{"id":461,"date":"2025-05-09T14:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/10-best-places-to-visit-in-france\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:02","slug":"10-best-places-to-visit-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=461","title":{"rendered":"10 best places to visit in France"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nicola is one of the writers on Lonely Planet’s latest France guidebook. Here she shares ten incredible places to plan a French holiday.<\/em><\/p>\n

So belle<\/em> is France, that where on earth do you start when it comes to planning a trip to Europe\u2019s unapologetically gourmet, cultural and artistic titan?<\/p>\n

From vertiginous peaks and cut-throat valleys in the colossal French Alps and Pyrenees to sun-spangled blue vistas and chiseled cliffs along the country\u2019s 4853km (3015 miles) of coastline, L\u2019Hexagone (as the French call their hexagon-shaped land in western Europe) is bestowed with remarkable natural treasures. Pair this with a Herculean cache of human creations \u2013 ancient Roman towns, art-rich cities, a capital that is the last word in romance, and rural, jack-in-the-box hilltop villages \u2013 and you’d need years to really see it all.<\/p>\n

To ensure a sweet taste of French art de vivre<\/em>, move slowly between map pins \u2013 by train, bicycle or car in rural regions. Spend days, not hours, in each place and factor in ample time for mooching open-air markets, d\u00e9gustation<\/em> (tasting) with growers and endless lunch lazing.<\/p>\n

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Here are the 10 best places to do just that between sights and activities.<\/p>\n

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Springtime brings pastel-pink cherry blossom to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris \u00a9 UlyssePixel \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Paris<\/h2>\n

Best for a city break in spring<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elegant Paris, with its Haussmann boulevards and world-class art museums, is a heartthrob at any time of year: the city panorama from basilica-crowned Montmartre on a snowy winter day; cycling or playing the flaneur along the Seine or Canal St-Martin in fall; Cimeti\u00e8re du P\u00e8re Lachaise after the rain; Sainte-Chapelle\u2019s soul-piercing stained glass on a glorious summer afternoon\u2026<\/p>\n

But it is March and April\u2019s iridescent, sun-dappled days that truly embody Paris\u2019 unique energy and romance. Fresh goat cheese, creamy Saint-Marcellin and the tail-end of winter\u2019s Mont d\u2019Or appear in fromageries <\/em>like Quatrehomme and Paroles de Fromagers (with cheese school and upcoming new cheese museum). Cherry blossoms paint Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin des Plantes and local secret Parc de Sceaux pink. Cafe terraces bloom, rooftop bars and restaurants (like vegetarian Cr\u00e9atures atop central department store Galeries Lafayette) emerge from hibernation. Paris\u2019 festival calendar explodes.<\/p>\n

Planning tip:<\/strong> Ditch the metro for blue-sky exploration along hundreds of miles of dedicated, two-way cycling lanes. Rent a public-sharing V\u00e9lib bike or a free-floating e-bike operated by Dott, Lime and Tier; download the appropriate app to locate, pay and unlock.<\/p>\n

Read more: 11 things only the locals know in France (and now you do too)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2. Arcachon<\/h2>\n

Best for old-school seaside charm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Artists fell for the shimmering blues, grays and greens of northern France\u2019s C\u00f4te d\u2019Opale in the 19th century, and the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur\u2019s golden light in the 20th. Neither has lost its razzle-dazzle. But for retro chic, Arcachon on the Atlantic Coast is the masterpiece. A deep, golden-sand beach laces the seafront of this unpretentious seaside town, with four quarters named after the seasons and a shoal of tasty seafood restaurants serving locally farmed oysters. Reserve a table at Chez Pierre.<\/p>\n

Lingering for several days? Pair bucket-and-spade beach days with a coastal two-wheel spin to Europe\u2019s mightiest sand dune, Dune du Pilat, and a boat trip across the bay to Cap Ferret, with a story-book lighthouse to clamber up, pine-scented beaches to surf and a traditional oyster-farming village to explore. If sea-kayaking rocks your boat, paddle with Arcachon Kayak Aventure to \u00cele aux Oiseaux, a chameleon of a bird island that almost disappears at high tide.<\/p>\n

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The possibilities for hikes in summer are practically endless in Parc National de la Vanoise \u00a9 daboost \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Parc National de la Vanoise<\/h2>\n

Best for hiking and wildlife encounters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fizzing with adrenaline and natural beauty, France\u2019s oldest national park embraces 529 sq km (204 sq miles) of mountain peaks, glaciers and pastoral valleys in the French Alps. World-class ski resorts Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re and Tignes (both open late November to April) are household names, particularly among powder addicts and springtime skiers. But it\u2019s the hundreds of miles of summertime hiking trails (including the mythical GR5 from Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie to Nice on the Med) and wildlife-watching ops that pull the real punch.<\/p>\n

