France - a fan's guide
French football
Why go to France? The country
The simple truth is the French have won more than dear old England - and at the turn of the millennium they were World and Euro champions.
However, as England's powerful league has failed to produce a successful national side, France's problem has been the other way. Great national side (at times) but never quite at the top table of club football.
They were both in relatively recent times - Marseille landed the all new Champions League by beating mighty AC Milan, whilst Paris Saint-German lifted the former Cup Winnners Cup.
There have been a few great runs, and Monaco made it all the way to the Champions League final in 2004, only to lose to The Special One's Porto.
Domestically one team now stands head and shoulders above the rest - Lyon, or Olympique Lyonnais, to give them their full name. Their league victory in 2008 was their seventh title on the bounce, a record even the mighty Liverpool of the seventies would struggle to match. Amazingly, before then they had never won the title. They are still chasing the all-time record of ten titles held by Saint Etienne.
They have gone on to give a good showing in Europe too, reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League for the past five years - but, like England, they just can't quite seem to get past the quarters.
Ranked fourth in the UEFA rankings, the French league has three Champions League spots plus three UEFA slots.
When's kick off? The season and kick off times
The big kick off in France is the second week in August. It runs through to the end of May, with a two week break over Christmas and New Year. Midweek fixtures in the league are few and far between.
There's also the league cup and the French Cup.
The regular league matchday kick off is 7pm on Saturday night and usually six of the ten ties are played then. One further game starts at 9pm - then there are three on Sunday, two at 5pm and one at 9pm. These all fit in with TV.
Game times are usually confirmed for around a month in advance.
Click here for the most recent results and fixtures
Out of our league: The 2009-10 clubs
Click here for a Google map of France featuring the 20 clubs of Ligue 1 in 2009-10. There's some long away trips for some fans there..
AJ Auxerre
Stadium: Stade Abbe Deschamps (21,000)
From main station: 15 mins walk
Quickest Eurostar from London: 5 hrs via Paris Nord and Paris-Bercy
Closest airports with UK links: Auxerre, Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle
Closest French clubs: Paris Saint-Germain
Club website: http://www.aja.fr
Girondins de Bordeaux
Stadium: Stade Chaban Delmas (35,000)
From main station: Lines 9, 12, 26, 939 from Gare St Jean to Merignac
Quickest Eurostar from London: 6 hrs 40 mins via Paris and Paris-Montparnasse
Closest airports with UK links: Bordeaux-Merignac
Closest French clubs: Toulouse
Club website: http://www.girondins.com
Boulogne Cote d'Opale
Stadium: Stade de la Liberation (15,000)
From main station: 15 min walk
Quickest Eurostar from London: 3 hrs 30 mins via Calais or Lille. Or why not get the ferry - Dover to Boulogne?
Closest French clubs: RC Lens
Club website: http://www.usbco.com
Grenoble Foot 38
Stadium: Stade de Alpes (20,000)
From main station: Tram C from Hotel De Ville to Flandrin Valmy
Quickest Eurostar from London: 6 hrs via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Saint Geoirs, Lyon
Closest French clubs: Saint-Etienne, Lyon
Club website: http://www.gf38.fr/
Reviews: http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-piste-in-grenoble-god-alps-us-all.html
Le Mans UC 72
Stadium: Stade Omnisports Leon-Bollee (16,500)
From main station: Line 7 to Boussiniere
Quickest Eurostar from London: 4 hrs 30 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Montparnasse
Closest airports with UK links: Le Mans/ Arnage
Closest French clubs: Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain
Club website: http://www.muc72.fr
RC Lens
Stadium: Stade Felix Bollaert (41,000)
From main station: 2 hrs 45 mins via Lille
Quickest Eurostar from London: xx
Closest airports with UK links: Lille-Lesquin
Closest French clubs: Lille, Valenciennes
Club website: http://www.rclens.fr
LOSC Lille Metropole
Stadium: Stadium Lille Metropole (18,000)
