France -

France

The top three destinations according to travel surveys are always France, Gt. Britain and Italy. Many people combine a trip to the British Isles with France since it is now so easy to take the train city center Paris to city center London in 2.hrs and 10 mins. No one should fly in Europe, I recommend taking the train everywhere.

An estimated 89 million visitors travelled to France last year, and their target is 100 million by 2020. The Ryder Cup will take place September 28-30 at Le Golf National in Saint Quentin en Yvelines, a suburb of Paris. This will be the first time the major golf tournament takes place in Continental Europe and it should help boost France’s profile as a golf destination.

In 2019, the Loire Valley will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Renaissance, as 1519 was a symbolic year, marking the death of Leonardo da Vinci at the Chateau du Clos Luce in Amboise, the first foundations laid for Francois 1’s Chambord Chateau and the birth of Catherine de Medici. In 2019, Normandy will celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and Marseille will be in the spotlight as host city for the annual Rendez-vous en France tourism fair.

Two new museums have opened this year, in Bordeaux the Musee de la Mer is presenting a large scale exhibition of Claude Monet’s paintings of the sea – 41 in all – and the high speed train connects Paris and Bordeaux in just 2 hours. In Nimes, the new Musee de la Romanite exhibits innovative scenography and rich archaeological collections of the regions Gallo-Roman period. Great café and restaurant here.

In Paris, I love to go to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum which exhibits haute couture designs. You could spent a week in Paris just visiting museums and art galleries.

The Chaumont Garden Festival in the Loire Valley runs through November 4. Artists and landscape designers from all over the world create an evolving array of gardens. This is a must if you are a garden lover.

In Brittany, the Rennes Trans musicales Festival takes place this year from December 5-9 at the Rennes Exhibition Park and draws big crowds.

My favorite trip is Strasbourg. Since l570, their Christmas Market is a wonderful experience. It is the oldest and the best of its kind in Europe. Running from the last week of November through December 24 it offers over 300 stalls, craft demonstrations, and the most wonderful holiday decorations. The food, beer, and mulled Alsace white wine help make the day out a most enjoyable event.

There are lots of good hotels in Paris. Everyone should plan on spending a few days in Paris, even if you have been there before. My sister was at University there, so I spent a lot of weekends in Paris visiting some wonderful little coffee shops and I never got tired of visiting the latest exhibits. I like the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal since it is close to the Louvre Museum and our guests get extra privileges, such as a full breakfast, $50 food and beverage credit, and a room upgrade if available and early check in which is smashing if you arrive as I did at 6.a.m. Another one I use a lot is the Hotel San Regis Paris. Small, great location and they too give my clients extra privileges.

If you have a wish to see the South of France, then go on the train to Nice, or Cannes.

You can’t go wrong with a visit to France at any time of year. Great food, wine, history, culture, and fantastic shopping.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-961-2340 direct