Where to go in France đŸ‡«đŸ‡·

Arc de Triomphe - France
Alright, you’ve decided – you are going to visit France!
 
Super! You’re going to love it.
 
The question is – where to go in France? Because, even though France is not a huge country, there’s loads to see. After all, there’s 13 big big regions in France.
 
So pick a theme, and I’ll tell you which region you should visit.
 
Disclaimer – Of course, each region has much more to give than what I’m going to present to you. So, if some French people are passing here, please don’t throw me under the bus. I’m merely presenting one aspect of each region. This is my take on France travel guide! Enjoy.

The sea 🐚, a beach 🏖, and a good book 📚

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If your idea of a good holiday HAS to feature salted water, I have two choices for you.

La Bretagne

Brittany is the ’nose’ of France. Not that it smells of anything.
 
Just, it is the tip on the west side of France. Can’t go more in the west in France.
 
It’s also the perfect holiday spot to relax on the beach. 
 
There are two sides to Brittany: the north and the south. 
 
In the northern part, you’ll find wild landscapes, and you can almost believe that you are in Ireland.
 
In the south, it’s a bit different. Of course, it still has that Celtic quality to it, but it’s much more ’tamed’.
 
Depends what you want really 😉
 
Be aware that, with the sea (and especially with the ocean) comes the wind, the rain and an ever-changing weather.
 
To visit – Carnac, Rennes, Saint-Malo, Quimper, Crozon, Belle-Île, Morlaix, Île-de-BrĂ©hat, Île-aux-Moines

La Corse

Corsica is an island in the Méditerranée, off the coast of France.
 
And we call it – l’Île de BeautĂ©.
 
It’s for good reasons, because Corsica is made of sun, sand, rock, smelling herbs, and singing accents.
 
It’s a spot of holidays for French and Italians (also has a fascinating history).
 
Did you know Napoléon was Corsican?
 
I’ll talk about it more extensively in French Islands (coming in the next few weeks).
 
But here’s what you can expect: a morning at the market, a lunch full of fresh tomatoes and smoked meat, an afternoon on the beach, artisanal ice cream for snack, and an amazingly flavourful dinner. All of that outside, in the fresh air.
 
(It’s also an amazing destination if you want to hike)
 
To visit – Cap Corse, Corte, Bastia, Porto-Vecchio, l’Île Rousse, Conca, Macinaggio

Sight-seeing 🏰 listening to stories 🎭 and French culture

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France is a country of culture. And you’ll find castles to visit, and stories to hear about anywhere in France (would it be in a small village in the North or in the center of Paris).
 
But, maybe, those two (three) regions are a good pick if you are interested in History.

Le Centre Val de Loire & Les Pays de la Loire

I’m terribly sorry if you are a native from one of these regions, and can spot the differences straight away (tell me all you think in the comments).
 
BUT, I have a reason: Les chĂąteaux de la Loire.
 
It’s a series of castle all along the river Loire. And of course, administrative regions don’t take that too much into account.
 
So if you want to visit all those fairytale like chateaux and their fascinating stories, you’ll need to go in the Centre Val de Loire AND in the Pays de la Loire.
 
And if you think ‘when you have seen one castle, you have seen them all’ think again.
 
There are, hold on to your mouse, 3000 castles in the Loire region.
 
I recommend you start with the royal castles. There’s 11 of them. So it’s much more manageable.
 
Of course, you don’t HAVE to visit them all.
 
Here’s a smaller list of the ones I think are really worth seeing:
  • Blois (where Henri I was assassinated) 
  • Chateau de Chambord (a beaaaaautiful castle, also the scene for Peau d’Âne)
  • Cheverny (inspired the castle of Moulinsart in Tintin)
  • Clos-LucĂ© (LĂ©onard de Vinci’s home)
  • UssĂ© (is said to have inspired the original story of the Sleeping Beauty)

Les Hauts de France

What a pompous name
 I still can’t believe we choose this.
 
But anyway, Les Hauts de France is the very northern part of France.
 
And it’s also a place of culture. Although, it’s not super pleasant and fun History.
 
