Fodor's Essential France
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...
France is a gastronomic wonderland, an artistic mecca, and a historical pop-up book. Vineyards blanket the wine regions, cathedrals crown the cities, and sandy beaches fringe the coastline. With all these riches, you may start plotting your next visit before you even return home.
The celebrated city of lights, Paris is one of the must-see cities of Europe for good reason. The tourist attractions alone provide days upon days of entertainment. It’s true, you may wait in line to ascend the Eiffel Tower, but you’ll be surrounded by beguiling views of Champs de Mars and the stately ambiance of the Palais de Chaillot. Once you get to the top, the city of Paris is yours for drinking in.
The museums in Paris are numerous and famed throughout the world, including the Louvre and the M...
Read MoreFrance is a gastronomic wonderland, an artistic mecca, and a historical pop-up book. Vineyards blanket the wine regions, cathedrals crown the cities, and sandy beaches fringe the coastline. With all these riches, you may start plotting your next visit before you even return home.
The celebrated city of lights, Paris is one of the must-see cities of Europe for good reason. The tourist attractions alone provide days upon days of entertainment. It’s true, you may wait in line to ascend the Eiffel Tower, but you’ll be surrounded by beguiling views of Champs de Mars and the stately ambiance of the Palais de Chaillot. Once you get to the top, the city of Paris is yours for drinking in.
The museums in Paris are numerous and famed throughout the world, including the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. After a trip to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, unwind with a cafe in the enchanting Jardin de Tuileries. The Orsay sits not too far from the banks of the Seine, along which you can pick up a book at the scattered bouquiniste stalls along the river, journey via the Bateau Mouche to Notre Dame Cathedral, and grab a pain au chocolat (or two) in the lively Latin Quarter, humming with colorful markets and student life. From there, should the spirit move you, why not swing by the Sorbonne and take in the Pantheon? Or the Luxembourg Gardens, or the Paris Zoo, or the spooky catacombs, or a high-end shopping spree in the Marais—the possibilities are plentiful.
The 20 arrondisements of Paris each embody a unique sensibility. From the rolling hills of Montmartre topped by the magnificent Sacre Coeur, to the posh Ile Saint Louis lingering in between the right and left bank, the glamour of the Champs Elysees to the quieter, residential spots, hidden beauty is everywhere to discover.
Travel a few hours south of the capital on the high-speed rail to Lyon, the beating heart of French gastronomy. Lyon is the gateway to the Alpine region, and you’ll find it’s both a buzzing metropolis and a charming village stopped in time. After picking up a few souvenirs in the bustling Place Bellecour, ascend the heights of the city with a quick funicular ride for another one of France’s indelible views.
Sample Lyon’s namesake bouchons, corner bistros featuring French-style comfort food. After a day touring breathtaking churches, hip neighborhood like La Croix-Rousse, and wandering the picturesque streets of Vieux Lyon, have a Kir Royale and relax.
While Lyon is great for tasting classic French cuisine and seeing city sights, just a few hours away are snow-capped villages that will take your breath away. If you’re looking for a quaint ski town, France is an ideal destination: escape to a city surrounded by resort options like Grenoble or wake up practically in the powder in Chamonix. Other Alpine retreats to write home about include Annecy, a postcard town with picture-book vistas. While these escapes shimmer in the snow, the spirit of outdoor adventure thrives all year round with plenty of hiking, biking, paddle boating for adventurers of any level.
And then there’s the South of France. These words conjure a timeless myth of easy luxury and captivating beauty. But this region isn’t purely for the glitz and glam of the jetset scene. Provence possesses a wild, natural beauty, and a landscape sprinkled with soaring cypress trees and imbued with a light so special, it drew painters like Van Gogh and Gaugin to reap inspiration. The cuisine of the South is typically less cheese-heavy and more Mediterranean (fear not, there is still plenty of cheese and bread to be found in the regions’ sumptuous open air markets). Olive oil and ratatouille are two Provençal trademarks, as are calissons, small almond candies that are the official sweet of the region’s largest city, Aix-en-Provence.
