France is one of the largest countries in Europe with lots interesting historical sights to see, some beautiful nature and of course culture. We have visited in multiple times including in 2011 when we did a large loop through most of the country. Each region, if not every town, has something special to see and the problem is not finding something to see or do but to fit all you want to see in the limited amount of time you can to allocate. The one major region we didn’t yet visit is Normandy and we plan to do that in the future.
Driving in France outside major cities was easy and we avoided driving in Paris by renting from the airport when departing from the capital and using public transportation otherwise. Small towns might be difficult to get through due to narrow streets and one way roads. Attractions were usually well marked and we felt safe in most of the country excluding when waiting for the shuttle to the airport on our last day in Paris in 2011. Food was exceptional and varied, which is as expected as the French cuisine is world renowned. Climate depends on when you visit but in autumn it was great in most of the country.
Map of Travels
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Trips
- Medieval Aix en Provence and return to USA
On our return drive to Lyon we decide to explore historic and famous Aix en Provence a popular town with tourists now and artists a century ago - Magnificent Aix en Provence cathedral
Another major stop on our walk through Aix is the large cathedral which we visit thoroughly while they prepare for a wedding - Caumont Art Center, expensive but interesting
Caumont Art Center is one of the major art museums in Aix en Provence and worth visiting if the temporary exhibit is an interesting one - Finally into Saint Tropez
Our friends wanted to visit Saint Tropez since forever so in the afternoon we take the boat to Saint Tropez visiting the glamorous town for a few hours - The beaches and town of Cogolin
While exploring nearby Saint Tropez via boat we spend two nights in Cogolin and enjoy the beach near our AirBnB and fireworks at night - To Saint Tropez via Pierrevert
Today we drive from Annecy to Saint Tropez getting separated from our friends while meeting another friend along the way - Famous Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard
Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard is the castle that inspired Disney’s Sleepy Beauty Castle and a major attraction we wanted to visit around the lake - The very busy town of Annecy
We spend almost two days in Annecy meeting with our friends and exploring the beautiful but very busy city - The mysterious waterfall
On the way back to Annecy we stop at the mysterious waterfall an interesting waterfall hidden in the forest next to the road - Into the alpine zone of Col de la Columbiere
Before our friends arrive we explore the alpine area around the busy Col de la Columbiere looking for alpine birds and enjoying the fresh air - Perouges, one of the most beautiful villages in France
The last attraction we visit with our relatives is the impressive village of Perouges with medieval houses and tortuous streets named one of the beautiful villages in France - Exploring old Bourgoin-Jallieu and its museum
After a great lunch we visit nearby Bourgoin-Jallieu with a focus on its AC cooled museum exploring the history of the region - Eating at a Michelin recommended restaurant
We and our relatives visit today a Michelin recommended restaurant with exceptional food relaxing before exploring the nearby town - The famous Roman museum and ruins of Vienna
The major attraction today is the impressive Roman museum of Vienna with scores of mosaics and the extensive outdoor ruins of the major Roman city - The historic city of Vienne (the French one)
Today our plan is to explore Vienne a historic town located on a major Roman site which also holds Pontius Pilate’s tomb if legends are to be trusted - The huge Cerdon Caves
Before our relatives arrive we spend the afternoon exploring the huge and very popular Cerdon caves which is quite an exhausting undertaking - The castle town of Cremieu
Cremieu is the largest town near our AirBnB and is a surprisingly famous one with multiple castles, churches and good food - Almost a week in Leyrieu
We base ourselves with our relatives for almost a week in Leyrieu a small charming village with lots of hiking opportunities and old buildings - The romantic Chateau de la Roche
Last major stop today is the enchanting and romantic Chateau de la Roche sitting in the middle of the Loire in a beautiful location - A picnic at Pet d’Ane meander of Loire
Our third stop is Pet d’Ane the largest meander of the Loire where we enjoy the views before having a picnic from our provisions - The abbey village of Ambierle
Our second stop is the abbey village of Ambierle anchored by the large abbey complex on the top of the hill - The charming village of Le Crozet
First stop today is in the enchanting village of character Le Crozet with a small but very picturesque old village center and an impressive church - Following the edge of Lac d’Allier