(Oh and it’s also a place of nature – beautiful, huge, sand beaches -, but well, I had to make a choice)
 
So, it’s all about the wars, religion, and mines.
 
You’ll be able to visit the most beautiful gothic cathedral in the world in Amiens, go down the mines in Lewarde, take in the horror of the Great War in about any village in the Somme, or imagine the French and the English fighting during the Hundred Years War in Azincourt (and there’s a story about Joan of Arc as well).
 
Also, did you know that there is a branch of Le Louvre (the museum) in Lens?
 
To visit – Amiens, La Baie de Somme, Saint Valery, Lille, Lens (Le Louvre Lens), les tranchĂ©es, Rambures,..

For culture, you should learn a little bit of French:

Adventures đŸ—ș, active afternoons ⚜, and long walks đŸ„Ÿ

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Provence-Alpes-CĂŽte-d-Azur

Yes, it’s a mouthful.
 
And in fact, it’s quite a big region, so I feel a bit guilty reducing it to only a few sports.
 
(There’s obviously La Cîte d’Azur as well, which is perfect for sunny holidays)
 
BUT, here’s what I want to talk to you about: the outdoor experience in the region PACA (Provence, Alpes,..) is quite developed.
 
Fancy hiking or skiing? There’s the Alps.
 
Want to try canoeing? Go to les Gorges du Verdon.
 
Prefer to ride a horse? There’s the Camargue.
 
Skydiving, bungee jump, golf, treetop adventure courses,

 
You name it, PACA probably has it.
 
Also a nice region if you want to go on a cruise!
 
To visit – Nice, Cannes, Marseille (good for architects fans), Verdon Gorges, Saint-Tropez (luxe destination), Grasse (perfume museum),…

Normandie

Normandy! I love Normandy. It’s my kind of region.
 
Not too much sun, amazing food, beautiful landscape, and cute cute cute houses.
 
And also, plenty to do if you like hiking and walking! – and not just in the countryside
 
(My heart wanted to put Normandie in the food section
)
 
My top recommendations:
 
  • Cross the Pont de Normandy on foot
  • Discover the Mont Saint Michel (which believe me, is a very good exercise)
  • Visit the Zoo of Jurques 
 
Oh and there’s the Tapestry of Bayeux to see as well – the story of how English caught so many French words 😉 
 
To visit – Mont St Michel, Rouen, Honfleur, Caen, Omaha Landing Beach, Deauville, Giverny,…

Cheese 🧀, apĂ©ritif đŸ„ƒ and delicious dishes đŸ„–

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France has a bit of a reputation for good food. And I think it’s well deserved.
 
Fancy tasting everything France has to offer to your palate? Go in these regions.
 
Although any regions would do for the average foodie!

Occitanie

Occitanie is a southern region.
 
Ah the south of France (and its words)
 
It’s one of the most visited region of France, and for good reason, because you’ll be able to enjoy there many many different types of delicacies.
 
Because the Occitanie is part in MediterannĂ©e, part more inside of the land, you’ll get the best of both worlds:
  • Cheeses: Roquefort (blue cheese), Cantal, Figou (my favourite), Rocamadour, Saint-Nectaire (the noble cheese),…
  • Breads: Fougasse, PissaladiĂšre, Tourton,..
  • Meat dishes: Lamb, Veal, Snails, Foie Gras, Chicken, Tripes,…
  • Fish dishes: Bouillabaisse, trouts,…
  • Desserts:  Clafoutis (my mum’s favourite), Croustade, Mendiants, Tarte TropĂ©zienne,…
  • Sweets: Violettes, Calissons, Nougat, PĂąte de Fruit (yum yum)
 
And although I’ve never eaten one, one of them is called Les Couilles du Pape (which literally means the testicules of the Pope đŸ˜±).
 
Bref, you won’t be hungry after all of that. And even if you’re a picky eater, you’ll find something you’ll like.
 
To visit – Carcassonne, Toulouse, NĂźmes, Gavarnie, Col du Tourmalet, Lourdes (for a little pilgrimage).

