France's Favourite Village 2025: when and how to tune in We look at the shortlist of 14 villages vying to win the title in today's (July 2) television announcement
Rodez: a tale of two small pink-tinted cities Art historian Julia Faiers marvels at the cathedral and medieval treasures of this city in Aveyron (Occitanie), once split in two
Map: Number of doctors in France rises (slightly), see best and worst areas now The rise comes amid the growing issue of ‘medical deserts’ in rural areas
news Photos: The most welcoming towns in France named in new ranking The French favourites include picturesque Provence and wine regions in both the north and south
2025 French census begins: Who has to answer and why a new question about your parents? The controversial addition has prompted criticism from human rights groups
Why this French department wants to change name and what it could become Two new names are on the shortlist
Where are you paid the most in France (out of Paris)? A new ranking looks at pay differences and includes an average hourly rate for white- and blue-collar workers by department
MAP: How likely are you to pass your French driving test by department? Your location could make more of a difference than you think
Photos: These five small towns in France top new ranking of Wikipedia visits A famous coastal town is in first place followed by a medieval hilltop favourite and three mountain resorts
Cockerels, farms smells: new law protects country habits in France It comes after multiple complaints from new residents about countryside ‘disturbances’
Villagers surprised by soldier invasion during French army exercise Resident: ‘I opened my shutters and saw soldiers firing right in front of me’
Poll finds French no longer 'sexiest' language in the world But the study did find that Britons are most likely to vote French as the ‘most romantic’ language
PHOTOS: Villages selected for new ‘favourite in France’ title The public is invited to vote for their favourite on the shortlist in the 12th annual TV contest
‘Hyper-aggressive' seabirds force Marseille to take action Some say the gulls ‘represent the city’ but authorities now have permission to act to reduce their number
Bears in Pyrenees prepare for long winter sleep - how many are there? Technically, the bears do not hibernate but instead ‘overwinter’ and do still come out occasionally
Brittany regional president bids for autonomy in wake of Corsica move Local official criticised ‘backward-looking centralism’ and demands parity with the deal promised to Corsica
Two more villages awarded prestigious ‘most beautiful in France’ title The Plus Beaux Villages de France judges carefully consider 32 criteria across heritage, history, architecture and the environment
‘Never seen such damage’: Mildew hits vines in French wine region The damaged vines could cause a drop in the amount of Bordeaux wine produced this year, with a likely knock-on effect on prices
Controversial ban on public sitting in French town partially suspended A court said restrictions on sitting or lying in public spaces in Angoulême represented ‘a disproportionate infringement of freedom’
Anger as ‘Sud de France’ brand is banned from wine bottles Critics say the decision is bureaucratic and shows the government lacks ambition when it comes to developing the wine industry
Sadness as first giant panda cub born in France set to leave for China Yuan Meng was born in August 2017
French mayor decree legally allows noisy cockerels Noisy countryside cockerels in an Haute-Savoie (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) commune are now legally free to crow to their heart’s content after a mayor took out a decree to preserve “life in the countryside”.
France-Italy migrant row: Ocean Viking arrivals assisted at new centre Unaccompanied minors are being cared for at a hotel while other arrivals are being helped by the Croix Rouge, with security checks and asylum requests now underway
Macron among French politicians to pay respect after South Korea crush Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has also tweeted condolences after it emerged that more than 150 people have been killed in a Halloween crush in Seoul
Chinese vase valued at €2,000 sells for €9m at French auction The vase is of the Chinese ‘Tianqiuping’ style, and was inherited by a woman from her late mother — but experts have said the story is ‘crazy’
Toulouse: Fourth patient to flee psychiatric hospital found in Paris The 43-year-old man, who is a known rapist, escaped on Friday and was found on Saturday in the ninth arrondissement in the capital city
Angers and Guéthary ranked best town and village to live in France The Loire Valley town and Basque Country village have taken the top spot this year, in a ranking that considers 187 criteria across nine categories of local infrastructure and facilities
Why do the French treat Quebec as a country? Why do the French treat Quebec as a country? In the Petit Larousse Illustré dictionary the flag of Quebec appears among the flags of the world and on TF1 television today I saw the flag of Quebec presented as being that of a country as well. I believe Quebec is a region of Canada just as Brittany and Occitanie are regions of France. M.A.
