The change to the single European currency may have made it much easier for tourists to make a French holiday part of a wider travel plan but a new survey reveals that many French people still long for the old days.

A survey by Paris Match magazine reports that nearly 69% of the French would prefer to have the old French currency, the Franc, rather than the Euro. This nostalgic desire was more than just a passing opinion too, as some 47% said they missed the franc “a lot”.

This survey seems to indicate that the French attitude has changed fairly significantly since the new currency was introduced in January 2002. Then, only 39% said they would miss the old currency. Of course absence makes the heart grow fonder and the French are no exception; by 2005 this figure had grown to 61%, with nearly half as many people saying they missed the Franc.

However, though many in France might miss the old national monetary system, tourists are less likely to be as nostalgic. Since the introduction of the Euro, holidays on the continent have become much more flexible. As an example under the Euro, it’s possible for people staying in a Dordogne villa holiday to cross through the picturesque Basque country into Spain or Italy for a day visit – without having to exchange money before they cross the border.

Of course, if said tourists are British they’re in a much different situation than the French. Whilst the Banque de Francais will stop accepting Franc notes in February 2012, here in the UK the pound sterling seems set to stay – and a quick trip to the Bureau de Change will let you get currency accepted in every other country of the EU.

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2. British people cook more than the French
3. French government launch new tourist website
4. New generation of speed cameras for French motorways
5. 2.9m people visit the Dordogne each year for a french holiday

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