Top Things to See and Do in France: Beyond Paris, Beyond the Obvious
France has more extraordinary travel destinations per square mile than almost anywhere on earth. Here's what's worth the trip beyond Paris. From Loire châteaux to Normandy beaches to Burgundy wine country.
France has 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. More Michelin-starred restaurants than any country except Japan. A coastline that covers the Atlantic, the Channel, and the Mediterranean. Wine regions that define the global vocabulary for how we talk about red and white wine. And Paris - which despite all of that, receives approximately 70% of American visitors to France while the rest of the country receives the other 30%. The things to do in France beyond Paris aren't consolation destinations for people who couldn't get a Paris hotel. They're the Loire Valley châteaux, the lavender fields of Provence, the D-Day beaches of Normandy, and the wine villages of Burgundy - destinations that stand independently as some of the best of their kind in Europe. This guide is for American travelers who know they're going to Paris and want to understand what they'd be missing if they stopped there.
The Loire Valley: The Best Regions to Visit in France That Americans Skip
One of the best regions to visit in France for architecture and history concentrated in a single landscape is the Loire Valley, two hours southwest of Paris by TGV train. The river Loire runs through a valley of château country, which has more UNESCO-listed Renaissance and medieval castles than any other region in the world. Château de Chambord (440 rooms, a double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, surrounded by 13,000 acres of royal hunting ground) is one of the most architecturally ambitious buildings in France. Château de Chenonceau spans the Cher River on a series of arches, it's called "the ladies' château" because five women shaped its history, and at dawn before the tour buses arrive, it's among the most beautiful things you'll see. A rental car for 2-3 days through the valley combines château visits with wine tastings at appellations (Vouvray, Sancerre, Muscadet) that produce whites of exceptional quality.
Burgundy and the Côte d'Or: Wine Country as Landscape
Burgundy is where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were essentially invented as varieties with distinct terroir expression. The Côte d'Or (Golden Slope) between Dijon and Beaune is a 30-mile stretch of vineyard that contains the greatest concentration of Grand Cru wines in the world. You can cycle the Route des Grands Crus in a day, stopping at villages (Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Pommard) whose names appear on bottles in Manhattan wine lists at hundreds of dollars. The cellars are open for tasting at prices dramatically below what you'd pay in a U.S. restaurant. Beaune itself is a medieval walled town with the Hôtel-Dieu, a 15th-century charitable hospital with a polychrome tile roof, at its center.
Normandy: The D-Day Beaches and What Surrounds Them
If you need some Normandy D-Day beach visit context, the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks Omaha Beach and contains 9,388 graves of American soldiers. It is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission and is one of the most moving American-specific historical sites in the world. The cemetery and the Overlord Museum together with the beach itself require a full day of serious attention. Normandy beyond D-Day involves Mont-Saint-Michel, the tidal island with a medieval abbey rising from the bay, its 45 minutes from Caen and one of the most visually extraordinary sites in France at any tide level. Étretat on the Normandy coast has chalk arch formations that Monet painted obsessively and that are as striking in person as in his canvases.
Provence and the French Riviera
A Provence travel guide for Americans covers the region's two distinct experiences. Inland Luberon and the Alpilles (lavender fields, perched stone villages, Roman ruins at Nîmes and the Pont du Gard aqueduct), and the coastal Riviera (Nice, Antibes, Èze, Monaco). The lavender season in Provence runs mid-June through mid-July, the plateau de Valensole produces the most photographed lavender landscape in the world. Nice is underrated as a city destination, the Promenade des Anglais, the old town's Baroque architecture, and a regional Niçoise cuisine (socca flatbread, pan bagnat, ratatouille in its original form) that differs substantially from Parisian food. The Riviera in high summer (July-August) is expensive and crowded; May-June and September offer the same climate and scenery with manageable tourism levels.
Planning France Beyond Paris
The best regions to visit in France for an American adding regional travel to a Paris base require honest time allocation.
The French rail network (SNCF/TGV) is excellent for intercity travel and should be booked in advance for the best prices. French is appreciated (even a "bonjour" and "merci" before switching to English changes the interaction in small towns and restaurants). The French meal structure (entrée, plat, dessert) applies across the country and should be followed. Ordering only a main at a French restaurant leaves half the meal experience on the table.
Conclusion
The things to do in France that most American visitors never experience are not obscure or difficult. They're just two hours from Paris by train and consistently rated by travelers who visit them as among the best experiences of their European travels. Check the TGV schedule from Paris to Tours (Loire) or Paris to Dijon (Burgundy). The trains take under two hours and cost €20-€60 booked in advance. Look up the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer and consider building the Normandy D-Day beaches into your France itinerary. It's just two hours from Paris and the most historically significant American site in Europe. Visitors who take one regional train outside Paris come home calling it one of the best decisions they made.
Useful Links
- Atout France - Tourism Statistics - https://atout-france.fr/en
- American Battle Monuments Commission - Normandy American Cemetery - https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-american-cemetery
- SNCF Connect - France Rail Booking - https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/