Travel farther south and behold the incomparable blue of the Mediterranean Sea. When some people think of France, these are the sights that leap to mind: languidly strolling along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, past the Hotel Negresco; gazing upon the impossibly ritzy cars lining the streets leading to the casino in Monte Carlo and the exclusive beach clubs of St. Tropez. Yes, vacationing in the South of France can come with a hefty price tag, but it can also be done on a budget. Savor the socca in the sprawling Place Massena in Nice, pick up some of France’s most delicious gelato at Fenocchio, and sample fresh seafood from Vieux Port in Marseille. Also be sure to take advantage of the less-expensive regional train line offering views that will remain with you for a lifetime.
While the France’s eastern coast might be iconic, the homey, charming southwestern coast has plenty to offer. Southwestern France, closer to Spain and Basque Country, provides plenty of locales that aren’t quite as busy as the tourist hubs. Warm up with a bowl of cassoulet in Toulouse, the “Pink City” (La Ville Rose). Not far from the canals of the Garonne are Biarritz and Bordeaux, sun-soaked cities that bring a sophisticated panache to the region.
In the north, many treasures abound. History buffs flock to the beaches of Normandy, and Brittany is known for its distinctive regional cuisine—it’s where crepes got their start. Castles and chateaux are treasures that inspired fairy tales over the years. In the Loire Valley, the Chateau d’Usse is supposedly Sleeping Beauty’s castle, while the Alsatian town of Colmar is the rumored real-life setting of Beauty and the Beast.
The regions of France are a diverse patchwork. Stay in chic Paris, visit the bucolic countryside, ski in the Alps, kayak in the Calanques, the list goes on and on.
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Top Destinations
Top Destinations
Paris
Provence
The French Riviera
Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur
Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast
The Vaucluse
Lyon and the Alps
Toulouse and the Languedoc
Brittany
The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue
Normandy
Side Trips from Paris
The Loire Valley
Burgundy
Alsace-Lorraine
The Western Cote d'Azur
Marseille
Corsica
The Dordogne
Lyon
Nice
The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees
Bordeaux and the Wine Country
Aix-en-Provence
Avignon
Champagne Country
Toulouse
St-Tropez
Cannes
Arles
Bordeaux
Nimes
Dijon
Strasbourg
Ajaccio
Nancy
Nantes
Versailles
St-Rémy-de-Provence
Rouen
Grenoble
Menton
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Biarritz
Montpellier
Antibes
Rennes
Reims
Colmar
Bastia
St-Raphaël
Beaune
St-Malo
Les Baux-de-Provence
Tours
Albi
Perpignan
Toulon
Annecy
Orleans
Bonifacio
Cassis
Caen
Grasse
Calvi
Troyes
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Gordes
Quimper
Carcassonne
Cap d'Antibes
Orange
Chartres
Bandol
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Corte
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Deauville-Trouville
Pau
Amboise
Nuits-St-Georges
Juan-les-Pins
St-Émilion
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Aubagne
Blaye
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
