Archive for 'Day Trips in France'

Giverny is a famously idyllic town that is today best-known as the location of Monet’s beautiful and immortalised home and gardens. In addition to this main attraction, the pretty town itself, the surrounding landscapes, and several other museums and destinations associated with various other Impressionist artists who came and worked in Giverny, make it a pretty magical place to spend a day. Many who find a vacation rental in Paris take a day train out to the town and return in the evening but also if you have found a holiday rental in Normandy, the region in which Giverny is located, it is well worth setting aside time to plan a day-trip to this impossibly picturesque corner of the world. 

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Corsica is a place of truly incredible natural beauty. With beaches in technicolour hues that look as though they aren’t even real, craggy cliff sides plummeting into those azure waters, rocky peaks hiding picturesque lakes, impressive gorges waiting to be explored, endless hiking routes, lush forests, and much more besides, there is a whole wealth of natural bounty to discover and enjoy if you have found a villa in Corsica. However, if you are interested in the occupants of this landscape and not just enjoying the surroundings, then we highly recommend a visit to A Cupulatta while you are on vacation in Corsica. This 2-hectare sanctuary and nature park is home to a wide selection of turtles and tortoises from all over the world and makes for a brilliant day out for any animal-lovers, kids, or people who are young at heart among your travel party!

Located on the main T20 road that goes through the commune of Vero, on the west coast of the island, 17km north-east of Ajaccio, the park is nestled into the side of a wooded hill with a river flowing through the area, affording shade and refreshing cool to the park’s occupants even during the hottest summer days. Spread over two hectares, the park is unique in Europe and is devoted to the breeding, studying, and protecting of land tortoises and turtles from all around the globe. There are around 130 different species in total and over 2,000 animals. 

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France has a stunning landscape that varies from craggy cliffs slapped by impressive Atlantic waves to Alpine peaks capped by snow to rolling fields of vibrant purple lavender and plenty in between. Those who like a bit of adventure, therefore, and getting out to wander, hike, and explore, will find plenty to keep them occupied. Particularly if you find a vacation rental in Provence and come discover the south of the country, with its picture-perfect Mediterranean strands, lush agricultural plains, diverse and rich flora hugging the coast, idyllic ski resorts, and more, you’ll have endless options of outdoor pursuits and adventures to choose from. One specific destination that boasts lots of incredible sights and natural attractions is the area of Camargue, a natural region located south of Arles, and between the Mediterranean and the two arms of the Rhône Delta. Boasting an incredibly diverse flora and fauna, stunning wetlands, and its famous pink lakes where salt is mined, this incredible part of France is a place where one can indulge in bird-watching, hiking, cycling, riverboat trips, horse riding, days at the beach, and much more besides. One of the most important wetlands in Europe and one of the most distinctive landscapes in France, this wonderful gem is a must-see for the outdoorsy types who are planning a vacation in France...

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This incredibly striking beauty is Verdon Gorge, one of the finest natural attractions in all of France and part of the hilly, or Alpine, portion of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Beyond the perfect beaches and glamorous seaside towns of the Riviera and the lavender fields, olive groves, and vineyards of Provence you will find a landscape that is a little wilder, more rugged, less pastoral but no less stunning. Head north of Nice or East from Avignon and you're going to quickly move from fields to hilly landscapes to the limestone massifs of the Alpine foothills, where rivers flowing down from the peaks of the Alps have carved deep and impressive valleys into the land over millions of years.

Cue the Verdon Gorge, created by the Verdon running from its source near the Italian border south to Castellane and then west to meet with the Durance, near Manosque. Between these two towns of Castellane and Manosque, we find the most exceptionally picturesque creation of the Verdon, a deep canyon that is considered the second largest in the world after America's iconic Grand Canyon and which attracts thousands of visitors annually who come to enjoy various leisure pursuits and to simply enjoy the view. If you have found a vacation rental in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and are a nature-lover enjoying the wonderful scenery of the region, be sure to pull yourself away from the softer, picture-perfect landscapes of lavender fields and beaches and come discover the more dramatic and breath-taking panoramas of this part of France.     Read More