In France, there is everything! Said boldly, but fairly .Judge for yourself: in Paris, you can go crazy for coffee with croissants, go to architectural exhibitions and museums to look impressionists - or just sit on a bench on the most artistic street in France Montmartre, looking at passers-by $ ±.In Nice - sunbath next door to the "stars", win at Monte Carlo and lower everything in one of the best restaurants in France in Cannes - $ .In Corsica, France offers to try the amazing cheese, sun and local color, in the centers of thalassotherapy of Brittany or Aquitaine - to get healthier, and in the Loire castles - to play prince or princess .And, finally, simply obligatory France obliges to drink fine wine in the expanses of Burgundy and Bordeaux .

Skiing in France - a large and diverse ski areas, new equipment and good heights .Therefore, it is worth mentioning that most of the resorts are focused on skiing, and not entertainment, although only the views of the mountain landscapes of Savoy fascinate even accustomed to all the French .In the ski season, France becomes a place of real pilgrimage to many well-known and not so popular stations .Even the famous Courchevel is first and foremost an excellent skiing region, and only in the second place - the place of gathering "cream of the society" .Plus, France can boast of a proud title "alma mater" for the considerable number of tourists who come here every year to train the procons and to delve into the subtleties of the "sub-entity" .

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France. Individual tours

Early booking - discounts up to 50%. Calculation of the on-line tour.
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Regions of France - $

The capital (and part-time superpowerful magnet for crowds of tourists) is Paris (Paris). And, as Frank Sinatra said: "I love Paris in the spring, I love Paris in the autumn ... I love Paris every moment of the year, because here is my love" ... $ $

• Ile de France
  • the capital of Paris, castles of Versailles, Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte
• Rhône Alpes
  • the capital of Lyon, the medical resorts of Aix-les-Bains and Evian, interesting in the tour plan of the city of Chambery and Grenoble, the Espace Killy ski area (Val d'Isere and Tignes), the ski area "Three Valleys" (Courchevel, Meribel- La Tania, Val Thorens, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Aurelle), the Port du Soleil (Morzine, Avoria, Le Gets, Abondance) ski area, the Paradiski ski area (Les Arcs, Plagne), the resorts of Chamonix, Megeve and other
• Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
  • the capital of Marseille, the ski resorts of Isola 2000, Risoul Vars, Serre Chevalier, Montgenevre, the beach resorts of Côte d'Azur (Cannes, Nice, Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, Saint-Tropez, Menton and the state of Monaco)
• Aquitaine
  • the capital of Bordeaux, the beach resort of Biarritz
• Languedoc-Roussillon
  • the capital of Montpellier and the city of Carcassonne
• Brittany
  • the capital of Ren, the beach resorts of Saint Malo, Dinard, Kibron, La Baule
• Island of Corsica
  • the capital of Ajaccio, the popular resorts of Calvi, Bonifacio, Bastia
• The Loire country
  • the capital of Nantes and the ancient city of Angers
• Upper Normandy, which includes the historical region of Normandy
  • the capital of Rouen, Le Havre, the beach resorts of Deauville, Trouville, Honfleur
• Burgundy is
  • the capital of Dijon is
• Auvergne
  • the capital of Clermont-Ferrand, Vichy thermal resort
• Center
  • the capital of Orleans and the city of Chartres Cathedral, the castles of Chenonceau, Blois, Chambord and Amboise
• South - Pyrenees
  • capital of Toulouse
• Alsace
  • the capital of Strasbourg
• Nord-Pas-de-Calais
  • the capital of Lille
• Poitou-Charentes
  • the capital of Poitiers, the resort of La Rochelle

For a complete list of regions, cities and resorts of the country, search on the city page and the resorts of France.

How to get to France?

Aeroflot and Air France make daily regular flights from Sheremetyevo-2 to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, the flight time is about 3 hours and 50 minutes. From St. Petersburg to Paris, the airline "Russia" flies (departure from Pulkovo) and the same Air France.

In addition, dozens of foreign airlines fly to Paris, including KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, etc., with connecting flights through the official country of the carrier.

Ski resorts are reached via Lyon, Grenoble, Chambéry or Geneva. There are regular direct flights of Aeroflot and Swissair to Geneva, a charter chain for the whole season to Lyon, Grenoble or Chambery. Plus additional flights during the New Year holidays.

From June to September, charters fly from Moscow to Genoa (Italy). Transfer from Genoa to Nice takes 2, 5-3 hours.

Road from the CIS countries

"Ukraine's international airlines" and Air France carry out daily direct flights Kiev-Paris-Kiev (travel time ~ 3 hours 20 minutes).

Flights from KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and Turkish Airlines fly daily from Almaty to Paris (the journey time is 9 hours, taking into account the connections).

Belavia Airlines operates three times a week on the route Minsk-Paris.

French visa

France is a member of the Schengen countries. To travel to the country, Russian and CIS citizens need a visa to France.