Les Andelys
Mougins
Lille
Mont-St-Michel
Viviers
Prades
Forcalquier
Saumur
Honfleur
Mandelieu–La Napoule
Dinard
Lourdes
Vaison-la-Romaine
Aigues-Mortes
Belle-Ile-en-Mer
Îles d'Hyères
St-Jean-de-Luz
Cahors
Collioure
Périgueux
Rocamadour
Moustiers-Ste-Marie
Vienne
La Palud-sur-Verdon
Giverny
Cherbourg
Chamonix–Mont-Blanc
Fréjus
St-Paul-de-Vence
Béziers
Blois
Fecamp
Amiens
Cadillac
Vence
Pont-Aven
Autun
Ménerbes
Obernai
Bergerac
Vézelay
Chinon
Méribel
Bourg sur Gironde
Bayonne
Angers
St-Germain-en-Laye
St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
Bayeux
The D-Day Beaches
The Camargue
Fontainebleau
Chantilly
Rambouillet
Val Thorens
Valence
Megève
Bonnieux
Chambord
Cancale
Ribeauville
Pauillac
La Baule
Sare
Narbonne
Dinan
Beauvais
Céret
Étretat
Épernay
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Courchevel
Compiegne
Èze
Porticcio
Porto Vecchio
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Laon
Villeneuve-lez-Avignon
Senlis
Eugénie-les-Bains
Le Havre
Bourg-en-Bresse
Auxerre
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Lourmarin
Haut-de-Cagnes
Sens
Vannes
Chablis
Beaumes-de-Venise
Roussillon
Cluny
St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Tournon-Sur-Rhone
Soissons
Azay-le-Rideau
Concarneau
Saulieu
Sélestat
Val d'Isère
Vitre
Carnac
Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Châlons-en-Champagne
Beaujolais Wine Route
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Lascaux
Auvers-sur-Oise
Monpazier
Disneyland Paris
Barbizon
Gavarnie
St-Cirq-Lapopie
Ainhoa
Biot
Lacoste
Lorient
Douarnenez
Pont du Gard
Apt
Riquewihr
Fayence
Gigondas
Chaumont-sur-Loire
Valbonne
Épinal
Arromanches-les-Bains
Margaux
Cheverny
Clos de Vougeot
Ramatuelle
Brantôme
Trébeurden
Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Sault
Roquebrune–Cap-Martin
Maintenon
Tarascon
Mont Ventoux
Seguret
La Colle sur Loup
Granville
St-Lo
Seillans
St-Paul
Ste-Maxime
Vallauris
Vernet-les-Bains
Usse-Rigny
Villandry
Domme
Chenonceaux
Monbazillac
Chambéry
L'Isle-Adam
Cauterets
Sache
Montlouis-sur-Loire
Pérouges
Pigna
Meung-sur-Loire
Pas de Roland
Gassin
Pierrefonds
Buoux
Vernon
Cliousclat
Domremy-la-Pucelle
Hautefort
Le Barroux
Montbard
L'Épine
La Roque-Gageac
Pontoise
Fontvieille
Andlau
Paimpol
Ste-Mère Église
Combourg
Courances
Vaucouleurs
Saignon
Abbaye de Montmajour
Rueil-Malmaison
Ste-Anne-la-Palud
Château de Sully
Port-Grimaud
Thoiry
Biron
Ancy-le-Franc
Château-Thierry
Dampierre
Tanlay
Villars-les-Dombes
Crillon-le-Brave
Haut-Koenigsbourg
Salses
Auray
Dambach-la-Ville
Barr
Grimaud
Theoule-sur-Mer
Langeais
Annonay
Poissy
Erbalunga
La Scala di Santa Regina
Nonza
Piedicroce
Montfort-L'Amaury
Ermenonville
Houdan
Maisons-Laffitte
Marly-le-Roi
Meaux
Medan
Albertville
Chateau de Chenonceaux
Dreux
Breteuil
Vacqueyras
Rochecorbon
Saverne
Morosaglia
Art Nouveau Nancy
Lama
The Historic Center
Cateri
The Historic Heart
Vaux-le-Vicomte
Thonon-les-Bains
Beaugency
Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano
Aix-les-Bains
San Martino di Lota
St-Florent
Moret-sur-Loing
Sartene
Serrieres
Quenza
Privas
Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
Montelimar
Patrimonio
L'Arbresle
Ota
Hauterives
Murato
Grande Chartreuse
L'Ile Rousse
Évian-les-Bains
La Porta
Corps
Filitosa
Asco and Haut-Asco
Centuri
Abbaye de Fontenay