We spend the afternoon exploring the shore of Lake d’Allier and birdwatching Parc Napoleon III while drinking water from the famous Source of Celestins - A stroll through the famous Parc des Sources
One of the major attractions in Vichy is the Parc des Sources which has some of the most famous water sources and beautiful buildings - A day exploring the spa town of Vichy
We spend one day in Vichy exploring the historic spa town that was also the capital of occupied France for a short period of time - The impressive Chateau des Cornes d’Urfe
Our last stop for the day is the impressive Chateau des Cornes d’Urfe now in ruins and freely visitable which is quite a bonus - Ternand a quaint little village
The second medieval village we visit today is Ternand a quaint small village worth visiting if in the area for a stroll through the quiet streets - Oingt, an enchanting medieval village
Our highlight today is the enchanting medieval village of Oingt one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France and a beautiful place to explore - Fossilea, a new, small but fun museum
Today we are driving to Vichy with the first stop being the new Fossilea museum full of prehistoric fossils including a large Ichthyosaur - Exploring between the Rhone and Saone in Lyon
After the museum we eat dinner and then explore the peninsula between the Rhone and Saone passing through beautiful plazas and strolling down narrow streets - The huge Lyon Museum of Fine Arts
One of the major museums in Lyon is the Fine Arts museum and we spend an afternoon exploring its exhaustive and beautiful collections - Half day exploration of Croix Rousse neighborhood
This morning we are exploring the Croix Rousse neighborhood with the famous Canut Mural, traboules and the Amphitheater of the Three Gauls - The enchanting and scary Museum of Film and Miniatures
The last major stop today is the scary but enthralling museum of film and miniatures which covers many famous blockbusters that we enjoyed - The Roman Museum and ruins on Fourviere
Our major stop on Fourviere is the Roman Museum which is a must visit in our opinion and the ruins of the Roman Theater nearby - Exploring Fourviere, the top of Lyon
From the Old Town we go up via funicular to Fourviere where we explore the beautiful basilique and enjoy the great views - Deep diving into Vieux Lyon with relatives
Today we spend a lot of time in Old Lyon both exploring with our relative and just going from one attraction to another - Exploring the beautiful Old Lyon area alone
We spend a couple days in Lyon at the outskirts of the beautiful Old Town exploring it thoroughly and walking through traboules - Paris to Lyon hotel via the TGV and on foot
After a night in Paris we take for the first time a high speed train to Lyon before using a tram to go to the train station and then walking to our hotel - One night in CDG on the way to Funchal
Our trip starts with an overnight stay in Paris before leaving towards Madeira for our first trip segment on this beautiful island - Picasso in Vallauris
The last place we visit before our relatives leave is Vallauris to see a chapel painted by Picasso and the many ceramics he created while living here - Fontmerle Marsh
On the last day with our relatives we start with a visit to the Fontmerle Marsh while trying to avoid the rain clouds all around us - Up onto Castle Hill
During our visit to Nice we spend a couple hours visiting Castle Hill the site of the former fortress protecting Nice - Downtown Nice, an Unesco Heritage Site
Today we finally are able to visit downtown Nice and explore the Unesco World Heritage old town for a few hours while ending with a nice dinner - Plage du Midi and Villa Rothschild
Today we explore the beach and the sea at Cannes before a short stroll through the grounds of Villa Rothschild - Cannes, a famous film festival location
Famous for its film festival Cannes also has a pretty historical center and an elevated church and fortress that can be explored if in town - Staying in and exploring Mougins
For most of our time on Cote d’Azur we stay in Mougins a city with a beautiful old center but our AirBnB is further away and we have to drive to see the downtown - Villa Kerylos, a special place
On the way to Cannes we visit the beautiful and very ornate Kerylos Villa built by a German businessman to emulate a historic Greek Villa - Our second visit to busy Eze
As we leave for Nice we stop in Eze for the second time and this time it is quite busier and less interesting as it is difficult to explore without encountering huge groups - Saorge, the Tibetan look-alike perched village
We end the day in Saorge, the beautiful Tibetan look-alike village perched to the mountainside and explore the narrow and winding alleys while looking for dinner - The historic village of La Brigue
La Brigue is a touristy town with narrow lanes, scenic plazas, a ruined castle and an interesting curved bridge - Fort Saint Roch, part of the Maginot line