Customs

Import and export of currency is not limited. When entering from the territory of non-EU countries, amounts exceeding 10 000 EUR are subject to mandatory declaration. Allowed duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, a liter of strong alcohol, two liters of drinks with a strength of less than 22 °, two liters of wine, 50 grams of perfume, 250 grams of toilet water, 500 grams of coffee and 100 grams of tea.

It is prohibited to import and export drugs, items of historical value, weapons and ammunition, as well as animals and plants listed in the endangered species. When transporting animals, you need a certificate of vaccination, as well as a medical certificate in French, issued not earlier than five days before departure.

• Are there any restrictions on the export of wine from France?
• Are there any restrictions on the import of cosmetics, medicines and lenses to France?
• Is it necessary to notify the customs services of France about the transport of drugs for a diabetic patient? $

Useful phone numbers are

Embassy of France in Moscow: Kazansky per., 10, tel .: (495) 937-15-87; website

The Russian Embassy in Paris: 40-50, Bd Lannes; tel .: (1) 450-405-50, 450-405-30; website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Strasbourg: 6, place Sébastien Brant; tel .: (3) 883-673-15, 883-697-85; website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Marseille: 3, av. Ambroisé Pare; tel .: (4) 917-715-25, 917-626-79; website

Round-the-clock taxi call: 014-917-01-01

Ambulance: 15, police: 17, firefighters: 18

Telephone codes of some cities: Paris - 1; Nice, Cannes, Lyon and Grenoble - 4.

• Which mobile operator is better to choose in France?

Transport France

The most popular and convenient form of intercity transport is the train. Long distances make sense to cover on high-speed trains TGV - tickets are not cheap, but the benefit in time and comfort on the trip is obvious. Other trains are commuter trains TER, interregional Intercite and night Lunea. Tickets are recommended to book in advance, especially for TGV in high season.

Air traffic is developed in the country "for five": airports are in the vast majority of large and medium-sized cities. A nice bonus - the availability of low-cost, which allows you to save a lot.

Almost the only mode of transport in the ski resorts of France - it's a ski-bass, with a local ski pass to them free. In addition, in some places there is a possibility to travel by horse-drawn carriage with a horse-drawn carriage: sleigh and sled.

City transport in most cities of France - it's buses, sometimes trams and suburban trains. Plus, of course, taxis, which have two tariffs: the tariff "A" (0, 61 EUR per km) is valid from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 19:00, and the tariff "B" (3 EUR per km) is valid on weekends and holidays, as well as at night. Landing - only in a special parking lot (or ordering a taxi by phone). Boarding in a taxi costs 2, 5 EUR, each piece of luggage - 1 EUR. The minimum fare is 6, 10 EUR. You can try to vote, but there are not enough free machines.

Auto Rental - $ 0

To rent a car, you will need international rights, a credit card (or, in some cases, a cash deposit). International rental offices also require that the driver's age is not less than 25 years, and driving experience is from a year.

Movement in the country is right-handed, safety belts are mandatory, it is forbidden to talk on the mobile while driving. The ride "under the fly" will result in a solid fine.

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Safety of tourists

Especially ladies and especially in Paris should look after their handbags and mobile phones: there are often traders pickpockets and thieves on motorcycles, as in Rome.

• What smoking rules apply in France?

The climate of France is

Moderate sea, in the east transitional to continental, on the Mediterranean subtropical. Summer is quite hot (in July-August, +20 .. + 25 ° C). The most suitable time for visiting Paris is May and September-October, and the French Riviera is June and September.

In Corsica, a long and hot summer: from May to October +21 .. + 27 ° C, on the mountain slopes the snow lies until June. The best months for a holiday in Corsica are May-June and September-October.

The first snow in the French Alps falls in late November and lasts until mid-May. Due to mild climate even in winter, in valleys at an altitude of about 1500 m, the temperature does not drop below -10 ° C. The best time for skiing starts from the middle of February, when stable sunny weather sets in. The height of the snow cover varies from 0, 7 to 4 meters, depending on the altitude of the terrain. See also the weather forecast for popular resorts and large cities in France for the coming days.

France hotels - $

Until recently, among the French hotels there were no institutions of the category 5 *, the maximum was 4 * luxe. In 2009, local authorities corrected this annoying omission by introducing the official top category of "five stars" in the country. Currently (early 2010) institutions of this level - less than 30 for the whole country. All of them are contradictory, each has its own history, in which world celebrities inevitably appear.

At the ski resorts of France, not too many hotels, most of the accommodation facilities are three-, four-story chalets. Apartments are classified by the usual "stars" from two to four, as well as semi-official "suns" (Pier Vacance) and "birds" (Mayera). By the way, French hotels sometimes deliberately underestimate their own "starry" - save on taxes.

On the existence of hotels of level 1 * is better to forget at once (and it's better to not think about "dvushki" too long), "three-stars" are distinguished by a wide range of prices and quality. The best of them can be equated to the European "quartet."

• What is the highest category of hotels in France?

