France, a country in Western Europe considered by many as the world's most popular tourist destination and renowned for its gastronomy, history, culture and fashion. It has a population of 64.5 million people.  

Get in: 

Being a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement, citizens from other member countries do not need a visa to get into France. If unsure regarding this policy, inquire at your travel agent or call the local consulate or embassy of France. 

When you're coming by plane, you would most probably land in Roissy - Charles de Gaulle, France's main international airport.

Other airports in France are:

• Paris - Orly
• Bordeaux
• Clermont-Ferrand
• Lille
• Lyon
• Marseille
• Nantes
• Nice
• Toulouse
• Beauvais

If you choose to come by train, the French rail company, SNCF, provides direct service from most European countries using regular trains. The Eurostar service uses high-speed trains to connect Lille and Paris with London, the latter via the Calais-Dover channel tunnel. The Thalys service also uses high-speed TGV trains to connect Paris to Brussels and onward to cities in the Netherlands and Germany.

Buses are not really reliable when coming in because there is no single national bus service. Furthermore, buses are limited to local mass transit or departmental/regional service. There is one bus company you can use though. Eurolines is a private bus service that connects over 500 destinations, covering the whole of the continent and Morocco. Eurolines allows traveling from Sicily to Helsinki and from Casablanca to Moscow.  

Get around: 

You can get around fast if you fly. It will cost you though.

Driving in France is nice because of the well developed highway system. If you plan on renting a car, choose a small car. It will help you in parking.

You can choose to hitchhike which is very common in France. It may take a while before you can catch a ride so be patient. When one does come along, they are usually friendly and they would appreciate it if you spoke a little French. They also don't expect you to pay or give a token of thanks.

Trains are great and can take you almost anywhere. French information booths, especially in larger train stations, can be quite unhelpful, especially if you do not understand much French. If something does not seem to make sense, just say "excusez-moi" or ex qu say mwa, and they should repeat it.  

See: 

• Architecture
• Culture
• Literature
• Arts
• Marianne
• Sports

• Tour
• Sightseeing
• Camping
• Eat
• Shop
• Nightlife

Other European countries are nearby and easily accessible.

• The Canal du Midi