France welcomes more tourists than most countries in the world, and this should not come as a surprise. People dream of visiting the Eiffel Tower, never-ending baguettes, delicious croissants, colourful macarons, and many more things. You will find stunning beaches, art museums, snow-capped Alps including Europes’s tallest peak. If France isn't on your bucket list, it should be.
5 Top Places To Visit In France
1. Paris
It is easy to get to Paris by plane at the Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports, you can easily find international flights from all over the world to get there. You can find cheap flights on WayAway. Also, if you are in Europe, you can easily find train and buses through Omio, FlixBus, and Kiwi.com. My favourite app to use whenever I am in Europe is Omio!
Once you reach Paris, the airport is connected to a train station so it easy to get into the city from there. When moving around the city you can get the metro or the tram, you can buy tickets from any metro station or from a tram stop, you will find ticket machines at each stop.
The metro has over 300 stations so you will be able to go to where you want easily, and as mentioned you don’t need to only use the metro you can also use the tram or even the bus, it depends on what’s easier for you.
The best time to visit Paris would be during the Springtime, between March and May since it is the best and most pleasant season. If you want to visit during the summer time, then you can visit between June and August, and the winter would be between October and November, be aware aware that during those two months in the Winter; it starts getting wet and cold but the weather is still good to visit.
However; it gets crowded during those times, so if you are travelling on a budget and want to avoid the high-season, then you can visit between December and February, but be aware it is off-season because of the Winter weather and the cold.
If you want to stay in the best area in Paris, then that would be Le Marais since you will have access to everything right near you such as restaurants, shops, and you can also walk to most sites or even take them metro, but be aware that the budget would be a little bit pricey. If you love to be near restaurants, then you can choose to stay in Saint-Germain, and you will also be close to most sites and attraction as well. You can also stay in Montmartre which is right outside of the city and it is budget friendly since it is filled with cheap accommodations but it is absolutely beautiful and filled with charming streets.
You can book your accommodation through Booking.com, which is the one I use the most, or if you wan to stay in a hostel you can book through HostelWorld. You can also use Agoda, Trivago, or Vrbo to book your accommodations. I know most people have a favourite website or app to use, so just choose what you prefer best.
2. Lyon
It is easy to get to Lyon by plane at the Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport, there are flights from all over Europe nearly everyday, so depending on where you are, it might be easy to get there. You can find cheap flights on WayAway. Also, if you are in Europe, you can easily find train and buses through Omio, FlixBus, and Kiwi.com. My favourite app to use whenever I am in Europe is Omio!
Once you reach Lyon, the airport is connected to a train station so it easy to get into the city from there. When moving around the city you can get the metro or the tram, you can buy tickets from any metro station or from a tram stop, you will find ticket machines at each stop. Also be aware that you need to validate your ticket once you get on your mode of transport of choice, this is important to not forget.
You can visit Lyon all year long, during the summer it is hot and you can go canoeing or go on a boat rides. During winter it is also nice since the Alps are nearby as well as the attractions within the city, and also during winter you can witness the Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumière) in December.
The best time to visit Lyon is in September & October. At this time, all the summer tourists would have left the city and it won't be as crowded as it normally would be, and also the weather would be nice, not too hot and not too cold. If you are looking for the best prices, then you would have to visit between November & April, but be aware that it would be cold during that time.
The best area for tourists to stay in is Presqu'île, this area occupies the land between the Rhône and Saône rivers and comprises the 1st, 2nd and 4th arrondissements. You can find hotels and Airbnbs in that area easily.
You can book your accommodation through Booking.com, which is the one I use the most, or if you wan to stay in a hostel you can book through HostelWorld. You can also use Agoda, Trivago, or Vrbo to book your accommodations. I know most people have a favourite website or app to use, so just choose what you prefer best.
3. Nice
Nice has a well known international airport, so it won’t be hard to get there. There are also regular trains that you can find that leave from nearly all cities in France, as well as major cities in Europe.
