What are the best places to visit in France: Must-see regions
France is a country with a wide range of destinations that welcomes many travelers from all over the world every year. Whether it’s for its diverse landscapes, historic heritage or sophisticated gastronomy, this country has plenty to offer. But with so many regions to choose from, it can be hard to know where to go during your stay. So, what are the best places to visit in France?
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the must-see areas when visiting this country. We’ll also give you some practical information to help you prepare for your trip in the best possible conditions.
The best places to visit in France
In this first part, we’ll explore the best places to visit in France that you shouldn’t miss on any account during your first visit.
Paris, the French Capital
The French capital, Paris is often renowned for its luxury and elegance, but also for its rich cultural and historical heritage. Highly touristic, it's certainly an unmissable destination, making it one of the best places to discover on your first visit to the country.
With its many emblematic monuments, museums and historic buildings, there's something for everyone! Here are a few not-to-be-missed highlights:
- The Eiffel Tower: the world-famous emblem of France, a visit to the Eiffel Tower not only gives you the chance to learn more about its history, but also to enjoy superb views over the capital.
- Arc de Triomphe: located at the end of the Champs Elysées, you can visit the Arc de Triomphe to learn more about its history and enjoy panoramic views of Paris.
- Versailles: extending over 800 hectares, this is one of the most important châteaux in French history. It is renowned for having been home to many of France's most emblematic figures, including Louis XIV.
- The Louvre: One of the world's most famous museums, the Louvre is home to such famous works as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
- The Musée d'Orsay: located in the former Gare d'Orsay, this museum houses the world's richest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings.
But that's not all, a stay in Paris is also an opportunity to take advantage of its luxury boutiques or to taste its gastronomy and typical dishes.
To make sure you don't miss out on any of the capital's highlights, it's best to devote 4 or 5 days to the city during your trip to France.
The French Riviera
Known the world over for its beauty, the Côte d'Azur, or French Riviera, is a destination not to be missed during a stay in France. Whether it's for its beaches, lavender fields or luxurious cities, it's a region with a lot to offer. Located in the south of the country, it welcomes the sun for most of the year.
Here are just a few and the best things to visit in the Côte d'Azur:
- Nice: capital of the Côte d'Azur, the city is home to some lovely beaches, ideal for relaxing. Don't miss a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais and a visit to the Vieux Nice district.
- Cannes: although this seaside resort is best known for hosting the annual Cannes Film Festival, it also boasts long sandy beaches along La Croisette, luxury boutiques and grand palaces.
- Monaco: an independent city-state on the French coast, Monaco is renowned for its luxury. Monte-Carlo, its main district, is home to major casinos, numerous luxury hotels and high-end boutiques.
- Saint-Tropez: attracting the Jet Set for many years, the town is also renowned for its luxurious feel.
Finally, the Côte d'Azur is also famous for its Calanques. During your stay, it's essential to discover the Parc National des Calanques, which includes the Calanques of Marseille and Cassis. You'll enjoy unique landscapes.
To make the most of the beaches, but also to take the time to visit the most emblematic towns, it's ideal to spend at least a week in this French region.
Normandy and Mont Saint Michel
Another best place to visit in France that is worth a visit is Normandy. Located in the west of the country, it's best known for Mont Saint Michel and its landing beaches.
Perched on a rocky island 600m off the Normandy coast, Mont Saint Michel impresses visitors with its imposing architecture. The D-Day landing beaches were the scene of France's liberation from German occupation, and are therefore a major place in the country's history.
But that's not all, Normandy is also known for its charming towns and other emblematic places such as :
- Deauville: A luxury destination, Deauville is renowned for its American film festival, casino, horse racing and golf courses.
- Honfleur: located in the Calvados region of France, Honfleur is world-famous for its authenticity.
- Etretat: one of the most impressive cliffs in Europe, the cliffs of Etretat offer a postcard-perfect backdrop for a feast for the eyes!
With so much to see in the region, it's ideal to spend at least 3 or 4 days in the area, so you can see all the must-sees. However, if you want to take in a little more of what the region has to offer and make sure you don't miss out on anything, you can plan to spend a few extra days.
Other regions to visit in France
While the regions mentioned above are true must-sees, other areas are also worth visiting. Here are a few suggestions:
The Champagne region
In the north-east of France, an hour-and-half drive from Paris, Champagne is, as its name suggests, the ideal region to visit for champagne lovers. The region is home to the capital of this soft drink: the town of Epernay.
In addition to its magnificent vineyard-filled landscapes, where you can enjoy sunset picnics, you'll have the opportunity to visit numerous champagne houses and their cellars to learn more about the whole conception of this prestigious beverage.
Choose from Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Mumm, Mercier and many others.
But that's not all, as this region is also renowned for the city of Reims and its famous Cathedral.
Renowned for its impressive Gothic architecture, it has also played an important role in French history: it was here that almost all the coronations of the country's various kings took place.
