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France

France is the biggest country in Western Europe and its most popular camping destination. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Andorra and surrounded by the English Channel, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery and landscape France offers is diverse, there are the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees; the river valleys of the Loire, Rhone and Dordogne; the flatter country side of Normandy and the Atlantic coast and the many beaches of the 2900km/1800 miles of coastline.

France is a land of great contrasts, offering an endless choice of destinations, a rich diversity of landscapes, cuisines, climates and peoples, with an exceptional cultural heritage.

The coastline ranges from the chalk cliffs of Normandy and the promontories of Brittany to the fine-sand beaches along the Atlantic, the best place to visit Frances beaches. The south-eastern Mediterranean coast tends to have pebbly, sometimes rocky beaches.

The country\'s longest river, the Loire, runs 1020km (630mi) from the Massif Central to the Atlantic and the Loire Valley is home to the ancient Chateaux. The flat north is home to the Champagne region, a must for wine lovers and the world renowned wine growing region of Burgundy is further south.

The most spectacular of France\'s ancient mountain ranges is the Massif Central, a huge region in the middle of France that covers one-sixth of the country. The Alps and the Pyrenees are home to some of Europe’s most spectacular ski resorts, including Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak at 4800m.

Wildlife

Much of France’s diverse wildlife is facing extinction due to agricultural overkill, pollution and urbanisation but due to re-introduction programs based in France’s national parks, some animals and birds - the chamois (a mountain antelope), the larger bouquetin (a type of ibex), beaver, stork and vulture - still live in the wild.

Weather

The climate in France is generally temperate, with mild winters, except in the mountain areas. In the northwest, the weather is often humid, wet and there can be harsh westerly winds from the Atlantic. The northeast has a classic continental climate, the summers are hot and the winters cold. The Paris basin has the lowest annual precipitation, but rainfall patterns are erratic. The average temperature in Paris is12°C but can drop below zero in winter and reach as high as the mid 30s°C in the summer. The southern coastal enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate with brief spring and autumn downpours but hardly any rain throughout the summer.

The diversity of the country makes France Europe’s most popular camping destination with around 11,000 campsites. These range from minimal facility farm campsites (camping à la ferme) through to luxury holiday parks.