What to see in France???

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by Kobber

More recently, I spent time on the Riviera - didn't like Marseilles much, but did enjoy the other towns along the coast, especially Nice and Monte Carlo.

I think the best tourist attraction in Marseille is on its shoreline - the Island "Chateau D'If" which became famous due to the famous novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas.
In Southern France, I would also recommend Aix-En-Provence & Avignon besides Nice and the Principality of Monaco.
Of course Paris is always nice to visit with lots to do there.
I also suggest visiting the island of Mont Saint-Michel off France's Northern coast

[lchoro]

Tour the Alsatian Wine Route starting from Strasburg. There's Little Venice in Colmar which is about halfway through the trip.

The train ride from Lyon to Annecy in the Alps is one of the most scenic rides. The town and the lake are very unspoiled, probably because it's such a long train trip to get there. You may have to plan to stay overnight if you go there.

[Jaggy001]

Or rent a car and spend a week in the Loire valley visiting the chateau, the wineries and the restaurants. Reasonably priced, beautiful countryside and magnificent chateaux.

[miguel's mom]

Thank you all for the wonderful recommendations. I will do some more research based on your posts and let's wait and see where our trip, which we will make by car, leads us.

[Mooseketeer]

Originally Posted by miguel's mom

Did anyone of you ever visit France?
I know it's strange posting this as a German, being situated rather near to France, in a US forum but I know that some of you have been to Europe and are avid travelers.

We like to see a lot of places but in a relaxing pace so where do you think we could go? It shouldn't necessarily be Paris, although we might make a stop there, I'm more interested in rural areas, nature, the sea and small towns.

Thanks a lot!

If you like the sea I would recommend Brittany. Base yourself in St Malo or near it and enjoy the coast around it. Perfect with kids too. I have just returned from a huge circuit around France and we had the most fantastic weather which was great. In Brittany you have the slightly "wilder" North ( from St Malo to the Finistere) with a more rocky coast and then the Southern more gentle bit of the Morbihan Departement ( with lovely medieval cities like Vannes and the great Megalithic sites around Carnac). In the North either base yourself in St Malo ( or Dinan/Dinard) area , or maybe even Roscoff and South of Brest I would say Concarneau, Quimper or Vannes . Lovely beaches all over Brittany, lovely food ( especially if you like Seafood and Crepes !!).

Paris is an obvious choice if you love Museums, Architecture and more cultural interests but can be exhausting with a small child. Avoid summer as it can get so touristy as to make the experience quite unpleasant. May and October would be my top months for Paris.

I personally love the South-West of France, The Dordogne for example a wonderful lush area full of Medieval chateaux and castles , the best prehistoric painted and engraved caves in the world, lovely scenery, fantastic food, perfect for gentle walking and canoeing on the river ( best months would be May, June and September/October). Not to miss in the South-West are Sarlat, Toulouse, Cahors, Albi , the Gorges du Tarn and all the myriad of perched Medieval villages like Cordes sur Ciel, Puycelci, Najac, Castelnau de Montmiral , Collonges la Rouge, St Cyrq Lapopie etc...

Provence is also stunning , the coast has been ruined in parts by overdevelopment but there are still some stunning bits of scenic marine drives and a must see would be the Calanques near Marseille, Cassis. I would personally avoid the French Riviera but that is just my opinion. Inland Provence is gorgeous , the Alpes de Haute Provence are superb ( summer also too busy and hot though-Spring and Autumn much better). I would base myself in the Avignon , Aix en Provence, or even Nimes area . Not as close to the beaches but quieter, lots of gorgeous villages, a quieter pace of life, great walking, and perfect for swimming in rivers, visiting sites and generally unwinding.

France has many wonderful and beautiful areas and even places like Burgundy, Alsace and the Auvergne can be immensely rewarding.

I would also maybe suggest Corsica ( once again avoid summer as all of Europe goes there and it gets overcroded and very expensive and a little too hot too).


Corsica is a fabulous island with some out of this world beaches, inland is cooler and moutainous with little villages, lovely food . Not to be missed are Calvi, Bastia, Bonifaccio and the Calanques de Piana which are sublime especially by sunset. Corsica is perfect for water sports, walking, sailing, and getting away from it all if you chose your place carefully. Corsicans are not the friendliest people ( my great grand mother lived there so I know the Island pretty well) but it is a wonderfully beautiful place. And easy to also combine this holiday with a trip to Sardinia and maybe even Sicily ( easy ferries from the South of the Island).

The Pyrennees and the Alps are lovely too. Most boring area in France IMO is the area South of Nantes, around Limoges, around Paris and some parts of the North. Normandy is OK but no way near as nice as Brittany.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by Mooseketeer

Provence is also stunning , the coast has been ruined in parts by overdevelopment but there are still some stunning bits of scenic marine drives and a must see would be the Calanques near Marseille, Cassis. I would personally avoid the French Riviera but that is just my opinion. Inland Provence is gorgeous , the Alpes de Haute Provence are superb ( summer also too busy and hot though-Spring and Autumn much better). I would base myself in the Avignon , Aix en Provence, or even Nimes area . Not as close to the beaches but quieter, lots of gorgeous villages, a quieter pace of life, great walking, and perfect for swimming in rivers, visiting sites and generally unwinding.

I agree that the Calanques near Cassis as well as Provence. Avignon & Aix en Provence are also great places to visit.

[pigeonhole]

The problem in France, especially in cities & towns, while you're staring up the incredible beauty of France, beware not to set foot in the incredible nastiness of French streets under your very shoes, namely dog crap.

[LisaSmithy]

Hi,

I found Leggett Immobilier's website blog website really helpfull , they have updates on upcoming events and local news. Also a range of great properties, investments, swaps and Ski properties! So a great network .

Hope this helps