Rows of flowering lavender before the Abbey of Sénanque in Provence

Western Europe

France

A country you feel you already know — until you take a narrower road and stop in a village whose name you've never heard.

Photo: Jeff Ackley / Unsplash

Many people have been to France at least once — usually Paris, perhaps the Riviera. Yet the country has a rare quality: the better you know it, the more it separates into distinct worlds. The granite coast of Brittany and its salted-butter crêpes, the half-timbered villages of Alsace with their German-sounding names, the hilltop stone villages of Provence, where market day smells of lavender and rosemary.

Food and wine here aren't an add-on to the journey but its map. In Lyon's bouchons the dishes are as hearty as they were a century ago; in Burgundy every slope has its own name and its own wine; in the chalk cellars of Champagne millions of bottles age underground; and around Bordeaux the châteaux stand among the rows of vines. Even the weekly market in a small town can become the moment you remember.

A personal journey through France means having the confidence to choose less. A whole week might belong to one valley: farmers' markets in the morning, a château or a cycle between vineyards in the afternoon, a long dinner at a farmhouse in the evening. And for those drawn to height, there are the Alps and the Pyrenees, where cable cars rise above glaciers and mountain paths lead from one hut to the next.

Why go

01
Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux
In Paris, it's worth leaving the long queues behind and spending a morning in the Marais, along the Canal Saint-Martin or in a small museum. Lyon, built where the Rhône and the Saône meet, is France's culinary capital, with its bouchons and the hidden passageways — traboules — of the old town. Bordeaux's golden-stone quays lead straight into wine country.
02
Wine country and the Loire's châteaux
The slopes of Burgundy's Côte d'Or and the town of Beaune, the chalk cellars of Reims and Épernay in Champagne, the limestone village of Saint-Émilion near Bordeaux. In the Loire Valley, Renaissance châteaux — among them Chenonceau, arching across the river Cher — and gardens best walked early in the morning.
03
Provence, the Dordogne and Alsace
In Provence, the hill villages of the Luberon, lavender fields and olive groves. In the Dordogne valley, the river winds beneath castles and golden-stone towns such as Sarlat and Beynac, with prehistoric caves close by. In Alsace, the wine route links flower-hung, half-timbered villages between the Vosges and the Rhine.
04
Coasts and mountains
The Chamonix valley beneath Mont Blanc — the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi, the Mer de Glace glacier and summer paths facing the whole massif. On the coasts, Brittany's granite rocks, the Basque resorts on the Atlantic, a quieter Riviera outside high season and Corsica, where mountains drop straight into the sea.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Exceptional stays & escapes
A château with a handful of rooms among the vines, a stone Provençal farmhouse with an olive grove, a mountain chalet facing the glaciers — where you stay often sets the mood of the whole journey.
Culture & discovery
Paris's smaller museums, farmers' markets, tastings with family winemakers, Romanesque churches and the prehistoric cave art of the Dordogne.
Tailor-made journeys
High-speed trains from Paris into the regions, a car for the country roads and a route that gives each place enough nights.
Adventure & active travel
Walking around Chamonix or in the Pyrenees, cycling along the Loire or between Burgundy's vineyards, a canoe down the Dordogne.
Honeymoons & special journeys
A few nights in a château among the vines, a Provençal village terrace at sunset and, to finish, the coves of Corsica or a quieter Riviera out of season.
Family journeys
Castles with turrets and tales of knights, canoes on the rivers, mountain cable cars and Breton beaches — to children, France often feels like one long fairy tale.

France

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

019–12 days
Paris, Lyon and Burgundy
A few days in a different Paris, then by train to Burgundy for vineyards, Beaune and country cooking, finishing in Lyon with its bouchons and market.
Culture & discovery · Tailor-made journeys
Plan something like this
0212–15 days
Châteaux, rivers and wine
The châteaux and gardens of the Loire Valley, the river towns and caves of the Dordogne, and a final few days among the vineyards of Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion.
Exceptional stays & escapes · Family journeys
Plan something like this
0310–14 days
From Provence to the Alps
The villages of the Luberon and a Provençal farmhouse, a few quiet evenings by the Mediterranean, then a mountain chalet in the Chamonix valley and trails facing Mont Blanc.
Honeymoons & special journeys · Adventure & active travel
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

Late spring and early autumn usually suit most regions: fewer visitors, and in September and October the grape harvest is under way in many places. Provence's lavender generally flowers from around late June into July, depending on altitude and the year. Alpine trails usually open in summer, while the winter season depends on conditions. Weather varies from year to year.

How long to allow

Allow 7–10 days for one or two regions and two weeks for three. France is large, so it's better to choose fewer places and stay longer in each.

Natural combinations

From the French Alps or the Riviera, Italy is a natural continuation; from the Basque coast or the Pyrenees, Spain. On a longer journey, the western coast can lead on to Portugal.

Areas to explore

Paris and Lyon
Neighbourhoods, museums, markets and France's culinary capital.
Wine regions
Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux and the châteaux of the Loire Valley.
The south
The villages of Provence, the Dordogne valley and the Mediterranean coast.
The Atlantic coast and Corsica
Breton granite, the Basque coast and the mountainous island of Corsica.
The Alps and the Pyrenees
Chamonix and Mont Blanc, mountain trails, lakes and chalets.

General guidance only. Weather, seasons and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Sample journey