FRANCE

QUICK FACTS

Capital Paris
Currency euro
Area 547,030 sq km
Population 59,900,300
Language French
Calling Code 33
Internet TLD .fr

IN SHORT:
France is a country located in Western Europe and ideal country to visit. Full of diversities, charm and no matter what You heard of French people, most of them are quite nice and most of them do speak English. However, my personal experience showed that is good to at least say Hello on French, show them respect in that way and after that they are quite nice and friendly.
France is one of the most popular destinations for travellers in Continental Europe, boasting dozens of major tourist attractions. The country is renowned for its gastronomy (particularly wines and cheeses), history, culture and fashion.

France is divided into seven main "cultural regions", which share common points.

1. The Ile de France is the region surrounding the French capital, Paris.

2. The North is one region where the world wars have left many scars. It includes Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, and Haute-Normandie.

3. The North-East is a region where wider European culture (and specially German culture) has merged with the French, giving interesting results. It includes Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne and Franche-Comte, probabla the most beautiful part.

4. The Great West is an oceanic region, with a culture greatly influenced by the ancient Celtic peoples. It includes Brittany (French: Bretagne), Basse-Normandie, and Pays de la Loire.

5. The Centre is a largely agricultural and vinicultural region, featuring river valleys, chateaux and historic towns. It includes Centre-Val de Loire, Poitou-Charentes, Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), Limousin, and Auvergne.

6. The South-West is a region of sea and wine, with nice beaches over the Atlantic ocean, as well as young, high mountains close to Spain. It includes Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees.

7. The South-East is the primary tourist region of the country outside of Paris, with a warm climate and azure sea, contrasting with the mountainous French Alps. It includes Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the Mediterranean island of Corsica (French: Corse).

8. The world-famous Loire Valley - best known for its wines and chateaux - extends across two regions in west and central France.

France has nunerous cities and towns of interest to travelers. Here are my favorites:

Paris - some parts are breathtaking, some are dissapointing. Still, it is Paris and lot of people will choose to visit it before other French towns. My advice: don't expect too much and follow tours and visit places suggested in guides, cos trying to discover Paris on your own may turn out to be dissapointment.
Lyon - France's second city, some may even find it cooler than Paris, two rivers joining together ih the heart of the city is quite spectacular. Lot of young people live and study here and Lyon is a place I recommend.
Strasbourg - Capital of Europe, very very nice, full of diversities - from old town to modern EU parliment. Explore it as much as you can.
Toulouse - very nice and lively city, could be very interesting for young people

No matter what you may have heard, I suggest you avoid:
Cannes - stuck up and not nice at all
Marseille - big harbor and nothing else

MUST DO'S

The country is famous for its gastronomy, particularly wine and cheese, so eating and drinking is a must do in France. It is a way of life in a way - French people don't have club lifestyle like people in Croatia and other countries (like Italy). Instead, they enjoy dinners in restaurants in cool atmosphere created by nice music. No wonder lounge bars originate from France and visit them as much as you can. Don't be typical tourist and go to Buddha bar in Paris, cos that place is stuck up and there is absolutly nothing special about it. Rather visit Alcazar, Man Ray and Hotel Costes in Paris.

Food:
France has international reputation for fine dining, and it is well earned. There are many places to try French food in France, so don't hesitate. Prices vary, but you can always find nice and cheap lunch or dinner (plat de jour) at almost every corner, especially in big cities. In general, one should try to eat where the locals do for the best chance of a memorable meal, so be sure to check it with local folks, Tourist Office or in your hotel/hostel/B&B.
All restaurants are not open for lunch and dinner, nor are they open all year around. It is therefore advisable to check carefully the opening times and days. A restaurant open for lunch will usually start service at noon and accept patrons until 14.00. Dinner is served between 19:30 and patrons are accepted until 21:30. Restaurants with longer service hours are usually found only in the larger cities.

Pastries
Pastries are a large part of French cooking and can be found in "patisserie". Do not miss!

Cheese
France is certainly THE country of cheese, with nearly 400 different kinds. Ask local folks for local cheese, don't be ashemed to asked for thier recommendation on local cheese speciality, when it comes to food, French people are very helpfull.

Drink
France is the home of wine, and it can be found everywhere. Prices vary, but don't worry - no matter how much money you have, you will always fine wine for that amount. I suggest visiting wine Chateau and enjoy wine and cheese.

Accomodations:
Finding nice yet cheap accomodation in France is easy. Hotels come in 4 categories from 1 to 4 stars. Rates vary according to accommodation, location and sometimes high or low season or special events. However, small private hotels, Formule 1 hotels and B&B can be quite cheap and most of them are very nice and clean, ideal for budget travelelers. Avoid, as much as you can, hotels near the train station, they will rearly give you the prica you will see on their door, and rooms are ... no comment. However, plenty of other small hotels and B'n'B make finding right accomodation in France easy task.