Overview
France is the world's most visited country, and most visitors see Paris and not much else. That's a shame, because the high-speed rail network puts Provence, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and the Alps within two to five hours of the capital. A strong first trip is four days in Paris plus one region, reached by TGV. If you only have a week, resist adding a third base; France rewards slowing down, and many of its best meals are long lunches in small towns.
Main regions
Paris and Île-de-France. Start with our Paris destination page and the 4-day Paris itinerary. Versailles is 40 minutes away on the RER C, and Monet's garden at Giverny makes an easy spring or summer day trip.
Normandy and Brittany. Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day landing beaches, half-timbered Honfleur, and Brittany's granite coast and crêperies. A car makes this region far easier.
The Loire Valley. Châteaux country: Chambord, Chenonceau and dozens of smaller castles, best explored from Tours or Amboise by bike or car. Tours is just over an hour from Paris by TGV.
Provence and the Côte d'Azur. Avignon, Arles and the hill villages of the Luberon; Marseille's old port; Nice, Antibes and the coastal train along the Riviera. Lavender peaks from late June to mid-July.
Bordeaux and the southwest. Wine châteaux, the prehistoric caves and riverside villages of the Dordogne, and the Basque coast around Biarritz.
Alsace, Burgundy and the Alps. Strasbourg and Colmar for timber-framed towns and some of Europe's best Christmas markets; Burgundy for wine; Chamonix for Mont Blanc hiking in summer and skiing from December to April.
Best time to visit
- April to June: mild weather, long days, gardens in bloom. The best all-round window, although several May public holidays make trains busy.
- July and August: the busiest and hottest months, with heatwaves above 35°C increasingly common in Paris and the south. Many Parisians leave in August, so some small restaurants and shops close for two or three weeks.
- September and October: warm seas in the south, harvest season in the wine regions, thinner crowds. Arguably the best time for Provence and Bordeaux.
- November to March: cold and often grey in the north, but it's the cheapest time for Paris, with Christmas markets in Alsace from late November and ski season in the Alps.
Getting around
- High-speed trains: TGV INOUI and the budget Ouigo service link Paris with Lyon (about 2 hours), Bordeaux (about 2 hours), Marseille (just over 3 hours) and Nice (about 6 hours). Book on SNCF Connect up to four months ahead; the cheapest fares go early. Ouigo is much cheaper but strict about luggage.
- In Paris: a single Metro/RER ticket is €2.55 in 2026, and the airport ticket to Charles de Gaulle or Orly is €14. Load tickets on a Navigo Easy card or your phone; paper tickets are being phased out. Walking often beats short Metro hops in the center.
- Car hire: worth it for Provence, the Dordogne, Normandy and the Loire. Autoroutes are fast but tolled (Paris to Marseille costs roughly €70 in tolls), so budget for them.
- Strikes: rail and airport strikes happen a few times a year and are announced in advance. Check SNCF and airline alerts in the days before travel.
Visa basics
France is in the Schengen Area. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all Schengen countries combined. Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) registers your fingerprints and photo on your first entry, which can add time at passport control. The planned €20 ETIAS travel authorization has been delayed repeatedly and has no confirmed start date, so check the official EU ETIAS site before you travel. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area and have been issued within the last ten years.
Typical daily costs
Prices as of September 2026, at about $1.14 to the euro, for Paris:
- Budget (€80–110, about $90–125): hostel dorm (€35–60), bakery lunches, a set-menu dinner, Metro tickets.
- Mid-range (€180–280, about $205–320): a 3-star hotel, café lunch and a sit-down dinner with wine, one major museum.
- Comfort (€400+, about $455+): 4–5 star hotels, bistronomy tasting menus, taxis.
Outside Paris, expect to spend 20–30% less, except on the Riviera in summer. Big-ticket sights: the Louvre costs €32 for non-EU visitors (€22 for EU/EEA), and the Eiffel Tower summit by lift is €36.70. Set lunch menus (the "formule") are the best-value way to eat well: often €18–25 for two courses, even in Paris.
Top destinations
- Paris: start with the Paris destination guide and the full Paris travel guide for neighborhoods, museum strategy and where to eat.
- Provence: Avignon, Gordes and Roussillon, and the markets of the Luberon.
- Nice and the Riviera: base in Nice and use the coastal train for Antibes, Villefranche and Monaco.
- The Loire Valley: Chambord and Chenonceau by bike.
- Bordeaux: Saint-Émilion wine day trips and a riverside UNESCO-listed old town.
France connects easily by rail: London is about 2 hours 20 minutes from Paris by Eurostar, Amsterdam about 3 hours 20 minutes, and Barcelona about 6.5 hours by direct TGV. Or let our trip planner build a day-by-day route around your dates.