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🇫🇷 France

From the boulevards of Paris to lavender fields, vineyards and the glittering Côte d'Azur, France is romance, art and gastronomy in one effortless package.

Schengen visa 📅 Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct 💵 $150/day avg
🏙️
Capital
Paris
💱
Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
🗣️
Language
French
📅
Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
🛂
Visa
Schengen visa
💵
Avg daily budget
$70 – $400
🛡️
Safety
Generally safe
✈️
Main airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Overview

Why travellers love France

France is the world's most visited country for good reason: world-class museums, iconic monuments, storybook villages and a coastline and countryside made for slow travel.

Pair a few days in Paris with the châteaux of the Loire, the beaches of the Riviera or the peaks of the Alps for a trip that has it all.

Where to go

Top places in France

The destinations worth building your trip around.

Paris

Paris

🗓 3–4 days

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine.

CultureRomanceFood
Nice & the Riviera

Nice & the Riviera

🗓 2–3 days

Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour.

BeachLuxury
Lyon

Lyon

🗓 1–2 days

France's gastronomic capital and Roman history.

FoodCulture
Provence

Provence

🗓 2–3 days

Lavender fields, hilltop villages and rosé.

NatureSlow travel
Plan day by day

France itineraries

Ready-made routes — tap a duration to see the plan.

Route
Paris → Nice & the Riviera → Lyon
Trip length
5 days
Est. budget
$350 – $2,000
1–2

Paris

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine.

🗓 2 days✨ Culture · Romance · Food
3–4

Nice & the Riviera

Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour.

🗓 2 days✨ Beach · Luxury
5

Lyon

France's gastronomic capital and Roman history.

🗓 1 day✨ Food · Culture
Route
Paris → Nice & the Riviera → Lyon → Provence
Trip length
7 days
Est. budget
$490 – $2,800
1–2

Paris

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine.

🗓 2 days✨ Culture · Romance · Food
3–4

Nice & the Riviera

Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour.

🗓 2 days✨ Beach · Luxury
5–6

Lyon

France's gastronomic capital and Roman history.

🗓 2 days✨ Food · Culture
7

Provence

Lavender fields, hilltop villages and rosé.

🗓 1 day✨ Nature · Slow travel
Route
Paris → Nice & the Riviera → Lyon → Provence
Trip length
10 days
Est. budget
$700 – $4,000
1–3

Paris

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine.

🗓 3 days✨ Culture · Romance · Food
4–6

Nice & the Riviera

Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour.

🗓 3 days✨ Beach · Luxury
7–8

Lyon

France's gastronomic capital and Roman history.

🗓 2 days✨ Food · Culture
9–10

Provence

Lavender fields, hilltop villages and rosé.

🗓 2 days✨ Nature · Slow travel
✨ Build a custom France itinerary →
Visa & entry

France visa requirements

Visa required?
Schengen rules apply
Allowed stay
90 days / 180 (Schengen)
Visa on arrival
No
eVisa
ETIAS (from 2025)
Passport validity
3 months beyond stay
Visa type
Schengen visa
⚠️

Visa rules change frequently. Visa-exempt nationals will need ETIAS pre-authorisation; others need a Schengen visa. Always verify with the official France immigration / e-visa website before travelling.

Full France visa guide →Use the visa checker →
Money

France budget guide

Budget

$70/day
  • Hostels & guesthouses
  • Local food & markets
  • Public transport
  • Free sights & nature

Luxury

$400+/day
  • 4–5★ hotels & resorts
  • Fine dining
  • Private transfers
  • Premium experiences
Full France budget guide →
Things to do

Top attractions in France

🗼

Eiffel Tower

Paris's icon — best at sunset and sparkle hour.

🖼️

The Louvre

The world's most-visited museum, home to the Mona Lisa.

🏰

Palace of Versailles

Opulent royal palace and endless gardens.

🌊

French Riviera

Nice, Cannes, Antibes and the principality of Monaco.

🍷

Bordeaux & wine country

World-famous vineyards and elegant river city.

Get outside

Nature in France

All nature
Arc de Triomphe Rooftop
🌅 Scenic Viewpoints

Arc de Triomphe Rooftop

Top of the 50-m arc with 12-avenue starburst view down the Champs-Élysées — beats the Eiffel Tower at…

📍 Paris
Mont Blanc
⛰️ Mountains

Mont Blanc

Western Europe's highest peak at 4,808 m — Chamonix gives access to summit climbs, the Aiguille du Midi…

📍 Chamonix
Seine River (Paris)
🏞️ Rivers

Seine River (Paris)

Paris's river of bridges, bouquinistes and 60-minute bateaux-mouches — the easiest river cruise in Europe, with the Eiffel…

📍 Paris
Tour du Mont Blanc
🥾 Hiking Trails

Tour du Mont Blanc

A 170-km circuit around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland — 10–11 days hut-to-hut, fully waymarked.

📍 Chamonix
Loire River (Châteaux country)
🏞️ Rivers

Loire River (Châteaux country)

France's longest river through the Renaissance heartland — Chambord, Chenonceau and Villandry on a UNESCO 280-km reach.

📍 Tours / Amboise
Verdon Gorge
🏞️ Rivers

Verdon Gorge

Europe's deepest canyon at 700 m — turquoise Verdon River, dramatic D952 drive, kayaking and rock-climbing routes.

📍 Castellane
Lake Annecy
💧 Lakes

Lake Annecy

Europe's cleanest large lake — turquoise alpine water with a 42-km cycle path looping it and the medieval…

📍 Annecy
Rhône River (Lyon to Avignon)
🏞️ Rivers

Rhône River (Lyon to Avignon)

Provence's great wine river — barge cruises Lyon to Arles through Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Roman aqueducts.

📍 Avignon
Èze
💎 Hidden Gems

Èze

A clifftop medieval French Riviera village 427 m above the Mediterranean — the exotic-cactus garden has the Côte…

📍 Èze
Verdon Gorge Camping
⛺ Camping Spots

Verdon Gorge Camping

Riverside French campgrounds at the gates of Europe's deepest canyon — kayaking, cliff hiking, lavender afternoons.

📍 Castellane
Plage de Saleccia
🏖️ Beaches

Plage de Saleccia

A 1-km white-sand Corsican beach in the Désert des Agriates — accessed only by boat, 4WD or 5-hour…

📍 Saint-Florent
GR20 (Corsica)
🥾 Hiking Trails

GR20 (Corsica)

A 180-km rocky alpine traverse of Corsica — Europe's hardest waymarked long-distance trail, 15 days hut-to-hut.

📍 Calenzana
Blog

France travel articles

All guides