France tours

Working out the best time to go to France is like choosing the best French wine. There are just so many good times out there, all appealing to an array of adventurous palettes. If you want peak perfume in Provence, June and July are a delight, but come August it can be too hot and crowded in many peak places. If you want to take on the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc or Corsica’s GR20, then they are available June to September. We have a cellar full of tips on the best time to go in the many areas where we have adventures in this blog. 

France has a diverse climate due to its size and geographical differences, and on each of our holiday pages we have more specific details in the ‘When to go’ section. In Northern France and areas such as Brittany and Normandy, expect wind, oceanic influences and milder summers, which can be a relief with the recent hotter temperatures of the south. In the west of France, you have the power of the Atlantic and also the Pyrenees in part, so unpredictable is the best way to describe it. Our Pyrenean holidays mostly run in summer months, so you avoid impassable snowy trails. Heading to the eastern Pyrenees over to Provence and the Côte d’Azur, temperatures can go over 30C in summer, but are balmy and mild throughout the rest of the year. The exquisite eastern regions of France, such as Burgundy, along the Rhône Valley or in Alsace have cold winters and warm summers and the coldest of all is in the French Alps, where our tours only take place in summer months, as many of the trails are inaccessible in winter. For more detailed information, see our blog, Best time to go to France.

Travelling by train to or within France is easy, as it boasts one of the most superb railway networks in Europe. As responsible travellers, you significantly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the train, and your holiday will get off to a much more relaxed start too. By booking in advance, you can also get some great deals on French railways. All of our tour pages have details on how to get there, and we have filtered the ones that are reachable by rail. For more information, see our blogs on Top French holidays by train and How to book cheap train tickets. 

France en famille is a fait accompli if you book one of our adventure holidays that are adaptable to a range of needs. Although we don’t have any family-specific tours in France, it’s worth checking out our easy/moderate level walking or easy/moderate cycling holidays, to see if they appeal to all family members. If you have older teens, for example, who have walking experience, you may want to explore more moderate level hiking or cycling holidays. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy.

Most definitely and we welcome solo travellers on many of our tours, such as cycling the Loire Valley Trail, hiking in Provence or walking in Normandy. If you want to take on some of the tougher long-distance trails, such as the GR20 in Corsica, then you need to join a guided trip for safety and logistical reasons. There are some longer adventures where we are happy to book for solo travellers, such Cycling the Complete Traverse in the Pyrenees, or walking the Camino le Puy. You can find all of our solo trips in France here, but please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. 

Yes it is, it’s good to g’eau. It’s strange how many people who would never normally buy bottled water at home feel a need to buy it when travelling. Even though some of the biggest brands in fancy bottles are French, the tap water (eau du robinet) is drinkable (eau potable). Be warned that at some French airports, many of them don’t have water fountains and you are sent to the toilets if you want tap water. Or have to buy overpriced plastic bottles, which is a bit behind the times. If you are hiking in mountain areas, and want to drink from streams, where there can be a risk of harmful runoff, we recommend investing in a filtered water bottle to ensure water is free of any toxins. 

France has excellent healthcare with no major health risks and it was also declared rabies-free in 2010. No vaccinations are required, but the WHO recommends routine vaccines such as tetanus for all travellers. Always make sure that you have suitable health insurance to suit your adventure travel and also note that the French have an excellent pharmacy system, which is almost like going to a doctor’s surgery. As with all international travels, it’s always worth getting up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers or similar foreign office advice in your home country. 

Of course, this depends on the region that you are visiting but as with most of our adventures, you may be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions may be unpredictable. For that reason, we have some detailed blogs on packing, which may be of help: What to pack for a cycling trip and What to pack for a hiking trip. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure, plenty of sunscreen and a phrase book. The French love it if you try to say a few words en français.

Overtourism is an issue in many parts of the world, and although we are all for people having adventures, we’re aware that some places just need to put the brakes on. Which is why we aim to take you off the beaten path, and also encourage travel outside of the peak seasons. In France, there’s a bit of a big exodus from the cities to the coast between the 14 July (Independence Day) and the end of August so, as well as well as international visitors, the hotspots on the Côte d’Azur, the Atlantic Coast and Brittany can be heaving with French holidaymakers too. Paris, however, is famously emptier during that time. France doesn’t suffer from the same amount of cruise ship tourism, however, which is a good thing compared with some other European countries in terms of overtourism. 

We have two snowshoeing holidays in France, both in Chamonix Valley and both taking place between December and April. This is when the powder is promising and ready to propel you forward on trails around Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, where you are based throughout. One of the holidays is self-guided and the other privately-guided by a local mountain expert. 

In addition, we have lots of options for winter sun holidays in France, where you can put enough Vitamin D into your energy banks to get you through the sleepy season. Our endorphin-inducing idylls include cycling in Provence, one that is a six day journey and the other a cheeky little five day break of pure bliss as well as many other walking holidays. And you know what they say – Provençe à pied keeps the doctor away.

We always endeavour to ensure that your accommodations are aware of any dietary needs when we book your trip. However, France is a foodie nation with strong traditions, so although your needs will be catered for in bigger towns and cities, it’s not always the case in more remote areas. But being gluten (sans gluten) or dairy free (sans produits laitiers) is certainly not unheard of in France and you won’t be looked at strangely for requesting something different off the menu. 

It’s the euro, or €, the same currency that’s used across most countries in the European Union. 

This is France so you can buy the finest wines, feast on haute cuisine or go crazy for couture. However, most adventurers in rural areas just want a good three course meal at the end of the day, and some great picnic food for their backpack. French boulangeries (bakeries) are always a great place to start, as they’re great value and packed with delicious pastries, breads and sandwiches. And you’ll always get good value out of a French market, so it’s worth timing your visit to coincide with at least one of these. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant outside of Paris costs between €10–€15 and a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant: €25–€40. Wine is cheaper than in the UK, for example, ranging from €4-6 for a glass, or between €8-20 for a carafe. As for Paris, it really has its own pricing system. Oh là là, is all we can say about that. 

While a service charge is often included in the bill (look for the words service compris), leaving an extra tip of between 5-10% is normal in restaurants. It isn’t expected in bars, but having some coins to round up the bill is very much part of the culture. 

Generally it’s excellent although it can still be problematic in some rural areas. The government strategy, Plan France Très Haut Débit, launched in 2013, aimed to have France fully plugged in with optical fibre by 2025. This has been slower than planned in some regions, but there is a plan at least. For more information on speeds and providers, see here. The most useful phrase you can have on your travels for this is, ‘C’est quoi le mot de passe du wi-fi , s’il vous plaît?’ (pronounced wee-fee).