- Hire a car to take in the sites of this magnificent country
- Visit Carcasonne a historical medieval castle and citadel
- Save money when exchanging money for your trip with a currency exchange provider
Considering your next vacation in Europe - then take a look at France. From huge mountain ranges to the nodding heads of sunflower fields in the south, vineyards and beaches, overflowing with cultural sites and not to mention, fantastic food. France is flanked by two large mountain ranges, the Pyrenees to the south that extend their mountainous knuckles into Spain and the Alps to the East, where you will find the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc. There are some great skiing resorts across both of these ranges.
Schedule a trip to Provence as part of your schedule and pop over to Monaco for all the glitz and glamour. Travelling around the south coast, you can visit Nice, Beziers and Perpignan, great for meandering around the rabbit warren like streets. Perpignan used to belong to the Basque region, so there is an obvious Catalan influence within the centre.
On leaving the south, a must place to see is Carcassonne. The magnificent citadel is nestled within the south of the Languedoc area, boasting a castle that dates back to the 12th century. Travelling on from here, Parc Natural Region des Causses du Quercy deserves a mention. It is home to the eponymous Rocamadour, a stunning French village, which is also one of the pilgrimage towns where people come to see the wooden black madonna. Embark on a journey through this region to enjoy the gorges and caves that have been carved out through the soft limestone; as well as her rivers.
France is easy to drive around with a series of extensive motorway networks connecting North to South, East and West, meaning that you can go from the Alps to the heart of the old world vineyards in Bordeaux in around 7 hours. From here you can travel around the region, visiting many of the vineyards and sampling their wares. Make some time to explore Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park.
When sending money internationally, use the services of a foreign currency exchange broker. Many of these currency providers have foreign currency cards, which can be used to draw money from any ATM where Mastercard is accepted. Currency exchange brokers typically charge zero, or low fees, on international money transfers, banks tend to charge a fee for international transfers starting at $5. They also have a much better exchange rate; around 0.5 to 1.5% over the interbank rate; where a bank will offer 4% at best. Some currency exchange brokers will allow you to make cash transfers, which you can collect at a kiosk in your country destination. Take a look at our comparison tool for exchanging money from Aussie dollars to euros and find details of the most cost-effective money transfer companies.