Northern France – Top Hidden Gems

Europe is becoming more and more borderless, with access between neighbouring countries getting easier year on year. Where previously border-crossing was a time-consuming and stressful experience, nowadays were it not for a text alert on your mobile phone, you could very well forget that you’re travelling internationally at all…

Taking your car across to Europe on the ferry is a great way to explore the continent at your own pace, what’s more, you can pack as much as you like to ensure you’re prepared for any eventuality on your trip!

France

What better place for us to begin our trip than our Gallic neighbours to the south? France is the most popular country in the world for tourists, with over 80 million visitors per year, and up to 100 million expected this year.
Britons love travelling to France for a number of reasons, whether it’s to relax on the picturesque northern coastline, fall in love in Paris, go celeb-spotting in St Tropez or to take advantage of the excellent campsites in the scenic French countryside.

Head to Paris, just a few hours’ drive from our French ports, and you’ll discover a world of culture, with world-famous galleries and museums, as well as other tourist hotspots. Everybody knows about The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower or the Pompidou, but if you’re looking for a real taste of Parisian culture then head to L’Entrepôt. L’Entrepôt is a small cinema, bar and restaurant which shows everything from French Arthouse to mainstream and children’s cinema, with an art gallery on the top floor and a comfortable outdoor seating and eating area with regular live music.

Burgundy, a region in the heart of the country, is home to some of France’s finest food and drink, with wine in particular being of a high quality and very affordable. The villages are charming and the countryside is beautiful, with vineyards and wine trails galore. Take a tour of the vineyards and stop overnight to sleep off some of the wonderful local wine you’ll be sampling!

Fans of ancient European history will love Alésia Muséoparc, also in the Burgundy region. Located on the site of the battle between Caesar’s Rome and Vercingetorix’s Gauls in 52BC is a rebuilt fortress with actors dressed up as legionnaires reconstructing day to day life and battles in the Roman camp.

If you’re just looking for a relaxing beach holiday, then you can’t go wrong with Le Touquet. Famously the playground of rich Parisians, as well as the home of many writers, artists and great thinkers, Le Touquet is a coastal town in northern France with pretty buildings and markets and is one of France’s best beach resorts. If you go to the equestrian centre on the seaside then you can even ride horses on the beach!