French Regions Explained

The division of France into regions and departments can be confusing for the visitors, but an understanding of how the country’s administrative geography works can really add to the enjoyment of a French cycling holiday. By Lynette Eyb

Map of the French regions

Regional identity is still an important aspect of French cultural life, with this local pride demonstrated in everything from gastronomy and the arts to music and sport.

For administrative purposes, France is divided into 26 regions: 21 on the mainland plus the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion; Corsica is officially designated a territorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale), but is generally considered for day-to-day purposes to be France's 26th region.

Each region is then broken down into several departments (départements), with 100 in total across the country. The departments are then subdivided into 342 arrondissements (loosely translated as ‘districts’), which are in turn divided into cantons and communes.

However when planning your trip to France, it’s largely the regions and departments you’ll encounter. Tourist maps and bike route information tends to be promoted regionally or by department (and sometimes by both or by a collective of neighbouring departments that aren't even in the same region). Often you’ll see advertisements for ‘cycling in Provence’ or ‘cycling holidays in the Loire Valley’ and it’s not uncommon for visitors on cycling holiday in France to confine their trip to just one region or department.

Corsica is officially a territorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale), but is for day-to-day purposes considered to be France's 26th region. Photo: valmente

Corsica is officially a territorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale), but is for day-to-day purposes considered to be France's 26th region. Photo: valmente

Here's a breakdown of each mainland region, plus Corsica, followed by its departments.

Alsace: Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin

Aquitaine: Dordogne, Lot et Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes, Gironde

Auvergne: Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme

Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy): Calvados, Manche, Orne

Bretagne (Brittany): Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan

Bourgogne (Burgundy): Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne

Centre: Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret

Champagne-Ardenne: Ardennes, Aube, Marne, Haute-Marne

Corsica: Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud

Franche-Comté: Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône, Territoire de Belfort

Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy): Seine-Maritime, Eure

Île-de-France: Paris, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Seine-et-Marne, Val-de-Marne, Val-d'Oise, Yvelines

Languedoc-Roussillon: Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère, Pyrénées-Orientales

Limousin: Corrèze, Creuse, Haute-Vienne

Lorraine: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges

Midi-Pyrénées: Ariège, Aveyron, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarn,Tarn-et-Garonne

Nord-Pas-de-Calais: Nord, Pas-de-Calais

Pays de la Loire: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Vendée

Picardie (Picardy): Aisne, Oise, Somme

Poitou-Charentes: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse

Rhône-Alpes: Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Rhône, Savoie, Haute-Savoie

 

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