France & Monaco

France can confidently claim to offer it all, from chic city living and haute couture to the glamorous beaches of the Côte d’Azur and the celebrated vineyards of beautiful Burgundy.

A hundred different authors have piled praise on Paris, where the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe are merely hors d’oeuvres in a moveable feast. Just 90 minutes by train from the capital and you’ll find yourself in Burgundy, where wine connoisseurs can link vineyards and villages along the 50-mile Route des Grands Crus.

In the south, the lavender fields of Provence burst into bloom from late June to early August, yet the region holds an irresistible appeal at almost any time of year. Romantic villages perch precariously on hilltops. Historic cities like Arles, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence provide windows to the past. And landscapes range from the snow-covered peaks of the southern Alps to the lagoons of the Camargue and the vast Verdon Gorge, Europe’s answer to the Grand Canyon.

Like a piece of French tailoring, it all ends with a flourish on the shimmering Côte d’Azur. From St Tropez to Monaco, the French Riviera remains the place for the jet-set to see and be seen, its hotels and beach clubs a rival to any on the Mediterranean.