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In France you can:

Spend quality time together:
Romance isn’t all about buying gifts and planning fancy evenings – often the most romantic thing you can do is simply be together. France has over 5500km of beautiful coastline (for example Calais’ ‘Côte d’Opale’, Normandy’s ‘Côte Fleurie’ or Brittany’s ‘Côte de Granit Rose’), that offer the most beautiful walks in any season. If you’d prefer to stay inland, France also boasts some amazing gardens that manage to turn the very landscape into breath-taking works of art (see the Château de Chenonceau by the River Cher, the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, or Claude Monet’s House and Garden in Giverny), so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Take part in some unusual events together:
If going for walks isn’t your style, then consider the myriad of romantic events that France offers throughout the year; in winter Paris hosts an ice-rink outside the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and a Poet’s Festival in Spring; for Valentine’s Day a small town named Roquemaure in the Gard region holds a free Lover’s Festival; and during July and August the gothic abbey at Mont St Michel holds a night-time tour.

Eat together:
Everyone enjoys romantic meals; and France is as famous for its love of good food and wine as it is for its love of romance. Even in Paris the restaurants cater for all tastes and all budgets; during the day you can visit one of the many cafes which nestle comfortably amongst the impressive architecture and after dinner you can share one of the decadent desserts with a glass of local wine.

Marvel at the sights together:
The Eiffel Tower at night is really all that needs to be said for this section; but just in case you remain unconvinced, check out the marvellous engineering accomplishment that is the Canal du Midi in Toulouse, or the fascinating Promenade des Anglais in Nice, or the imposing The Château de Versailles in Versailles. You won’t regret it.

Travel there incredibly easily:
If you’ve got good sea legs then all you need to do is make your way to one of the ports in south England and you can shop whilst you cross the channel on a ferry; the journey is not a long one and you’ll be watching the coast of France appear almost before you’ve gone in from waving goodbye to the cliffs of England. If you’d rather not brave the waves then simply board the Eurostar from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International and sit comfortably until you arrive in Paris barely two hours after – it’s even less travelling time if your destination is Lille or Paris, and the TGV will take you anywhere you need to go from there. You could even fly cheaply from airports across the UK, so there really is no excuse not to book a romantic holiday today – the food, wine, festivals, art and architecture are only one the other side of the Channel!

Written by Amanda Richardson of French Connections, the website for holiday accommodation in France including self catering, hotels, gites and bed and breakfast, plus useful information and discounted travel to France. Find out more about romantic holiday ideas in France by visiting www.frenchconnections.co.uk//en/guide/theme/150606-romantic-holidays-in-france

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Visiting castles in France can be exciting - with all the stories of ferocious battles and knights in shining armor. Some of the castles are even known to have a resident ghost.France has thousands of castles (around 1,000 in the southwest alone). A few of them have been used as stage sets for movies, such as Jeanne d Arc and Chocolat.

The castles in the Loire Valley are world-famous and a real tourist magnet; the Chateau de Chenonceau looks like it came straight out of a fairytale book, with its serene location on the river Cher.

So why are there so many castles in France? Castles served primarily as the residence of a nobleman who defended certain territories. They were places especially designed to protect the nobleman and citizens from any invading army, which is the reason why castles have drawbridges and battlements. Each castle was a fortress where the nobleman could control the surrounding territory.

One of the most spectacular castles in France would probably be the Chateau de Versailles. This castle was once just a village 10 miles from Paris, but today it is a suburb of the capital city. It has always been the center of power for the absolute monarchies. Noblemen from all the surrounding territories were required by Louis XIV to spend some of their time every year at Versailles, so that he could prevent regional power from developing.

Other french castles are perched defiantly on clifftops, dominating the countryside for miles around, such as Castlenaud and Beynac in the Dordogne region. East of Beynac is the french Chateau de Montfort. This castle has seen many wars throughout the past, burned down and rebuilt many times.

Gordes, in Provence, is also a highlight and popular tourist destination. The village homes are made of stone, in colours of honey and terracotta, with its medieval castle perched at the top. The relaxed and laid back atmosphere which prevails around the village, makes it easy to forget that Gordes has had a tumultuous history, having been besieged during the Wars of Religion.

Famous french castles are not the only things you’ll see. There are many villages that were built on hillsides, as fortresses during a battle, and have remained today. All of them with amazingly gorgeous surroundings - a standout being the Lot Valley, which covers 4 districts: Midi-Pyrenees, Acquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Auvergne.

