French Holiday Ideas | The joy of slow holidays in France

In a world where hectic has the upper hand, the notion of slow holidaying is, if you pardon the pun, gathering pace.

More and more of us yearn to escape the bustle of busy lives and to take the speed down to snail’s pace in order to unwind and fully appreciate our destination.

And nowhere does the idea of taking things at your own pace on holiday seem more appropriate than in France, especially in la France profonde – the heart of the French countryside.

Where better to discover the lesser-taken path than in the rolling Gascony hills, along the hidden byways of Provence linking hill-top villages or amid the breathtaking mountain scenery of the Pyrenees?





By exploring these wonderful landscapes, and by staying in family-run hotels and character auberges, not only will you see lots of friendly local faces but you can also get a true taste of rural France – not least in the delicious regional cuisine that each corner of France so proudly serves up.

One travel company whose ethos embodies the need to slow the pace, so that you may fully appreciate the French life all around you, is Inntravel.

They offer a wide range of self-guided walking and cycling holidays around France that allow you to ease into the rhythm and patterns of everyday life as you journey through wonderful landscapes, uncover hidden corners and share authentic encounters with local people along the way.

Their belief is that you see more by slowing down and by immersing yourself into local life, taking time to appreciate the simple things.

There is a wide selection of walking breaks for all tastes, such as The Scented Hills of Provence and The Heart of Normandy, as well cycling breaks like Châteaux of the Loire and The Timeless Tarn.

For a taster of the joys of slow holidays, please visit www.slowholidays.co.uk

And learn more about Inntravel’s range of slow breaks on their website

Search for walking holidays in Provence and Dordogne

Search for Cycling holidays in Brittany

Your French Holidays Home Page