National Tourist Information France

Traveladvisor in France: Are you going on a vacation you can get lots of free and professional help, traveladvice and information from the National Tourism Organisation.

Discover the country and the cities getting the most out of your vacation with the professional help from the people who knows their country and their culture the best.

France Tourism Authority

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About France

Throughout history, France has always played a pivotal role in Europe. From Art to Politics to Architecture, it is a fascinating place. Here is some background information to consider before your trip.

The official name of the country is the French Republic. The French Republic covers an area of 220,668 square miles. This makes it the largest country in Western Europe, which is about 80 percent the size of Texas for comparison purposes. The capital of France is Paris. Other major cities of note include the port city of Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nice, Rennes, Lille and Bordeaux in the famous wine region of the same name. If you have ever watched the Tour de France, you know the terrain in France varies from majestic mountain peaks to flat plains to beautiful coast line along the southern and western borders of the country. This gives the country various climatic conditions ranging from very cool in the mountain areas to downright hot in the southern beach locations such as Nice.

Citizens of the French Republic are designated with the name French. The total population exceeds 62.4 million with a strong annual growth rate of over 2 percent. Ethnicity is broken down as Celtic and Latin for strong influences of Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese and Basque minorities. The strong minority base is due to two facts, a lax immigration policy and the migration of peoples from former colonies of France during its more imperial periods.

Despite the massive immigrant influx over time, France is a largely uniform religious society. Over 90 percent of all French claim the Roman Catholic faith as their religion of choice. Strong Muslim population sectors, however, exist and are growing rapidly through immigration. The official language of the country is French and it is also the dominant language used in daily life. The literacy rate for France is over 99 percent, which makes sense given the free, compulsory education system.

As this overview of France demonstrates, it has played a major role in European history. This makes it a great travel destination since much of the country has historical value, which you can experience by just walking down the street.

Five good reasons for visiting France

When it comes to tourist destinations, France is among the top countries in the world, a position it has enjoyed for years, stretching back really into centuries. The combination of arts, history, natural beauty, and climate make France one of the most interesting places in the world. Add to that the country’s reputation as a place for great romance (including the most romantic city in the world in Paris) and the security most developed countries of the Western world enjoy, and it is easy to see why tourists flock to the country every year. As you might guess, there is a lot to do throughout France, but here is a list of the five things that seem to be on every tourist’s agenda.

Cities

The big pull in terms of French tourism is the unique and ancient culture that can be found in the cities around the country. Paris is of course preeminent among the cities of France. As the capital, it is home to rich storehouses of information about France and the French people, from ancient to current times. All of the cities of France have a certain degree of romance about them, but it is Paris where lovers worldwide dream of going together. Paris has seen many important architectural designs commemorating great developments in the Western world, including the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Other cities around France that are popular with tourists include Nice, Orleans, and Avignon.

Museums

Paris is also home to one of the most important buildings in the art world in the Louvre museum. This museum is one of the largest centers of art display in the world, and houses pieces famous the world over such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The national Museum of Natural History is also located in Paris. For military history buffs, the museums of the army and navy include some of the most important pieces in the development of the western world, including the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Wine Tours

France, of course, is well known for its production of some of the world’s finest wines and champagnes. It should come as no surprise in this age where wine tasting and collecting has become a hugely popular hobby that the wineries and vineyards of France have experienced a growth in terms of popularity among tourists. Thus, the countryside has become as much of an integral part of France’s tourist economy as the cities have always been. There are vineyards located all over France, with some of the most popular located in the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.

Skiing

Skiing became a big draw for tourists in France when the government began to promote the activity in the French Alps in the 1960s. Since then, the skiing along one of the most famous mountain ranges in the worlds has extended so much that the country can boast some of the world’s longest ski trails.

The Riviera

The French Riviera stretches along the southern border of the country where it borders the Mediterranean Sea. The whole area is known for its luxurious beaches and its mild weather in both winter and summer. One of the most popular sites here includes Menton, which holds an annual festival celebrating the citrus fruits which grow in the area.