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Surely this is Europe's most fantastic city, a place that can be visited on a day trip from London, but a city that should really keep you far longer than that. Museums, theatres, shops, fantastic historic monuments, a beautiful riverscape, Paris is a city that has it all! Like most cities, it is not a place to visit by car. Parking can be an expensive nightmare (though less so than London), and the city has a great public transport network, with a fast underground network that stretches well into the suburbs.

The largest Western European country, France has received over the centuries more immigrants than any other country in Europe. The current population of about 60 million is formed by ancient Celtic Gauls and Romans and by more recent arrivals from France’s former colonies in Indochina and Africa. These people have introduced new elements of culture, cuisine and art, making the diverse and unique civilization of today.

Human presence in France is known to date from the middle Paleolithic period, about 25,000 to 90, 0000 years ago. Around 25,000 BC the Stone Age Cro-Magnon people appeared on the scene and left their mark in the form of cave painting and engraving.

The Celtics Gauls moved into what is now France between 1500 and 500 BC and by about 600 BC they had established the first trading links with the Greeks.The first conflict was with Romans, lasting for several centuries. By around 52 BC Julius Caesar’s legions took control of the country, ruling it for 5 centuries, when the Franks (thus “France”) and other Germanic groups regain control and expelled the Romans.

These people adopted important parts of Gallo-Roman civilization – including Christianity – and their eventual assimilation resulted in a fusion of Germanic, Roman and Celtic cultures. France is today the richest country in the world in terms of preserved monuments and historic sites.

Trunk roads in France are known as "routes nationales". On roadsigns, they are indicated (like motorways) by a white number on a red background. Trunk road numbers are preceded by the letter N, for example N1, the old main road from Calais to Paris. However the French do not use numbering so much as the British, and it is best to follow a destination, rather than a road number (as these sometimes change).

Avoiding Paris - This is a good idea on most days. To travel from Calais to the south coast, use the A26 motorway via Reims, Troyes and Dijon. For south western and central France, avoid Paris by taking the route via Rouen, Evreux, Chartres and Orleans. There is no motorway between Evreux and Orleans, but the route over this section is currently being upgraded to dual carriageway, and about a third of it is now complete.

Dates: If you can avoid travelling on Saturdays between July 10th and August 20th, this is very advisable. On these days, many French motorways - and in particular all the routes to the south - are liable to reach saturation. The worst bottlenecks are in the Rhone valley south of Lyons, along the south coast, round the town of Millau on a missing section of the A 75, and around Bordeaux.

Speed on most French motorways is limited to 130 km/hr (just over 80 mph). On dual carriageways, the limit is 110 km/hr, and on ordinary roads it is 90 km/hr. Generally, there is a small tolerance over and above this - but be advised that it is best to observe speed limits which are there for a reason. Until recently, radar traps tended to be stationary and visible; nowadays, the motorway police are using more and more mobile radars, in unmarked cars. Be warned! Otherwise you may face an on-the-spot fine or - if your are more than 50 km/hr over the limit - an instant ban and an impoundment of your vehicle.

The Land of Romance

France doesn't just rhyme with romance - it is synonymous with romance. Perhaps it is the quality of the light - often pink during the long twilights, which gave Paris its title as the City of Light and inspired the famous song, "La Vie en Rose". Perhaps it has something to do with the beauty of the country and the characteristic and contagious tendency of the French to make sure to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the sensually pleasurable aspects of life and nature - good food, excellent wine, stimulating conversation, musical language, gorgeous landscapes, fine literature, beautiful architecture.

In any case, France is the number one travel destination in the world. It is the largest Western European country, and France's geography includes hot, pink pebbled beaches on the Mediterranean averaging 300 days of sunshine a year, smooth, sandy beaches along the rocky Atlantic coastline adjoining moors, rich farm and pasture land bordered by deep forests of oaks and chestnuts, rolling hill country with vineyards, snow-covered Alps, Vosges and Pyrènées, and marshes supporting an array of wildlife.

France is recognized as superior for many cultural features including its art museums and architecture, its historical monuments and buildings, its châteaux (castles) and parks, its fashion and shopping, its wines and cheeses, and definitely its cuisine. The wide variety of distinct French regions and "specialties," are within relatively easy, short traveling distance.

