France is the top tourist destination in the world, which comes as no surprise since it has many spectacular attractions. Indeed, France is home to many historic and interesting sites which are all equally captivating, which is why you might have a hard time knowing where to start. It doesn’t matter where you do, though, as long as you visit these top France attractions during your stay.
Chateau de Versailles
Versailles is one of the most popular France attractions for its historical significance and outstanding beauty. Located just a few miles outside of Paris, the palace still exudes the grandeur of a royal residence – which it was from 1682 to 1789. It has 700 rooms, the most popular of which are the royal bedchambers, the Hall of Mirrors and the Salon of Hercules, all decorated with ornate furniture and beautiful artworks. Its subsidiary buildings, the Trianon and the Lanterne Pavilion, are also magnificent, and its gardens are among the most stunning in the world.
Grand Louvre
Some of the best France attractions are excellent museums such as the famous Louvre. The Louvre Museum houses more than 400,000 pieces distributed into three wings, including over 6,000 masterpieces from French, Spanish, Italian and other European painters. It is particularly known as the home of the ‘Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo da Vinci, which is one of the most controversial works of art ever produced. Aside from being a world-renowned museum, the Louvre is also one of the central landmarks in Paris, with its distinct pyramid situated on the right bank of the River Seine. The equally interesting Georges Pompidou Centre and the Musee d’Orsay are only a short drive away.
Eiffel Tower
It goes without saying that a trip to France is not complete without climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where the views of the city are spectacular, or at least having your photo taken against its magnificent structure. After all, the Eiffel Tower remains the most distinct symbol of France, although it no longer holds the distinction of being the tallest building in the world. It is especially amazing at night when it is illuminated, truly contributing to the romantic ambience of the City of Lights.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
‘Notre Dame’ means ‘Our Lady’ in French, which is why there are many Catholic churches in France bearing the name. The one that readily comes to mind, though, is the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, best known for being featured in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Even if it were not, though, it would still surely draw visitors for its rich history dating back from the 12th century and more notably, for its remarkable Gothic architecture. In fact, the Notre Dame de Paris is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world. Other impressive cathedrals in France include those in Rodez, Reims and Strasbourg.
Chambord Castle
France is overflowing with romantic attractions, including fairy tale castles such as the Chateau de Chambord. This castle, which was built under the reign of King Francois I, is one of the most popular in France and all over the world, distinct for its impressive French renaissance architecture. Its unsymmetrical yet elaborate roofscape is particularly astonishing, with eleven kinds of towers and three different types of chimneys. Its most famous architectural feature, though, is its double staircase which ascends three floors, reportedly the work of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Loire Valley
During your vacation in France, don’t just linger in Paris. Rather, make it a point to discover the beauty of the French countryside, like the Loire Valley. Aside from the Chombard Castle, the Loire Valley offers many other enchanting castles, as well as charming towns and historic cities like Bourges and Orleans. It is also known for its excellent wine and breathtakingly romantic natural scenery, earning it the title of the Garden of France, which is why it is one of the best France attractions in itself.
If you still have some time left, you can also visit other France attractions, such as the Futuroscope, the Fontainebleau Forest and the beautiful beaches of the French Riviera. While you won’t be able to visit them all, you might as well try to see as many of the scenic spots in France as you can, so you can truly say that you have experienced France instead of merely visiting it – an experience sure to be on the top of your list for a lifetime.
Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including France, by car. Zencarhire.com offer car hire from many locations throughout France, including, car hire Toulouse airport. To book a France car rental, or learn more about car hire worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com
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A travel club is ideal when you don’t want to enjoy your vacation alone and you’re willing to mingle with other people and build new friendships on the road. If you’re racing against the clock, here are a few tips to get you the best travel club for your needs in an instant.
What is the Forthcoming Trip?
Not everyone has the luxury to enjoy vacation leaves any time of the year. Dates have to be planned, reserved, and they need to meet the approval of your employer or won’t create problems with your business schedule.
The first thing you need to consider when searching a travel club at the last minute is its next scheduled trip. It is especially essential when the vacation date is just round the corner. The next trip must coincide with those dates or there’s no point joining that particular club.
Second thing is, consider the price you will pay for the scheduled tour. Can your budget accommodate it? Bankrupting yourself because of last minute travel plans isn’t just impractical but unnecessary, too. You will find a travel club of your liking and one you can afford. Believe that. Patience is Important here!
Consider the nature of the trip as well as the activities involved. Again, there’s no point joining a travel club when none of its scheduled trips appeal to you. Find one that matches your interests.
Requirements for Joining
For better chances of success and enjoyment, choose a travel club with specific requirements for its members. Such requirements further ensure that members are of like mind and there’s a higher probability that members will find equal enjoyment in the club’s scheduled trips.
If there’s a membership fee being charged, how much is it? Can you afford it? What are your payment options? Can you pay it by installment or via credit card? What’s the estimate completion time for the entire joining process? Will you make it in time for your scheduled vacation leave? If you have a few people in mind who you’d like to join a travel club with you, do you think they’ll be able to comply with the requirements?
Type of Company
One other important thing you need to consider is the company you’ll keep while traveling. In some cases, travel clubs allow people of all walks of life to get together. This is both potentially exciting and troublesome. Are you ready for either consequence?
If you wish to be safe rather than sorry, you should more patiently be searching for a travel club. Very soon, you will find one that makes sure its members have certain similarities with each other. There are travel clubs based on a certain profession like architects and doctors. Other travel clubs are made up of members from a specific geographic area, like a particular city or state. Some could be based on nationality of yours, the high school from where you graduated, or anything else. What’s important to know is whether these requirements can make the trip more enjoyable for you.
Rules and Regulations
Finally, consider the other rules and regulations the travel club has. These could curb or enhance your enjoyment so pay attention to them. They could make a huge difference with your future travel plans. Read the fine line before signing on the dotted line. Congratulations if you are satisfied! You’ve found the travel club you need.
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The secret to squeezing the most value out of your vacation is to plan your trip thoroughly and to plan your trip well in advance. No matter what your vacation plans look like, whether your planning a family trip, a trek around the world, or a relaxing couple of days on the beach with you and your sweetheart, the thoughts of cost and budgeting are always looming in the back of your mind.
Everyone loves to travel and vacation. No change in the global economy will ever change that. This makes sense when you consider that travel is not just a fun pastime, but an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Travel allows us the opportunity to slow down and recuperate, relax and rekindle our romance, creativity and peace of mind.
However, today, more than ever it is important that we spend our vacation dollars wisely, and look for value and money saving strategies and shortcuts wherever we can find them. We must look for ways to stretch our vacation dollars further today than we ever have in the past. And that is what this article aims to help you accomplish.
Many people assume that when the economy gets tight and they are forced to start pinching pennies, that they will have to do away with the family vacation plans altogether. That is not necessarily the case, and would actually be a bad idea. As I already mentioned, travel is not just a luxury, it is a necessity for living a healthy, well balanced life, physically, emotionally and mentally.
The Little Things Count Big
When you are planning out the itinerary for your upcoming vacation, keep in mind that even the smallest things can add up to big savings.
Things like, all those extra hotel amenities, cab-fares, hospitality tips, meals at restaurants, car rentals, gas for your own vehicle if on a road trip, tickets for special attractions or events, beach-and-pool-side drinks (if not at an all-inclusive resort or cruise) and more, adds up fast on and can get out of control before you know it!
There are many un-seized opportunities to save some cash in the process. In the following paragraphs I am going to lay out for you several ways to add some big savings to your vacations bottom line.
Proper Planning
It is important when preparing for you vacation that you create a precise plan of action… not just this years vacation, but for several years out. What places do you most want to visit in the next five to ten years? What are some of your dream adventures and secret ambitions that you would like to accomplish before you get too old?
The reality is, travel and vacation plans should be treated like any other planned financial decision in life. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about mortgage payments, car payments, tuition, health care, insurance or any other life-expense. Travel and vacation is justified and ‘sold’, as just another important item on the list to think about and budget for, and that is how you should treat it as well.
Knowing Your Destination Before You Go
You should take the time and initiative to learn everything you can about your intended vacation destination before you go. Knowledge empowers us to make better decisions and take better actions in life. The more knowledgeable you can become about your destination before you get there the smoother your vacation will be and the more money you are likely to save.
You should be able to gather all of the information that you need to sufficiently research your vacation destination simply by doing a Google search online, or by writing to or calling the local tourism board or chamber office at your destination of choice.
The more you know about your vacation destination, the less likely you are to be taken advantage of, exploited or extorted by excessive prices and/or misrepresentation.
Save Some Green by Traveling Green
Biking and walking tours can be a unique and fun adventure, a great way to see some of the more off-the-beaten-path spots that the masses tend to miss, and can also be a great way to save you some cash at the same time. Taking a walk around your vacation destination, or getting around on a rental bicycle can be a great option not only for relaxing and saving money but also a great opportunity to see and notice things that would be too easily missed in the hurried pace of an automobile. If your destination does not allow for very easy navigation on foot or bicycle, you should consider using some form of public transportation within the area. This can be a great way to save some money and allows you the opportunity to mingle with the locals and make some new aquaintences.
Don’t Overdo It in The Luggage Department
One major mistake that is unfortunately made far too often by travelers is way overdoing it while packing. Except for the inconvenience, there are also charges and fees for overages. You have to deal with having to ship personal belongings home, leaving some items at the airport, packing and unpacking bags, removing items and more! All these actions are responsive and costly options. Pack and travel light. Think minimalism when packing. Pick items that will suit and serve you well, multi-purpose, functional, mix and match well, are durable and easy-care. Essentials rather than outfit and accessory, fashion and color-coded planning dictating the bulging suitcase.
A Great Call When It Comes To Saving Money
Pre-paid phone cards are a great idea for gifts for travelers. They are a good alternative to making long distance phone calls from your hotel-room, cabin or any-place else on location where you find yourself vacationing. Many people think that the advent of cell phones has remedied this problem. But keep in mind that some places you are visiting might have limited or no cell coverage, and/or you might be in an area that is considered to be roaming for your carrier, and if that is the case you could end up being charged a bundle on your next cell phone bill. This is another reason why carrying a few calling cards along with you is a good idea.
Membership Has It’s Privileges
One of the best ways to save possibly thousands of dollars on all of your vacations is to utilize the bonuses and incentives of a Vacation Membership Club. Vacation membership clubs operate in much the same fashion as wholesale clubs like Costco and Sams Club. You pay a small fee to be a part of the club, but the savings, value and benefits that your membership makes available to you far outweigh the small cost to join the program. There are several options on the market when it comes to shopping for a good vacation club membership, but I have researched them all and have found that the best option with the highest quality vacation benefits, and the lowest cost of membership is a company called Resorts 360. The Resorts 360 Vacation Club provides its members with discounts of up to 80% at over 4000 Resort destinations around the world, as well as discounts on hotels, cruises and more. Resorts 360 also offers one of the most low-cost and easily affordable to everyone membership in the industry. At less than $200 to get started, and potential savings of $1,200 or more on your very first vacation, joining this type of vacation club is a no-brainer.
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