Destinations in France — where to go
The two cities that anchor most French trips — and why they're such a good pair.
France's two headline destinations are Paris (art, food, icons — 3–5 days minimum) and Nice (the French Riviera's easy-going base — 3–4 days). They pair naturally: a fast TGV train covers the roughly 570 miles between them in under 6 hours, so a two-week trip combining both, plus a regional detour, is entirely doable without ever renting a car.
France rewards people who don't try to see all of it in one trip. Paris and the Riviera are, on paper, two completely different countries — one is grey stone and Métro rumble, the other is turquoise water and pine-scented hills — and that contrast is exactly why combining them works so well. Here's an honest look at both, plus what to actually do with your time in each.
The Louvre is the one 'quick stop' on a Paris itinerary that isn't quick anymore. Since January 14, 2026, it charges non-EU visitors €32 against €22 for EU/EEA residents — a 45% jump funding its decade-long 'New Renaissance' renovation — and it caps attendance at 30,000 people a day, a limit that routinely sells out in peak season. Book a timed slot before you land, not the morning of; showing up hoping for a same-day ticket is a genuine way to lose your Louvre morning entirely.
Paris
4–5 nights, stay in a central arrondissement — the Métro does the rest.
Nice
3–4 days, the Riviera's easiest base, with Monaco and Èze a short train ride away.
Lyon
2-3 nights, France's food capital — traboules, bouchons, and a UNESCO old town.
Bordeaux
2-3 nights, France's wine capital — grand 18th-century streets and a Saint-Émilion day trip.
Mont Saint-Michel
A tidal island abbey — plan around the tides, not just the train.
Strasbourg
2 days, Alsace's capital — half-timbered canals, a Gothic cathedral, and Europe's institutions.
Chamonix
2-4 days, the French Alps' adventure capital — Mont Blanc towers over all of it.