Why France is the Place to Be This Summer

The South of France is renowned for its golden beaches and warm climate, so much so it welcomes droves of tourists every summer. In fact The Telegraph recently listed the ‘10 Best Beach Holiday Destinations in France’ to visit which included a slew of Southern beaches in the list.

However, this summer will be different for many reasons. Starting on June 10, France will be staging the European Championships, which will mean tourists from all four corners of Europe will be heading to the country to support their respective nations.

On the aforementioned date, the host nation will welcome Romania in the first game of the tournament at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The tournament will end a month later at the same stadium on July 10 where it will stage the final of the Euros.

Tickets aren’t cheap for the event, and for the most part have already sold out. Many of the tickets go to official members of the supporters club for each nation represented at the tournament, while there is also a huge proportion allocated to corporate sponsors. But that doesn’t mean you can’t join in the fun, as millions will be travelling to the country to revel in the atmosphere of the proceedings.

The Mirror suggests that half of the English fans that will be travelling to France this summer won’t have a physical ticket to any of the games. The lure of the festivities is often too great for football fans, especially England supporters.

Even though England have been in somewhat of a transitional period of late, their huge support from fans hasn’t waned. Experienced players such as Wayne Rooney are no longer a certainty to start in France this summer, which means manager Roy Hodgson is ushering in a new generation to replace the recently retired Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry. Betfair’s leading football and European Championship correspondent Ralph Ellis however feels that Rooney’s experience is vital to England’s chances in the tournament. And it’s this competitiveness within the squad that means this tournament will be so exciting.

Aside from England there are 23 other nations competing for the honour to be crowned champions of Europe. But what are the other cities that are staging games this summer?

Here is the list of cities holding games during the Euros:

Bordeaux

Lens

Lille

Lyon

Marseille

Nice

Paris

Saint-Etienne

Saint-Denis

Toulouse

There’s a good variety of options available to tourists, however due to the surge in ticket prices and the inflated hotel rates many of the people travelling to France will be looking at alternative methods to fit into their budgets. France is renowned for having a lot of caravan and camping parks, which will be ideal for this summer. In fact, Pitch Up lists 772 different sites ideal for campervans, motor homes or even people looking to simply sleep in tents during their vacation to France.

To compliment the Pitch Up list, The Guardian have also published a definitive guide to touring France which could be invaluable to travellers this summer providing them with regions to travel to, information on where to stay and potential places to rent campervans and motor homes.

If you are making the journey to France this summer, remember it can easily be done on a budget while taking in the countryside along the way, just be sure to book your accommodation and transport as early as now to avoid disappointment.

Why France is the Place to Be This Summer