Calenzana
Provins
Aleria
Mont-Ste-Odile
Bourg-St-Maurice
Sauveterre-de-Bearn
Ars-sur-Formans
Marmoutier
Paris
Marseille
Lyon
Nice
Aix-en-Provence
Avignon
Toulouse
St-Tropez
Cannes
Arles
Bordeaux
Nimes
Dijon
Strasbourg
Ajaccio
Nancy
Nantes
Versailles
St-Rémy-de-Provence
Rouen
Grenoble
Menton
Biarritz
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Montpellier
Antibes
Rennes
Reims
Colmar
Bastia
St-Raphaël
St-Malo
Beaune
Perpignan
Tours
Les Baux-de-Provence
Albi
Annecy
Orleans
Bonifacio
Toulon
Cassis
Calvi
Caen
Grasse
Troyes
Quimper
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Gordes
Carcassonne
Orange
Chartres
Cap d'Antibes
St-Émilion
Pau
Deauville-Trouville
Nuits-St-Georges
Amboise
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Bandol
Corte
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Juan-les-Pins
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Aubagne
Mougins
Les Andelys
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
Blaye
Dinard
Mont-St-Michel
Mandelieu–La Napoule
Forcalquier
Viviers
Saumur
Honfleur
Lourdes
Prades
Lille
Collioure
Giverny
Îles d'Hyères
Aigues-Mortes
Chamonix–Mont-Blanc
Cherbourg
Vienne
Cahors
La Palud-sur-Verdon
Vaison-la-Romaine
St-Jean-de-Luz
Rocamadour
Moustiers-Ste-Marie
Périgueux
Autun
St-Paul-de-Vence
Ménerbes
Fréjus
Obernai
Vence
Blois
Béziers
Pont-Aven
Fecamp
Vézelay
Amiens
Cadillac
Bergerac
Chantilly
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
Bayonne
Fontainebleau
St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Angers
Méribel
Uzès
Chinon
The Camargue
Bourg sur Gironde
St-Germain-en-Laye
Bayeux
Céret
Megève
Val Thorens
Sancerre
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Sare
Rambouillet
Ribeauville
La Baule
Beauvais
Étretat
Épernay
Narbonne
Bonnieux
Valence
Cancale
Pauillac
Dinan
Chambord
Porticcio
Auxerre
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Le Havre
St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Haut-de-Cagnes
Laon
Èze
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Bourg-en-Bresse
Vannes
Porto Vecchio
Senlis
Courchevel
Sens
Cluny
Chablis
Eugénie-les-Bains
Compiegne
Lourmarin
Roussillon
Beaumes-de-Venise
Villeneuve-lez-Avignon
Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Tournon-Sur-Rhone
Val d'Isère
Carnac
Concarneau
Azay-le-Rideau
Vitre
Gavarnie
Monpazier
Lacoste
Barbizon
Lascaux
Ainhoa
Auvers-sur-Oise
Saulieu
Biot
St-Cirq-Lapopie
Châlons-en-Champagne
Sélestat
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Beaujolais Wine Route
Soissons
Fayence
Valbonne
Douarnenez
Chaumont-sur-Loire
Arromanches-les-Bains
Margaux
Riquewihr
Ramatuelle
Gigondas
Clos de Vougeot
Tain-l'Hermitage
Trébeurden
Brantôme
Apt
Cheverny
Lorient
Pont du Gard
Épinal
Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Granville
Chambéry
St-Lo
Tarascon
Mont Ventoux
Sault
Seguret
Vernet-les-Bains
Roquebrune–Cap-Martin
La Colle sur Loup
Seillans
Vallauris
Usse-Rigny
St-Paul
Maintenon
Monbazillac
Ste-Maxime
Chenonceaux
Villandry
Suresnes
Domme
L'Épine
Vernon
Cauterets
Paimpol
Montbard
Cliousclat
Meung-sur-Loire
Pontoise
Montlouis-sur-Loire
Pierrefonds
Sache
Le Barroux
Buoux
Pas de Roland
Combourg
Courances
Domremy-la-Pucelle
Fontvieille
L'Isle-Adam
Andlau
Hautefort
Pigna
La Roque-Gageac
Pérouges
Gassin
Ste-Mère Église
Saignon
