France climate
With the exception of the mountain regions, France has Alsace and Lorraine has a temperate climate with mild winters. According to bridgat, the north-west often has a high level of humidity, here it often rains with strong westerly winds. The Mediterranean south has hot summers and mild winters.
Best travel time for France
France can be visited at any time, many France lovers travel but preferably in the spring in the country. In the warm south, bathers come mainly in summer (between June and early September) while winter sports enthusiasts visit the snow-covered mountains in winter (between mid-December and late March).Festivals and culinary specialties can be found practically all year round in France.
During the school holidays (especially Christmas and New Year, mid-February to mid-March, Easter, July and August), millions of French families travel to the coasts, the mountains and other tourist regions. At these times the streets are congested, the prices of accommodation are high and the beaches and ski slopes are densely populated. Many shops close in August (annual holiday).
France – how to get there
Airplane: many large international airlines fly to and from Paris. European airlines with this goal are for example Air France(AF), Aer Lingus (EI), Alitalia (AZ), Austrian Airlines (OS), BMI British Midland (BD), Iberia (IB), KLM (KL), Lufthansa (LH) and Olympic Airlines (OA).
Airports: France has two major international airports Airports in Paris – the R oissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY). Both are operated by Aéroports de Paris. There are also a number of other airports that are served by international flights. These include the airports in Bordeaux (BOD), Lille (LIL), Lyon (LYS), Marseille (MRS), Nantes (NTE), Nice (NCE), Strasbourg (SXB) and Toulouse (TLS).
Ship: there are numerous ferry connections to and from France. The Hugo Express connects the coastal cities of Granville and Carteret in Normandy with its catamarans from April to September Channel Islands. Irish Ferries offers trips from Rosslare in Ireland to Cherbourg in Normandy several times a week. Brittany Ferries operate once a week from Cork to Roscoff in Brittany from April to October. There are a number of ferry routes
between the UK and France. For example, from March to November Brittany Ferries operates from Plymouth to Roscoff and also from Plymouth to St. Malo. There are also connections between Pool and Cherbourg and between Portsmouth and Caen. Condor Ferries offers trips between Weymouth and St Malo from April to September. Brittany and Condor Ferries also have the Portsmouth-Cherbourg route on their schedule from spring to autumn. SeaFrance shuttles passengers back and forth between Dover and Calais.
From April to October the French Société Nationale Maritime Corse-Méditerranée (SNCM) offers trips from Marseille or Toulon to Porto Torres on the Italian island of Sardinia. SNCM and Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation (CTN) ferries connect Marseille with the Tunisian capital Tunis several times a week. SNCM also offers trips between Marseille and the Algerian Algiers. The Moroccan companies Comanav and Comarit connect Sète (26 kilometers southwest of Montpellier) and the Moroccan port city of Tangier with each other on a weekly basis.
Rail: France is connected to almost every European country by rail. The French rail network is primarily operated by the SNFC, the French state railway. The French Thalys high-speed trains run from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne several times a day. In addition, many European railway companies offer train connections to France. For example, there are regular connections between to and from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. The Eurostar high-speed train connects Avignon, Paris and London directly with each other.
Car: traveling to France by car is straightforward. Some border crossings may require you to present an ID or passport.
Via the Eurotunnel shuttle trains Drivers can easily travel back and forth between Great Britain and France with their vehicles. The tunnel connects Folkstone and Coquelles, five kilometers southwest of Calais. The prices vary depending on the size of the vehicle.
Bus: traveling to France by bus takes longer and is less comfortable than traveling by train, but bus journeys are usually cheaper. This is especially true for travelers under the age of 26 or over 60, for teachers and students, who are often offered special rates.
The London-based bus company Busabout starts from Great Britain from May to October tours to 11 European countries and 36 different cities. Stations in France are Bordeaux, Tours, Paris, Avignon and Nice. Travelers can either travel to a specified number of stations with a Flexi Pass or, with the Busabout Pass, unlimited use of the buses within a route within the six months of operation.
The French bus company Intercars connects France with cities across Europe, particularly with destinations in Eastern Europe and Russia. For example, there are tours from Paris to Prague or Warsaw, from Lyon to Naples, Porto, Minsk or Zagreb and from Nice to San Sebastian, Casablanca and Venice.