Once you get to Nice, it is easy to move around since you can simply walk to explore this cities. You can enjoy the beaches there, go on a walk around the old town, you really don’t need to worry to much about transportation within the city itself, but it is definitely worth hiring a car to have some flexibility. If you want to rent a car, you can definitely use Discover Cars!
Nice is known for its amazing weather since it has over 300 days of sunshine! So you can definitely visit whenever you want, and if you are on a budget, you can visit during low-season to save money.
You can find all type of accommodations in Nice that would suit your budget, you can either choose to stay in the old town or find something that is besides the beach.
4. Bordeaux
Bordeaux is well connected to nearly all major cities in Europe, so you won’t find it difficult to get there. To get by train from Paris to Bordeaux it will take you around 2 hours. You can also find planes to get to Bordeaux’s international airport.
When it comes to Bordeaux, it is easy to walk around the old part of the city, so you won’t find it hard there, but if you want to get around faster around the city itself and other parts of it, then you can easily use public transportation such as the bus or a taxi. If you’re into biking, then you will enjoy exploring Bordeaux since it has a great biking system in place, and you can register online for it or hire bike for the day from the many rental shops available all around the city.
The best time to visit Bordeaux would be either in the fall or the spring, since during the summer the heat would make it hard and unbearable to explore.
Bordeaux has a wide range of accommodations such as luxury hotels, traditional apartments, or even boutique guesthouses. The best area to stay in Bordeaux is the historic centre, because you will then be close to a lot of beautiful sights to visit.
5. Marseille
Marseille is located in the south of France, but it is well connected to most major cities in Europe, so you won’t struggle to get there. A train ride from Paris to Marseille would take about 3 and a half hours. You can also get there by plane, since Marseille has an international airport.
The best way to discover Marseille would be on foot, since most sights and most things to do are close to each other, so you won’t need any type of transportation. If you want to go to other places that are at a distance, then you can easily use the tram or the metro. If you’re into biking, then you will enjoy exploring Marseille just like Bordeaux; since it has a great biking system in place, and you can register online for it.
When it comes to the best times to visit Marseille, this would be between April & June, and September & October. The city is less crowded during that time and the weather is nice as well, so you can enjoy your trip there.
Accommodations in Marseille are good and suits your budget no matter what it is, so you won’t struggle to find an accommodation that suits you.
What To Do Before Travelling To France
🪪 Get Your Visa
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✈️ Book Tickets
Book your flights seamlessly with WayAway. Compare prices, find the best deals, and jet off to France with ease! — Get 10% off WayAway Plus membership with this code → TP-385219.
→ Go to WayAway
📱 Buy A Travel SIM-Card
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→ Go to VisitorsCoverage
How To Get To France
France’s biggest airports are Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice, and Lyon Saint Exupéry. So you will not struggle to find flights to France. You can use WayAway to find cheap flights. You can also reach France by train or buses from most cities in Europe, and I like to use Omio whenever I am travelling in Europe to find either trains or buses.
How To Move Around France
The airports in France are connected to a train station, so you will be able to move from the airports easily. When moving around each city you can get the metro or the tram, you can buy tickets from any metro station or from a tram stop, you will find ticket machines at each stop. Also be aware that you need to validate your ticket once you get on your mode of transport of choice, this is important to not forget.
You can book trains and buses through Omio to move from one city to the other, which as I mentioned before is my favourite app to use whenever I am travelling in Europe, and I have used it multiple times when I was in France.
Best Time To Visit France
France’s weather varies depending on the region, when you look at the south of France, sunshine is around 300 days of the year, but then you go to other regions, you will find your normal 4 seasons. So, the best time to visit France in general would be in Spring & Autumn, because you would be avoiding both the extreme weather as well as the crowd, and it will be low season, so it will be cheaper then.
Accommodations In France
You will be able to find accommodations in France that would suit your budget whether you are on a budget or you’re looking for something luxurious.
You can book your accommodation through Booking.com, which is the one I use the most, or if you wan to stay in a hostel you can book through HostelWorld. You can also use Agoda, Trivago, or Vrbo to book your accommodations. I know most people have a favourite website or app to use, so just choose what you prefer best.