Practical Information

France offers so many tourist attractions, it is difficult to know which ones are 'really good'.  Tourism is big business in France, and every city, town or village will vie for your attention.  At times, uninteresting sites are touted as 'encroyable!' when in fact they are just average or completely unworthy of your time. If you've ever been enticed by a glossy brochure that did not live up to its promise, you know what we mean.  We offer the following list of locations (put together by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whose focus is on the preservation of cultural sites and the conservation of nature) as 'sure values' meaning, you will not be disappointed. If traveling in a France region near a UNESCO site, it will be worth the detour.

France offers a wide variety of accommodations for tourists. Most people are familiar with hotels and bed and breakfasts, but there is a third option; the "gîte"!

gîte: noun [zheet] (plural gites): a vacation accommodation in France.  A country cottage or small house in France offering fairly simple accommodations that can be rented for a vacation. Late 18th century French: gîte "stopping place"

Although gîtes are sometimes called 'holiday homes' they actually come in many sizes and are often located in unusual and interesting places.  A gîte can be anything from a full chateau or cottage in France to a guest suite built in the base of a windmill, someone's home, or even a single room off of a public building in the village.