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France has something for everyone and with its abundance of long wide sandy beaches on both coasts; France offers a wide spectrum of leisure activities and sports. The French west coast which adjoins to the Atlantic is especially well known for having some of the best surf spots in Europe.

The surfing conditions are consistent and there’s a high fun-factor for beginners and advanced surfers alike. The most well known surfing destinations are probably Biarritz and Hossegor. On the east coast France has its coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast to the Atlantic coast this region is known for its small waves and calmer conditions. Therefore this region is ideal for beach holidays and especially so in the summer months with lots of sunny days and warm water.

Besides the beautiful nature, the small idyllic villages in the Provence invite you to relax and enjoy. If you’re looking for some more action then you can turn to the numerous attractive options in the big cities, such as Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon.

Due to the geographic diversity of the country, the French climate has many facets and can’t be described as having one general climate zone.  In general, the climate in France is moderate and relatively mild. Periods of extreme heat or cold are the exception.

The annual average temperature lies at about 12 degrees. The Mediterranean area and also the Atlantic coasts have a high number of sunny days per year. However on the Atlantic coast temperatures rarely exceed 24 degrees.

In the Mediterranean area however temperatures often reach 30 degrees or more. The winter in the north of France is rather chilly, whereas you can find a mild climate on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts with an average temperature of 5 degrees.

The French Atlantic coast is known as one of the best surfing areas in the whole of Europe and therefore attracts surfers all year long. Therefore the crowd factor is accordingly high in the summer months. Especially destinations such as Hossegor or Biarritz are extremely crowded.

The months from November till April are known to be the best surf wise, however due to the cold water, bad weather and heavy winter swells, far less popular. In these months it is impossible to avoid wearing a wetsuit as water temperatures are only between 12-15 degrees.

In the summer instead you will find comfortable water temperatures between 18 and 21 degrees.

Best season for beginners: July till August
Best season for advanced surfers: November – April

Crowd factor: Very high in the summer months

In France there are several airports which are connected to by international airlines. Amongst the eleven biggest airports are the two Parisian airports Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris – Orly, also there are the airports of: Bordeaux, Euro Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, Lille, Lyon, Nantes Atlantique, Marseille, Nice, Strasburg and Toulouse. Smaller airports are for example: Biarritz, Le Havre or Montpellier.

The national airlines “Air France” as well as all other major international airlines fly to and from France and in the majority of cases to Paris. Also France has good ferry connections and there are several ferry routes from England and Ireland.

The highway infrastructure in France is very well developed and well connected to other European countries.