Even if Easter doesn’t fall in April, there’s a sense of the country opening up and shrugging off its winter hours. Cafe terraces become full again as people spend more time outdoors enjoying the warmer weather. The seasonal shift is celebrated at the International Garden Festival in Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire and the Bourges Spring Festival. At the Genoese villa housing Nice’s Musée Matisse, you can get an intimate perspective on his paintings, drawings, prints, cut-outs and sculptures and visit his grave across the park. Part of the Chaîne des Puys, a 40km (25-mile) string of craters, cinder cones and lava domes now cloaked in beech and spruce forest, the pinnacle, Puy de Dôme, rises 1465m (4806ft). Climbing the dormant volcano to the grassy summit rewards you w­ith swooping bird's-eye views. Two routes, the steep Chemin des Muletiers (45 to 90 minutes) and longer but steadier Chemin des Chèvres (two-and-a-half hours) make the ascent. The Paris metro, parts of it built more than a century ago, is not good for wheelchair users. Line 14 was built to be wheelchair-accessible, although in reality, it remains challenging to navigate. Paris buses, however, are 100% accessible. Specialist operator G7 has vehicles specially adapted to carry wheelchairs and drivers trained in helping passengers with disabilities. After hitting the stores along Avenue Jean-Médecin and taking in the scenic surrounds of Place Masséna, with its hypnotic tilework, stunning baroque-style fountain and 19th-century red-ochre buildings, enjoy a well-earned break with a spot of people-watching on the Promenade du Paillon.

Like a mirage appearing across the shimming sand – or rising from the sea at the speed of galloping horses, thanks to Europe’s highest tidal range of up to 15m (49ft) – the extraordinary abbey-island of Mont St-Michel sits off the coast of Normandy in northwestern France. Fortified during the Middle Ages, the turreted, spire-topped abbey still sees Benedictine monks hold services here most days. There’s nowhere in the Mediterranean quite like Corsica. Thanks to fierce local resistance, strong environmental protection and tight building rules, the coastline of this rugged, mountainous island has been spared the rampant tourism overdevelopment that has scarred so many Mediterranean beaches. The result is an island where ancient coastal forests still dominate, and dusty footpaths lead to serene white sands. Even in bigger cities and tourist centers such as Nice, where English is more widely spoken, open with French, if only “excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?” (“excuse me, do you speak English?”), and brush up on at least a few basic phrases. The deeper you head into la France profonde (rural France), the more French you will need to use. 7. First impressions are everything Southeast of Provence, the French Riviera is known in France as the Côte d'Azur for the azure-blue color of the Mediterranean glittering in the bright sun. At some point, you’ll want to be on two wheels as you explore the gently rolling landscapes of the Loire Valley – especially as cycling is made so much easier thanks to the extensive Vélo Verte network of bike routes. Combine visiting vineyards with glimpses into lavish Renaissance life in the 42 sumptuous chateaux, particularly the fantastically elaborate Chateau de Chenonceau and the more intimate and romantic Chateau d’Azay-le-Rideau on its own island on the Indre tributary.Before the French Riveria stole its limelight, Grande Plage – deep in the far southwest of France, in the stunning seaside city of Biarritz – was the beach of choice for the elite and fashionable of Europe. This drive links up France’s most magnificent collection of castles, ranging from austere medieval fortresses such as Château de Langeais to ostentatious royal pleasure palaces such as Chambord. Traveling around France by train is a joy. France’s state-owned SNCF is one of the best rail networks in Europe – fast, frequent and often very competitively priced, especially if you plan ahead and book in advance. Around the coast is appealing Montpellier ’s historic core and broad beaches. Roman Nîmes has an incredibly well-preserved amphitheater and handy access to the enormous aqueduct, Pont du Gard . Traverse the romantic landscapes of Provence

Apart from a brief burst of activity during Christmas and New Year’s, France’s rural regions go into hibernation mode. Opening hours get even more restricted than usual, with many restaurants open three to four days a week. But cities are still lively. Routes Nationales (N or RN) are national highways with divider strips on some sections. They often run alongside or close to autoroutes and pass through main towns – they’re slower but toll-free.

Directly south of Burgundy, France’s third-largest city, Lyon , sits at the confluence of the rivers Saône and Rhône. Grand squares, outstanding museums and long-standing traditions, including convivial bouchons (bistros serving rustic Lyonnaise cuisine), entice visitors to stay longer than planned. Calling Les Calanques “beaches” is perhaps overstepping the mark. Not really beaches at all; they’re more a gathering of pebbles and sand set deep into a series of knife slits in the Mediterranean cliffs, massaged by clear, turquoise waters. The Cévenol forms part of a longer, cross-country route linking Marseille to Paris, but most riders jump aboard at Clermont-Ferrand, in the heart of volcano country. You’ll start off admiring volcanic plugs dotting the landscape before heading through the pièce de résistance: the Gorges de l’Allier. High above the Allier River, magnificent views open up, stretching far across the gorge. Along the way, you’ll cross three historic viaducts, wind through several impressive valleys and traverse 106 tunnels. The highest point is La Bastide Puylaurent at 1018m (3340ft), while the Chamborigaud viaduct promises a heart-in-mouth experience as you teeter high above the landscape for 409 endless meters (1341ft).

Pair your wine tasting with some of the country’s most memorable Romanesque architecture – for example, the grand Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d'Autun – and you’ll uplift both body and soul. One of France’s most famous artists, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) lived in Nice for nearly 40 years. See one of the world’s largest collections of his work, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and paper cut-outs, at the Musée Matisse in Cimiez.The region’s châteaux and defensive walls remain – most distinctive of all are bastide towns such as Monpazier, encircled by fortified walls and protected by sturdy ramparts. Each village has a central market square, so if you time your drive right, you can hit a weekly market and sample the local specialties.