by Melanie Denyer

Created on: November 26, 2007   Last Updated: June 14, 2011

Trying to choose the ideal destination in France for a romantic holiday? While the most obvious choice for many will be to visit Paris, often called the most romantic city in the world, France offers many special places. Indeed, a windy bus stop in driving November rain can be the most romantic place in the world, if the person you love is holding you close and sharing their warmth as they say they love you for the first time. It's all a question of who you're with, what your tastes are and, potentially, the size of your budget.

Paris
Little needs to be said about Paris. If you love city life, and like the idea of finding small bistros in the Quartier Latin, or holding hands as you walk along the Quais de Seine, looking at the play of the lights on Notre Dame in the evening, Paris is ideal. It's particularly good if you're in the first stages of your relationship and don't know each other quite so well, as there is plenty to discover together and add to the library of shared experience, and you'll both find something to appeal to you.

Choose the sights you wish to see in the day, but choose a hotel on the Left Bank or close to the Champs-Elyses - unless you're both night owls, in which case somewhere in the Marais or the Bastille areas would be ideal - and avoid the hotels in Pigalle or Montmartre as Pigalle is well known for its sex shows and sex shops... and with Montmartre bordering Pigalle, some hotels are a little optimistic in the description of their location and are on the seedier end of things. Hardly ideal for a romantic getaway, unless you're both into that kind of area.

The Riviera
If your idea of romance involves warm weather, you're best off heading for the south of France. While you can head for Nice or Cannes and rub shoulders with celebs, there are also many smaller towns which offer a more intimate environment with unspoilt cafes, small ports and spectacular views up to, or indeed down from the mountains. Menton is one such place or, if your budget allows it, Cap Ferrat and Antibes are extremely nice.

While all the little towns are stunning, and the beaches fine, pale sand, one attraction to check out if you can is a perfume factory in Grasses. This is a historical perfume-making town and you can go either for learning about the history of perfume and its place in the art of seduction, or even, should you wish, mark your visit by designing your own special perfumes for each other, a truly unique way of remembering your holiday once you're back

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