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Our
recommendations on the best places to visit in France provide
incomparable travel experiences in one of the world's most
fascinating countries.
The French countryside is rich with
architectural treasures, ranging from historically important
châteaux and cathedrals to incredibly lavish palaces. If you prefer
art, you can wander the collections of France's great
museums and best-known art galleries.
Of course, there are innumerable French
cities that are delightful, memorable, and whose wonderful food, wine
and ambiance reflect the unique culture of the French. And, then, there is
Paris, the City of Light, one of the favorite destinations of
travelers worldwide.
Many travelers
forget that France has been blessed with a photogenic natural
landscape that includes a wide range of topography, some of it
stunningly beautiful. We
hope that you find time for this "hidden" France, which is often
masked by the incredible cities and cultural regions, both
historical and current, created by the French people. |
We have grouped our Best Places to Visit in France into three "geographies".
We start our tour of France with Paris, the Paris region (Ile de France) and Normandy
(below). We follow this with two sections. One covers:
The Loire Valley,
Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and Côte d'Azur
and the other
is focused on the wonderful areas of
Burgundy, Alsace and
the Rhône-Alpes .
Be sure to
see our new interactive e road
map to plot the locations of our recommended Best Places to
Visit in France. When you see the map symbol next to a destination, you
can click the symbol to view the location on a highway map of France.
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France Climate
Generally cool winters and mild summers,
but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional
strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.
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Names in Teal are regions
of the country.
Places in Bold are unusually attractive destinations.
Places in plain text are of significant interest to many travelers.
For more information about
France, its people, history, economy and geography, visit our section France
Country Facts
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Information
you need to know about driving, entry requirements and other Tourist Tips
for traveling in France can be found in our article
France
Travel Information |
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Paris and Ile de France
Ile-de-France is a region of France that includes and surrounds Paris, the
country's capital. Ile-de-France is the country's most populated area, but one
with numerous charms and many outstanding attractions.
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The City of Light is one of the
world's great cities and a trip to Paris is, for many, the vacation of a
lifetime. Paris
offers the tourist numerous attractions that are unique and without match. The best art, fabulous architecture, visible history, leading
museums, and romantic settings surround you when visiting Paris. Click for our detailed
Guide to
the Best Places to Visit in Paris.
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The
splendor, architecture, and grounds of Versailles are unequalled in the
modern world. The
opulence of Versailles can be appreciated only by visiting this historic and unique
home of the French monarchy. Click on the link above for our
photographs and description of Versailles and its many attractions.
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Chartres
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Notre Dame of Chartres, a
remarkably preserved Gothic-style cathedral, dates from the late 12th century and was
built over a religious site previously used by Druids. Chartres Cathedral towers above the
surrounding plain and is a remarkable architectural achievement. The cathedral's
structure is magnificent, while its interior contains some of Europe's best
stained glass windows. Chartres Cathedral is a spectacular
package and well worth a visit.
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The cathedral's construction
marked a unique point in the evolution of the engineering required to
build a cathedral with the height and size requirements of Chartres (its
tallest tower is as tall as a 38 story building).
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During your tour of the interior
be sure to see the immense, but beautiful Rose
Window and its five lancets dating from the 13th century.
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The Cathedral is well-known for
its unusual circular labyrinth that dates from the late 12th century.
Scholars believe that walking the path of the labyrinth was considered a
mini-pilgrimage for the forgiveness of sin.
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If you visit on the weekend, you might
be lucky enough to listen to one of the cathedral's famous organ concerts.
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This site from the San Jose State
University has a great photographic tour of the
Chartres Cathedral.
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The town of Chartres is a
delightful village that is known as the "Capital of Light and Perfume".
The city's historic district, consisting of many timber framed houses, is
quite interesting.
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From its beginnings as
a royal hunting lodge, Fontainebleau developed into a stately
grand palace with expansive, lush grounds, exceptional interior
design, and elegant furnishings. Touring Fontainebleau is an afternoon
well spent. The buildings are cavernous and the grounds are, also,
worth exploring, so bring your walking shoes.