Protests against second homes in Brittany as housing debate continues Protester demands include only allowing permanent residents to buy housing, and a limit on short-term rentals - but one local official called the stance ‘an attack on individual property’
Rural France: Success for mobile vans offering crucial services Fleets of mobile fruit and veg sellers, dog groomers and doctors are becoming increasingly common in France, as entrepreneurs flock to remote and rural areas
Backlash against French ‘visit Belgium without health pass’ article The news article listed the top five places to go in Belgium that do not require a health pass, but social media users hit back, saying “you can keep your anti-vaxxers in France”
Mont Ventoux: Tour de France 2021 climbs the 'Bald Giant' today As the riders prepare to summit the infamous peak, we explore its history and other ways to visit the redoubtable region
Historic French river bridge rebuilt too low for barges to pass easily The €8million restoration project to boost water transport of goods ended with the bridge being 38 centimetres lower than previous version
Marseille officials want to stop tourist promotion to limit crowds The tourist office however says it has put anti-crowding measures in place
Top 500 best places to live in France - is your commune on the list? The 2021 list considered 34,837 villages, towns and cities according to 183 criteria including quality of life, safety, shops, services, and transport. Annecy, Bayonne, and Nice all made the top 10
France launches two mass-testing Covid campaigns today The two towns are the first to roll out free mass testing ahead of Christmas as part of the government’s ‘test, alert, protect’ push. We explain
A window to heaven: 800 years of Metz cathedral In her series on the cultural history of France, art historian Julia Faiers explores Metz cathedral’s turbulent and illuminating past
France in ‘critical’ Covid-19 second wave amid record cases The scientific council president issued a warning, as cases of Covid-19 reach record levels and the Grand Est region prepares for a possible second lockdown
Nice may become 10th city to impose curfew The Covid-19 situation is deteriorating, local authorities have said, with a curfew from 21:00-06:00 becoming increasingly likely
Tour de France 2021: First four stages in Brittany revealed The race will start in Brest and remain in Brittany until June 29, before moving to Mayenne for stage five.
Sacré-Cœur in Paris set to finally become historic monument The project to have the famous Montmartre basilica officially recognised was launched this week
Top 50 French towns for retirees revealed Best towns to retire to in France announced by leading French media - factoring in housing, weather, social life and services for seniors. We take a look at the top 10.
French village installs ‘countryside sounds’ sign The sign, reading ‘Beware, you are in the countryside’ has been installed in the village square, and references sounds such as cow bells, cockerel crowing, and church bells.
Covid-19 France: More cities on ‘max alert’ amid new rules Health Minister Olivier Véran and Economy Minister Bruno le Maire confirmed stricter rules for more cities, extended aid for stricken businesses, and issued a warning before the Toussaint holidays.
France to impose stricter measures amid record Covid cases Health minister expected to make an announcement today as a record 18,746 new cases are confirmed in the past 24 hours.
Southeast France on red alert as Storm Alex wreaks havoc Southeast France is on red alert today (Friday October 2) as Storm Alex continues to wreak havoc, with rain and high winds of up to 180 kph already causing loss of power for 80,000 homes in Brittany.
Italy requires Covid tests for travellers from France People travelling to Italy from certain regions in France - including Paris, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Nouvelle-Aquitaine - are now required to take a Covid-19 test to cross the border.
French Lascaux caves ‘doing well’ 80 years after discovery France’s famous Lascaux caves are “doing better” thanks to confinement, the conservation manager has said, on the 80th anniversary of the discovery of the sometimes-fragile heritage site.
Parking charges in Bordeaux may be means-tested Bordeaux may soon charge residents for city parking based on their annual household income, in a move being dubbed “social and supportive” by the newly-elected mayoral team.
Ibex wild goat returns to the French Pyrenees A cousin to the native Pyrenean ibex - which went extinct in 2000 - has been introduced to the Pyrenees with great success.
EU works to avoid border ‘chaos’ as Covid continues spread EU countries are working to enact a coordinated approach to any possible border closure policy within the Schengen Area as Covid-19 continues to spread, in a bid to avoid mismatched rules and border “chaos”.
Funny moment as TGV train ‘misses’ station in south France A driver of a TGV train travelling between Toulouse and Lyon missed a stop in the southern station of Nîmes Pont-du-Gard (Occitanie) this week and was forced to reverse the train - causing delays of over half an hour.
Brittany Ferries cuts routes as UK-France quarantine hits Brittany Ferries has today confirmed changes to its schedule for August and beyond which will affect 50,000 passengers as demand drops following the UK’s decision to impose a quarantine on arrivals from France.
