Beautiful by name, beautiful by nature, la belle France is still turning heads.
 Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi.
The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, and you'll find there are plenty of places to indulge yourself. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink to your heart's content, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.
Humans have inhabited France for about 90,000 years. The Celtic Gauls arrived between 1500 and 500 BC; after several centuries of conflict with Rome, Gauls lost the territory to Julius Caesar in 52 BC, and by the 2nd century AD the region had been partly Christianised. In the 5th century the Franks (thus 'France') and other Germanic groups overran the country.
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of the euro in January 2002. At present, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.
When to Go
Spring offers the best weather to visitors, with beach tourism picking up in May. Temperatures aren't too bad in autumn, although the short days mean limited sunlight and the cold starts to make itself felt towards the end of the season, even along the Côte d'Azur. Winter means playing in the snow in France's Alps and Pyrenees, though the Christmas school holidays send hordes of tadpoles in uniform scurrying for the slopes. Mid-July through to the end of August is when most city dwellers take their annual five weeks' vacation to the coasts and mountains, and the half-desolate cities tend to shut down a bit accordingly. The same happens during February and March.
Weather
France has a predominantly temperate climate, with mild winters, except in mountain areas and the northeast. The Atlantic has a profound impact on the northwest, where the weather is characterised by high humidity, often violent westerly winds and lots of rain. France's northeast has a classic continental climate, with fairly hot summers and cold winters. Midway  between the two, the Paris basinboasts the nation's lowest annual precipitation, but rainfall patterns are erratic. The southern coastal plains are subject to a pleasant Mediterranean climate: frost is rare, spring and autumn downpours are sudden but brief and summer is virtually without rain. The south is also the region of the mistral , a cold, dry wind that blows down the Rhône Valley for about 100 days a year. Relentless and unforgiving in spring,it is blamed for sending people into fits of pique.
France : Fast Facts
Location
Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Area
total: 547,030 sq km [211,209 sq mi]
land: 545,630 sq km [210,669 sq mi]
note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas administrative divisions
water: 1,400 sq km [541 sq mi]
Climate
generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.
Population
60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Languages
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
 Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Currency
Euro (€): The new French currency
Bills: 500€ / 200€ / 100€ / 50€ / 20€/ 10€/ 5€
Coins: 2€ / 1€ / 50 cents / 20c / 10c / 5c / 2c / 1c. The Euro is divided into 100 cents. Take a look at bills and coins.
What to Wear
What type of clothing should I pack?
For everyone especially your girls, jeans and nice top will be Ok . Just avoid the baggy stuff or too casual clothes (like old but comfortable tshirt and pants).
Shorts are very tourist except on sunday that is tru for all the family except the boy if it is a kid).
Mainly the parisian teenagers used feminine things. But they do not wear often dress or skirt. As the weather is so-so, do not forget some nice sweaters and umbrellas (or raincoat). If your girls want to shop , try rue de Rivoli. There are a lot of shops such as Zara, H&M, Etam , NafNaf where they can find nice things.
Flora & Fauna
France was entirely wooded before the Neolithic Period, when deciduous forests, principally beeches and oaks, covered the country except for temperate mountain forests composed of firs and piceas, and Mediterranean forests of pines and oaks in the southeast. Because of centuries of intensive agricultural and pastoral activity, the forests have been largely destroyed. Extensive forests now exist only in the mountains, on soils that are unsuitable for agriculture, and in protected forest preserves.
The original fauna, comprised mostly of deer, roebucks, and wild boars, has been virtually eliminated. Since the end of the 19th century, however, programs to protect the natural environment have been implemented, particularly in the national and regional parks. Conifers have been planted in reforestation programs in all parts of the country, and forests now cover 25%of France's land area.
 Shopping in France
Department stores are open Mon-Sat 0900-1830. Some shops close 1200-1430. Food shops open 0700-1830/1930. Some food shops (particularly bakers) open Sunday mornings, in which case they will probably close Monday. Many shops close all day Monday or Monday afternoon. Hypermarkets are normally open until 2100 or 2200.
Nightlife in France
In the important cities like Paris, Lyon or Marseilles, there are nightclubs that do not charge any entrance, although sometimes, probably the drinks are more expensive. Alternatively, the price of the entrance includes a consumption. As alternative, there are many bars and pubs open all night. The tourism offices publish a yearbook and a monthly newspaper of the free events. Are also available several guides with information on the night clubs and events in each city. In provinces, generally French people spend the night eating and drinking, although in the most popular tourist areas there will be discotheques and dance clubs. There are almost 130 public casinos in the country.
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