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Cafe de Paris
Cafe de Paris, France by Celine Ylmz on Unsplash.

Travel Notes: Country Index: France.

French Flag

France Travel Notes is a guide to travel and living in France.

Departments in France

Map of the Departements of France

Map of The Departments of France - France Travel Notes

The numbers before the department are the official code and can be seen on car registration plates and postcodes.

01-Ain; 02-Aisne; 03-Allier; 04-Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; 05-Hautes-Alpes; 06-Alpes-Maritimes; 07-Ardeche; 08-Ardennes; 09-Ariege; 10-Aube; 11-Aude; 12-Aveyron; 13-Bouches-du-Rhone; 14-Calvados; 15-Cantal; 16-Charente; 17-Charente-Maritime; 18-Cher; 19-Correze; 2A-Corse-du-Sud; 2B-Haute-Corse; 21-Cote-d’Or; 22-Cotes-d’Armor; 23-Creuse; 24-Dordogne; 25-Doubs; 26-Drome; 27-Eure; 28-Eure-et-Loir; 29-Finistere; 30-Gard; 31-Haute-Garonne; 32-Gers; 33-Gironde; 34-Herault; 35-Ille-et-Vilaine; 36-Indre; 37-Indre-et-Loire; 38-Isere; 39-Jura; 40-Landes; 41-Loir-et-Cher; 42-Loire; 43-Haute-Loire; 44-Loire-Atlantique; 45-Loiret; 46-Lot; 47-Lot-et-Garonne; 48-Lozere; 49-Maine-et-Loire; 50-Manche; 51-Marne; 52-Haute-Marne; 53-Mayenne; 54-Meurthe-et-Moselle; 55-Meuse; 56-Morbihan; 57-Moselle; 58-Nievre; 59-Nord; 60-Oise; 61-Orne; 62-Pas-de-Calais; 63-Puy-de-Dome; 64-Pyrenees-Atlantiques; 65-Hautes-Pyrenees; 66-Pyrenees-Orientales; 67-Bas-Rhin; 68-Haut-Rhin; 69-Rhone; 70-Haute-Saone; 71-Saone-et-Loire; 72-Sarthe; 73-Savoie; 74-Haute-Savoie; 75-Ville-de-Paris; 76-Seine-Maritime; 77-Seine-et-Marne; 78-Yvelines; 79-Deux-Sevres; 80-Somme; 81-Tarn; 82-Tarn-et-Garonne; 83-Var; 84-Vaucluse; 85-Vendee; 86-Vienne; 87-Haute-Vienne; 88-Vosges; 89-Yonne; 90-Territoire de Belfort; 91-Essonne; 92-Hauts-de-Seine; 93-Seine-Saint-Denis; 94-Val-de-Marne; 95-Val-d’Oise.

The capital city of a departement is called the prefecture.

Local Area Maps of France

Yellow Michelin Department Maps

The yellow local maps by Michelin are the best maps to have to discover the departmental roads, scenic routes and beautiful villages of rural France.

It's better to have two or three of these, if you're travelling extensively in France, than to rely on a more general map of France.

I also update my copy of the Michelin Road Atlas every few years.

France Overview

France is a beautiful and culturally rich country that attracts millions of visitors each year.

Around The Country

France has a diverse landscape, ranging from the Alpine mountains in the east to the coastal beaches in the west.

Famous Landmarks

The country is also home to many famous landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Palace of Versailles, and the Notre-Dame Cathedral; and that's just in Paris.

French Cuisine

France is renowned for its food specialties, which includes croissants, baguettes, macarons, escargots, foie gras, and ratatouille.

The country is also famous for its wine, which is produced in many regions, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne.

Rich History

France has a long and rich history, with a significant impact on the development of Western civilization. It has been involved in many significant events throughout history, including the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and both World War I and II.

France by Region

Some of the original regions reused the names of traditional French provinces, although geographical borders may have differed from those of the provinces.

Map of Pre 2016 Regions in France

Regions of France Map - France Travel Notes

On 1st January, 2016 France reduced the number of metropolitan regions from twenty-two down to thirteen.

Pre 2016 Regions in France

Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes.

France's Neighbours

Countries neighbouring France:
Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain.

The United Kingdom is connected by regular ferries across the North Sea and a train tunnel under it.

DFDS offers three routes to France from th UK: Dover to Calais or Dunkirk, and Newhaven to Dieppe.

Destination Management Companies in France.

France Attractions

Popular Regions in France

Chamonix and French Alps - French Riviera - Loire Valley and French Castles - Provence.

Alsace.

Bas-Rhin (67) - Haut-Rhin (68).

Aquitaine.

Dordogne (24) - Gironde (33) - Landes (40) - Lot-et-Garonne (47) - Pyrenees-Atlantiques (64).

Auvergne.

Allier (03) - Cantal (15) - Haute-Loire (43) - Puy-de-Dome (63).

Basse-Normandie.

Calvados (14) - Manche (50) - Orne (61).

Bourgogne.

Cote-d'Or (21) - Nievre (58)-  Saone-et-Loire (71) - Yonne (89).

Bretagne.

Cotes-d'Armor (22) - Finistere (29) - Ille-et-Vilaine (35) - Morbihan (56).

Centre.

Cher (18) - Eure-et-Loir (28) - Indre (36) - Indre-et-Loire (37) - Loir-et-Cher (41) - Loiret (45).

Champagne-Ardenne.

Ardennes (08) - Aube (10) - Marne (51) - Haute-Marne (52).

Corse (Corsica).

Corse-du-Sud (2A) - Haute-Corse (2B).

Franche-Comte.

Doubs (25) - Jura (39) - Haute-Saone (70) - Territoire de Belfort (90).

Haute-Normandie.

Eure (27) - Seine-Maritime (76).

Ile-de-France.

Essonne (91) - Hauts-de-Seine (92) - Paris (75) - Seine-et-Marne (77) - Seine-Saint-Denis (93) - Val-de-Marne (94) - Val-d'Oise (95) - Yvelines (78).

Languedoc-Roussillon.

Aude (11) - Gard (30) - Herault (34) - Lozere (48) - Pyrenees-Orientales (66).

Limousin.

Correze (19) - Creuse (23) - Haute-Vienne (87).

Lorraine.

Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) - Meuse (55) - Moselle (57) - Vosges (88).

Midi-Pyrenees.

Ariege (09) - Aveyron (12) - Haute-Garonne (31) - Gers (32) - Lot (46) - Hautes-Pyrenees (65) - Tarn (81) - Tarn-et-Garonne (82).

Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Nord (59) - Pas-de-Calais (62).

Pays de la Loire.

Loire-Atlantique (44) - Maine-et-Loire (49) - Mayenne (53) - Sarthe (72) - Vendee (85).

Picardie.

Aisne (02) - Oise (60) - Somme (80).

Poitou-Charentes.

Charente (16) - Charente-Maritime (17) - Deux-Sevres (79) - Vienne (86).

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur.

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) - Hautes-Alpes (05) - Alpes-Maritimes (06) - Bouches-du-Rhone (13) - Var (83) - Vaucluse (84).

Rhone-Alpes.

Ain (01) - Ardeche (07) - Drome (26) - Isere (38) - Loire (42) - Rhone (69) - Savoie (73) - Haute-Savoie (74).

Weather in France

Our favourite place for the French weather forecast is Meteo France.

France Maps and Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Best Road Trips France (Road Trips Guide) France 2023 - Tourist & Motoring atlas (Michelin Road Atlases)

France Travel Guides - France Maps.

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