France on heatwave alert and water limits as drought worsens Water restrictions are in place in 72 departments across France and a red heatwave alert is issued for 15 departments, as the drought worsens, meaning many endangered river fish have needed to be moved.
EU considers border safety amid fear of Covid-19 second wave The European Union is considering how to adapt its safety measures as a “second wave” of Covid-19 threatens to appear, in a bid to avoid a reclosure of interior borders at the height of summer holiday season.
More French cities make masks mandatory amid public support Masks may become obligatory in certain public places in Paris as mayor Anne Hidalgo pushes for the measure, as other cities such as Toulouse introduce it, and the public is largely in favour of the move.
Coronavirus: which parts of France are seeing more cases? Health authorities in France are warning of a “worrying development” of the coronavirus, as new clusters are reported across the country, and the crucial “R” transmission rate rises above 2 in Brittany, and 1 elsewhere.
Belgium bans ‘non-essential’ travel from parts of France Belgium has banned “non-essential” travel to and from Mayenne (Pays de la Loire), introduced tests for arrivals from there - and recommends quarantine and tests for travellers from certain other areas in France.
Nantes Cathedral fire: Man questioned as enquiry continues A man is being questioned in connection with the fire that started at the Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul Cathedral in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) yesterday (Saturday July 18), as investigations into the incident continue.
EU external borders now open to some countries, but not US The European Union and Schengen Area have today (July 1) opened external borders to 15 countries, including Canada and Australia; but notably not the United States, Brazil, or Russia.
Graffiti artist brightens French streets with tile art A French street artist is brightening up the streets of Rouen (Seine-Maritime, Normandy) by painting tile-like traditional designs onto pavements, to make them “more charming” than the usual concrete.
Brigitte Bardot demands right to keep wild boar as a pet French actress and animal welfare campaigner Brigitte Bardot is calling on authorities in southwest France to allow a woman to keep a wild boar as a pet. After officials refused permission the boar now risks euthanasia.
Pyrenees bear found shot dead in southwest France A wild Pyrenees bear has been found illegally killed in southwest France, prompting the ecology minister to lodge a formal State complaint into the crime.
Covid affects far more Brittany residents than thought The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 has affected up to 10% of residents in Morbihan, Brittany, northwest France - a much higher percentage of people than previously thought - a new blood test study has found.
U-turn: 14-day UK quarantine for arrivals from France People travelling to the UK from France will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days, in an apparent U-turn on previous policy. It comes as the French interior minister criticises the lack of European coordination on borders.
Macron dubs French chloroquine medic ‘great scientist’ French President Emmanuel Macron has dubbed Professor Didier Raoult, pioneer of using chloroquine against Covid-19, a “great scientist” - as Pr. Raoult controversially claims the epidemic is slowing in Marseille.
French communes work to provide free Covid-19 masks Communes in France are now working to provide residents with free, handmade, washable, and reusable masks against Covid-19; with some regions including the Dordogne calling for local volunteers to help.
Covid-19: Ile-de-France refunds travel pass holders Users with season ticket passes for transport systems in the Ile-de-France region - including the Navigo pass - are to receive a refund for the month of April due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Covid-19 map of France shows spread as cases spike A map showing the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus Covid-19 in France, region by region, has been published, after cases increased tenfold in just one week.
Mystery rock message in France finally ‘deciphered’ A mysterious inscription on a rock in Brittany is one step closer to being deciphered after a competition named two winners who suggested the most promising solutions.
Trump wine taxes threaten 100,000 jobs in France At least 100,000 jobs in France could be at risk as the 25% import taxes imposed on French wine by US President Donald Trump continue to affect the industry, wine industry experts have said.
Ouigo TGVs will soon serve central Lyon Low-cost Ouigo TGV services are to serve central Lyon (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) from central Paris from June this year, train company SNCF has confirmed, with tickets starting at just €16 return.
French ski station has snow delivered by helicopter A ski station in the Pyrenees has had 50 tonnes of emergency snow delivered by helicopter, after high temperatures and a lack of snow caused the station to be otherwise un-skiable.
France restricts Mont-Blanc access to protect mountain President Emmanuel Macron is to announce measures today to restrict access to Mont-Blanc, to guard against unscrupulous summit attempts, and to protect the biodiversity of the mountain.
