The France Travel Guide

Paris, France (1989 Europe Capital of Culture)

• The Louvre Museum, Paris (Late Openings on Wednesday and Friday evenings less busy, Mona Lisa, all the great Italian Renaissance artists)
• Eiffel Tower, Paris
• Cimetiere Du Pere Lachaise, Paris
• Pompidou Center, Paris
• Sacre Coeur Basilica, Paris
• d’Orsay Museum, Paris (national collection of impressionist, posy-impressionist and art-nouveau spanning 1848-1914)
• Rodin Museum and Garden, Paris
• Pantheon Mausoleum, Paris
• The Catacombs, Paris
• Saint Chapel, Paris
• Triumph Arch, Paris
• Picasso National Museum, Paris
• Seine River Cruise, Paris (Can explore Paris or go all the way to Normandy on the coast)

 

Boulogne, France (Pleasant channel port with long stretch of sandy beach)

 

Versailles, France

• Versailles Palace, France

 

Chartres, France

• Cathedral Notre Dame, France

 

Giverny, France

• Monet’s Garden, Giverny

 

Antibes, French Rivera, France

 

Cannes, French Rivera, France

• Cannes Film Festival (Two weeks in May)

 

Nice, French Rivera, France

• Three Corniches, Nice

 

St. Tropex, French Rivera, France

 

The Camargue, France (Flat, marshy, delta area, great bird watching)

• Saintes-Maries De-La-Mer, The Camargue, France (only town on the Camerque)

 

Nimes, France

• Les Arenes Roman amphitheater, Nimes (twin-tiered, built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000)

 

Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, France (Swimming under the Roman arches, UNESCO)

 

Marseille, France (2013 European Capital of Culture)

• European Mediterranean Civilization Museum, Marseille
• Calanques National Park, France

 

Arles, France

 

Aix-en Provence, France

• Garnet Museum, Aix-en Provence

 

Chamonix, French Alps, France (winter playground for the rich)

• Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix
• Tour du Mont Blanc Trek, Switzerland – France, Italy (Loop from Chamonix, takes 10-11 days; 110 miles. Arguably Europe’s most famous hike)
• Mont Blanc, Chamonix, France

 

Sarlat La-Caneda, French Alps, French

• Grotte de Font de Gaume Cave, Sarlat La-Caneda (14,000 years old prehistoric artist created a gallery of 230 figures incl bison, reindeer, horses, mammoths, bears and wolves)

 

Sarlat, Dordogne, France (Renaissance era architecture)

• Grotte de Rouffignac (aka Cave of 100 Mammoths), Sarlat La-Caneda (access is hidden in woods, and by train. Painted mammoths)

 

Dordogne River Canoe trip, France (Rick Steves episodes)

• La Roque Gageac, Dordogne River, France (One of the cutest towns in France, a Rick Steves must see.)

 

Beynac, Dordogne, France (Along the Dordogne river, perfectly preserved medieval village, roads wind up to the castle above the town)

• Beynac Chateau Castle, Beynac

 

La Roque St Christopher cave, Dordogne, France (medieval cave dwelling ruins, 976 AD, settled here to stay clear of Viking raiders)

 

Lascaux, Dordogne, France

• Lascaux Cave, France

 

Carcassonne, France (fortified city; Best at dusk – Europe’s ultimate fortified city)

 

Albi, France (Massive Roman-catholic cathedral – looks like a fortress)

 

du Verdon Gorge, France (Europe’s Grand Canyon)

 

Mont St-Michel, France

 

Normandy, France

• D-Day Beaches, Normandy, France

 

Reunion Island, France

 

Vence, France

• Chapel of the Rosary, Vence

 

Bordeaux, France (Famous region for its wine, great café culture)

 

Cognac, France (famous brandy region)

 

Perigueux, France (renaissance and medieval center)

 

Vezere, France

• Vezere Valley Caves, France

 

D’Azay-le Rideau, Loire Valley, France (Fairy tale turrets on one of the earliest Renaissance chateaus)

 

Blois, Loire Valley, France

• Royal de Blois Chateau, Blois, Loire Valley
• Chambord Chateau Castle, Blois, Loire Valley (Largest of the Loire Valley Chateaus; former hunting palace for royality. Can rent a bike and explore the parklike acreage around the castle that were hunting grounds. Palace was rarely used)
• Cheverny Chateau Castle, Blois, Loire Valley (former royal hunting palace;

 

Amboise, Loire Valley, France (Pedestrian only commercial zone gets busy, but no cars. Along the Loire River.

