It doesn't matter whether you are phoning home to check that the kids haven't burned the house down, or just to let everyone know what they're missing; making calls from a foreign country can often be a frustrating experience.

With mobile phones often costing over a pound a minute, I make a point of never using them unless it's an emergency. If you absolutely have to use your mobile it makes financial sense to text rather than talk. Alternatively you can buy a French SIM card (a mobicarte) and put it in your own mobile. You may, however, find that your phone is locked, in which case you will have to go to a mobile phone shop in France.

If you like a holiday that has a good mix of lazy days on the beach and interesting towns with art galleries to visit, then the area around Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of Languedoc Roussillon is the place to be.

The father of Fauvism, Henri Matisse, arrived in Collioure in the summer of 1905 and later wrote "Working before a soul-stirring landscape, all I thought of was making my colours sing without paying any heed to rules and regulations" The Fauves, translated as "wild animals", used bold colour and brush strokes and although the movement was short-lived, it had a profound influence on the world of art. Matisse was joined later that summer by Andre Derain, and Collioure with its unique quality of light and colour of the sea became a mecca for artists. Later Picasso and Braque both painted in Collioure.

There comes a time with most teenagers when the thought of spending two weeks with Mum and Dad outweighs the good vibes generated by the thought of a free holiday, especially when they have been used to the freedom of having their own transport at home. Understandably most insurers are wary of extending cover to young drivers abroad, especially in a country whose accident rate is so much higher than in the UK. When I read last month about Ze Bus, it struck me that it could be the answer to the prayers of teenagers and parents alike, giving parents time to themselves and teenagers a chance to go off exploring.

When driving in France, bear in mind that car theft and break-ins are quite common, especially in quiet tourist areas. Always make sure that nothing of value is left in the car, particularly overnight. Foreign number plates are a give-away and it is amazing the number of people who, when having an overnight stop, don't bother to unload their car, leaving rich pickings for thieves. No matter how tired you are, take time to unload because if you have not taken reasonable care to look after your belongings you may well find that you are not covered by your insurance. Keep your car doors locked at all times when travelling, especially in the South, where thieves on motorbikes sometimes draw up beside you at red lights and grab whatever they can.

If you are holidaying in Brittany this summer you may be lucky enough to coincide with a pardon or fest noz. For hundreds of years, the people of Brittany have expressed their religious faith by building beautiful churches and creating exquisitely sculpted calvaries and crosses, and this religious belief which provides the backdrop to the tradition of pardons.

Pardons are annual festivals, normally commencing with a Mass (often starting as early as 4am) followed by a procession, to pay homage to the local saint who will invariably have one or more shrines in little chapels throughout the parish. The procession progresses around these shrines with the participants carrying colourfully embroidered banners and flags along with statues and relics of the saint. 

For the cost of a few nights in a hotel in Paris you can rent a whole apartment for a week. If you think that's too long in a city there are plenty places for days out and you don't need to have a car to make the most of these opportunities.

The Palace of Versailles is easily accessible in 35 to 40 minutes by RER line C from various stops on the left bank to Versailles Rive Gauche station, only 700 metres from the palace. When you get off the train there are plenty of signs to the palace and it is an easy walk or short bus ride. If you want to avoid the long queues (over an hour the last time I went), it is worth buying a One Day Pass for 25 Euros. Although this may sound expensive it is easy to spend a whole day at the château – bring a picnic or eat at one of the various outlets. It is possible to do an independent visit, an audio-guide or live guide. The château was built for Louis XIV in the mid seventeenth century by 30,000 workers and soldiers and is a highly impressive display of luxury. The Hall of Mirrors was closed for three years for renovation but has recently re-opened to the public. During the summer there are all sorts of evening attractions at Versailles, including fountain displays and fireworks. Check the website for details.