Although Champagne is well worth the detour and an essential part of any visit to France, only 1 or 2 days will be enough to see all the highlights.
Chateaux de la Loire
Located less than 3 hours from the capital, near the cities of Orléans, Tours and Angers, the Châteaux de la Loire are another must-see part of France's heritage.
A true testament to French history, these prestigious monuments offer a unique experience, attracting visitors from all over the world every year.
As there are so many of them, it's not possible to visit them all, so it's important to make a selection before you go.
Here is a list of those we recommend: Château de Chenonceau, Château Royal d'Amboise, Clos Lucé, Chateau d'Azay, le Rideau, and of course Chambord. There are many others that you can also include in your itinerary.
While it's possible to visit part of them in a single day, the best way to get the most out of your visits is to plan an itinerary over 2 or 3 days. That way, you'll have time to visit several Châteaux of your choice.
Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in east-central France, renowned for its wines, particularly Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chablis and Pinot Noir.
One of the region's main activities is therefore to follow the Route des Vins - Wines road- to discover how these grape varieties are made and to admire the vines. Note that admiring the vines at sunset will make your experience all the more beautiful.
But that's not all, as a visit to the region is also an opportunity to visit Dijon, famous for its mustard. You'll be able to stroll its streets and discover its buildings with their typical architecture.
While these two activities are the essentials when discovering Burgundy, they're not the only ones, and there are plenty of other things to do, such as visiting the Abbaye de Fontenay or the Hospices de Beaune.
We therefore recommend spending 2 to 3 days in the region, to make the most of its many attractions.
For wine lovers, Burgundy isn't the only region renowned for its wine production. Bordeaux and the surrounding area are also famous for the production of this grape variety. So, if you have time during your stay in France, you can also explore the Bordeaux Wine Route.
The French Alps
A mountainous region in south-eastern France, the French Alps are renowned for their unique landscapes, in summer and winter alike.
Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, is also found here.
While the Alps offer many options for summer activities such as hiking and mountain biking, it's skiing in winter that attracts the most travelers.
And among its top destinations are Chamonix and Megève, two popular resorts appreciated by tourists from all over the world.
Chamonix is a world-renowned ski resort located in Haute-Savoie, it is also Europe's sports capital, and offers a wide range of activities to discover the region.
Megève, with its more authentic side, also offers a rich array of activities.
One thing's for sure, whichever destination you choose in the French Alps, you'll never get bored! If you don't want to ski, 3-4 days may be enough to discover the region.
On the other hand, if you'd like to enjoy snow sports, you'll need to spend at least a week here.
Alsace
Last but not least, Alsace in eastern France is also one of France's best places to visit. From Strasbourg to its more typical villages, you'll find that Alsace has nothing to envy other French regions.
Here's an overview of the most emblematic places to visit during your stay in Alsace:
- Strasbourg: Alsace's capital, and also Europe's capital, is renowned for its medieval streets, typical houses and grand cathedral.
- Colmar: popular with tourists, Colmar attracts visitors not only for its architecture, but also for its emblematic “Little Venice” district.
- Alsatian villages: typically Alsatian, these villages are home to charming half-timbered houses.
But above all, if Alsace is now known worldwide, it's especially thanks to its Christmas markets that take place there in December, most notably the one in Strasbourg.
To visit this charming French region during your trip, 2 days may be enough, but you can also opt for 1 or 2 extra days to make sure you don't miss a thing.
Practical guide
Having covered the best places to visit in France, let’s move on to some of the practical things you need to know to prepare for your trip
When is the best time to visit France?
You can visit France all year round. The best time depends on the experience you want and the region you plan to visit.
For big cities like Paris or the French Alps, there’s no specific time to visit these regions. The vineyards and champagne regions must be visited during the production season, and you can enjoy the Côte d’Azur in the summer. For winter sports in the French Alps, you can visit between December and March.
How to get to France?
Paris is a major entry point with multiple airports. Depending on your departure city, you can choose Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris Orly Airport.
Paris has also an excellent rail connections, making it easy to reach other parts of the country by train.
How to get around?
The most practical ways to get around France are by car and train. France has a well-developed rail network for easy travel between major cities.
For a road trip, renting a car is the best option. Various rental agencies are available near the airports. You can use a car rental comparison service like Rental Cars to choose your vehicle.
How long to stay in France?
You can plan a trip of two to three weeks to make the most of all the attractions in France. Indeed, there are many important regions that you can discover.
This amount of time will be enough to explore the different regions, and you can still tailor your stay based on the best areas you wish to visit and the attractions you want to do
As you can see, there’s much to discover when visiting France. While a few days may be enough to explore a region, the ideal way to tour the best parts of France is to spend several weeks.
This allows you to experience the capital and other iconic places fully. Since these destinations receive many travelers each year, book well in advance to ensure you can visit all the places on your itinerary.