Rueil-Malmaison
Dampierre
Thoiry
Crillon-le-Brave
Biron
Barr
Villars-les-Dombes
Abbaye de Montmajour
Salses
Vaucouleurs
Haut-Koenigsbourg
Grimaud
Auray
Ancy-le-Franc
Ste-Anne-la-Palud
Langeais
Tanlay
Villeneuve-Loubet
Château-Thierry
Dambach-la-Ville
Theoule-sur-Mer
Port-Grimaud
Calenzana
Corps
The Historic Heart
Ars-sur-Formans
St-Florent
Piedicroce
Montelimar
L'Arbresle
Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
Quenza
Hauterives
Houdan
Privas
Vaux-le-Vicomte
Patrimonio
Rochecorbon
Ota
Marly-le-Roi
Serrieres
Art Nouveau Nancy
Nonza
Maisons-Laffitte
Murato
Centuri
Beaugency
Cateri
Breteuil
Asco and Haut-Asco
Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano
Aleria
Morosaglia
Dreux
Albertville
Poissy
Aix-les-Bains
L'Ile Rousse
Annonay
Provins
Thonon-les-Bains
Abbaye de Fontenay
Medan
Moret-sur-Loing
Bourg-St-Maurice
Montfort-L'Amaury
La Scala di Santa Regina
Meaux
La Porta
Lama
Saverne
The Historic Center
Marmoutier
Filitosa
Grande Chartreuse
Mont-Ste-Odile
Sauveterre-de-Bearn
Vacqueyras
Erbalunga
Sartene
Évian-les-Bains
San Martino di Lota
Ermenonville
Provence
The French Riviera
Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur
Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast
The Vaucluse
Lyon and the Alps
Toulouse and the Languedoc
Brittany
The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue
Normandy
Side Trips from Paris
The Loire Valley
Burgundy
Alsace-Lorraine
The Western Cote d'Azur
Corsica
The Dordogne
The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees
Bordeaux and the Wine Country
Champagne Country
The D-Day Beaches
Route Napoleon
The Ardeche Valley
All Destinations
Expand All Collapse All
Lyon and the Alps
- Aix-les-Bains
- Albertville
- Annecy
- Annonay
- Ars-sur-Formans
- Beaujolais Wine Route
- Bourg-en-Bresse
- Bourg-St-Maurice
- Chambéry
- Chamonix–Mont-Blanc
- Cliousclat
- Corps
- Courchevel
- Évian-les-Bains
- Grande Chartreuse
- Grenoble
- Hauterives
- L'Arbresle
- Lyon
- Megève
- Méribel
- Montelimar
- Pérouges
- Privas
- Serrieres
- Tain-l'Hermitage
- The Ardeche Valley
- Thonon-les-Bains
- Tournon-Sur-Rhone
- Val d'Isère
- Valence
- Val Thorens
- Vienne
- Villars-les-Dombes
- Viviers
Side Trips from Paris
- Auvers-sur-Oise
- Barbizon
- Breteuil
- Chantilly
- Chartres
- Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte
- Compiegne
- Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
- Courances
- Dampierre
- Disneyland Paris
- Dreux
- Ermenonville
- Fontainebleau
- Giverny
- Houdan
- L'Isle-Adam
- Maintenon
- Maisons-Laffitte
- Marly-le-Roi
- Meaux
- Medan
- Montfort-L'Amaury
- Moret-sur-Loing
- Pierrefonds
- Poissy
- Pontoise
- Provins
- Rambouillet
- Rueil-Malmaison
- Senlis
- St-Germain-en-Laye
- Suresnes
- Thoiry
- Vaux-le-Vicomte
- Vernon
- Versailles
Corsica
- Ajaccio
- Aleria
- Asco and Haut-Asco
- Bastia
- Bonifacio
- Calenzana
- Calvi
- Cateri
- Centuri
- Corte
- Erbalunga
- Filitosa
- Lama
- La Porta
- La Scala di Santa Regina
- L'Ile Rousse
- Morosaglia
- Murato
- Nonza
- Ota
- Patrimonio
- Piedicroce
- Pigna
- Porticcio
- Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
- Porto Vecchio
- Quenza
- San Martino di Lota
- Sartene
- Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano
- St-Florent
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