• Amboise Chateau Castle, Amboise, Loire Valley (Hilltop above town; favored royal residence of several French Kings.)
• Clos-Luce Mansion, Amboise, Loire Valley (Leonardo Di Vinci’s house for the last 3 years of his life as their King’s royal engineer. Cool Di Vinci inventions you can interact with throughout estate grounds)
• Chenonceau Chateau, Amboise, Loire Valley (Entire palace arches across the river. Literally a castle built on a bridge foundation. One of the great sights in all of Europe, Riverside formal garden)
• Villandry Castle, Amboise, Loire Valley
• Azay-le-Rideau Chateau, Amboise, Loire Valley (Romantic, moat-ringed; built on a natural island in the middle of the Loire River.

 

Nantes, Loire Valley, France

 

Chinon, Loire Valley, France

 

Saumur, Loire Valley, France

 

Orleans, Loire Valley, France

 

Petit Train Jane, France (63km route vital resource for remote villages, cliffs from valley to Pyreneans, extremely scenic. Ends at Mont Louis, Frances highest fortified town.

 

Cap D’Agde, France (legendary nudist resort grows to 60,000 in Summer. Evenings turn into wild anything goes parties)

 

Du Pilat Sand Dune, France (Europe’s largest)

 

Alsatian Wine Region Road Trip, France (far NE corner, Castles, wine, misty mountains. Best driven during Autumn for harvest/tastings)

 

Lyon, Rhone Valley, France (bistros)

• Old Town Lyon
• Roman Theater (build in 15 BC, sat audience of 10,000)

 

Avignon, France (2000 European Capital of Culture)

 

Lille, France (2004 European Capital of Culture; winding cobbled streets of old town)

 

Lens, France

• Louvre-Lens Museum, Lens (hundereds of the Louvre’s treasures, plus rotating exhibits)

 

Clemont-Ferrand, France (2028 European Capital of Culture)

 

Plage de la Rondinara Beach, France

 

Riquerwihr, France

 

Rocamadour, Dordogne Valley, France

 

Saint Malo, Brittany, France (fortified city)

• Chateau de St-Malo Castle, Saint Malo

 

Grenoble, Alps, France (economic and intellectual capital of French, sitting beautifully on the Drac and Isere Rivers)

 

Colmar, France

 

Ecrins National Park, Alps, France

 

Vanoise National Park, France

• Tour des Glaciers Trek, Vanoise National Park, France (hut tour – 17 park huts, 33 private/club)

 

French Alps Scenic Drive, France: Thonton-les-Bains to Menton; 425 miles

 

NW France Baltic Byway, France: Caen to St Malo; 182 miles

 

Cote d’Azur’s French Rivera Byway, France: Nice to Eze; 50 miles

 

NE France Wine Country Byway: Marlenheim to Thann; 106 miles

 

Bayaux, France

 

Rouen, France (impressive churches, timbered houses and cobbled streets)

 

Quimper, France

• St Corentin Cathedral, Quimper

 

Reims, France (In the heart of Champaign country)

• Cathedral Notre Dame, Reims
• Remi Basilica, Reims (UNESCO)
• Du Tau Palace, Reims (UNESCO)

 

Epernay, Champagne, France (Champagne capital of the World)

• Champagne Avenue
• Moet Mansion & Cellars (one hour tours); Can by a bottle of Brut Champagne for less than half the price in stores here.
• Mercer Cellars (Tours; France’s most popular brand)

 

Strasbourg, Alsace, France

• Catherdral Notre Dame, Strasbourg
• Grande Ile Island, Strasbourg (UNESCO; café rimmed plazas and timber framed houses in sherbet colors)
• Rohan Palace, Strasbourg (“Versailles in miniature”)

 

Dijon, Rhone Valley, Burgundy, France

 

Beaune, Rhone Valley, Burgundy, France

 

Nancy, France (UNESCO)

 

Stratsbourg, France

 

La Rochelle, France (Lively port town)

 

Biarritz, Atlantic Coast, France

 

Bayonne, France

 

Toulouse, France

Du Midi Canal, France (UNESCO, 150 mile canal running from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean passing ancient villages, chateaus and wineries. Considered Frances greatest construction achievement in the 17^th Travel as the wealthy did years ago by renting a long boat and self-pilot or a charter a barge with captain)

 

Montpellier, France

 

Perpignan, France

 

Amiens, France , France

• Note Dame D’Amiens, Amiens, France

 

Carnac, France

• Ancient Celtic megalith stones, Carnac

 

Le Puy-en-Velay, France

 

Gaillard Chateau Castle, Rouen, France

 

Troo, Loir-et-Cher, France

 

Cote de Granit Rose, France (3-day walk follows coast path. 36 miles. Tregastel Plage to Treguier)

 

Corsica Island, France

• GR20 Trek, Corsica Island, France
• Northwest Coast, Corsica Island, France (Similar Mediterranean beauty as the Amalfi Coast)
• Ajaccio, Corsica Island, France
• Le Golfe de Porto, Corsica Island, France
• Calvi, Corsica Island, France
• Bastia, Corsica Island, France
• Bonifacio, Corsica Island, France
• Corte, Corsica Island, France