Our first stop today is Fort Saint Roch formerly part of the Maginot Line which allows us to explore extensive underground tunnels and chambers that protected from Italian attacks - L’Escarene, our base for the Alps and Monaco
We stay for three nights in L’Escarene a historic village in the foothills of the Alps and spend one unexpected morning exploring the beautiful downtown - Starting with the Trophy of Augustus and La Turbie
First stop on the trip is historic La Turbie and the impressive Trophy of Augustus as well as lunch before making our way to the AirBnB - Arriving into Nice
After a long flight with a few unexpected issues and then standing for almost an hour in line for the rental car we are ready for the France part of our trip - Last evening in France and Paris
In the afternoon we walk from the Catacombs area towards the Seine passing imposing buildings and green gardens like Luxembourg Garden - The unsettling and worthwhile Catacombs of Paris
The major stop for the day for us is the Catacombs of Paris a really worthwhile stop even though difficult to get into - Arc de Triomphe to Eiffel Tower
In the morning we start with a walk from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tour on Champs Elysees sightseeing along the way - Medieval Avallon, last stop outside Paris
Last stop for the day is Avallon a small historic town with some interesting sights - The famous Fontenay Abbey
The second stop of the day is at famous Fontenay Abbey an Unesco WHS and the oldest preserved Cistercian Abbey in the world - Beaune, a historical town
We spend the morning visiting the major attraction in Beaune the Hospices de Beaune a beautiful hospital founded in 1443 - Chambery, the historical capital of Savoy
We end our day in Chambery the historical capital of Savoy where we spend an hour exploring before making our way to Beaune for the night - Through the Alps towards Chambery
From Briancon it is a long and windy drive through the Alps to Chambery passing through mountain passes and tunnels along the way - Briançon, the Vauban fortified city
We spend the morning exploring Briançon the highest city in France and an area fortified by Vauban against Austrian attack - On the highest through road in Europe over Col de la Bonette
We spend the afternoon in the high alpine Alps passing through Col de la Bonette on the highest through road in Europe - In the mountains around Saint-Martin-Vésubie
In the morning we hike and explore the area around Saint-Martin-Vésubie part of the Mercantour National Park - The Enchanting Village of Eze
We arrive late in Eze and have less than one hour to explore the enchanting village and wander around the beautiful alleys - Hiking and sightseeing the Verdon Gorge
Today it is time to turn east passing through the beautiful Verdon Gorge where we hike and sightsee on the way to Monaco - Roquefavour aqueduct, are we seeing double?
Last stop in France is at Roquefavour aqueduct inspired by the ancient Pont du Gard that we have seen the previous day - Historic Cabries
We start the day with an exploration of Cabries a small historic village near our accomodation - Pont du Gard, a magnificent aqueduct
Last stop for today is at Pont du Gard the tallest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and one of the best preserved - Arles, the former major Roman town
Out of the Camargue we stop in Arles a Unesco WHS given its extensive Roman ruins and importance - In Camargue looking for flamingoes and horses
Next we explore the Camargue and extensive protected area looking for flamingoes and the famous Camargue horses - The dead waters of Aigues Mortes
We start our day with Aigues Mortes the previously important city that history seemingly forgot - Beautiful Saint Cirq Lapopie
Last stop of the day is Saint Cirq Lapopie a famous village considered to be the most beautiful in France - Grotte du Grand Roc and other closed caves
We explore the cave region of Dordogne for a few more hours but with everything closed we decide to move on - Font de Gaume cave after a night at Domaine de la Rhonie
Leaving picturesque Domaine de la Rhonie we are almost the first in line at Font de Gaume snatching some highly coveted tickets to visit the prehistoric cave - Chenonceau Castle, the water castle
Last of the Loire castles we visit is Chenonceau castle a beautiful castle built to span over the Le Cher river - Amboise, home of Clos Luce Castle
Amboise is home to both the Amboise Castle and Clos Luce a castle that hosted Da Vinci until his death - Blois, a short stop in the evening to see the castle
In the evening we make a short stop in Blois to see the castle and also buy some provisions for the next day - Chambord Castle, a dreamy “hunting lodge”
Chambord Castle is the largest and probably the most recognizable in the Loire Valley and is the first we stop at during our trip - Chartres Cathedral, an imposing building
We start our first day outside of Paris with a vist to Chartres Cathedral, an Unesco WHS - Half day in Paris to start our trip
Half day in Paris exploring the area near Ile de France before starting on our tour