Île de France

Of course, I couldn’t leave Paris out of it. (I tried) – THE gastronomic capital
 
I mean, typical French food right!
  • Croissants,
  • Baguette,
  • Macarons,
  • Onion Soup,
  • Cheeses such as Brie or Camembert,
  • Opera cake (for coffee lovers),
  • Croque-Monsieur,
 
You probably know all of them. They’re actually what people think about usually when they think about French cuisine.
 
 
BUT, wouldn’t it be lovely to finally taste them?
 
I bet you are salivating.
 
To visit – Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Champs-ÉlysĂ©es, Versailles palace, Montmartre, Orsay, Le Marais, Luxembourg Gardens, Pompidou Museum, le Moulin Rouge, PĂšre Lachaise cemetery, the Catacombs, Palais Garnier (the Opera), the Eiffel Tower…

Glass of wine đŸ·, champagne đŸŸ, and slow life in the vineyards 🍇

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I have a confession to make. I’m not a big fan of wine myself (except when it’s white and cooked in a sauce). But I know that many people are.
 
So I couldn’t omit the wine regions.

Le Grand-Est

Le Grand Est is one of the two main regions you need to go to if you want to enjoy a glass of wine, cider or
 champagne.
 
Yep, French Champagne comes from here, so be prepared for some wine tasting after a long day walking around the country side.
 
Wouldn’t that be lovely?
 
Of course, there’s much more than just champagne there, and I would advise you to visit Strasbourg’s lovely streets (and Christmas Market if you intend to be there at Christmas time), and Reims’ Cathedral (which is where most French kings were consecrated).
 
Also, it’s a place to taste a bit of cider! 
 
To visit – Starsbourg, Colmar, Reims, Troyes, Verdun, the champagne vineyards,
.

Bourgogne-France Comté

Of course, I couldn’t talk about French wines without talking about the Bourgogne!
 
La Bourgogne is the region, Le Bourgogne is a type of wine.
 
French people get a bit crazy when someone mentions Beaujolais, and in fact, there’s even a special day when French people celebrate the New Beaujolais, and open new bottles of wine.
 
In reality, it’s mainly an excuse to party and drink.
 
In the Bourgogne, you’ll also find other things to taste – the mustard of Dijon, Bourgogne snails, Bourguignon (which is a beef dish), truffles,

 
And generally dishes cooked with wine – Coq au vin (chicken in wine), oeuf en meurette (poached eggs in wine), wine bread,

 
To visit – Dijon, Beaune, Cluny, Beaujolais, Les Rousses, Chablis, MontbĂ©liard,…

Taking care of yourself đŸ§˜â€â™€ïž, relaxing in a bath 🛁 and taking in the landscape ⛰

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One of the things people ignore about France is that there’s a lot of place to go to if you are looking for some thermal goodness.
 
In fact, those two regions are top notch.

Auvergne-rhĂŽne-alpes

L’Auvergne is a region right in the middle of France. And what’s extraordinary about it, is that it’s covered (or rather the region is covering) a set of old, extinct volcanos.
 
And volcano rock has a tendency to be super rich in minerals and other stuff that is super good for your skin, your health,..
 
So it’s no wonder that there’s tons of thermal stations in the region.
 
One of the main ones is Vichy (you might know it as a brand, but it’s a French city).
 
Which was also the hub of the Vichy France during the German Occupation of the Second World War.
 
BUT, the History of the city is much older, as even Romans were stopping here to take in the goodness of the water.
 
The region also includes the French Alps, so it’s good for skying in the winter, and hikes in the spring.
 
To visit – Lyon, Annecy, Chamonix, Lake Annecy, Tignes, Clermont-Ferrand, ChambĂ©ry, Grenoble,…

Nouvelle Aquitaine

La Nouvelle Aquitaine is a HUGE region (even just the Limousin is huuuge). At least, at a French scale. It basically is the whole western southern part of France.
 
It covers everything from Brittany to Spain.
 
So it’s not only thermal water (which is fresh water), it’s also sea water and the Thalasso.
 
Also, because they have wine, there are treatments with wine. Not sure how efficient they are but well.. It exist.
 
Try the La Roche-Posay station or the Dax station which both have a great reputation.
 
To visit – Bordeaux, Biarritz, La Rochelle, Arcachon, Bergerac, Bayonne, Limoges, Poitiers,…

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