This is our resume of the major events in France this year. We would welcome any feedback or promotions from organisers and visitors alike in 2014 on our facebook and twitter sites.
The Monte Carlo rally takes place each year in mid-January. Part of the International Rally challenge it's official title is the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo.
Classic car enthusiasts are drawn to the Historic Monte Carlo Rally which takes place shortly after the modern day event at the end of January each year.
The chateau gardens of the Loire valley are amongst the principal attractions in France. At the Chateau de Chaumont sur Loire from April 25 to October 19, 2014 you can visit the International Garden Festival which is on a par with the Chelsea show in the UK.
The film industry and all it's glamour descends on the French Riviera resort of Cannes this year for the film festival from 14 to 25 May 2014. The new priority bus and taxi way on the Boulevard Carnot should help delegates and the public gain quicker access to the Palais des Festivales. The film Grace of Monaco by Olivier Dahan will open the festival.
I went to the International Perfume Museum in Grasse last year to experience first hand the French Museum night or "nuit des musees" as it is know locally, which takes place on 17 May in 2014. A museum I already knew well I found transformed and alive with musicians, actors and comedians, adding a whole new dimension. The ambiance was lovely with many young people and families enjoying a rather formal place in an informal, animated manner. We went along around 7 in the evening, I suggest you do the same.
The French Open tennis competition in Paris is one of the major events on the international tennis calendar and offers a great excuse to visit the capital for tennis enthusiasts. The tournament takes place at Roland Garros between May 21 and June 9 in 2014.
You can combine a day at the races to remember at arguably the worlds most beautiful setting for a race course, in the grounds of the chateau at Chantilly, with a visit to the Living Museum of the Horse which is set in the stable buildings. The domaine de Chantilly is located just north of Paris and the big Prix du Jockey Club event takes place on June 1 in 2014 followed by the Prix de Diane Longines on the 15.
Motor racing fans from around the world will gather to watch and experience the unique 24 hour le Mans race which takes place at the circuit de Sarthe on June 22 and 23 this year.
There are many excellent Jazz festivals held in France during the summer months though few can boast a setting as pretty as the Calvi Jazz Festival. The quayside and streets of this beautiful northern resort in Corsica host performances from artist from around the world from 18 to 22 June in 2014.
Another cultural event which France pulls off with great aplomb is the annual music festival night or "La Fete de la Musique" which was originally launched by the visionary minister of culture in 1982, Jacques Lang. It takes place on the 21st June in cities, towns and villages all over the country. You can enjoy a mix of professional and amateur musicians performing all genres of music for free.
This year the Tour de France is the talk of Yorkshire as that is where the first event starts. It will be passing by the village of Grassington where I lived and my children grew up and I know many of my friends are really looking forward to it. My experience is that the best place to watch it is on TV as the way it is filmed these days is designed to show off the local attractions so it is more than just a cycle enthusiasts event. It starts in Leeds on July 5 and the finishing line is in Paris on July 27 after passing through Reims, Mulhouse, Besancon, Grenoble, Pau and Bergerac on the way.
The annual Festival d'Aix is one of the main attractions for Opera enthusiasts in the south of France. This years festival runs from July 2 to 23 in arguably the most beautiful city in Provence, Aix en Provence.
Bastille day is celebrated with as much fervour as ever on July 14. There are massive fireworks displays all over the country.
Jazz lovers can enjoy world class music at the Scene Massena and Theatre du Verdure in Nice from July 8 to 12 in 2014. The Nice Jazz Festival is the biggest festival in the south followed by Jazz Juan in Juan les Pins.
On 4 August 2014 the St Sympohorien Cemetery will hold a major ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war. Mons will be holding a light and sound event as well.
There are opera venues and opera venues. Admittedly Italy can claim the big ones but the Villa Ephrussi in the French Riviera has arguably the most stylish. You can place your booking for the "Les Azuriales" which are on in mid August, from 15 April 2014.
I discoved the "Journées de la Patrimoine" for the first time last year and was pleasantly surprised at another first rate popular French cultural initiative. We visited the Musée de la Castre in Cannes, a place I previously thought too expensive to merit a visit. On the Patrimoine day all museums and many other national treasures can be visited for free. I actually concluded that the Musée de la Castre would have been well worth paying to visit, it's great. In 2014 the 20 and 21 of September are the allocated days.
There are few sights more magnificent than the sailing regattas in the south of France. You can enjoy watching huge sailing boats manoeuvre in and around the beautiful ports of Cannes and Saint Tropez during the last week of September and the first week of October.
A holiday villa in France can be ideal as a base for visiting the area and attending events, we have a reliable well priced range, so do get in touch.