Well-marked trails spaghetti beneath 107 mighty peaks above 3000m (9842ft), home to France\u2019s largest colony of wild ibex. Don\u2019t miss the dramatic day hike to Lac des Vaches (\u201cLake of Cows\u201d), a lake at an altitude of 2318m (7605ft) that doubles as pasture for grazing cows in August when the lake completely dries. Other months, \u201cwalk on water\u201d across a 210m-long (689ft) boardwalk of stone slabs traversing its moraine-fringed length.<\/p>\n

Planning tip:<\/strong> Pick up park information and trail maps at the Maison du Parc in the small alpine village of Pralognan-la-Vanoise, a 1\u00bd-hour drive from Chambe\u0301ry in Savoie.<\/p>\n

4. The Loire Valley<\/h2>\n

Best for romantic ch\u00e2teau-hopping<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Nowhere does ch\u00e2teaux like France. For first-timers, the ch\u00e2teau-strewn Loire Valley \u2013 an hour’s hop by train from Paris to Tours \u2013 assures instant immersion. Roman oenophiles first planted vines on the banks of the River Loire (look for Sancerre, Chinon, St-Nicolas de Bourgeuil and Montlouis-sur-Loire on wine lists). Then French royalty had a ball in megalomaniacal pleasure palaces and weekend hunting retreats during the Renaissance: 440-room Ch\u00e2teau de Chambord, garden-graced Ch\u00e2teau de Villandry and Chaumont-sur-Loire, and hopelessly romantic Ch\u00e2teau de Chenonceau must be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n

Forget traipsing through endless fusty rooms filled with dated trappings. Ch\u00e2teau-hopping in this emblematic valley is about observing deer at dawn on Chambord\u2019s colossal forested estate, watching foxhounds wolf down 100kg (220lbs) of meat in 10 seconds flat at Ch\u00e2teau de Cheverny, and feasting on five centuries of history at Gothic-to-Renaissance Ch\u00e2teau de Blois during a son-et-lumi\u00e8re<\/em> (sound-and-light show). To bond with grassroots river life, navigate the Loire in a traditional flat-bottomed toue<\/em> and overnight in a bivouac camp on its riverbanks.<\/p>\n

Planning tip:<\/strong> Ch\u00e2teau-hop by bike. Research cycling routes, bike rental, cyclist-friendly accommodations et al with Loire \u00e0 V\u00e9lo. Join the dots between castles around Blois with Les Ch\u00e2teaux \u00e0 V\u00e9lo cycling trails.<\/p>\n

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Exhibits at La Cit\u00e9 du Vin explore the artistry of winemaking, and you can buy your favourite vintage in the shop \u00a9 MikeDotta \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Bordeaux<\/h2>\n

Best wine region for tasting<\/strong><\/p>\n

De\u0301gustation<\/em> (tasting) is an essential part of daily life in France\u2019s celebrated wine regions: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire and Rho\u0302ne Valleys, Provence and Languedoc. But it\u2019s the handsome wine city of Bordeaux \u2013 where English merchants rolled barrels of claret (red wine) from quayside to ship in the 15th century and winegrowers stunned the world with mind-blowing M\u00e9doc and St-\u00c9milion reds three centuries on \u2013 that pairs top-drawer vintages with easily-accessible visits around ancestral estates.<\/p>\n

Memorable stops on a tasting grand tour around Bordeaux include the \u201cGuggenheim of wine\u201d La Cit\u00e9 du Vin; a wine flight at the superlative Bar \u00e0 Vin inside Maison du Vin de Bordeaux; backstage cellar tours in town at Ch\u00e2teau Les Carmes Haut-Brion and out of town at Ch\u00e2teau Lynches-Bages (with state-of-the-art winemaking facilities designed by the architect son of Pei, creator of the Louvre glass pyramid).<\/p>\n

Planning tip:<\/strong> Reserve cellar tours and lunch tables well in advance. In St-\u00c9milion, dine among sun-soaked vines at Ch\u00e2teau Troplong-Mondot\u2019s Les Belles Perdrix vineyard restaurant. In the M\u00e9doc, Nomade is the wine lover\u2019s gourmet secret.<\/p>\n

6. Normandy<\/h2>\n

Best northern region for art fiends and foodies<\/strong><\/p>\n

From prehistoric cave art at Lascaux to the Louvre\u2019s Mona Lisa<\/em>, France\u2019s illustrious art portfolio spans all eras and genres. In northern France, Normandy\u2019s extraordinary light spawned impressionism. French painter Claude Monet painted and repainted Rouen\u2019s masterpiece cathedral obsessively in the late 19th century; ditto for sunrise in UNESCO port town Le Havre and backyard water lilies on his flowery country estate in Giverny.<\/p>\n

Admire impressionism\u2019s many Norman subjects from all angles on an art lover\u2019s pilgrimage. Set up your easel to capture \u00c9tretat\u2019s iconic white chalk cliffs on canvas. Wade across sand at low tide to visit Gothic abbey Mont St-Michel. Hop between art galleries in fashionable Honfleur and among oyster beds in the picture-postcard fishing village of St-Vaast-la-Hougue. Don\u2019t miss Camembert: a visit to the village\u2019s Ferme du Champ Secret \u2013 where rounds of buttery AOP Camembert cheese are still made with unpasteurized milk fresh from the farm\u2019s herd of Normande cows \u2013 is unforgettable.<\/p>\n

