france....why do you love it so much

[Mike101]

My brother lives in the south so I'm there often. I adore the place apart from three things...

The taxes
The politicians
The way animals are treated

Apart from the above it's a great place and I'd live there tomorrow.

Mike

[threepot]

I like France. Done the Normandy beaches a few times. My dream trip would be the Picos,then ride back up through France.
Can't get a fresh ground coffee,and a croissant for £2 though. You can in Greggs!

[Spike941]

The weather, the roads and the scenery. Been going to France regularly for the past 45 years, and living there on and off for the past 7 years. I feel just at home in France as I do in the U.K. Sometimes more so. The traveller seems much better catered for in France than most other countries, and for us Brits living in the south, so easy and cheap to get to. So much of France to see, and so little time left to see it.

[900Fantrider]

So much of France to see, and so little time left to see it.

That line summed it all up!

My French affair started in the 80`s for a short while then rekindled in 2003 when out the blue I started looking at property web sites, jumped on my bike a couple of times and ended up with a renovation job 500 miles away on the Loire/Normandy border.
Still not finished!! We lived there for 3 years 07-10 but i had to work harder and longer to stay there. Its been in mothballs for the past 5 years while bad health and an out of control business have consumed us.
Im better now and the business is going to new owners and leaving us to a life of leisure (thumbs)
Back to that line in the quote, We have done the 100 miles around our house (with all the visitors) so a motorhome with 2 bike garage is going to be more suited to see the rest of France (and beyond) because every time i drove to jobs across France there was just so much of it and so many routes to take, there really isnt enough time to see it all!

When I get chance to clear the house Il post a for sale link on here, Russ, it really would suit a little bike tour business (thumbs)

cheers Marc

[3BsBiking]

We love it so much we moved here...
The trails are just amazing and the roads brilliant. There's such an wonderful variety of scenery. And of course the weather is better than the uk (well certainly where we are). Quality of the roads is generally good, unless you go to a department where they've run out of money and there's much less traffic.
But I think what we love most is the sense of community....all our neighbours support what we do. The fishermen love the fact we've cleared the river and mown paths and they always tell us how good they think it is. If we need help we can pop to the nearest farm and Christophe will come down on his tractor. People have time for each other, they're not trying to be better than the neighbours. Restaurants and bars in the local town appreciate the business we bring them. Through the summer there's loads going on, always lots to keep you busy.
Yeah it's not perfect, the red tape is a pain but it's a small price to pay for the other benefits....

[boboneleg]

I love riding the back roads and trails of France, you never know what you're going to see around the next corner, it's such a diverse country.

[-Ralph-]

It's easy to love a place when you're a tourist. Get properly integrated, and that means becoming part of a French family and learning the language fluently, not just living in Brit ex pat bubble in the Dordogne where Tesco's do deliveries, and you see a different side.

Still, I'd rather be living there than here, but only in the South where you get decent weather. If I was to go over there now and live on French wages, I'd never be able to afford to retire, so working here, and retiring there, is my plan.

[Alan29]

It has everything from hot Mediterranean beaches to mountain passes. Excellent food and wine. Superb towns and villages.
And camp sites that make ours look like the one in Carry on Camping. Going to Provence with the caravan for 3 weeks in June. Site has an outdoor heated swimming pool and a restaurant. On the edge of the Vercours national Park, by a river. Expect to pay 15 Euros a night using the ACSI card for us, the van and awning, and leccie. Bargain!

[Neil M]

You've all summed it up already. I've been nearly every year since 2002, first with family camping holidays, now on my annual bike trip. It never fails to amaze me how beautiful the country is. They have it all. As I've mentioned before, I never ride on the motorways and you really do get to see the real France riding through the towns and villages.

Just love it, can't wait until June. I'll be introducing another mate to the experience. I feel it would be selfish not to share these things!!

N.

[hotbulb]

Wine, bread and cheese, not necessarily in that order!
(Nearly forgot, fresh croissants first thing in the morning )