There is always a good reason to visit France: cultural discovery, sports experience, culinary enjoyment…are among the many opportunities to live an unforgettable experience exploring French regions.
How should travellers prepare to it?
You are willing to come visit France from abroad? You are due to present supporting documents to prove the purpose of your stay when crossing the border.
Legal formalities: Do you need a visa?
For nationals within the European Union, a valid ID card is enough. For foreign nationals out of the European Union, a valid passport is mandatory.
Depending on your nationality, the duration and purpose of you stay in France, you will need a visa. You have to obtain an entry visa before you leave, from the French embassy or consulate in your country of residence. The type of visa you need will depend on how long you stay and the purpose of your coming.
The following conditions should be fulfilled for entering the territory:
- You must have a passport, delivered within the past 10 years, and to be valid for at least 3 months beyond your expected departure from the country.
- If your nationality requires it, you must obtain a visa issued by one of the Shengen area countries.
- You have to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (private or professional trip, proof of lodging, round-trip ticket…)
- You need to prove adequate resources (cash, credit card…) or be able to acquire such means lawfully (professional activity..)
- You need to take out medical and hospital insurance, including social assistance, for the care you may need.
- You need to get in touch with the French embassy or consulate in your country of residence, due to the COVID-19 situation in France and the measures taken for foreign travellers.
Why travelling by coach ?
Travelling by coach is a unique mode of discovering new horizons, in a fun and economic way.
It is also thinking of its own security, as well as others’. Vehicle are being checked everyday, including preventive maintenance. Besides, drivers are trained to security measures.
Reliability and quality of service are key issues for a successful trip, notably through the driver who is an integral part of the adventure. He is there every moment of the trip, answers passengers questions and arranges the details throughout the trip, being both a pilot and a group leader.
A trip by coach is a comfortable trip! Onboard coaches, you can enjoy reclinable and spacious seats. Grand touring coaches are recent and equipped with individual devices: individual reading lights and armrests, A/C, speakers, and electrical outlets for the newer ones.
Travelling by coach also means driving though lovely roads and charming settings. By contrast with train travel, coaches can go each and every road, from mountain spots to natural areas. Buses are a perfect solution to discover smaller destinations out of the main sightseeing routes.
Furthermore, ecology is a main issue in the coach industry. Since January 2018, all vehicles are to meet Euro 5 or 6 standards. This means they are twice as much ecofriendly, in terms particulate emissions; as the vehicles manufactured in 2013, and thirteen times less polluting than the ones produced in 2001.
Assuming that seat-occupancy rates keep on increasing, travel by coach will soon become the less polluting mode of collective transport.
Where are the best spots for a trip in France?
Mountains, lakes, woodland, lowlands, cliffs…thanks to the diversity of landscapes France has to offer, the possibilities are endless.
The good reasons to come to France
Head to the Alps or Pyrenees in wintertime for skiing, or during summertime for hiking in greats outdoors. Stroll along the seacosts of the Mediterraneen sea in the Cote d’Azur and Corsica and enjoy beaches and leisurely walks. Browse the Brittany and Dordogne regions through its quaint villages and unique culinary delights. Wander around French cities such as Lyon, Lille, Paris or Toulouse during a city break full of encounters. Look at the possibilities and find your own combination!
- Various and attractive landscapes, from the most spectacular beaches to largest skiable domain in the world
- A wide range of climates and vegetation
- A stunning historical heritage : 45 French sites are listed by UNESCO as major sites of universal significance
- A great variety of gastronomic specialties, both at national and reginal levels
- A rich offer of leisure activities: performance halls, major sporting events, theme parks…
- Ideally located in the heart of Western Europe; France additionally represents a gateway to Europe.
The hidden France
For most foreign travelers, France boils down to few spots: Paris, Loire Valley, Southern France / Provence, or Normandy and the D-day beaches.
France is made of rural areas for 80% of its territory, so beautiful and peaceful. It is still possible to escape from the hustle and bustle of the great touristic spots, and a variety of other locations offers visitors a different glimpse of France.
- The Côte Bleue and its calanques, in the Provence region, meeting point of the sea and the mountains
- National parks (…) with a high diversity of fauna and flora.
- Southwestern France (…), a glimpse of all possible landscape within one single area
- The mountains of central Corsica and its hiking paths
- The Provencal Colorado in Roussillon, for a guaranteed change of scenery!
- Nantes and its “Machines of the Island”, a cross between fantasy worlds and industrial heritage
- The islands on the atlantic ocean, such as Ile de Ré, Noirmoutiers, Oléron, for a perfect weeklong bike ride
- A multitude of amazing and astonishing architectural masterpieces, such as “The ideal Palace of postman Cheval’s” in the Rhone Valley, the Haut Koenigsbourg Castle in Alsace, or even the troglodyte houses of Périgord.
As a vacation destination, France has everything to offer. There is room enough for all generations, with among the world’s greatest monuments, world famous art and architecture, gorgeous seascapes and glittering mountains, terrific gastronomy and overwhelming history.
The virus is still here. Keep the good habits and keep the barrier gesture to protect ourselves and those around us.