France is probably much bigger than you’re expecting. It’s actually Europe’s third-largest country. This means you won’t be able to see and do it all on one trip (trust me, I’ve tried).
There are plunging alpine valleys that take your breath away. Medieval villages that feel like you’ve stepped into another century. Endless coastlines that shift from wild Atlantic cliffs to the calm shimmer of the Mediterranean.
Deciding on the best places to visit in France is less about writing a bucket list and more about negotiating your own priorities. How do you want to spend your time? What are you interested in? And, most importantly, what kind of food are you after?
I’ve been travelling to France for years, but I still feel like I’m only getting started. These are the places I’d tell a friend about if they were visiting for the first time – the regions I keep returning to, plus a few that surprised me.
- Ready to experience it for yourself? Explore Provence, the French Riviera and Paris on these France self-drive tours
1. Provence
Southern France, like the rest of the country, is easily reached by high-speed train from Paris. A few hours’ ride carries you from the energy of the capital and deposits you somewhere calmer, somewhere sun-baked and slow.
Provence is a region of France that I keep coming back to. When you think “slow travel”, this is where you should think of. Travelling here means letting each day unfold as it wants to, tempting you this way and that with artisanal markets, Roman ruins, and crisp, locally-made rosé.
Avignon
Avignon is a city that is often overlooked in descriptions of Provence, but it deserves much more attention. At the heart of its maze of old town streets, the Palais des Papes towers above the rooftops – one of the largest Gothic buildings in the world.
As well as its notable history, the city has a cultural footprint that punches well above its size. It’s a natural launchpad to explore the surrounding area.
In fact, not far beyond Avignon’s old ramparts is the Pont du Gard, a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct that’s resisted the elements so well it almost looks newly built. It’s one of the country’s most visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites for a reason.
The Luberon
The Luberon is what most people picture when they imagine Provence. Hilltop villages, rows of lavender, sunflower fields, and Renaissance castles like Château de Lourmarin (today converted into a modern art gallery).
You could spend days driving (or even cycling) between Luberon villages like Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, and Ansouis, all officially recognised as among the most beautiful in France. And if you’re here in June or July, you’ll catch the Valensole lavender plateau exploding in a sea of purple.
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is the unofficial capital of the region – elegant, confident, cultured. It’s a university city with world-class markets (selling only the most irresistible Provençal produce and souvenirs), truly excellent restaurants and bakeries, and tributes to Cézanne around every corner.
Alpilles
Before you leave Provence, detour through the Alpilles. This peaceful region of limestone crags was the inspiration for many of Van Gogh’s most celebrated works, but it’s also the place where he suffered the most with his mental health.
The Alpilles towns of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Arles (one of my favourite places in the country) have Van Gogh Trails where you can follow in the artist’s footsteps, visiting all the local places he painted and was inspired by.
2. The Verdon Gorge
The Gorges du Verdon feel like France’s best-kept secret. This 25-kilometre (16-mile) long gash through a limestone plateau of southern France is known as Europe’s Grand Canyon. Its scale is staggering, and it feels worlds away from the small villages of France’s other countryside.
The gorge lies between Provence, the Alps and the Riviera, making its famous Corniche Sublime a natural choice for road trips through the south. But calling it just a “road trip route” doesn’t give it justice – this is one of the world’s most epic drives. It’s literally heart racing. You have been warned.
My favourite way to experience the gorge is to enter from the west, earlyish in the morning, pausing in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie on the way. This medieval village sits on a high mountain ridge, beneath two peaks with a golden star strung between them.
You can’t drive in the town, so park below and walk the short (but steep) road up. Your reward is an almost impossibly picturesque village, all winding streets with al fresco tables, tiny artisanal boutiques, regular Provençal markets and sprawling views down into a green valley below.
Enjoy your petit déjeuners in Moustiers, then head back down to your car and drive to Lac De Sainte Croix. The basin of the Verdon Gorge is your first taste of the surreal turquoise waters, gleaming in the morning sun. You could pause at the lake to swim or rent a boat, or just continue straight into the drive itself.
The Corniche Sublime means “sublime cliff road”, and that’s exactly what it is. You’ll hug the southern rim of the gorge, following a winding two-way road high above the Verdon river snaking below. The views are thrilling, but it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s an unforgettable experience – just don’t underestimate the heights if you’re someone who prefers to stay on lower ground.
At one point, you’ll cross the Pont de l'Artuby, one of Europe’s highest bridges, and a favourite bungee jumping spot among the truly adventurous (or truly insane, who’s to say). There are passing places where you can pull over and appreciate the plunging valley below.
- Combine two wish-list-worthy destinations on these France and Italy tours
- Related: Fun facts about the Alps
3. The French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur feels so beyond Paris you could forget they exist in the same country. Superyachts fill the harbours of Monaco and Saint-Tropez. The red carpet rolls out in Cannes for 1 week a year, then its memory looms large for the other 51. These are the Riviera cities most name-dropped by pop stars in their songs, easy allusions to glamour, beauty and spectacle.
I’m here to tell you that the French Riviera is much bigger and more layered and eclectic than its mythos might have you believe. Don’t overlook it because you think it’s only for the mega-rich, the world-famous, or cruise tourists. Beyond the biggest names, this coastline is where you’ll find some of the best places to go in France.
