If you are looking for an accommodation, a restaurant, or an activity that meets your eco-friendly expectations, make your choice easier with Holiable and its selection of eco-friendly tourism businesses in France.

Eco-friendly travel in France

France has numerous reasons to make it one of the best destinations for eco travel in Europe.

It has a very rich history and is the fourth country in the world in number of Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Second cycling destination in Europe with over 13 000 kilometres of cycling trails and paths, France is a destination of choice for slow travellers.

France offers a diversity of landscapes between beaches, mountains and countryside.

Transportation throughout the country is very easy thank’s to the high speed train (TGV), numerous metro’s in big cities and wide number of buses and trams.

The country has also a number of towns that offer bike and car sharing options.

Accommodations :

our recommendations for eco-travellers

Book your accommodation in advance.
Prepay your hotel or bed and breakfast whenever possible.
If you are looking for a rental or a bed and breakfast, look up for gites or chambre d’hôtes which is the French term
Check the veracity of the comments (and yes, that’s what we’re here for)
Respect the sustainable rules of the business in which you are staying.
Enjoy!

Food & Drink businesses:

What we recommend to sustainable travellers:

French Gastronomy is on the world heritage list, so we could not advise you more than to taste everything you can
Prefer local restaurants to large chains.
In the French capital finding a restaurant off the beaten path and away from the highly touristy streets is a must.
Do not be surprised if the menu is not available in English, it could be quite common in small cities. So bring your favorite translation app
Remember that the level of service may be different than where you come from and it could surprise you (but let’s say that’s what makes the French charm…)
If you are a flexitarian, try snails or frog legs, you can really eat them :)
Taste, enjoy, and tell us what you think

Activities :

Good ecotourism things to know:

As in every country, France counts some amusement parks : some activities with animals are managed very sustainably but not all of them so do your research if you really want to go
Get off the beaten path, it is very easy to find free local activites everywhere in the country. If you loose your path though remember English is not the national language here
if you want to visit famous historical monuments (Go up the Eiffel Tower, visit the Loire Castles) they are magnificent but can get very crowded especially in the summer period. Choose the smartest time to go!
With more than 40 cultural and natural sites on the Unesco World Heritage list you might want to stay more than a week in France if you are planning to visit them all
France is a multicultural country, so as everywhere else make sure you respect the do’s and don’ts with the people you meet.
As in the rest of the world, bring back countless memories, leave nothing but footprints