The South of France, often known as le Midi, covers an extensive amount of geography. For this reason and more, the region offers up a number of pleasant surprises for all who visit the area. For those planning a visit to the southern part of France (accommodation abound on this website), deciding on exactly which attractions to see may be challenging. Below are the 5 best historical attractions in the South of France.

Castle of Carcassone

Regarded as being among the most impressive castles within Europe, Castle of Carcassone, along with its encompassing walled city was nearly destroyed during the 19th Century. Luckily, total destruction was avoided and French architect, Viollet-de-Duc took charged of rebuilding. Carcassone served as an important trading region and was utilized as a stronghold during the middle ages. There is no cost to enter, and visitors are free to walk the grounds and streets.

Font de Gaume

Font de Gaume is a cave painting area which is located near Les Eyzies. The site dates back to 14,000BC, and was known about by locals long before the paintings were actually identified in 1901. The cave system contains over 230 total images, with new images being exposed as the caves are cleaned. The images offer a glimpse into life during prehistoric times. Font de Gaume tours can be booked online. Advance booking is wise, as the site tends to be extremely busy.

Villefranche Beach

Another option for relaxation would be a visit to the village of Villefranche. This sea-side village was voted among the very best beaches within Europe. Being located near Nice, Villefranche and its bay are often used as movie settings. Visitors are free to go sailing, peruse the beautiful coastline, and enjoy some of the best seafood restaurants to be found anywhere.

Canal du Midi

Possibly more attractive than historical, the Canal du Midi is perfect for those who wish to cycle through the countryside. The footpaths extend from Toulouse to Agde, offering 250km of canal area for exploration. Although cycling is a favorite activity of this area, tours are also available by boat for those who would prefer a more relaxing experience.

Accrobranche

Accrobranche, located in Motagnac, is an excellent area for active individuals. The fascinating woodland centered destination offer plenty of safe and stimulating activities. Although many of the activities here are geared towards children, adults will also be able to participate. Of course there is also the option to simply explore the gorgeous surroundings which are a part of so many of the areas within the South of France.

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Cycling is a French national pasttime. The country may not have as many cycleways as the Netherlands, but cycle touring has been part of French life since the bicycle was invented. Just watch the fervour that springs up each year for the biggest sporting event in the country, the Tour de France. Combined with the impeccable cuisine and hospitality across the country, and it’s hard to imagine a better country for cycling holidays.

France is quite accommodating to cyclists. Drivers on French country roads all know to watch for cyclists on the weekend, from packs of speed cyclists riding ultra-lightweight bikes to individuals and families out for a ride. It’s not uncommon for French drivers to find themselves sharing the road with groups either preparing for or participating in local bike races and championships… and this is all year round.

During the summertime, the local cyclists share the roadways with long distance touring cyclists, either tourists riding hotel to hotel or traveling across the country loaded down with camping equipment.

Taking Bikes on French Trains

French trains are generally bike-friendly. Most regional express trains (TERs) allow people to take their bikes onto the train and do it free of charge. In theory, bike space on the train must be ordered when you buy your ticket, but this service is not available if you buy online. For rural train routes, most people just buy their tickets at the station from which they’re departing, buying a ticket for the next train out and indicating at the time of purchase that they have a bike with them. Fortunately, TERs are rarely full — except for commuter trains.

Intercity express trains and TGV high speed trains are somewhat more confusing for the cyclist. Some of these trains take bikes, and some don’t. Of the trains that do, some charge extra. Almost all of the long distance trains that take bikes have relatively little bike space. Some travel guides therefore suggest you buy a bike bag, so that you can carry your bike like hand luggage and make it count as ordinary luggage. That way, you can always buy your tickets on the Internet before you travel.

Where to Ride

Cycling holidays in France generally make use of the incredible network of country lanes and secondary roads. Almost all of France’s 880,000 km road network (excluding motorways) is open to bicycle riders. Most of that network consists of minor byways that have very light traffic and lorries quite few and far between. Cycling these roads ranges from safe to quite safe, making them a great way to plan cycling holidays all over France.

France also has a constantly developing cycleway network that’s even safer than the minor road network. The cycleway network consists of a few thousand kilometers worth of dedicated cycle tracks, most offering no hazards besides wildlife and pedestrians.

There are six substantially complete long distance routes that make for superb cycling holidays in France, and a few that connect with them:

- the Euro veloroute EV1 running north south from La Baule to Biarritz
- the Euro veloroute EV6 running east west from La Baule to Orleans
- the Atlantic-Mediterranean route from Arachon to Sète
- the Northwest France route from Cherbourg to La Baule
- the North-South Cherbourg to la Rochelle route
- the Normandy / Channel coast route

These should by no means be considered the only routes to take, but they are some of the most popular.

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Everybody wants to go to Paris, but sometimes the thought of heading to what is one of Europe’s more expensive cities can be off-putting. If you have a few cost-cutting tips, however, then a trip to the French capital can be both fun and cheap. Here you’ll find a few pieces of advice to save you money on your Paris holiday.

Travel in Winter

Paris in winter is perhaps the best time of the year to visit as you’ll find the city a lot quieter than it is in the height of summer. So avoid the huge queues outside Le Louvre and Eiffel Tower and visit in December – you’ll save a lot of money too! The prices are a lot cheaper in the winter months than in summer for just about everything. From restaurants to flights, the cost of exploring Paris plummets around November time.

Not only is your holiday cheaper at that time of year, but many would argue that the city is even more beautiful in winter. Paris is always spectacular by night and when the days get shorter and shorter, the picturesque Paris evenings get longer and longer. Add to that the fact that Paris boasts some of the coolest Christmas lights in Europe – especially along the Champs-Elysées – and you’re in for a not too expensive treat if heading to Paris in the run-up to Christmas.

Don’t Get a Taxi from the Airport

A taxi from the airport to the city centre could set you back as much as €50. So don’t fall for that and instead get the RER B train or Roissybus, both of which cost under €10.

Also, while exploring the city, you can make a lot of savings by purchasing a Navigo card. As long as you have a passport sized photo, you can buy this card which will give you unlimited bus and Metro travel for a week for around €16.

Free Attractions

Believe it or not, but many of the attractions that Paris has to offer are actually free. For a start, some of Paris’ beautiful gardens are free to enter and you can quite easily pass an afternoon admiring them. Among the best free gardens in Paris are The Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Palais Royal and the Parc du Champ de Mars.

Also know that the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral is free to enter. Not only that, but a free English-language tour is also available. The city even has free museum days every first Sunday of the month. So you can check out the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay for free, but be prepared for it to busy on those days.

Save Money on Accommodation

When in Paris, you don’t have to book a fancy hotel for your stay. You can save money by staying in a self-catering apartment which will even let you experience a little more of the atmosphere of the city. At a hotel you’ll be surrounded by other tourists, whereas in an apartment you can even get to meet the neighbours and fully experience your own little area of Paris. All-Paris-Apartments have a large range of apartments around the city so no matter what part of Paris you feel like getting to know, you’ll be bound to find an apartment you like there.

As well as the fact that an apartment will work out cheaper than a hotel, you’ll even be able to cook a few meals at home. You don’t have to eat out every night and if you did it would cost you a fortune. By cooking in your apartment’s kitchen you can show off your cooking skills, as well as saving money. 

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