French Holiday Ideas | 5 great weekend breaks in France

Now that the summer has finally given way to autumn’s chilly edge, it’s time to start thinking about some lovely weekends away in France when the crowds are fewer and the booking prices cheaper.

The choice really is unlimited. From city breaks to coastal retreats, from Normandy to Nice, there are countless options for a relaxing out-of-season getaway. Here are five ideas for you.


Nice

This Riviera hideaway has long been a place of escape for those seeking some warm autumn or winter sun. Sitting snugly on the Baie des Anges, it’s the ideal location for a Riviera retreat. The city itself has so much to offer culturally, with great museums like the MAMAC, Matisse museum and the Museum of Naïve Art.

There’s awesome shopping, too, with boutiques lining the main streets and quirkier regional produce on offer in the narrow, twisty side streets of the Old Town.

You can dine as you please in Nice, either finely at one of the highly reputed gastronomic restaurants, or keep it simple with local fare in a more relaxed place.

For more ideas, see www.nicetourisme.com



Biarritz

Another great coastal resort that benefits from having fewer visitors once summer is over is Biarritz. In high season it’s the surfers and party dudes who flock here, but in autumn it becomes a more genteel place to relax. It sits in Basque country, which means that it proudly boasts certain cultural and gastronomic traditions.

The town got a classy feel to it – traditionally it was the well-heeled who headed here to take advantage of the glorious art deco casino and excellent climate. Hence there are plenty of belle époque villas and mock chateaux.

For a taste of local life, head to the covered Les Halles market or take your pick of superb seafood restaurants. And the brave could always take a dip in the ocean, with or without a surfboard!

For more information, see www.biarritz.fr.



The name suggests a potent local booze, but the region of the same name is equally intoxicating. As a very handy point of entry for ferry travellers (the port of Ouistreham is near Caen), this department has a rich abundance of weekend holiday options.

You could hit the seaside towns of Deauville or Trouville, where and out-of-season air of calm pervades, and tuck into some of France’s finest seafood in an authentic atmosphere.

You could follow your cultural nose and get all medieval in the historic village of Bayeux (taking in the popular tapestry is always a better idea once the kids are in school) or witness the beautiful historic buildings in Caen like the Abbaye aux Hommes.

Or why not head inland for a true taste of rural France? Try hill walking in the Vire Bocage, rent a charming gîte in the Pays D’Auge or stay at a lavender farm in the hilly Suisse Normande area?

More great break ideas can be found at www.calvados-tourisme.com/en or on our Calvados Regional Guide



Annecy

A weekend break destination that will truly be unlike any other in France is Annecy. Nestled on the northern tip of Lake Annecy 35km south of Geneva, the town is the capital of the Haute Savoie region.

With this come certain traditions, not least in the dining room. Choose from hearty mountain food with a rustic edge – cheese is always on the menu! – or from one of five modern Michelin-starred restaurants.

Exploring the pretty main town, interlinked via a canal system, brings affecting visual rewards – don’t miss the Palais de l’Isle, a 12th century old prison that gives the town its symbol, the famed romantic hotspot Lover’s Bridge or the Château d’Annecy.

The first thing that strikes you at this lakeside paradise is that you can get back to nature and enjoy the fresh air within a couple of minutes of leaving the gorgeous old town. Take a cruise out onto the like, hire a bike for a gentle ride around the lake perimeter or take to the skies for a spot of adrenaline-fuelled paragliding.


www.lac-annecy.com/gb

Paris

The capital’s classic tourist sites need little recommendation from us. Any first-timer to the great showpiece city of romance will want to take in the various cultural offerings that make anyone’s ticklist: the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay (recently renovated) and Pompidou Centre to name but three of the most obvious.

There are lots of smaller museums to explore too, with subjects ranging from hunting to ethnic art – see the tourist office’s website for inspiration.

For the rest, a bit of flânerie is recommended. This means that you leave your destination to chance, ditch the map and just wander, seeing where your nose takes you.

You may stumble upon buskers in the beautiful place des Vosges in the heart of the Marais, or end up in swanky place Vendôme eyeing up the Ritz Hotel. You may end up atop the Tour Montparnasse for the best views the city can offer. You might chance upon the Latin Quarter or the Père Lachaise cemetery in the north-east of the city.

For a wealth of visits and places to explore, see en.parisinfo.com/ or search for 5 things to do in Paris

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