France Attractions

Paris is one of the few cities in the world where you should not go to a specific place to make your shopping because opportunity encountered everywhere. Shop windows are full of creativity and expression, as few can find in other cities of the world.

Most shops are open Monday to Saturday from 10 to 19, but hours vary and some small shops have lunch break for two hours. Thursday is the day for shopping as the stores are open until 21 or 22 hours. Sunday, only shops in tourist areas that are of great interest and those on the Champs Elysees are open.

Twice a year, there is the highly anticipated "rendez-vous"with discounts for bargain lovers and fashion victims. Big discounts and special offers are everywhere. Discounts are especially at clothes, shoes, accessories but also at household products. Discounts are promoted to sell remaining products from last season collection. For a pleasant shopping experience, visit the shops from the two famous shopping centers on the Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement: Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, which are located next to each other.

One from the most popular places where you can find a real treasure is The Fair. Paris has three such fairs, which dates back to ancient times and are situated around the old city's gates. If you are looking for rare and unusual books, then you have to walk on the banks of the Seine, the home of famous bouquinistes. Paris Art Market is the place to go on Sunday (10 - 19:30), in Montparnasse, was a huge outdoor art gallery where exhibit more than 100 sculptors, painters, photographers, jewelers.

For fashion shopping you can go the 8th arrondissement, Avenue Montaigne, for brands: Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Valentino, and Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, for: Christian Lacroix, Gucci and Hermes, and for other famous art galleries and antique shops. Champs-Elysees and the four commercial galleries - Le Claridge, Élysées 26, Galerie du Rond-Point and Le Lido - have become a tourist attraction, but first, a landmark for shopping enthusiasts. Here are established the brands: Benetton, Adidas, Nike, Gap, Disney Store or Sephora. Louis Vuitton store dominates one of the streets that crosses the famous boulevard from Paris.

Increasingly many famous designers and stores have moved on Rive Gauche: Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton, and if you're lucky even find a parking place on this street. For discounts and oldest collections go on Rue St-Placide. Whatever you are looking to buy, Paris is probably the most appropriate destination, since shops are an integral part from the city's cultural identity.

Pays de la Loire is in western France constituting diverse, low-lying landscape. The rugged and wild Atlantic Coast within the west differs with the green, lush, rivers and green countryside of the Loire basin in the middle. There are various huge rural areas, majority of which are devoted to agriculture in addition to huge economic centers and urban conurbations. It sports a temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters.

There are various things to do while in Pays de la Loire like experiencing the sandy and rocky coastline, vineyards making the dry Muscadet wine, various cuisines and festivities. France rentals are very popular in the Pays de la Loire.

A must visiting place in Pays de la Lorie is Vendee, a famous destination having more than 200 km of the sandy beaches in addition to two offshore islands Yeu and Noimoutier. The coast if further lined with the woods constituting the Foret d'Olonne and huge salt marshes that are famous for watching bird. The architectural heritage of Vendee is evident within its impressive abbeys, chateaux as well as fine churches.

In addition, the valley of kings or locally called as Val d'Anjou must not be overlooked. It is popular for its royal history and legacy of romantic churches, abbeys and the manor houses.

Attending various events and fiestas that takes place in Pays de la Loire is the next best thing to do. Numerous events such as angers, Nantes festivals, Coiffes festival, sorcerers' fair, the Uburlesques festival are the most attention grabbing festivals of Pays de la Loire. Apart the La Nuit des Chimeres held in the months of June and September is a mysterious festival of this city.

It includes silhouettes dance over the half timbered homes and takes all the visitors on the virtual trip via the history of the city from the Roman era to the Renaissance times. The illusory characters are super imposed over the old aged buildings, while the choir of angels demonstrates the Romanesque St Julien house of worship.

When it comes to sports, Play de la Loire attributes various interesting adventure sports, sailing and boating, mountain biking and cycling, paragliding, flying clubs, balloons, horse riding in addition to water sports, scuba and diving. If you want to try something new, you can partake in angling and fishing, walking, climbing, hiking and motor sports like the biking, Karting and tracking. Various other sports like the tennis, squash, and golf are worth trying.

In addition, the food accessible in Pays de la Loire must be certainly tasted. It boasts various famous French restaurants A La Belle Cocotte, Au Fin Gourmet, Auberge du Chateau, Belle Rive, Benureau, Creperie des Ronds dans L'Eau and the Crepes Marines that serve numerous delicious delicacies, local seafood and unique signature drinks. Majority of the hotels specializes in some cuisine or the other, perfect for people of all ages.

Pays de la Loire without indulging yourself in shopping is not a fair job. The most interesting and exciting thing to do is shopping in the local markets of Pays de la Loire, where you can find all the unique antiques.

The diversity of the Pays de la Loire region make it a very popular region for a self catering holiday in a rural gite or coastal villa, which gives the visitor the time and freedom to explore the culture, food, shopping and scenery.