Things to See in France

Perched on a rocky spur crowned by slender buildings, and surrounded on all sides by rolling fields, the glorious hilltop village of Vézelay is one of France's hidden gems. Vézelay has been an important point of pilgrimage since the 11th century thanks to the relics of St Mary Magdalene, which are supposedly housed in the underground crypt of the Basilique Ste-Madeleine.

The Musée Claude Monet was Monet's home and studio. The hectare of land that Monet owned has become two distinct areas. The northern part is the Clos Normand where Monet's famous pastel pink and green house and the Water Lily studio stand, surrounded by the symmetrically laid-out gardens. Through the tunnel is the resplendent Jardin d'Eau (Water Garden).

Housing the largest public collection of works by the Russian painter Marc Chagall (1887-1985), the museum was built in 1972 to hold the Biblical Message Cycle, a collection of 17 enormous canvases inspired by the Old Testament. Chagall's style is nothing short of magical; brightly coloured goats, violins and floating humans.

This is the heart of the city, a French Gothic masterpiece and the focus of Catholic Paris for seven centuries. Built on a site occupied by earlier churches - and, a millennium before, a Gallo-Roman temple - it was begun in 1163 and completed in the 14th century. Distances from Paris to every part of France are measured from place du Parvis Notre Dame.

The splendid, enormous Château de Versailles was built in the mid-17th century during the reign of Louis XIV - the Roi Soleil (Sun King) - to project the absolute power of the French monarchy, which was then at the height of its glory. Its scale and décor also reflect Louis XIV's taste for profligate luxury and his boundless appetite for self-glorification.

The Loire Valley was the playground of French nobility, who used the nation's wealth to transform the area with many earnestly extravagant chateaux. The largest and most lavish is the Château de Chambord (1519). It was built by King François I, a rapacious lunatic who was fanatically dishonest with his subjects' money.

The pont St-Bénézet was built between 1177 and 1185 to link Avignon with the settlement across the Rhône that later became Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Yes, this is also the Pont d'Avignon mentioned in the French nursery rhyme. Many people find a distant view of the bridge from the Rocher des Doms or Pont Édouard Daladier much more interesting (and it's free).

Here it is, the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry recounting the dramatic story of the Norman invasion and the events that led up to it (from the Norman perspective). It is housed in the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux along with other treasures of the region.

It's difficult not to be impressed with your first sighting of the massive abbey, a soaring ensemble of buildings in a hotchpotch of architectural styles. The abbey is topped by a slender spire with a gilded copper statue of Michael the Archangel slaying a dragon. At night the whole structure is brilliantly illuminated.

The Tour Eiffel faced massive opposition from Paris' artistic and literary elite when it was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair), marking the centenary of the Revolution. It was almost torn down in 1909 but was spared because it proved an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for the new science of radiotelegraphy.

The Club Alpin Français has a centre in Paris with useful information - joining is probably worthwhile if you're doing a great deal of hiking.

Several types of accommodation - often in charming, traditional-style houses with gardens - are available through Gîtes de France for people who would like to spend time in rural areas and who have a vehicle.

Provides vehicles outfitted for people in wheelchairs; the national office will put you in touch with local services.

Paris-based Ski France has information and an annual brochure covering more than 50 ski resorts.

Unlimited third-party liability insurance is mandatory for all automobiles entering France, whether the owner accompanies the vehicle or not. As proof of insurance, the owner must present an international motor insurance card showing that the vehicle is insured in France. A temporary insurance policy is available from the vehicle-insurance department of the French Customs Office with a validity of eight to 30 days.

The women-only Maison des Femmes is the main meeting place for women of all ages and nationalities.

One of France's major hostel associations Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse (FUAJ)will require you to have or purchase an Hostelling International card or a nightly Welcome Stamp. You can bring your own sleeping sheet or rent one for a small fee.

The Centre d'Information et de Documentation Jeunesse (CIDJ) provides all sorts of information for young people on jobs, housing, education and more: in 2004 they advertised 20,000 summer jobs on their website.