Places to Vacation (Other than Paris!) in France
Wear nonslip shoes for a visit to the town of Saint Emilion in the Bordeaux region—especially if you count on trying their famous wines while there! Saint Emilion, France. August 10, 2021.
If you love to travel, you must visit Paris.
And if you’ve visited Paris, you know that one visit won’t cover it.
If you have visited Paris and you fell in love with Paris—absolutely normal—you may want to only visit Paris when you visit France.
However, you’d make a mistake equating Paris with France. In fact, personally, I’d say that as much as I love Paris, I think other parts of France rival it in interest and beauty.
Yep, I said it.
Yet many people get stuck when trying to plan a vacation to France that goes beyond Paris. As a destination, even if you’ve never visited it, Paris seems approachable, manageable, covered ground by others who can guide you and well mapped by companies catering to tourists from across the globe.
So where can you go elsewhere in France? And what can you expect while there?
I’ve compiled a few ideas for a few of the regions I’ve visited, to give you a starting point.
Vacation Ideas in Normandy and Brittany
As part of my husband’s family is from the Normandy region, and as we’ve spent no small amount of time there—including getting married there—I really should have done a better job documenting our travels.
Neither Brittany or Normandy would suit a vacation other than in the summer months, unless you don’t mind the cold, wind, and rain. (I know: Some people don’t.) However, these regions of France are gorgeous in late spring and summer.
Brittany has rugged coastlines and a raw, elemental feel great for people who love wild beaches and, yes, sailing. (Though not particularly related to the what-to-do helpfulness of a travel guide, you can read about my experience with spider crabs in Brittany and, perhaps, learn what not to do.)
Normandy’s interior is bucolic, subtly hilly and incredibly green farmland dotted with livestock and picturesque small villages to drive through, eat in, and experience. For photos of Normandy’s interior—to get an idea of what to expect—you can flip through my posts about our wedding planning in central Normandy.
The coastline of Normandy has a huge tourist draw in its beaches from World War Two, which feature memorials and museums, and in several interesting and historic towns (including Deauville and Honfleur).
I’ll close with Mont Saint Michel, which no one should miss if they get the chance to see it. As it gets claimed by the Normands and by the Britons, I’ve created this entirely separate little paragraph right here for its mention, to keep out of trouble. (Not least because my husband has family in both camps.)
What to Visit in West-Central France
If you haven’t heard of a part of a country, you can’t possibly find anything to see there, you think?
Think again!
In west-central France, you have the following amazing options:
Traveling in East-Central France
France’s central eastern regions have a lot of deep history and one of the largest cities in the country, which has an entirely different flavor from Paris:
Lyon: The vibe in Lyon and the food in Lyon—and, well, it feels like everything in Lyon—hits completely differently from what you find in Paris.
Dijon: Don’t let the area around the center of town deceive you! Central Dijon is gorgeous and filled with history and culture.
Vacation Ideas in Southern France
I find it hard to believe that people interested in France haven’t been to the southern part of it—and yet I continue to be surprised.
Southern France has endless can’t-miss destinations:
Provence: Visit the Provence region in summer and in winter for food, stunning sunshine, and incredible art
Avignon: This charming and beautiful medieval city is delightful in summer and still fun in winter. If you love theater (and speak French!) its theater festival in July is world-renowned
Toulouse and its Surrounding Region had so much more to love than I expected, from the history of aerospace to art and culture, too.
If you’ve heard of Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence, anyone?), you’ve heard of the Much-Eulogized Luberon.
Vacationing in Northeastern France
Northeastern France, which my French husband at first pooh-poohed as having “nothing of interest,” has turned into a frequently visited playground for us on our travels over into France from our home base in Switzerland.
Here are some of the wonderful cities, towns, and areas we’ve explored (and that you should, too):
More French Destination Ideas to Come!
Consider this a “living” article, in the sense that it will receive frequent updates as I continue to explore France!
And for general “traveling in France” tips, these other articles I’ve written may help you have the best possible French vacation, no matter where you go: