Where do the French go on holiday in France?

Just where do the French go on holiday in France?! I get asked this a lot. And I must tell you, the French have their favourite destinations and secret places that aren’t so well known to visitors but should be!

France is the most popular tourist destination in the world and it’s easy to see why – world class art, magnificent architecture, more than 40,000 chateaux and fortresses, glorious beaches, snowy mountains, historic cities, picturesque villages – the sheer diversity of the culture, landscapes and attractions of France is staggering. And when you’ve ticked off those must-see sites off your list – the Palace of Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, a dazzling little island that makes you feel you have stepped back centuries, the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum and the sun-kissed French Riviera, the boulevards of Paris and the majestic castles of the Loire Valley – there are a million more thrilling sites and places to discover – prehistoric caves, troglodyte villages, the steep cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, the medieval old town of Annecy in Savoie and Claude Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, Normandy.

So where do the French go faced with all this choice?

Where do the French go on holiday?

Well in fact they do go to all the most popular places, because even the French love to go to the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the views from the top, a glass of Champagne in the bar, and to Versailles Palace of course… who can resist the bling bling? But they do have their favourites. And they like to travel mostly by car or by train.

And here’s a fun fact for the drivers – a rather mind-boggling 30% of all the traffic roundabouts in the world are in France. They just love a roundabout here! The very first one in the world was at the Place de l’Etoile (Star Square), now called Place Charles de Gaulle, with the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon Bonaparte, in the middle. A nightmarish twelve boulevards converge on that roundabout, and it’s said that if you’re involved in an accident driving round the circle, insurance companies split the cost fifty-fifty as each driver is considered at fault. Allegedly it’s the only place in the city where an accident is not judged.

French Riviera

So where do the French go to in their cars and on the trains. Well, one of the most popular places in France for summer holidays is the French Riviera – possibly no surprises there! Les vacances (holidays), are chance to leave behind the routine of daily grind, what the French refer to as metro, boulot, dodo (subway, work, sleep). Whether it’s a summer beach break or a winter ski break, French holidays involve getting up late, lingering around the lunch table for hours, soaking up fresh air, evenings spent relaxing. And the French Riviera is a great place to relax. And eat. And drink. And swim. And tan. And nap.

Provence

Provence is also really popular. Just as many French head to Provence in the summer as visitors. And I’m not surprised – lavender fields, hilltop villages, Aix-en-Provence, Roman ruins, festivals, wine tasting, I mean – what’s not to love.

Le Touquet Paris-Plage

But the French also have their secret favourite places that most visitors don’t know about. Like Le Touquet Paris-Plage. Now this little seaside town is in the far north of France, around two hours from Paris by train. In fact, it’s just down the road from where I live. Its name pays homage to the affection Parisians have for it. It’s nicknamed the Monaco of the north. In the early 20th century, it was one of the first jet setter resorts.

The great British writer H G Wells eloped here in 1909. Noël Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Cecil Beaton, and Ian Fleming all holidayed here. In fact, Ian Fleming based his iconic Bond, 007, story “Casino Royale” on Le Touquet’s casino. Winston Churchill was a fan and Queen Elizabeth II holidayed here as a teenager and learned to sand yacht on the beach in the 1930s, and did you know that this was begun by local resident Louis Bleriot, the first man to fly a plane across the English Channel. The famous Dolly sisters, vaudeville performers who captured the hearts of men around the world strolled along the front with their pet tortoises set with a pair of four-carat blue diamonds by Cartier, given to them by millionaire Harry Selfridge, of London Selfridges fame), Sean Connery signed his first James Bond contract in the town.

Royal families, Maharajas, politicians, Hollywood stars and millionaires – in those days, if you were famous or rich, then you stayed at Le Touquet which was in its heyday throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

If you were disgustingly rich in the 1930s you stayed at the Royal Picardy Hotel- then the biggest hotel in the world. It had 500 rooms, 120 lounges, 50 apartments so big each one had its own swimming pool. PG Wodehouse of Jeeves and Wooster fame rented a room there and wrote a book of short stories with Guy Plum – one of which was the basis for the Hollywood film “Anything Goes”. Cole Porter stayed there and wrote the music for “Anything Goes” – on the piano at the casino across the road.

The French singer Serge Gainsbourg got his first singing break here, singing at Flavio restaurant – it’s still there!

It’s still quite swanky in Le Touquet, though a bit more genteel these days. I once saw Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie there! Alas the hotel is no longer, it was largely destroyed during the Second World War. Anyway, if you’re looking for a seaside holiday with a difference, come to my neck of the woods. Le Touquet is chic, but to either side along the Opal Coast are loads more seaside towns, traditional fishing villages where fishermen sell fresh fish from their boats in their front gardens and belle epoque villas.

Normandy

Deauville in Normandy is another of the in-places to go, especially for Parisians. It’s not far from Paris and it’s very chic and trendy. Hmmm a bit of a theme here – do the French like chic and trendy? I think it must be the case! Anyway, Deauville is where Coco Chanel opened her first shop. It is very manicured and smart, and people dress up on holiday here – this is the place to see and be seen. But just down the road is Trouville which is also lovely but not quite so chichi… and Honfleur is also close by with its beautiful little port and traditional fishermen’s houses and winding little streets of art galleries – the impressionists loved it here.

Corsica and island hopping

And another secret place that the French love – the island of Corsica where Napoleon Bonaparte was born. 80% of Corsica’s visitors are from the French mainland – they know a good thing when we see it! I went on a cruise around the island with CroisiEurope, the French cruise company and there were passengers mainly from France but also America, Canada, Australia and the UK. We departed from Nice and went all around Corsica, stopping at historic cities, visiting gorgeous villages and exquisite beaches. Just magical.

Mon dieu, I am sharing all the secrets of the places the French like to keep for themselves! But I don’t think anyone will mind! So, I will share more!

The French love island hopping. France has about 1300 islands but less than 30 are permanently inhabited and most are great for day trips but don’t have a lot of accommodation. However, the chichi Ile de Ré just off the coast of La Rochelle is one of the most favourites – but it can get very busy in the summer. If you like it quieter, next-door Ile d’Aix is also very lovely, no cars there, and not so busy, less restaurants and places to stay but if you love Caribbean style silky beaches and hollyhocks growing wild – you will love it. And fabulous seafood too.

Foodie holidays

Ah yes, holidays for the French are also about food. I don’t know about you but sometimes the things I remember most when I’m travelling involve the food I get to try. When you luck out and stumble upon vibrant little village squares, tables set around a shady plane tree, chairs that wobble on cobbles, lace-curtained cafés and vintage-looking bistros that proudly boast their plat du jour on a board, their menus boasting local and traditional dishes, tarte Tatin, cassoulet, moules frites, salad niçoise, changing with the seasons or according to what was available at the market – bliss is guaranteed.

Aurillac is in le Cantal in Auvergne, an area called Le Pays Vert (the Green County) due to its pristine nature where the Salers, the famous local cows live, eat and produce a wonderful milk. They also gave their name to the best type of Cantal cheese.

Belle Isle en Mer, off the coast of Brittany is not just gorgeous, it’s also delicious: local spring lamb, crepes Bretonnes (the best are at Les Embruns in Sauzon), a lot of fresh lobsters and fish simply grilled and seasoned with Sauce au Beurre, made with some local pasture-fed salted butter and wild dill picked from the beach.

One of my most memorable foodie experiences was in Carcassonne, another French holiday favourite. I had visited the amazing Citadel and decided to walk to the lovely town at the bottom of the hill called Bastide Saint-Louis and just as I got to the bottom of the hill where the citadel sits, the heavens opened. It was a hot day, a bit like taking a shower as the rain poured. I dived, not literally of course though it was raining a lot, I dived under the awning of a little restaurant called Bloc G to wait out the rain.

I ordered a glass of wine, and watched people splashing by and got lost in the moment and then suddenly it was time for dinner, so I just stayed and the owner came out and chatted to me and made recommendations and the home-cooked food was just so wonderful. That was 7 years ago and if I shut my eyes, I can still remember the smell and the taste of tiny little shellfish called tellines, fried in olive oil, garlic and parsley…

Ardeche

Ardèche is sometimes called the “other Provence”, and it’s a firm French holiday favourite. Lavender fields, glorious countryside, perched villages, medieval villages, majestic gorges, less crowds, it’s offers the perfect mix of Frenchness, sunshine, beautiful landscapes, things to visit and… gastronomy. It’s all about being relaxed there, enjoying good food, and being outside all the time. And there is a town named JOYEUSE. Happy in French. Who can resist.

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com