Our occasional series of articles using local knowledge to help you get the best out of a visit to different parts of France - the Segala le segala logo The…
Saumur (49 Maine et Loire, Pays de Loire) Where to stay English/French family-owned Gite and B&B (Chambres d'Hote) - Le Bellevue on a vineyard run by Sarah-Jane Beaumont and her…
vinsobres logo The town and wine appellation of Vinsobres (26 Drome, Rhône-Alpes) celebrate the "Le Festival du Vinsobres - an evening celebration of their Côtes du Rhône wine and local provencal…
In August the pretty Brittany port of Roscoff (29 Finistère, Bretagne) celebrates the local speciality - the Pink Onion (oignon rose) and the locals who used to cross over to…
We have long been fans of the Domaine de Merchien. at Belfort du Quercy (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) (south of Cahors and north of Montauban) Sarah and David Meakin have been…
The town of Luchon (31 Haut-Garonne, Occitanie) (also known as Bagnères de Luchon) in the middle of the Pyrenees celebrates its annual Luchon Flower Festival (Fete des Fleurs) 25 -…
Most of us hit the autoroute as soon as landing (or de-training) in Calais (62 Pas-de-Calais, Hauts de France) and heading South (or East), the most frequent diversion being for…
The largest military castle in Europe is at Sedan (08 Ardennes, Champagne-Ardennes) on the strategically important eastern frontier of France - and it now includes a 53-room 3 star hotel…
Some reminders that August is the peak month for traffic on France's roads and autoroutes. The authorities in France have a colour-coded system to signify traffic density, and for traffic…
Amiens Cathedral I have in the past been somewhat dismissive of the city of Amiens (80 Somme, Hauts de France) largely because an enforced winter stay in the city when…
A Brittany Jazz Festival - There is a whole week of great jazz playing through the streeets and parks of the city of Vannes (56 Morbihan, Brittany) on Brittany's south…
Provence is often summarised in a picture of glorious lavender fields, which obviously come into full bloom from July onwards. The town of Valréas (84 Vaucluse, Provence PACA), also famous…
Cavaillon (84 Vaucluse, Provence PACA) is one of the major centres of Melon production in France - and on the weekend of 30 June - 1 July 2023 there is…
Fécamp The Saint Pierre des Marins Festival takes place on the first weekend of February 31 January - 3 February 2025 in Fécamp and features a street parade and boat…
From 1 July 2009 the French Government has lowered VAT (or TVA in France) on Restaurant meals from 19.6% to 5.5% in a bid to stimulate a sluggish market, which…
The gothic cathedral of St Etienne at Bourges (18 Cher, Centre -Val de Loire ) is one of the most impressive in France, surrounded by the medieval streets of the…
UNESCO has just announced that it has extended recognition of the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans to include the Great (although presumably not Royal) Saltworks of nearby Salins-les-Bains (25 Doubs, BFC)…
Holiday Autos.co.uk has launched a new Motorhome hire service which you can book in the UK the same way you would book car hire online. With a good selection of…
Although a rather small Languedoc village, Aniane has a world-wide reputation as the home of Mas de Daumas-Gassac where owner Aimé Guibert (who sadly died in 2016 aged 91) challenged…
The railway journey from Nimes(30 Gard, Occitani) to Clermont Ferrand (63 Puy de Dome, ARA) offers you a different perspective on the Massif Central than most of us experience using…