If you are a fan of the Eurostar service to Paris you will need no convincing of the many benefits of train travel. The annual summer service from London Waterloo direct to Avignon started on Saturday July 7th and continues until Saturday Sept 8th. It is a weekly service and ideal for those holidaymakers headed for Provence who want to avoid the hassles of summer airport hell and who don't want to have the 650 mile drive from Calais. Driving will take between nine and fifteen hours whereas the journey by Eurostar is a mere 6 hours 10 minutes, station to station, and can cost less than £200 return.

It's always tricky if you have a long drive to get to the port. You don't want to cut it too fine and risk missing the ferry but that often means having time to kill.

If you are an art lover and have a choice of port, there are good reasons to opt for Le Havre. Most of Le Havre was destroyed by bombing in World War II and has been rather unattractively rebuilt but all this can be forgiven when you discover the ultra-modern Le Musée des Beaux-Arts André Malraux. Constructed of glass and steel and situated close to the harbour this is one of the best museums in Normandy with its collection of Impressionist works by Monet, Sisley, Renoir and Boudin. Fauvist Raoul Dufy, who, like Boudin was born in Le Havre, is also well represented.

Many years ago we had a couple of hours in Bayeux before catching our ferry home from Caen and were really sorry that we had not allowed longer to explore the town. It is one of the few places in the area to have escaped the ravages of World War II, meaning that there are plenty of picture postcard buildings which, combined with its cobbled streets, make it the perfect sort of town just to wander around. The obvious attraction is of course the famous tapestry but there is so much more to Bayeux that it is an excellent choice for a few days tagged on to the beginning or end of a holiday or, as we later did, a place for a long weekend.

Conditions in the French property market appear to be becoming more favourable for foreign buyers. In a recent development, French banks have moved to provide British and Irish buyers with better deals on loan-to-value mortgages. In the past, strict controls made it difficult for foreigners to obtain mortgages at sympathetic rates.

Research by Assetz Finance has revealed that the loan-to-value ratio offered by French banks to British buyers has increased from 80% to 90%. These developments will prove highly beneficial for the many thousands of Britons who purchase holiday homes in France each year.

Thirty years on, I can still remember the look of bewilderment on the face of the French exchange student, as she walked into the archetypal 1970s cheese and wine party. I seem to recall that Cheddar figured largely – either in intimidating slabs straight from the supermarket wrapper or paired with a chunk of tinned pineapple perched on a cocktail stick. It was all too much for the girl whose native France can boast of almost five hundred varieties of cheese. Of course we Brits are often equally bewildered, when faced with the groaning cheese trolley in a restaurant or with the overwhelming choice on offer in a fromagerie.

When examining your options for a vacation in France, a boating holiday might not be the first idea to spring to mind. Nevertheless, France has much to offer those visitors seeking something a little out of the ordinary.

The French countryside is spectacularly beautiful. A boating holiday along one of the country's many canals provides the perfect opportunity to experience the beauty of rural France whilst still allowing you to enjoy a relaxed sailing holiday. The Breton canals are some of the finest in France. Breton's river network consists of some 600km of navigable waterways. Holidaymakers can take two principal routes.

This summer's unrelenting rain has been a factor in a surge of interest in overseas holiday homes. As many parts of the UK disappeared beneath the flood waters, investors and holidaymakers alike turned their attention to the other side of the Channel. A study by Holiday Lettings has identified the areas attracting most interest from investors, a growing number of whom fund their acquisition by letting the property out for at least part of the year.

In the 12 month period from June 2006 to June 2007, Holiday Lettings registered a huge increase in the number of properties being added to its online directory. Of all the country categories, only Spain saw a larger number of holiday homes being added than France. The prolonged damp weather in June and July is thought to be a key factor, spurring the search for a place in the sun. Those concerned about travel-related carbon emissions but unable to endure wet British climes have salved their green conscience by not going long-haul.

2007 sees France playing host to the 6th Rugby World Cup which runs from 7th September 20th October. Twenty nations will be competing in 48 matches over 44 days and all but six will be played in ten French cities, the remainder being played in Cardiff and Edinburgh. The tournament is one of the largest sporting fixtures in the world and will be watched by millions in the UK since England's success in 2003.