Is France travel on your calendar this year? Travelers planning a trip to France should read France Guide Prestige. Published by the French Government Tourist Office, Maison de la France, the free 76-page magazine gives visitors ideas on what to see and do in France, where to stay during a France vacation and where to eat.
Hotels in France
The third edition of France Guide Prestige features French luxury hotels, like Chateau de Villette, near Paris, and Hotel de la Cite in Carcassonne.
Unique French lodgings include barges, which accommodate visitors as they travel along the waterways of France. A story in the France Guide magazine describes a trip along the Canal du Midi, in the Languedoc region, on the barge, Tango.
Culinary schools
French cooking and French wines are world renowned. Readers of France Guide learn about Michelin-star chefs, like Georges Blanc, and the famous La Pyramide restaurant in Vienne, near Lyon, which serves dishes made with foie gras and truffles.
Visitors, who want to enroll in French cooking schools, can read about the St. Germain des Pres cooking studio in Paris, Basque cooking classes with Chef Alain Briant in Biarritz, culinary lessons from Nathalie Valmary and International Cooking School Vacations.
Champagne tasting
For lovers of fine Champagne, France Guide tells readers about hot air ballooning with Air-Tonic, near Reims, followed by Champagne and cookies. Readers also learn about a tour from Paris to Champagne that includes tastings at several Champagne houses, including Pommery, Taittinger and Moet & Chandon.
The FranceGuide Prestige magazine tells readers about barge cruises in Burgundy, which make it easy for wine-lovers to sample Burgundy wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Cote-d'Or and Route des Grands Crus regions of France.
Connoisseurs of Cognac will want to book a trip on the Remy Martin train through Cognac. They'll tour the Remy Martin vineyards and cellars and sample eau de vie.
French arts
A large section of the Maison de La France guide features arts & culture in France. Readers learn about museums on the French Riviera, including the Musee Chagall, Musee Matisse and Musee Picasso. Fans of Vincent Van Gogh will want to stay at Auberge Ravoux, in Auvers-sur-Oise, where they can view the room where Van Gogh painted and even dine at the table where Van Gogh ate.
Music-lovers will enjoy the article on the Jazz à Juan festival in the Antibes Juan les Pins region of the French Riviera. If you want to improve your French, you can learn about the French language school, Coeur de France, in Sancerre, about two hours from Paris.
For active travelers, France Guide Prestige discusses horseback riding in France, national horse day and show jumping competitions in Deauville, Normandy.
Anyone who loves silk will want to visit Lyon, France. An article reviews silk museums, like the Musee des tissues de Lyon and L'Atelier et Musee de la soie.
Shopping in Paris
Shoppers will enjoy the fashion section of France Guide, with information about Paris department stores, including Printemps, Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marche. They'll also learn about Paris boutique stores, outlet shops and shopping tours, such as the haute couture fashion house experience.
Visitors looking for a French spa can read about the U-Spa Barriere, in Paris, The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche, near Nice, and Le Couvent des Minimes, near Luberon, in Provence.
French bars
After a day of shopping and sightseeing, visitors look for a place to party. France Guide describes the nightlife in Cannes. Readers learn about top bars, like Marinez, Carlton and Majestic, hot French Riviera dance spots, such as Le Palais, Le Baoli and 4U.
Another article gives you the scoop on the top nightclubs in Paris (Le Mathis), Strasbourg (Le Rafiot), Toulouse (Jetlag) and Lyon (First Tendency).
Where to get France Guide
You can find free copies of France Guide Prestige at Virtuoso travel agencies, Air France first-class lounges, L'Occitane en Provence stores in Canada, and at several Canadian restaurants.
In addition to the 10,000 copies of the Maison de la France Guide distributed in Canada, 40,000 copies are distributed in the USA.
