As pertinently, the queues at the Eiffel Tower don’t yet stretch to Bordeaux, one may tour Versailles without being asphyxiated, have the Sainte Chapelle almost to oneself, and there’s less of a crush around François Pompon’s Polar Bear sculpture at the Musée d’Orsay. There’s a chance of a Six Nations match at the Stade de France, and March’s three-day Printemps du Cinema, or cinema fest, cuts seat prices to £3.30.
The Salon de l’Agriculture – the great farm show assembling all France’s rural abundance in one place – is still in full swing at the Porte de Versailles. Otherwise it’s like going to the safari park and not seeing the lions. March: ParisĬlearly, one has to visit Paris at some point in the French year. Avoid: While in these zones, pieds-et-paquets – sheep’s feet and belly simmered in white wine, thus Provence’s main arm in keeping international tourism at bay. See: Mimosa gloriously in flower a little further along the Riviera coast, from Bormes to Grasse. Drink: Cassis white, from next door along the coast. Doubles from £110, .Įat: Bouillabaisse, Marseille’s full-frontal fish dish starring conger eels and other of God’s uglier maritime creations. Stayįor an arty, stylish seaside hotel that doesn’t break the bank, try Hôtel Napoléon, in a prime location and with a pool. They have, though, some of the finest views available to dead people – the Alps’ last stand dropping direct to the Med – and doubtless fond memories of lemons. Cemeteries topping the town abound in English names, not least rugby trailblazer William Webb Ellis, and Aubrey Beardsley. It didn’t invariably improve their health. In the 19th-century, the favourable weather brought rich ailing Britons to the seaside spot hard against Italy. Processions, music and dancing benefit from the mildest winters in France. Vast floats are confected from a zillion oranges and lemons, as are tableaux in the parks. Whisper it quietly, but it outshines the simultaneous Carnival in Nice just along the Riviera coast by taking itself less seriously, a fine thing for a festival. February: MentonĬolonising most of this month, the Lemon Festival in Menton is certainly the finest citrus fruit-driven event in Europe. Avoid: Paris Fashion Week, unless you crave the company of self-obsessed fools. See: The Med beaches where, right now, yours may be the only footprints in the sand. Doubles from £1,009, en.Įat: Civet de sanglier, or wild boar stew: revenge for the damage they have wreaked in your garden. Le Refuge de Solaise opened before the pandemic as the highest hotel in France, set in a former cable station and offering exceptional mountain views along with a spa. Ok, it’s expensive but, if you want cheap, go to the January sales.
Plus the piste-side purveyors of raclette and tartiflette don’t know you’ve not been skiing. We’re talking dog-sledding, skating, raquet-walking, tobogganing, ice floating (and diving), fat-biking, moon-biking (a complete blast) and every indoor sport known to man at the Aquasportif centre. It’s not only beautiful – mountains, snow, chalets, etc – but also embraces so many non-ski activities that one might spend a fortnight there and never bolt on a ski boot. It takes initiative (and, frankly, the head for heights of a rubber duck) to dig out the ski resort where you don’t need to ski. Any damned fool can go to an Alpine ski resort and ski. Val-d’Isère is a no-brainer, notably for non-skiers. You might like to add your own suggestions in the comments section in case there’s anything we’ve missed. Plus, details of what you might learn of the French as you do so. And then for wherever you may be, there’s also a more general monthly checklist of what to eat, drink, see and avoid throughout the year. This indicates where to visit, month-by-month. Here follows the evidence that France is an any time destination. Presidential elections come and (thank heavens) go – but there’s never a bad moment to visit France.