Where to spend your holidays in France this summer

Would you like to explore France with your family or friends this summer? Discover incredible countryside, marvellous beaches and an unrivalled historical and culinary heritage. Not forgetting Paris, the "City of Light" with its eternal charm.

Visiting the Côte d'Azur in summer

The Côte d'Azur is one of the best destinations for summer holidays, where the Mediterranean Sea is your ever-present friend. You will discover a host of beaches and locations that compete with one another in beauty.

Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Saint-Raphaël and Antibes are just a few of the towns that boast incredible scenery. 

Holidays are for fun and relaxation! With our advice, you can have the best holiday ever. 

You can rent a bike and take a ride on your own or with friends to discover beautiful places and see Paris from a completely different perspective. 

It's much more enjoyable than taking the metro, so we've put together some of the best routes for exploring Paris and the surrounding area by bike.

Here we go on the best cycling tours around Paris!

Route 1 : Invalides to the Bois de Boulogne 

For this first route, you should start your tour at the Hôtel National des Invalides, which houses Napoleon's tomb. Continue along the banks of the Seine, passing by the Pont Alexandre III, the Pont des Invalides, the Pont de l'Alma and the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac to the Eiffel Tower.

Once at the Eiffel Tower, you can take a short side trip to the Champ de Mars or simply cross the Pont d'Iéna and stroll through the Trocadero gardens for a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower. Then, continue your journey along the Avenue Georges Mandel towards the Bois de Boulogne with its many cycle paths. You can ride on and on amidst beautiful greenery, winding your way between the many lakes and ponds and, for the more courageous, all the way to the Longchamp racetrack, so famous amongst Parisian cyclists.

Route 2: Bastille - Bois de Vincennes

This route starts at the Bastille and runs through the Bois de Vincennes, the largest green space in Paris and three times the size of Central Park! This is the 'green lung' of eastern Paris, an ideal place for a bike ride. Most of the time, you will be riding on a cycle path that is separate from the road, which makes the ride safer and more enjoyable. Once in the Vincennes forest, there are numerous cycle paths that allow you to enjoy the forest, the natural surroundings and the lake, thus leaving the big city behind you for a while. You can also visit the castle of Vincennes and the many animals at the Zoological Park of Paris, still known as the Vincennes. Why not rent a boat on the Daumesnil lake or take a stroll if you feel like it. This wood is really big and an ideal place to have a picnic. 

On your way back to Paris, you can take a different route and head for the Père-Lachaise cemetery, where famous French celebrities like Édith Piaf, Molière and Marcel Proust are buried, as well as other famous foreign personalities like Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and Maria Callas. 

Route 3 : Place de la République - Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

This tour is shorter and allows you to see some beautiful places that are less familiar to tourists. The route starts at the Place de la République, whose large bronze statue represents an allegory of the French Republic. This square is one of the city’s iconic spots, where demonstrations, tributes and concerts take place. You then continue along the Canal Saint-Martin, created in 1825 to bring drinking water to the capital. On the banks, you will find bars, restaurants and a vibrant neighbourhood atmosphere.

The tour ends at the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. This park has a lake, lots of trees and lawns where you can have a picnic or a quiet lunch in the shade. From its highest point, there is a beautiful view of the Sacré-Coeur basilica. 

Everyone knows the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré-Cœur! Here are some original and surprising places that are also worth a visit and that you can get to on foot:

1. The Catacombes

One of the most unusual places to visit in Paris is the catacombs, the largest underground ossuary in the world. The Paris catacombs are a 1.5 km labyrinth of tunnels and underground chambers, where the remains of 6 million Parisians were buried in the 18th century because there was no more room in the city's cemeteries. It is like entering the city's guts. An extraordinary experience, not to be missed.

2. The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty... in Paris? No, really! It is hidden right next to the Eiffel Tower, at the end of the Ile des Cygnes (an artificial island that is 850 metres long and 11 metres wide and was created in 1827). The bronze statue was built at the end of the 18th century by the French sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution. Don't forget to have your picture taken in front of this miniature replica of the famous New York Bay statue.

3. The Square des Peupliers

If you are looking for a quiet place to get lost, this is the place for you. The typical narrow streets and hidden houses will give you the feeling of being in a small village far away from Paris. This little corner of the Parisian countryside is located near the Tolbiac metro station, on Line 7. In its charming alleys, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.

4. Unusual streets 

Rue de la Huchette and rue du Chat qui Pêche (Fishing Cat Street). Looking for the most beautiful streets in Paris or those with the most original names? The most jazzy one is rue de la Huchette! It is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter. At nightfall, this street becomes one of the most vibrant in Paris.

In the same corner, you will also find the narrowest street in Paris. From the rue de la Huchette, you can access the rue du Chat qui Pêche. The size and shape of the latter really gives a sense of what the city must have looked like during the Middle Ages.

The most picturesque is rue de l'Abreuvoir. Whether in autumn, summer, spring or winter, this street will leave you in awe of its beauty. It is situated in Montmartre, the highest hill in Paris. From the bottom of this street, you can see the top of the famous Sacré-Coeur church. This area is surrounded by trees and charming old Parisian houses. 

Here, there is always an artist, or two, working on their next masterpiece.

After these lovely strolls through the City of Light, you might be wondering where to continue your summer holidays in France.

Let’s take a look at the different attractions that the park has to offer:  

• Climb more than 12 m high and then make a dizzying descent into the Rainbow Cannon; 

• Use the Slide Winder's floats to descend the 10-metre Slide Winder at an incredible speed; 

• On the Lazy River, the little ones can enjoy a relaxing ride in the water on their floats; 

• At the Lagoon, it's just relaxing and sunbathing in calm waters; 

• Descend the Turbolance's crazy 100 m course on a double float; 

• Wave pools for having fun with friends; 

• Do you like crazy water battles? Then, Splash Battle is for you. 

On the other hand, if you are looking to relax, Aquasplash also provides areas where you can relax and sunbathe, courtesy of the VIP Area.  

What’s more, the restaurants serve all kinds of fast food, so that everyone can recharge their batteries after hitting the slides or the wave pool.  

There’s also a picnic area and a shop where you can buy everything you need, be it sun cream, a towel or a swimming costume... plus all the facilities you need to have maximum fun in complete safety. 

A visit to Aquasplash may well be the best way to have a fun day out in your swimming costume! You will have an experience full of adrenaline, excitement and special moments shared with your family.  

Haven't decided yet where to spend your holidays this summer? Come to the French Riviera and enjoy a day, or several, at Aquasplash in Antibes