A weekend getaway or short excursion from the main attractions in France’s big cities is definitely recommended if you want to see La France in its many facets. France’s regions each have their own characteristics and personality. Within a 2 hour drive from the city of Paris are towns unique in appearance and substance, in a culture entirely different from that of Parisians. Accents are different, interests are different, and character is different. In France you will not confuse one town with another or one region with another, because the old homes, buildings and streets are proudly preserved without the proliferation of chains, franchises, strip malls and tract housing developments to spoil the distinctive character of each community.

Getting married is a one-time event. A wedding in France offers the finest in culinary sophistication and service for romantic travelers. To tie the knot in the France is the utmost in romance. A Weddingmoon in Paris means that the whole French countryside and many romantic spots will be available to you and your wedding guests after the wedding ceremony. The historical nature of some of the French Wedding locations we offer make for extraordinary and memorable experiences. We offer French Castles and elegant villas of all sorts for the most extraordinary European events. Getting married in France is a lifetime European travel adventure for any bride and groom. There are so many gorgeous churches and picturesque settings for weddings, and the vast variety of thematic regions and climates within easy traveling distance could satisfy any romantic dream vacation.

Paris has been a favorite honeymoon location in France for years, but it is by no means the only place for adventure travel or romantic vacations. Countless French, Italian, German, English and other European travelers love the vast range of places to visit and things throughout the other exciting regions of France. And honeymooners will have difficulty running out of things to eat and drink anywhere in France. Vacation packages for honeymooners and those desiring romantic getaways can be planned from a variety of specifications. All-inclusive honeymoons with precise itineraries can be organized to include trips to romantic locations in nearby Italy or any of the other neighboring European countries. We can provide you with special trip planning ideas, romantic travel arrangements or if you desire, idyllic and secluded honeymoon spots. Each location will be accompanied with the necessary local knowledge, tips and suggestions. You will then have a special planned travel package just for you.

Paris has had such an intoxicating effect on its visitors over the centuries, and so much has been said about its merits that it is hard to sing its praises without using clichés. Think of all the great writers, artists, philosophers and inventers who visited and fell in love with Paris: Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Art Buchwald. The treasures and pleasures in this city could take a lifetime to discover. Most tours of Paris include only the more famous of its sites and bypass some truly fascinating and precious areas, sites and aspects of this "moveable feast." Our itineraries of Paris are designed to let you discover these as well as the more renowned and popular attractions in Paris.

France has so many specialties in foods, wines, architecture, and art that it is difficult to exhaust the possibilities of theme tours in France. It has also been the site of a multitude of historic events and wars, and the monuments and remains have been preserved throughout the country for the world to see. Special theme trips make history, art, cuisine, and other subjects come alive and make sense as all the pieces come together into a full picture.

A holiday in France will be the best family vacation travel deal you will ever make. Where else in all of Europe can you indulge in the best gourmet food, immerse yourself in medieval history, spectacular Renaissance and Gothic art and architecture, enjoy a myriad of incredible refinements, delight yourself in splendid countryside and tour the magnificent palaces of royalty - all in one vacation? The answer can only be France, the epitome of Western European culture.Whether you travel to Paris and stay at a luxury four star hotel or are a backpacker fending for yourself as you trek from one youth hostel in Europe to another, the romance of France will make you forget where you came from!

The earliest inhabitants of what would become France were highly skilled artists, as evidenced by Lascaux's magnificent Cro-Magnon cave paintings depicting animals and hunting scenes in amazing detail. Other artifacts discovered by archaeologists in the past decade include sculptures made from various materials, jewelry, and artistically crafted tools. An early culture in France was responsible for the ancient, large stone markers and monuments called menhirs and dolmens that dot the countryside.

The Celtic invasion between 800 and 400 B.C gives us some first information about France’s history. The Celts themselves left no written record of themselves or their customs, but the Romans and the Greeks were intrigued by the Celts and wrote accounts of this era. The Celts crossed the Rhine River from the East made Gaul the greatest center of Celtic settlement. Gaul was made up of many small states that were in constant struggle against each other. Eventually the Celts decided to try to seize Rome as well. They invaded Italy and sacked Rome. During that same period, Greek traders founded the city of Massilia, now Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.