imparted a rich mix of ancient buildings and art.
The 17th century farming and industry (tanning, pottery and ship building) led to late 18th and 19th century prosperity, when Marseilles and Toulon gained grand opera houses and boulevards. The Cannes Film was launched in September 1939, only to be cancelled after the opening night due to the outbreak of the Second World Ward. The Film Festival resumed in 1947 and is now important date on the calendar for the global film industry. The Avignon Theatre Festival was created in 1946, offering performances in venues as diverse as palace courtyards and in the street.
The painters of Provence make for an impressive role call: Paul Czanne, Vincent van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard and Claude Monet all hail from here. A highlight of a Provence trip would certainly be the wooden ceiling of Frejus Cathedral, with amazing paintings including a demon with the tail of a snake and images depicting scenes from the Bible.
Food and drink are also great Provence attractions. Seafood (rouget or loup fish is grilled over grapevine charcoal. Bouillabaisse is a tasty fish soup. Escabeche are marinated sardines poached or fried. When accompanied with some local ros wines from Bandol and Cassis grapes or a traditional anise liqueur Pastis, you’ll be in French gourmet heaven.
For more information on travel in Provence visit Top Travel Content Europe, bringing you the best in Europe travel information.
Mar 09
Pierre FontaineUncategorized culture, family, France, health, home, pets, skiing, sports, travel
France has some of the largest and finest ski resorts in Europe and sometimes the world. Among France’s skiing claims to fame is the fact that the world’s biggest skiing area is in France; Les Portes Du Soleil located in Morzine-Avoriaz north west of Chamonix.
Bourge Saint Maurice is a ski resort which offers skiing thrills to the skiing enthusiasts since it is constructed to be the country’s longest vertical ski drop and it measures 2500 meters in length.
The highest ski resort in Europe is also in France and it is the world-renowned Val Thorans that stands 2300 meters above the level of the sea and situated in the west Maryville. The 16 km long Alpe d’Heuz is the longest skiing trail in France.
The most popular and the most expensive ski resorts of France can be seen in the French Alps. The Three Valleys of Meribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens are most preferred skiing trails in the French Alps and these resorts are provided with good facilities.
Enthusiasts who relish cross country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding will choose ski resorts in the high altitudes. There are snowboarding instructors and snowboarding ramps too available there.
Les Arcs and Alpe d’Huez have ski resorts which are a bit low-priced and often less crowded than those in French Alps. A lot powdery snow, a marvellous off piste skiing and long ski trails are the characteristics of these ski resorts. In short they make a memorable place for a skiing holiday in France.
While most of the French ski resorts close down in the summer months, some resorts situated next to glaciers remain open as skiing on these glaciers in France can be done all year round. France is home to Europe’s largest glacier upon which skiing can be done.
This glacier, complete with nearby ski resorts, is 200 hectares in surface area and located in Les Deux Alpes which is in the Ecrines National Park.
Smaller alternatives to ski resorts in the French Alps can be found in the Pyrenees Mountains as well as the Massif Central. These ski resorts are probably better suited to starters and intermediate skiers who won’t be frightened by the crowded runs at ski resorts in the French Alps.
French skiing resorts are a wonderful place to spend a winter vacation. If you are visiting France in the summer you might be interested in learning more about Camping in France.
Mar 08
Pierre FontaineUncategorized entertainment, family, France, health, hobbies, home, kids, science, trains, Transport, travel
France’s TGV, that represents train a grande viteese or high speed train in English, is world famous for its speed and convenience. The TGV runs on five main tracks in France.
The TVG south east track connects Paris with the south east of France including the major regional towns of Lyon, Dijon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice and Perpignon. This TGV train service also passes through the French Alps and pulls in at Geneva in Switzerland.
Paris and the west coast are connected by the TGV Atlantic line. Nantes, La Rochelle, Toulouse the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and the French Basque are the stops allotted for this TGV train line.
Paris and two other principal cities of northern France namely Lille and Calais are joined together by the TGV northern line.
Eurostar, probably the most famous train line, runs between Paris and London via the Channel Tunnel, stopping at Lille, Calias and Ashford in Kent along the way.
The high speed TGV Thalys links main European cities like Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne thus making it easy to travel to important cities in Europe from France.
There has been a major improvement in the high speed train journey in France in the last few years. It is no longer necessary to travel via Paris when you travel between provinces in France thanks to the TGV train service that runs directly between Lyons and Nantes now. The same is the case with Bordeaux and Lilles and many other provincial cities.
515 km p/h is the record speed for the TGV at present. The TGV usually runs at a speed of 280-300km p/h while in service.
Securing a train ticket in France is a complicated affair as it involves so many special offers for the European and the non-European nationals. For a non-European national a pass known as Eurailpass is provided that allows one to travel for over a 2-week period but this pass costs more in France than in other countries where it can be bought 30% cheaper.
The France TGV train is a source of pride to French railway engineers. If you want to know more on train travel in France please click on the links.
Mar 07
Pierre FontaineUncategorized cooking, culture, diet, family, food, France, health, travel
Provence which is situated in the south of France boasts to offer some of the delicious regional French food in France. This place revels in a warm Mediterranean type of climate with sufficient sunlight that is conducive to agriculture, the main element of Provence.
The food items of Provence are prepared mainly with the addition of garlic, tomatoes and olive oil in excess. A French menu reading ‘a la provenciale’ suggests that the item has included garlic and seasoned tomato extracts.
Aubergine, courgettes and onions as well as squash are the vegetables used in the food preparations of Provence. These vegetables are found in abundance in Provence.
Ratatouille is certainly one of the most flavoursome food items from Provence. It is a stew comprising of tomatoes, green herbs, green peppers, eggplant and garlic.
Local sauce called ‘aioli’ is provided to supplement the food of Provence. It is a mixture of mayonnaise and fresh garlic squash and is well placed on vegetables such as asparagus accompanied by eggs and cod fish too. We find the Provencians eating vegetables by sinking them in anchovy paste too.
Bouillabaisse is another usually eaten food in Provence. This soup, which is prepared using three different types of fish, is cooked in a broth of onions, tomatoes, saffron, and spices such as bay leaf, sage and thyme.
Bouillabaisse is relished as the main food item although it is a soup in Provence. It is mostly served with toast and spicy sauce known as rouile. Marseille sells the best bouillabaisse in Provence.
Another favourite food of Provence which is served as a starter is soupe au pistou. This food includes vegetables, noodles, beans and basel.
Although not known as manufacturer of the dairy products like the regional French food of Normandy, Provence does effectively produce high quality goat-cheese. The popular food in winter is the beef stew accompanied with cold pate in Provence.
The Food of Provence is a wonderful culinary treat to experience! If you are thinking about visiting Provence, be sure to read our tips on Driving in France.
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