You don’t have to fly too far from Heathrow Airport to find yourself thousands of feet above a different country altogether. France is closer than many people realise, and with flights direct from Heathrow to a number of French airports, you can book the holiday of your dreams without any trouble at all.
Where is France?
France is in the western half of Europe, and shares its borders with several other countries including Germany and Spain. It is rather unique in that it can offer a wide range of different holidays, depending on what it is you want.
On one hand you have the seaside resorts such as Cannes, which hosts the film festival each year. And on the other there are plenty of mountainous regions to head off to if you fancy a spot of skiing. In fact, as you will see below, there is a lot more to France than meets the eye.
Why should you visit France?
Its proximity to the UK and indeed to Heathrow Airport offers you the chance to visit for just a couple of days if you wish. A long weekend in Paris is made perfectly possible by the fact that Heathrow offers direct flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. You can also reach Nice and Lyon direct from Heathrow.
But just because France is pretty close by, that doesn’t mean it isn’t suitable for longer holidays as well. If you like a taste of the countryside and getting away from it all, France can give it to you. If you want to find some challenging pistes to ski down, France has them. And if you love to stay by the sea and explore some wonderful beaches, France has those as well.
What main areas are there to stay in?
This is a good question – and there are many answers to it! For example there is the classic destination of Paris, for honeymooners and romantic couples everywhere. It is also perfect for those who have an interest in art, with the Louvre boasting the Mona Lisa among others.
You could also head to the south eastern part of France to experience the French Riviera and its many popular destinations. Nice is just one of these, which let’s not forget can be reached directly from Heathrow. And just along the coast you can find St Tropez and Antibes among others.
There are also dozens of ski resorts in the country, which makes France an ideal destination during the colder winter months, when the beaches aren’t quite as appealing. Chamonix, Meribel, Val d’Isere and Courchevel are among the most popular and well known ones, but there are many others that are equally worth a visit.
But for those wanting a quieter holiday with a little more relaxation, destinations such as Provence are ideal. It nestles in the south eastern corner of France, and while it does face the Mediterranean it is known and loved more for its rolling countryside and chateaus.
The Loire Valley is another such area worth visiting during your stay in France. Once again it is dotted with majestic and outstanding chateaus, but the countryside is in itself worth seeing. The surroundings are stunning.
What type of holidays is it good for?
Whatever you like doing on holiday, you can pretty much be guaranteed you can do it somewhere in France! It benefits from mountainous regions as well as stunning seaside resorts. And we’ve seen that the countryside delights are there in abundance as well.
Paris is undoubtedly the best among the cities on offer. But if you are heading across the Channel for a city break you can expect to discover a lot more about France than you may have thought.
Active holidays are easily available to those who love to ski or snowboard during the winter. But these aren’t the only sports on offer for those in the know – Le Mans and the Tour de France are also worth going over to France to see.
The history of the country can also be seen and explored regardless of whether you stick to the cities or venture out into the countryside. It’s really a huge cornucopia of delights just waiting to be discovered.
In conclusion
Many of us don’t think of France as a serious contender for a week or two away. But as you can see, in many ways it offers far more than many other countries do. And of course the airtime is much shorter as well. Once you have taken off from Heathrow Airport, you will be flying over France in a matter of minutes, well on the way to your weekend or longer holiday away.
So the next time you are thinking of escaping for a while, why not consider France? You might be surprised!