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Monet's home is the attraction in
Giverny and a delightful attraction it is. The house and the gardens have
been revitalized
to match the look of the property when Monet lived and painted in this
evocative parcel in a small country village.
Although quite popular of most often crowded, Giverny is a visual and emotional treat.
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The water garden, combining
lazily leafed willows, the lure of the water lilies and the
famous Japanese Bridge, is the most popular of Giverny's many areas. The
Clos Normand, a formal French-style Garden close to the house, is another
delightful area to wander.
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The gift store
has an enormous, unique array of posters, books, calendars and other trinkets, all
memorializing this amazing painter.
Vacation Destinations in Normandy, France
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Normandy is a delightful
place to visit. It is an area with a unique culture and tradition
and your travels here will be unlike anywhere else in France. Its
modestly sized cities contain many unique treasures, its coasts are
delightful and its regional cuisine can be excellent.
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For numerous visitors touring
Normandy is based on their interest in the historic D-Day Invasion that led to the end
of World War II. Be prepared for an unexpected tug on your emotions if
you visit the D-Day Invasion beaches.
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Click the link above to visit
our entire Guide to Normandy , or select the links below to explore the destinations
in Normandy of interest.
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Our Normandy Invasion Guide covers Longues-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Point du Hoc, the D-Day invasion beaches,
and Caen (Le Memorial)]. We think these site provide a poignant, but
concise look into the history of D-Day.
Click the link above to read our Guide to the World War II sites in
Normandy.
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Bayeux, the first town liberated
during the invasion of Normandy,
is a good place to base a tour of the Invasion Beaches.
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In addition, Bayeux
has its own attractions. While there, be sure to see the thousand year old
"Bayeux" Tapestry. The Tapestry is over two hundred feet long and was
created to commemorate William the Conqueror's victory at the Battle of
Hastings in 1066, one of the tipping points in European history.
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Rouen, the capital of Upper
Normandy, is historically significant, offers architectural delights,
pleasant shopping, and delightful cafes. Its Notre Dame Cathedral is an
edifice well known in the art world thanks to Monet, who painted it many
times in an attempt to perfect his technique. Finally, Rouen is the city where Joan of Arc was martyred.
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The Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel is
one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Sitting majestically atop a
prominent rock
knob, often surrounded by rising tidal flows, the Abbey lures it visitors
with dramatic architecture, mystery, and its uniqueness. Although it
is out of the way at the southern end of Normandy, be sure to see Le
Mont-Saint-Michel, it is one of the attractions of a lifetime.
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Our
choices for the Best Places to Visit in France continue in the
following sections of our France Travel Guide: |
If you need to find information on
another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
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Don't forget that our pictures will
show captions when you "mouse" them in Internet Explorer or Firefox.
When a
is shown, click it to see photographs of the attraction.
These symbols indicate the availability of a
photo-guides that mix pictures with concise information on the
location. |
Top of Page
Top of Page
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2-day Mont Saint Michel and Chateaux Country Tour from Paris
Normandy Invasion Beaches Daytrip From Paris
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France is one of the jewels of world travel and deservedly one of the
world's most popular vacation destinations. Steeped in history, featuring a
proud and unique culture, France offers an almost endless list of
world-famous travel destinations. It is clearly among the "Best of the Best"
vacation destinations and a travel experience not to be missed. If you are planning your first trip to France, we suggest you head for Paris
and focus your touring in the City of Light. A week to ten days in Paris
will allow you to sample the delights of the city (the Louvre, other art
museums, the gardens, and those wonderful restaurants), as well as to take a
few daytrips to attractions surrounding Paris. (Be sure to read our
Paris Travel Guide)
- We suggest you take the train to Versailles for a delightful day out
of town touring the opulent, historically significant home of the French
monarchy.
- If you like Monet, consider a tour of his home at Giverny where he
spent over forty years painting his masterpieces.
- If you have an extra day, and the desire, try to schedule a day trip
to Chartres to see its monumental cathedral (on some Sunday afternoons the
Cathedral offers organ concerts - even if you do not like organ or church
music, it is a treat to hear the organ at Chartres).
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France
