For many Britons of a certain age, the charming towns, imposing chateaux and pavement cafes of France summon up cherished memories of first times abroad on a school exchange or a family holiday. In an era when long-haul flights were the preserve of the wealthy, a boat trip across the Channel was a welcome break for generations of holidaymakers.
The lure of package tours to Thailand, the Caribbean and other far-flung destinations appeared to have changed all that; but les vacances en France are back. A combination of increased air taxes on long-haul flights, political instability throughout the Arab world and the recession at home have all contributed to a surge in the number of Britons booking Gallic breaks.
An analysis of nearly five million British holiday bookings this year revealed a boom in travellers heading to Paris, the Loire valley and beyond. In total, 31% more tourists are expected to visit the country this year, compared with 2010.
Carmen Konopka, editor of Destination France magazine, said the squeeze on incomes in the UK was a big factor. "People don't have lots of money and it's not expensive to get to France. You can pack your car and drive across from not much more than £30, which makes a big difference. I think there's also a fear of flying at the moment with more ash exploding, so driving somewhere becomes more attractive.
"And France is a fantastic destination. Lots of people will have been there as a child so it becomes a first love for many. Naturally, they get distracted by other destinations, but that first love is always there and parents often want to take their children to France for their first foreign adventure.
"Then there is the sheer variety of holidays on offer," said Konopka. "You can enjoy a beach holiday or something more sophisticated. You have mountain holidays, cycling or walking tours, and city breaks. Sure, there are expensive and luxurious places to go to, but there are lots of very good value places too."
The average price of a holiday in France this year is £554 a head, compared with £978 for Italy, which has seen a 15% rise in bookings. The steepest falls in bookings have been in Tunisia and Egypt, by 16% and 30% respectively because of the political uncertainty. More expensive destinations, such as the Caribbean and the US, at an average cost of more than £1,200, have also proved a turn-off in straitened economic times.
France is the world's number one tourist destination, with almost 80 million visitors last year – more than 10 million of whom were British. Philip Westerman, 30, from London, who has been to France "more times than I can remember", puts food, culture and identity at the top of the list of reasons why he can't stay away.
"I went with my girlfriend and another couple to a place called Villentrois in the Loire valley recently for a long weekend and stayed in a pretty basic cottage, but that was part of the charm.
"Cost definitely played a role. Flights were cheap – no more than a hundred quid for two – though our main reason for going was to eat and drink. We ate out a couple of times, but we were more interested in buying fresh local produce and cooking it ourselves.
"We found a street market in a nearby town, which was easily as good as Borough Market in London. There was so much amazing cheese, cured meat, sausages and bread that we were in piggy heaven. We visited local vineyards and bought lots of wine that was cheap and unavailable in the UK.
"I go for the food and authenticity of culture and, to get a little deep, the French can be seen as stubborn in their rejection of American culture, but it also means they have maintained their own identity, perhaps in a way that we have lost ours."
There is, however, one cloud on the horizon. There are mutterings of discontent among the 200,000 Britons who have a second home in France, as Nicolas Sarkozy proposes a property tax in an attempt to narrow the budget deficit.
If it was implemented, the government would estimate the average rental income and charge each homeowner a 20% tax rate, which could force many in popular rural regions such as the Dordogne to sell. The draft, approved by Sarkozy's cabinet last month, is expected to go through parliament in time to become law in 2012.
