Europe Travel Guides

Balzac described Corsica as 'a French island basking in the Italian sun', but the island has a singular character that is entirely its own. This beautiful, wild playground is the ultimate combination destination - physical exertion in the elements by day, French wine and cuisine by evening.

Long an industrial centre, Lille's recent history shows how a grimy metropolis, its economy based on declining technologies, can - with the help of generous government investment - transform itself into a glittering and self-confident cultural hub.

Nice, the capital of the Côte d'Azur, is not 'nice' - what an insult! Nice is a sparky, sexy city, with a gritty underside that keeps it grounded. If Nice were a person, it would wear designer cocktail dresses with old army boots, cause lots of trouble and be livid about that insipid adjective.

Paris stimulates the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelt. From romance along the Seine to landscapes on bus-sized canvases to the pick-an-ism types in cafes monologuing on the use of garlic or the finer points of Jerry Lewis, Paris is the essence of all things French.