France Holidays

What are the best ways to discover France?

You have to start with Paris, l'épicentre of all things French. Until recently we thought twice about featuring a city so familiar to so many, but Paris might be the perfect victim of this era of social media-led information overload. So many boutique hotels to choose from, so many delicious bistros to sample, so many opinions on both. As a result, we are starting to work with a select few hotels that we think are best in show (or at least best in arrondisement) and we'd like to think our dossier of places to eat and drink in the city is so up to speed that a weekend in the City of Lights should be the perfect Big Short Break.

If you're looking to take your French foray further afield, there's some place called the Cote D'Azur that allegedly has some nice places to stay and rather attractive coastal scenery. You may have heard of it. The wider region of Provence, with its trademark lavender fields and honey-coloured stone villages, really does come close to God's own country. Despite what Yorkshiremen might have to say on the subject.

Over in the Alps, bon skiveurs will know all about the classic French ski resorts of the Trois Vallées, but Chamonix and Val d'Isère certainly give the holy trinity a red run for their money.

Heading west, the gastronomic heartland of France is not Paris, but the lovely city of Lyon with its ancient city centre, complete with mysterious traboules, secret passages dating back to the Middle Ages. Lyon is also the perfect place from which to strike out on your luxury holiday and explore the legendary wine regions of Burgundy and the Rhone Valley.

On the subject of wine, no lover of the grape could ever get bored with Bordeaux. The city itself is worth a look, built as it is on the profits of the sale of its most favourite export, but the wider wine region is just a very special place with the idyllic town of St Emilion a particular favourite.

Last but by no means least is a French island with Italian influences, which surely must rate as the most unbeatable of luxury holiday combinations. Corsica, the island in question, is an incredible holiday itself, but also makes a great combo with Paris or the Cote D'Azur.