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The most helpful backpacking books on the planet, France

France is a major country on any European tour. It would be hard to exhaust its diversity in a lifetime of visits. Each area looks different, feels different, has its own style of architecture and food . There is an astonishing variety of things to see, whether it's the Gothic cathedrals of the north or the Roman monuments of the south. The countryside, too, has its own appeal, seemingly little changed for hundreds of years. Travelling in France is easy. Budget restaurants and hotels proliferate; the rail and road networks are pretty good, and the tourist information service is superbly organized. As for where to go, it's hard to know where to begin. If you arrive in the north, you may pass through the Channel ports of Flanders, Artois and Normandy to Paris, one of Europe's most elegant and compelling capitals. To the west lie the rocky coasts of Brittany and, further south, the châteaux of the Loire, although most people push on south to the limestone hills and grape growing centers of Provence, the canyons of the Pyrenees and the glorious Mediterranean coastline of the Côte d'Azur. There are good reasons, however, for taking things more slowly, not least the Germanic towns of Alsace in the east, the rolling hills and valleys of the Lot and the Dordogne, and, more adventurously, the Massif Central, France's high and rugged heartland.

Hostels and Student accomodation

France boasts a wide network of official youth hostels or auberges de jeunesse, and most are of a high standard. However, while cheap aprox F40–90 for a dormitory bed (more in Paris), they are sometimes no less expensive than the cheapest hotel room for a couple, especially if you take into account the cost of getting to and from their sometimes inaccessible locations. You can sometimes cut costs, however, by preparing your own food in their kitchens, or eating in their cheap canteens. There are two rival youth hostel associations: the
Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse, 27 rue Pajol, 75018 Paris (01.44.89.87.27), and the
Ligue Française pour les Auberges de Jeunesse, 38 bd Raspail, 75007 Paris (01.45.48.69.84). HI membership covers both organizations, although only the former's hostels are detailed in their handbook. A few large towns provide a more luxurious standard of hostel accommodation in
Foyers des Jeunes Travailleurs/euses, residential hostels for young workers and students, charging around F60 for an individual room. They also normally have a good canteen. In rural areas, there are gîtes d'étape these are less formal than the youth hostels, often run by the local village or municipality, they provide bunk beds and primitive kitchen facilities. French Government tourist offices can provide regional listings and will recommend independent guides to gîtes and chambres d'hôte.
Use our Hostel Booking form to book your hostel.

Places to See

The Camargue is a flat, marshy delta area, with flamingo-filled lagoons. It is famous for its vast variety of bird life and its white horses. Its long stretches of coastline include the popular resort of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, which offers plenty of facilities, and less commercialised areas, such as the plag de Piemancon.

Champagne Why not drink it where its made? A visit to Reims will enable you to catch one of France's most impressive gothic cathedrals, as well as take in several caves, including the famous Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin.

Go to Chartres and see the Cathédral Notre-Dame, whose greatest asset is its magnificent rose window. Situated on the hilltop, the enormous building has plenty of other things to admire, such as the geometry of the building and the 130 other stained glass windows.

The French Alps are glorious in summer. To go walking, take one of the many ski lifts that operate year-round. Pretty towns to visit include Annecy, on its turquoise lake, with its backdrop peaks of La Tourette.

This is a superb medieval port, thanks to the efforts of a past communist mayor whose legacy includes the free bicycles you can ride around town, La Rochelle offers beautiful beaches, delicious seafood, and boat trips to surrounding islands.

Marseille, the second most populous city of France, though undeniably deprived, is a wonderful place to visit. It's a down-to-earth yet cosmopolitan city which spirals out from the old port.

For cheese, head for Normandy, particularly the area known as the Pays d'Auge, whose lush green fields help produce the rich milk so essential for the area's delicious Camembert

There is so much to see and do in Paris, that just wandering the streets is a delight and doesn't cost you any money. The city centre is very compact so there's little chance of getting lost.

Provence From its medieval hilltop villages, through a rich agricultural countryside of vineyards, olive groves and fields of sunflowers, to the fascinating cities of Arles and Aix en Provence, this is perhaps the most irrestistible and romantic area of France.

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