Rugby World Cup 2023: Now is the perfect time to visit France. Photo / Alexander Kagan; Unsplash
Why you should go
With the Rugby World Cup kicking off next week, the sunshine and hot, balmy nights set to linger well into September and a nationwide feel-good atmosphere that only a huge sporting event can conjure, there’s never been a better time to say oui to les vacances en France.
Top spots
All match venues aside, there’s barely a bad place to visit in France. You could plan your entire itinerary around the nation’s favourite pastimes such as eating and drinking, venturing from Champagne to Bordeaux and on to Cognac. Foodies will want to spend time in Camembert, a tiny yet enchanting Normandy village complete with the Maison du Camembert museum and its giant cheese wheel-shaped shop.
It would be remiss to miss the attractions linked to France’s great masters, from Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny to the final resting place of Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise; 45 minutes by car from Paris. Dine at l’auberge Ravoux where Gogh both lodged and died. Should you wish to live like a local, consider self-catering accommodation through Gites de France. Translated as the humble lodgings of a traveller or a pilgrim, gites offer some of the most authentic village and town stays.
Best eats
Dissecting Frace’s best dining experiences in a 300-word round-up seems futile so let’s focus on the country’s unusual offerings. Patrons of three Michelin-starred restaurant Troisgros in Ouches can expect a unique dining experience, with tables focused around an imposing hundred-year-old oak tree, while those staying in Paris should jump aboard Bustronome, a restaurant-cum-repurposed double-decker bus that provides a whistle-stop tour of the capital alongside a four-course feast. A top tip for first-time visitors is to look for “Prix Fixe” menus, usually consisting of three to four courses at a fixed price. At lunchtime especially, you can expect to enjoy high-end cuisine for a lot less cash.
For more to see and do, visit france.fr/en
Jenni Mortimer checks in to see where the hotel's money has been spent.