Planning your France route
France rewards a route that flows rather than a checklist that sprints. Most visitors arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and link a handful of standout places — a classic loop runs Paris → Nice & the Riviera → Lyon → Provence.
Below is a ready-to-use one-week plan, how to stretch it to two weeks, and how to tailor it to how you like to travel. For the full picture see the France travel guide, and once you’ve fixed your dates read the best time to visit France so you travel in the right season.
The perfect 7-day France itinerary
Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip: enough to see the headline sights without living on buses. This plan keeps you to two or three bases and a sensible pace.
- Days 1–3 · Paris (3 days) — The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine. Best for culture, romance, food.
- Days 4–5 · Nice & the Riviera (2 days) — Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour. Best for beach, luxury.
- Days 6–7 · Lyon (2 days) — France’s gastronomic capital and Roman history. Best for food, culture.
Budget roughly $490–$2,800 per person for the week depending on your style (excluding international flights) — see the France budget guide for a full breakdown, or estimate yours with the Budget Calculator.
Stretching it to 10–14 days
With more time you can slow down and add the places a one-week trip skips. A relaxed two-week version looks like this:
- Days 1–4 · Paris (4 days) — The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés and the Seine. Best for culture, romance, food.
- Days 5–8 · Nice & the Riviera (4 days) — Mediterranean beaches, Monaco and Cannes glamour. Best for beach, luxury.
- Days 9–11 · Lyon (3 days) — France’s gastronomic capital and Roman history. Best for food, culture.
- Days 12–14 · Provence (3 days) — Lavender fields, hilltop villages and rosé. Best for nature, slow travel.
Two weeks also leaves room for a day trip or two between bases — see the “day trips” section on each city guide, starting with Paris.
Tailoring the route to your style
The skeleton above flexes easily. Adjust where you spend your days based on what you’re travelling for:
- History & culture: give more time to Paris, Lyon and the country’s main museums and old towns.
- Honeymoon: bookend the trip with a relaxed stay somewhere romantic and keep the pace gentle.
Getting between stops
Fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), then move between cities by a mix of domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis or ride apps. For multi-city trips, an open-jaw ticket (into one city, out of another) saves backtracking.
Book the longer hops ahead in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Distances between the main spots in France are very doable — most of this route is short, scenic legs rather than epic overland days.
Before you go
Three things to sort early: your visa (schengen rules apply — see the France visa guide), your season (when to visit), and your packing (France packing list). It’s also worth a quick read of our France safety guide and the food & culture guide so you arrive ready to dive in.
Want a plan built around your exact dates and interests? Generate one in seconds with the AI Trip Planner.
