France

France attracted over 75 million tourists in 2004 (surpassing its population), making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. Recently however, its popularity has been diminishing with the increased convenience of cheaper countries in Eastern Europe. France is one of the classics among tourist countries. It offers mountain ranges, coastlines like in Brittany or along the Mediterranean Sea, cities with a rich cultural heritage, châteaux (castles) like Versailles, countryside, vineyards in Burgundy, Tourism is accountable for 6% of the country's income (4% from French tourists travelling inside France and 2% from foreign tourists), and contributes significantly to the balance of payments.

Paris

The capital city of Paris attacts tourists with museums such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and cathedral of Notre-Dame and dozens of other attractions, for example, Disneyland Paris.

Eastern France

In the eastern parts of France there are skiing resorts in the Alps. Other notable cities are Avignon with the Popes' palace, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Orléans on the Loire River, Toulouse on the Garonne, Strasbourg on the border with Germany, and Lyon.

France's tourist industry, however, is not limited to the towns and cities, Paris and the Alpine ski resorts. All over France rental accommodations and hotels are available. For example, the English like to spend their summers in the Dordogne valley, the Spanish vacation in Biarritz and St Jean de Luz on the Basque coast, and the Irish often visit Lourdes.

France offers a high-speed train service called TGV (train à grande vitesse) as well as regional services, both operated by the SNCF.

Ski resorts

Chamonix,Meribel,Val D'Isere,Courchevel,Val Thorens,La Plagne,Tignes,Alpe D'Huez ,Les Deux Alpes, Les Arcs

Beach resorts

Médoc , Bay of Arcachon, Landes, Basque Coast, Cote d'Azur , Anglet, Antibes, Audierne, Bandol, Brittany's Abers, Cap d'Agde, Benodet, Bormes-les-Mimosas, Cannes, Cassis, Corsica, Cote d'Emeraude, Crozon, D-Day, Douarnenez, Houat And Hoedic, Hyeres, Ile de Re Beach, Iles d'Hyeres, La Baule, La Ciotat, Le Conquet, Locquirec, Malo-les-Bains, Marseille, Nice, Roscoff, Royan, Ste-Maxime, St-Raphael, St-Tropez, Tregastel and Trebeurden, Utah

Spa resorts

Vichy, Les Thermes Berot, Centre Alliance Pornic Thalassothérapie, Prévithal , The Lorrens Health Hydro, Centre de Thalassothérapie Thalgo La Baule, Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, Spa Bleu at Rosières/Joyeuse, Trianon Palace, Versailles, Hotel Martinez, Cannes, Spa Escape in Bordeaux, Mas Candille, Calodae-Thermes de Plombieres, Clos Ermitage, L'Oasis, La Clairiere, Labo Noel, Sulzbad - Soultz Les Bains, Evian Royal Resort, Hotel Du Palais, Hotel de la Tremoille, Le Mas Candille, Camp Biche, OMNISENS, Spa d'Euzet les Bains, Hotel Thalazur Antibes, La Villa Maillot, L'Agapa Hotel & Spa, Mercure Aquaviva Hotel, Mercure Ariana Hotel,

Golf regions

Paris, Orleans, Chantily, Lille, Calais, Nantes, Auray, La Baule, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Avignon, Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, Grenoble, Lyon, Dijon, Reims, Tours, Arras, Le Touquet, Dieppe, Le Havre, St. Malo, Dinard, Reims, Caen, Rouen, Cherbourg, Roskoff, Calais