From main station: Metro Line 1 to Pont de Bois
Quickest Eurostar from London: 1 hr 30 mins to Lille
Closest airports with UK links: Lesquin
Closest French clubs: Lens, Valenciennes
Club website: http://www.losc.fr
FC Lorient
Stadium: Stade du Moustoir (16,000)
From main station: Bus A, B, C, E, R Securite Sociale
Quickest Eurostar from London: 7 hrs 20 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Montparnasse
Closest airports with UK links: Lorient-Lann Bilhoue
Closest French clubs: Rennes
Club website: http://www.fclweb.fr
Olympique Lyonnais
Stadium: Stade Municipal de Gerland (41,000)
From main station: Line B to station de Gerland
Quickest Eurostar from London: 5 hrs 30 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Lyon Saint-Exupery
Closest French clubs: Saint-Etienne, Grenoble
Club website: http://www.olweb.fr
Olympique de Marseille
Stadium: Stade Velodrome (60,000)
From main station: Metro Rond point du Prado/ Saint Margueritte Dromel
Quickest Eurostar from London: 7 hrs via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Marignane
Closest French clubs: Montpellier
Club website: http://www.om.net
AS Monaco FC
Stadium: Stade Louis II (18,500)
From main station: Line 5
Quickest Eurostar from London: 9 hrs 30 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Nice - Cote d'Azur
Closest French clubs: Nice
Club website: http://www.asm-fc.com
Montpellier Herault SC
Stadium: Stade de la Mosson (33,000)
From main station: Tram Line 1, or Bus Lines 14, 15 and 25
Quickest Eurostar from London: 7 hrs 20 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Montpellier Mediterranee
Closest French clubs: Marseille, Toulouse
Club website: http://www.mhscfoot.com/
AS Nancy Lorraine
Stadium: Stade Marcel Picot (20,000)
From main station: Tram Line 1 to Picot
Quickest Eurostar from London: 4 hrs 40 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Est
Closest airports with UK links: Metz-Nancy-Lorraine, Epinal
Closest French clubs: Sochaux Montbeliard
Club website: http://www.asnl.net
OGC Nice
Stadium: Stade du Ray (19,000)
From main station: Bus lines 1 and 5
Quickest Eurostar from London: 9 hrs via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Nice Cote d'Azur
Closest French clubs: Monaco
Club website: http://www.ogcnice.com
Paris Saint-Germain
Stadium: Parc des Princes (47,500)
From main station: RER Line C Boulevard Victor, Metro Line 9 to Porte de St-Cloud, Line 10 to Porte d'Auteull
Quickest Eurostar from London: 2 hrs 30 mins to Paris Nord
Closest airports with UK links: d'Orly, de Roissy
Closest French clubs: Auxerre, Le Mans, Lille
Club website: http://www.psg.fr
Stade Rennais FC (Rennes)
Stadium: Stade de la Route de Lorient (31,000)
From main station: Bus 11 and special matchday buses
Quickest Eurostar from London: 5 hrs 30 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Montparnasse
Closest airports with UK links: Rennes St-Jacques
Closest French clubs: Le Mans, Lorient
Club website: http://www.staderennais.com
AS Saint-Etienne
Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (35,500)
From main station: Tram Line 4 to Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Bus Line 9
Quickest Eurostar from London: 6 hrs 45 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: St Etienne-Boutheon, Lyon-Satolas
Closest French clubs: Lyon, Grenoble
Club website: http://www.asse.fr
Reviews: http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2009/02/les-amis-reunis-friends-reunited.html
FC Sochaux-Montbeliard
Stadium: Stade Bonal (20,000)
From main station: xx
Quickest Eurostar from London: 7 hrs 40 mins via Paris Nord and Paris Est
Closest airports with UK links: Bale-Mulhouse
Closest French clubs: Nancy
Club website: http://www.fcsochaux.fr
Toulouse FC
Stadium: Alle Gabriel Bienes (35,500)
From main station: Bus Line 1 and 12 to Pont St Michelligne
Quickest Eurostar from London: 10 hrs via Paris Nord and Paris Lyon
Closest airports with UK links: Toulouse-Blagnac
Closest French clubs: Montpellier, Bordeaux
Club website: http://www.tfc.info
Valenciennes FC
Stadium: Stade Nungesser (16,500)
From main station: Bus 1, 9, and 101 weekdays, 71 and 178 Sundays, to Nungesser
Quickest Eurostar from London: 3 hrs via Lille
Closest airports with UK links: xx
Closest French clubs: Lille, Lens
Club website: http://www.va-fc.com/