France has more than 500 golf courses on offer: Robert Trent Jones, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Hawtree and Simpson have conceived some of Europe’s finest greens.
Whether you are a lover of traditional golf circuits, American-style courses, links, inland or mountain greens, Maison de la France has just what you’re looking for with France Golf International: a selection of golf courses unrivalled in Europe.
Combine quality golfing and French art de vivre with prime playing conditions and accommodation and confirmed starting times year-round.
France has enormously varied landscapes all along its 5,500 kilometre coastline. From the long beaches of the Landes to the rocky coasts of Brittany and the secret coves of the Mediterranean, take the coastal paths and explore nature, somewhere between land and sea.
Northern France has immense beaches, and the air is invigorating. From Le Touquet, you can explore the Opal Coast on foot or on horseback on trails starting from the town centre. A great route to start off with is the 16 km of the Argousier - and on your way to the dunes of "Croc-à-Marie", south of the resort, you might even catch a few shrimps!
The surf appears first in the Basque Country, where powerful breakers roll in majestically from the distant north west at Guéthary and Barre, at the bottom of that natural pocket so feared by sailors. And the Gulf Stream, a warm current washing our coasts, benefits micro-climates. That's where the "leash" and "go-home" are invented.
There's surf along the coasts of the Landes as well, where the breakers from the North Atlantic spend their power along the immense sandy beach extending from the Adour to the Garonne.
The surf virus catches on fast on the coasts of Vendée, Britanny and Normandy, in the colder waters, towards regions with a well-established maritime culture.
Even the Mediterranean … and the Corsicans can't resist surf mania. Here the surfer has to deal with shorter breakers coming from all parts of the Mediterranean, and winds from the land which are sometimes violent.
With over 8000 km of pistes, France has the largest ski areas in the world.
There is something for everyone, from family-oriented village resorts to the purpose-built resorts where you can ski from your doorstep. There is alpine skiing, nordic skiing, all the new snow-riding techniques, as well as a large range of "natural" activities (snow-shoes, dog-sledding, tours following marked routes...)
France's ski resorts are spread out through 7 major ski areas: the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps, the Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Jura, the Massif central and in Corsica.