The north and northwest cities of France experience a continental climate, while the southeast has a Mediterranean climate with warm, humid summers and mild, cool winters. The best time to travel is from April to October if only for a chance to take in the best weather. In October, most parts of France will enter autumn, and food and wine will be filled with shops and tables. In winter, the Alps and Pyrenees are mecca for skiing, and the city is full of Christmas atmosphere. For fashion ladies, January and July are the French end-of-season sales and prices are unthinkably low.

For France vacations, if you have 3 to 5 days, you may only stop at Paris. If you have 6 to 9 days, you'll have just enough time to visit Paris, Normandy, or the Loire Valley. In around 10 days or more, besides highlights of Paris, you can also visit the Provençal villages, the Mediterranean coast with stops in Marseille and Calanques National Park, and the sunny French Riviera; or extend a wine and gastronomy journey to Bordeaux and Lyon.

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) is the main international airport in France, and Nice Cote D'Azur Airport (NCE) is the second busiest airport after Paris. Travelers can enter France at CDG and exit from NCE.

For domestic travel, train is an efficient way to see the country, and self-driving is good for exploring regions in more depth like Provence, Normandy, and the Loire Valley. To cover large distances quickly, domestic flights connect major cities with most journeys taking about one hour.

Visas are not required for citizens holding residence status in any other "Schengen" country, whatever their nationality. Some countries can enter the Schengen area without a visa, even if they are Non-shengen states, like the United States, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Venezuela and several other countries. Please visit French's official visa site or consult your local French embassy or consulate for more of visa requirements.

In France, almost all restaurants have already included 15% service charge and tax in the menu. If the food or service in a restaurant is particularly good, the customer will generally tip an extra 2-3 Euros; in the hotel, concierges and waitresses should be tipped around 2 Euros per piece of luggage or for the room service.