Banks and exchange points

Banks work from 10:00 to 17:00, exchange offices - from 9:00 to 18:00. In tourist centers there are exchange offices that operate until midnight, in other places around the clock "exchangers" very little. The most profitable exchange rate is in Bank de France and exchange offices with a "No commission" sign.

Kiosks at airports, hotels and train stations do not give the most favorable rate, plus the percentage for the operation is taken.

Shopping and shops in France

Shops are open every day, except Sunday, from 10:00 to 19:00. At the ski resorts - from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, on weekends they work only in the "high" season.

In Paris, the boutiques of the famous fashion houses are on the avenue of Montaigne and on the street of Faubourg-Saint-Honore. The most popular places for shopping are the famous "Galeries Lafayette" and "Prentan" (they are next to the Opera Square).

From France, wine, cheeses, high fashion items, fragrances and cosmetics, antique baubles and all kinds of charms, figurines and other souvenirs with the image of the famous tower that once provoked such disgust at Guy de Maupassant are usually brought from France.

• Is there a factory in France for the production of perfume

Kitchen and restaurants

French cuisine with its ability to exquisitely combine incongruous and discerning gastronomic "material" in the most inappropriate products for this (we are about frog legs) definitely deserves close attention .Each region of the country contributed to the overall culinary "piggy bank" the feasible contribution: the area of ​​the Rhône-Alpes, for example, is famous for casserole from thin slices of potato "gratin dofinois", and in the central Alps as nowhere prepare fondue .Restore the strength after a stressful day of skiing will help the plate "buyabesa" - the Marseilles "multi-soup" soup, perfectly sucked in the snowy north .

Catering establishments in France have a great variety: brasseries and bistros, crepes (pancakes) and cafeterias of all stripes. Restaurant - traditionally the place of "haute cuisine" and thoughtful meal - with the corresponding figures in the menu.

Lunch time in restaurants - from 12:00 to 15:00, dinner - from 19:00 to 23:00. The rest of the time, they usually offer cold snacks. Cafes and bars are usually indicated by two prices: "au comptoir" (at the counter) and "a salle" (at the table). The first, of course, is always lower.

• Is there a Russian-speaking menu in restaurants and cafes in France? $

Breton mussels

Wines of France

High cuisine in Rouen

Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions of France

The most interesting places in Paris are: the Louvre, the D'Orsay Museum, the Pompidou Center, the Rodin Museum, the Picasso Museum. Also worth a stroll along the island of Cité, see the Notre-Dame Cathedral, visit the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, Marais Quarter, the Champs Elysees, the Fragonard Fragrance Museum, the Greven Wax Museum, the Invalides' House, ride on the Seine, climb the Montparnasse tower and admire an unusual view of the Eiffel Tower. Lovers of modern architecture will be able to visit the quarter of La Défense.

On the most interesting museum collections of the country read on the page of the museums of France.

"Must see" all over France: Versailles, Fontainebleau, the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, the castles of the Loire, Chartres, Normandy, Rouen, the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte.

For children in France, many amusement parks: Disneyland, Asterix, Futuroscope, France in Miniature. For adults - cabaret "Moulin Rouge", "Lido", "Crazy Horse".

• Is there an excursion to the French Fort Boyard
• How best to plan a trip with a visit to the cities of Portugal, Spain and France.
• When and where the lavender fields in France bloom
• What to see in the north of France?
• Which national parks in France are worth visiting?
• Which museums best study painting in France?
• Which cathedrals of France are the most beautiful

Mountain-skiing France

Tourist baits of Alpine skiing are obvious: diverse and invariably well-groomed skiing areas, impressive heights and excellent service .The idea of ​​the French Alps that has grown in the minds of the broad masses of the mountaineering public as a "glamor-zone" of endless parties where expensive champagne flows like a river (and cocaine must be thought to be poured by barkhans) is absolutely untrue .We do not argue, the notorious parties with models take place, but the overwhelming majority of local resorts are focused on skating, not on entertainment..This is the true French bonton: to put at the heart of the truly valuable, leaving for the "golden hull" only a modest corner .The same Courchevel is first and foremost an excellent skiing region, and only then the gathering place of the "cream of the society" is .

Of course, these pleasures are very expensive - but there are enough people who want to join. Therefore, mainly experienced and well-off skiers, often with families and children, go to the country. However, the current trend is that from season to season, Russian tourists are discovering more and more economical options in France.

Briefly, France should be chosen as a place for ski holidays because:

• here more than 100 ski resorts
• most of the skiing areas are connected by a single system of ski lifts, which means that resting in one place, you can "roll back" the slopes for another two or three (all depends only on your strength and restlessness)
• A durable snow cover stands throughout the season
• modern equipment: lifts, snow cannons
• trails for any level of riding
• diverse accommodation: from economy class residences to chalets and deluxe hotels
• an abundance of sightseeing programs and active entertainment, as well as a rich apres-ski

• How much does it cost to rent snowboard equipment in the ski resorts of France?

Photos of France (1960)