Najac, for example, is a village that was built on a ridge - one reason for this was that it was much harder to fight when a soldier had to run uphill, and it was easier for the defending people to fight looking down on the enemy. The village still has the fortress and medieval style homes.

Penne is a beautiful picturesque village that is a must-see, built on the side of a lush green hill. The battlements are located at the top, with the beautiful medieval houses tumbling down below the battlements; the 12th century church makes you feel like you are stepping into the past.

This article was  written by Sarah Role

About the Author

Sarah Roles loves travelling and writing about France. She has published a website, www.france-travel-secrets.com which provides planning resources and travel tips for holiday makers.

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Gastronomy is taken very seriously in France and with the rich history for fine French cuisine, Paris is a city where you will find some of the Worlds finest chefs serving remarkable cuisine and you will find thousands of cafes and restaurants in Paris alone, ranging from the small bistro such as the Allard Bistro through to exceedingly plush restaurants.

Even at a small traditional restaurant like the Boeuf sur le Toit or at a fancy restaurant setting such as the Train Bleu, the quality of food is of the utmost of importance, but many places have to be booked prior and some require reservations weeks or even months in advance, like the Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower!

When it comes to the type of cuisine, you have choices from all over the world such as the Blue Elephant which serves Thai dishes in beautiful surroundings, Brazilian food at the Brasil Tropical Cabaret and restaurant, Le Curieux Spaghetti Bar for true Italian delights, or the Tokyo Eat restaurant serving adventurous fusion cuisine.

There is so much variety to tempt your taste buds, yet obviously, it is the French food that really stands out in so many restaurants in Paris and some are in unusual surroundings like L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, 1970’s style Korova, the family restaurant Apollo or Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower and they vary in cost from only a few Euros to hundreds per person.

But if you want to splash out for that special occasion, the finest way of dining in Paris is with Haute cuisine, which is elaborate food preparation and presentation, and just some of the Michelin star rated Haute cuisine restaurants include the Le Grande Cascade close to the Longchamps horse racing, Guy Savoy, Taillevent, Le Grand Vefour and La Tour d’Argent, where you could be paying upwards of 250 Euros per person, but even the most expensive restaurants are cheaper for lunch than in the evening.

Now forgetting Haute cuisine, you will find most restaurants in Paris serving French cuisine have a Menu du Jour or a set menu of the day and this normally means the most reasonably priced meals, which change frequently depending upon what fresh produce is available.

Also, if you want to eat breakfast out it is likely to be at a Patisserie or Tea Salon where you can get croissants, bread, fillings like cold meats and cheeses, pastries and a nice cup of coffee and numerous places such as Angelina’s or Laduree, offer a choice of eating on the premises, or items to take away, but just one point worth mentioning is that many establishments add an additional charge to your bill if you decide to sit outside on their terrace, rather than inside.

When it comes to lunch, you will be able to find numerous different cafes and bistros whilst walking around Paris such as the Cafe Marly with a great view of the famous Louvre museum, and it may be an idea to mark these on a map so that you can find your next fuelling station!

As for the evening, meals are usually served from around 7.30pm and restaurants get far busier from around 9pm onwards. Plus we would like to point out that Parisians do tend to dress up for an evening out and in most restaurants it is expected that you have a glass of wine or two with your meal, but bear in mind that a table wine can be just as expensive as many others on the wine list, as they are still of excellent quality.

And numerous different options are available for an evening meal like the cosy intimate setting of Au Bon Accueil, or perhaps you have been to a nightclub and need to eat in the early hours of the morning, then Au Pied de Cochon that is open 24/7 is a good choice, or you could choose the friendly atmosphere and smells of food cooking on a spit at the Atelier Maitre Albert or contemporary cuisine at Spoon Food and Wine, but you also have cabaret venues where you can enjoy a meal and watch a cabaret show such as at the World famous Moulin Rouge.

And after all this eating out in Paris enjoying the fabulous cuisine on offer, it just may not be the same when you get home!

This article was written by Martyn Davies

About the Author

www.placesinfrance.com

Martyn Davis European Traveller, Author, Photographer and Business Development Manager, For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions - { http://www.placesinfrance.com/restaurants_in_paris_france.html“}Restaurants In Paris.

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