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The C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur town of Cannes has red-carpet energy all year round \u00a9 IR Stone \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur<\/h2>\n

Best for train travel (and winter sunshine)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When the urge hits to rattle past a cinematic mirage of vineyards, fruit orchards and indigo blue water, ride the rails aboard a slow train along the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur (\u201cAzure Coast\u201d). Beach-blessed stops on the coastal route along the Med between unsung Hy\u00e8res and Italianate Menton (lemons galore!) include red-carpet Cannes, Picasso\u2019s Antibes, ochre-hued fishing village Villefranche-sur-Mer, the seaside wedge of hilltop village \u00c8ze, and Monaco, the world’s second-smallest country. Embrace lazy beach days, lively bar nights, sensational modern-art museums, historic gardens and open-air markets in spades.<\/p>\n

The ultimate train journey south? A couchette in a sleeper aboard the revived Train Bleu (\u201cBlue Train\u201d) from Paris to Nice, beloved by 19th-century hivernants<\/em> (winter vacationers). From 1896 onwards they began arriving in the Riviera capital by train in search of warmth, sunshine and nourishing sea air.<\/p>\n

Planning tip: <\/strong>Pair coastal train trips with an inland rail adventure: to the perfume-making town of Grasse, off-grid into C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur backcountry on the Train des Merveilles (\u201cTrain of Marvels\u201d), or back in time from Nice to Digne-les-Bains aboard the narrow-gauge Train des Pignes.<\/p>\n

Read more: The 8 most spectacular train journeys in France<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

8. Rocamadour<\/h2>\n

Best for a hilltop-village family adventure<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Luberon in Provence is renowned for its flush of hilltop villages (foodie Bonnieux, chateau-capped Lacoste, and the scenic hike from lavender-stitched Abbaye de S\u00e9nanque to eagle-nest Gordes are undeniably gorgeous). Yet moving west, it is the less fabled Lot where the tourist horde suddenly dissipates, and the natural grandeur and majesty of medieval villages take rightful center stage, strategically perched atop vertical crags and outcrops.<\/p>\n

Cliff-hanger Rocamadour, an ancient stop on the epic pilgrimage route from Rome to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, has the epicurean bonus of producing its own eponymous cheese. It’s crafted on goat farms such as La Borie d\u2019Imbert, which opens its doors to fromage<\/em> curios and goat-loving kids. Pair with tree trampolining (yes, really) at Saute-Mouton and wild swimming from pebble beaches along the frisky Lot and Dordogne rivers for an assured, no-holds-barred family adventure.<\/p>\n

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Road trips on Corsica come with added thrills \u00a9 Philip Lee Harvey \/ Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Corsica<\/h2>\n

Best for open-road escapes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Journeys are measured in hours, not miles, on Corsica \u2013 nicknamed \u00cele de Beaut\u00e9 (\u201cIsland of Beauty\u201d) for good reason. Golden beaches, turquoise coves and fire-red rocks color road trips here, punctuated with unhurried stops at time-forgotten hilltop villages and ancient churches, prehistoric relics, wineries and an overdose of foodie temptations.<\/p>\n

With the exception of nose-to-tail August (when French holidaymakers also hit Corsica for their traditional summer break in the sun), there is no lovelier place to take your foot off the pedal and cruise through natural landscapes so beautiful you could weep. Narrow, serpentine coastal roads and torturously steep mountain roads infuse journeys with a heart-pounding dash of trepidation; and there\u2019s bags of outdoor action (hiking, biking, sea kayaking) to let off steam. Bookworms take note, Corsican beaches (looking at you Bonifacio, uninhabited Lavezzi islands and Porto Vecchio) are sublime.<\/p>\n

Planning tip:<\/strong> Add Corsican polyphony to your playlist to enjoy on the road: I Muvrini, Cantu U Populu Corsu and Voce di Corsica are classic artists.<\/p>\n

10. Lorraine<\/h2>\n

Best for history geeks (and something different)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Few linger in Lorraine, the industrial underdog in northeastern France with ample contemporary allure. History buffs naturally gravitate to Verdun\u2019s WWI battlefields and the well-marked Remembrance Circuit, a 25km (15-mile) driving and cycling route along the Somme River, where one of WWI\u2019s bloodiest battles was fought in 1916. But there\u2019s so much more to enthrall and thrill. See the striking Centre Pompidou in Metz, and Nancy\u2019s wondrous art nouveau architecture and neoclassical central square, best soaked up over alfresco coffee or an early evening ap\u00e9ro <\/em>(predinner drink). Take an after-dark guided tour of the straight-out-a-sci-fi-movie Parc du Haut Fourneau U4 ironworks in Uckange and experience bucolic green escapes in the gloriously people-empty Hautes-Vosges mountains. Embrace the quiet and difference.<\/p>\n