Top 7 Holiday Destinations in France*

1) The Languedoc Roussillon
The Languedoc-Roussillon is bounded by the Auvergne, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the Mediterranean sea, Spain and the Midi-Pyrénées.

The Massif Central is the north western border. The Cévennes Mountains cover much of the old province, reaching their highest point in the northeast. The southern part is a low coastal plain along the Mediterranean Sea, where the region enjoys a Mediterranean climate.

Throughout the original Roussillon area, Catalan is widely spoken - French, the official language, is spoken with a heavy Catalan accent. Regional cuisine relies heavily on olive oil and garlic and the warm winters and hot, dry summers produce vast quantities of inexpensive wine. Béziers is the centre for the wine trade in the Hérault department.


2) Brittany (Bretagne)
Situated in the extreme northwest of France, the Region of Brittany is known for its scenic villages, towns and picturesque landscapes.

Its rugged indented coastline is littered with small and pretty fishing villages. To the north the region has a rocky landscape and to the south sandy, sun swept beaches.

Fishing, farming and tourism are the important sectors of Brittany's economy and of the three, fishing is the mainstay. Rennes is the capital of Brittany.


3) The Aquitaine - Dordogne
From the flat, sandy plains and pine forests of the Landes to the beautiful lagoon of the Bassin d'Arcachon... Aquitaine is immensely diverse.

Bordeaux is one of the best and most established wine growing regions in France, with brandy lovers visiting the town of Cognac.

Towards the Pyrenees a Spanish feel takes hold in the popular resorts of Bayonne and Biarritz and the valley of the Dordogne provides a sharp contrast. With its old stone houses, gentle rolling hills and high quality of life, the Dordogne region - and the town of Eymet in particular - is a magnet for Britons looking to start a new life abroad.


4) Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region is located in the south-east of France. The western border of the region consists of the plains of Comtat, Crau, and Camargue.

The regions boundaries are the Rhone River to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and Italy to the east, which is dominated by the Alpes. The region is rich in flower fields, vineyards, orchards and olive and mulberry groves. The capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is Marseille and other principal cities are Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Cannes, Nice and Toulon.


5) Poitou Charentes
Poitou-Charentes, located in the west of central France, is bounded by Pays-de-la-Loire, Centre, Limousin, Aquitaine and the Bay of Biscay.

The areas of Poitou and Charente are joined by the Charente River valley, which hosts the vines of the Cognac on the right bank. Poitiers is the capital of Poitou-Charentes.

The Massif Central and Massif Armoricain, cover the regions southeast and northwest respectively and the area in between is a lowland plateau that hosts the Vienne and Clain rivers.


6) The Limousin
If you are looking for rural France head to the Limousin with its woodland, green hills, pasture land, rivers & lakes.

Located in central France, Limousin sits on a series of rolling plateaus in the northwestern Massif Central. It is bounded by the regions of Centre, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées, Dordogne and Poitou-Charente.

The Blond Mountains are located in the southwest, between the Vienne and Gartempe rivers, and rise to more than 1600 feet. The Ambazac Mountains (Monts d'Ambazac), to the east, rise to more than 2300 feet.


7) The Pays de la Loire
By road, the region of the Pays-De-La-Loire is easily reached in a few hours from any of the Channel crossings, though the ports of St. Malo and Caen (sailings from Portsmouth) offer the shortest drive. Nantes also has an airport.

The Pays de la Loire includes the part of the Loire valley downstream from Saumur. The ancient houses of Anjou and Plantagenet held sway here, and history lurks on every corner.


*Based on Lets Rent Property In France.com page views in the short term lets section between September 21st 2008 and September 21st 2009 - using Google Analytics

Carp Fishing In The Limousin

The abundance of unpolluted rivers and lakes found within the Limousin region of France, are a fisherman and carp anglers dream. Populated by specimen Carp, Trout, Bream, Giant Catfish, Pike, Zander and even Sturgeon there is something for all angling disciplines to be found here.

