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France travel guide

Renowned the world over for its culture and its cuisine, France is also a land of spectacular and greatly diverse landscapes

In one day, you could drive from Brittany’s windswept coasts and medieval forests, past the verdant, flat pastures either side of the Loire, through the snow-flecked peaks of the Massif Central, the deep gorges of Languedoc-Rousillon and on to the sun-baked beaches of the Mediterranean.

France is also an ideal destination for green holidaymakers. Numerous ferries and a now even quicker Eurostar (just 2h 15m from London to Paris) connect Britain with France – great for those conscious of their carbon footprint. Once you're there is a wide range of eco-accommodation, from environmentally-friendly ski lodges to mountain retreats; a wide network of cycle paths and some 60,000km of long distance footpaths (sentiers de grande randonées) – making this a rambler’s paradise.

Wanderlust recommends

• Scale Europe’s highest sand dune at Arcachon, near Biarritz, on the Atlantic coast
• Kayak through the peaceful waters and limestone formations of the Ardèche
• Be enchanted by Brittany’s otherworldly megaliths – you’ll soon be sniffing a Stonehenge.
• Party like a Basque at the Fêtes de Bayonne (www.fetes-de-bayonne.com) where the whole town dons red and white and celebrates Basque culture
• Take on Corsica’s notoriously gruelling GR20 route or enjoy the island’s other, gentler, but equally beautiful treks
• Explore mountains dotted with crumbling Cathar castles in Languedoc Rousillon: Chateau de Peyreperteuse affords particularly breath-taking views and is little-visited (perhaps because its name is so difficult to remember)

• Wanderlust tips

  Those used to 24-hour-7-days-a-week convenience may be shocked to learn our French cousins still take time off. As a general rule, shops in rural areas tend to close between midday and 2pm. By law, shops are not allowed to open on Sundays (although some food stores have obtained exemptions, many shops flout the rules in busy cities and there have been moves in the French parliament to relax the laws). Many shops, restaurants and museums also close on Mondays - something to think about if your planning a long weekend.

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