Nice
I adore Nice, and not only because it’s a great base to explore the whole region from. It’s one of the best cities to visit in France, vibrating with energy year-round, a blend of European architecture, home to Riviera locals as well as French people from elsewhere and immigrants from all over the world. It has countless restaurants, cafés, museums, churches, viewpoints, and beaches to discover. You could spend your whole trip here and not regret it.
The Promenade des Anglais is the city’s headline, a long, sun-soaked promenade finishing at the base of Castle Hill. But the old town (Vieux-Nice) is Nice’s real heart. It’s a tangle of winding streets and alleys, pastel-painted and weather-beaten shopfronts, and regular markets on the Cours Selaya selling fresh produce, flowers, and authentic souvenirs.
If you can tear yourself away from Nice, rent a car and road trip the coast from east to west. Explore those big names – they’re famous for a reason – but hit them early in the morning, then move on to the lesser-known spots.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer sits just a short way from of Nice. It’s a small and deeply romantic harbour town tucked in a secluded bay, its medieval old town seeming to tumble down the hillside to the gentle waterfront.
The pace here is languid, a lovely contrast to the big names of the Riviera. There’s a stair-laden old town (Vielle Ville) concealing the mysterious Rue Obscure, a grand fortress (Citadelle Saint-Elme) converted into a museum space, and walking trails leading out to Cap Ferrat.
Eze-Village
Further east is Eze-Village. This centuries-old hilltop village can be reached via a steep path to the coast, but I don’t recommend it – even for keen walkers (like me), this route feels too dangerous to enjoy. Instead, park below the village and walk up into its streets, so narrow they feel more like alleys.
Follow the cobbled walkways higher and higher, the sea peaking through at every turn. At the village’s peak is an unexpected botanical garden. You need a ticket to enter, but it’s a small cost for the jaw-dropping views out over the Mediterranean.
Menton
Menton, at the edge of France just before the Italian border, is quieter still (though it’s worth saying, nowhere on the Riviera is truly quiet). It’s also full of lemons. Citrus trees line the streets, and the town holds an annual lemon festival (Fête du Citron) to celebrate this fragrant fruit.
Grasse
West of Nice, pause in Grasse on your way to or from Cannes. This is the perfume capital of the world, its local perfumeries crafting elegant scents from the flowers and botanics grown along the Riviera coast. The tours of the makeries are fascinating, no matter how much or little you know about perfume.
Calanques National Park
Then there’s the Calanques National Park. If you go to just one place beyond Nice, make it here. The Calanques (the word meaning “cove” in local dialect) are a series of fjord-like inlets carved naturally into the white limestone cliffs between Cassis and Marseille.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Europe’s most dramatic coastlines. You might feel like you’ve stepped into Norway, if the summer sun in Scandinavia brought temperatures above 30°C (86°F).
There are a range of hikes you can do here, either to the cliffs above the coves or down onto the pebbled beaches themselves.
Come well-prepared – some of the beaches need to be booked (usually free, and just a way to keep crowds away), and you’ll need plenty of water, sun protection and good hiking shoes. That moment where you drop your bag and plunge into the cold, clear sea is unforgettable.
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4. The Loire Valley
The Loire is always one of the first answers that comes up when you ask where to go in France besides Paris. That’s for good reason. The entire valley – a 280-kilometre (174-mile) stretch of lush countryside – is UNESCO-listed, thanks to its abundance of vineyards, orchards, asparagus fields, historic towns and grand estates.
The Château de Chambord is the headline act – a beyond-extravagant Renaissance palace commissioned by King Francis I to be his occasional hunting lodge. That’s right: by French Ancien Régime standards, this place is modest.
Of all the Loire Valley palaces, the one that stays at the forefront of my French dreams is Chenonceau. Try not to look up pictures of this château before you see it in real life. It’s built across the Cher river, its arches and turrets reflecting in the water below like a real-life fairytale.
Beyond the palaces, this valley is best known for its vineyards, crafting some of the world’s best white wine. You could join a wine-tasting tour from Paris, or, if you’re on a road trip, visit the wineries and buy a few bottles to take home. You’ll find Loire Valley options on nearly every menu across France, though, so don’t worry that you’ll miss out.
5. Paris (yes, it still deserves a mention)
I’m not recommending places beyond the capital because Paris is overrated – it’s not.
If you can, you should absolutely try to bookend your trip with a stay in the City of Light. Just don’t miss out on the rest of France because you were too dazzled by the Sacre-Coeur.
Make the most of your time while you’re here. Ascend the Eiffel Tower. Stop by the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa for yourself. Admire how the Notre-Dame has risen from its own ashes. Take a river cruise along the Seine as the sun sets. These moments are on everyone’s wish list for a reason.
Then discover the other reason why Paris sees some of Europe’s highest footfall: it’s a great base for exploring elsewhere. My favourite day trips from the city include the unmissable Versailles, Chartres Cathedral, the Fontainebleau forest, and the champagne cellars of Reimes.
Go beyond the French capital with Nordic Visitor
France is the gift that won’t stop giving. There’s so much diverse beauty and culture spread across the country, you could take a road trip here a hundred times and still not see it all.
If you’re ready to discover it for yourself, take a look at our self-drive tours of France.
Most of them include a few nights in Paris (because even if you’re going beyond it, you should still start there). Then they take you into the heartlands of Provence, the glittering Riviera, and even over the border to Italy. These are the places where we know the backroads and when the market days are.
If you want to explore these regions of France with people who know them well, we'd love to take you there. Get in touch with one of our travel experts to start planning your trip.