Around La Souterraine there are several lakes offering a range of activities for all the family. L’Etang de la Chaume, (where record carp have been caught), L’Etang de la Cazine, L’Etang du Cheix, L'Etang de la Brousse and the Lac du Pont a L'Age. At L’Etang de la Chaume fishermen will enjoy 46 acres of water on a day or half day permits.

Alan Cooper, owner of the Marliannes Gites (three delightful, rural Gites in Limousin), is an expert fisherman himself and will gladly advise you on where to fish as well as give you an idea of where to find specimen fish including the huge Carp that you will encounter when you go fishing in La Creuse, Limousin.

Tour de France Accommodation In The Limousin - July 2009

Marliannes Holiday Gites - Special, Tour de France - 3 Day Package Deal
La Creuse, Limousin
3 x 2 bedroom & 1 x 3 bedroom gites, sleeping 2 to 6 people.

These three delightful and expertly renovated holiday gites are available during the La Creuse, Haute Vienne in the Limousin leg of the Tour de France. This is a limited availability offer so please contact the owners as soon as possible for full details to take advantage of this great deal.

Follow the link for more details of the properties and for direct contact with the owners of these lovely holiday gites in the Limousin, France.

Gite in La Creuse, Limousin

Marliannes Gites
La Creuse, Limousin

Located in the beautiful heart of rural France this recently converted barn has been renovated to a very high standard by its owners. Offering you two bedrooms and able to sleep up to six people this Gite includes use of a newly installed, terraced swimming pool and bbq area with table tennis and a petanque pitch also available. Follow the link for full details of this self catering Gite in the Limousin.

Gite in the Haute Vienne, Limousin

La Porcherie Gite
Haute Vienne, Limousin

La Porcherie is a high-quality gite offering accommodation for two people among the tranquil landscape of the Haute Vienne department of the Limousin. Located in the hamlet of Villemonteix, which is at the gateway to the Monts et Barrages National Park the Gite has recently been renovated to a very high standard. The building (which used to house both a piggery and a bread oven) has kept all the character one would expect in a building of this nature (but the pigs have been evicted!). Wooden beams and original stone walls are balanced with the comfort of modern conveniences, resulting in a light and airy place to stay.

Follow the link for full details and owner contact information regarding this delightful Gite in the Limousin

Artisan Brewery In The Limousin

bières23, (named to match the departmental number of the Creuse), is located in St Etienne de Fursac, a small town that sits astride the River Gartempe, about 10 km south of La Souterraine.

After many years brewing award winning beers in England we have created bières23. As devotees of artisan brewing our aim is to produce English and Continental style beers by the high fermentation method, using only natural ingredients, water, malt, hops and yeast.

The 3 vessel brewery was designed and built in Austria to our requirements, for our unique brewhouse. All our beers are fermented and matured in a turn of the century granite cave.

By John Davidson

Bières-23

The Bargains In The French Mountains

By Jim Barnaby.

Those looking to invest in property in France may have to be pretty savvy about it, experts have warned. In such a popular market, especially for British buyers, there are bound to be regional variations in price, making it important for those hunting bargains to do their research before looking to make a purchase.

Yet the bargains are still there. Liz Oliver of property specialists Francophiles told the Guardian at the weekend that "France is still very good value," adding that "if you are prepared to go inland a little bit, prices drop significantly".

Investors may indeed choose to head inland, away from the Cote D'Azur with its sunshine or the Brittany coast with its proximity to Britain, but to where? One option is to head to areas famous for their wineries, but another is to go to the mountains. The Guardian article lists the Pyrenees as an area to find bargains, along with Champagne-Ardennes, Poitou-Charente, and Limousin.

Read the rest of Jim's article at Let's Rent Property In France

Gite Limousin France

Situated in the stunning Haute Vienne department of the Limousin, the gite offers splendid views out onto the beautiful Ambazac Mountains (Monts d'Ambazac).

Our self catering gite is located adjacent to our main house which serves as the bed and breakfast. This enables us to be available should you require anything or have any problems.

For more details visit our Gite In Limousin blog.