France itinerary: 7 days, 10 days or 2 weeks

In short: for 7 days, combine Paris with one region: Normandy, the Loire châteaux or Provence. For 10 days, cross the country from Paris to the Riviera via Lyon and Provence. For 2 weeks, choose between a grand tour of the South and one of the West. Take the TGV between cities, and only rent a car for the countryside.

Before you go: train or car?

• The TGV links Paris to the big cities in a few hours: about 2 hours to Lyon or Bordeaux, just over 3 hours to Marseille. Book early, as fares rise closer to departure.
• A car is essential for the villages of Provence, the D-Day beaches, the Luberon or the Dordogne. Rent it at the station, for just a few days. See our guide Renting a car in France.
• A multi-city flight (into Paris, out of Nice or Marseille) saves you backtracking.

Journey times are approximate: check them on the SNCF website. For everything about trains, see Trains and buses in France.

7 days: Paris and one region

Option 1: Paris and Normandy

• Days 1 to 3: Paris. The major sights, the neighbourhoods and a museum (see Paris in 3 days).
• Day 4: Giverny and Rouen. Monet’s house and gardens, then Rouen’s old town and cathedral.
• Day 5: the Alabaster Coast and Honfleur. The cliffs of Étretat and the harbour of Honfleur.
• Day 6: the D-Day beaches. Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery at Colleville and Arromanches, from Bayeux.
• Day 7: Mont-Saint-Michel, before heading back.

Best done by car from Paris or Rouen.

Option 2: Paris and Provence

• Days 1 to 3: Paris.
• Day 4: TGV to Avignon. The Palace of the Popes and the famous bridge.
• Day 5: Arles and the Camargue, or the Pont du Gard.
• Days 6 and 7: the Luberon (Gordes, Roussillon) and, from late June to mid-July, the lavender fields, by car.

Option 3: Paris and the Loire châteaux

• Days 1 to 4: Paris, with a day at Versailles.
• Days 5 to 7: the Loire. Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Blois, from Tours or Amboise, by car or by bike on the Loire à Vélo routes.

10 days: from Paris to the Riviera

• Days 1 to 3: Paris.
• Days 4 and 5: Lyon. Old Lyon and its traboules, Fourvière, the bouchons (see Things to do in Lyon).
• Days 6 and 7: Provence. Avignon, Arles or the Luberon.
• Days 8 to 10: the Riviera. Nice, Èze, Monaco, Antibes, by train along the coast (see Things to do in Nice).

Doable by train, with a rental car for Provence only. Fly home from Nice.

2 weeks: two grand tours

The grand tour of the South

• Days 1 to 3: Paris.
• Days 4 and 5: Lyon.
• Days 6 and 7: Annecy and the Alps (the lake, the old town, Chamonix and Mont Blanc on a clear day).
• Days 8 to 10: Provence (Avignon, Arles, the Luberon, Aix-en-Provence) and Marseille (see Things to do in Marseille).
• Days 11 to 14: the Riviera (Nice, the hilltop villages, Cannes, Monaco).

The grand tour of the West

• Days 1 to 3: Paris.
• Days 4 to 6: Normandy (Giverny, Étretat, Honfleur, the D-Day beaches).
• Day 7: Mont-Saint-Michel.
• Days 8 and 9: Brittany (Saint-Malo, Dinan).
• Days 10 and 11: the Loire châteaux.
• Days 12 to 14: Bordeaux and the Saint-Émilion vineyards, or the Dune du Pilat (see Things to do in Bordeaux).

Best done by car, with a train back from Bordeaux.

More trip ideas

• Alsace: Strasbourg, Colmar and the Wine Route, ideal in December for the Christmas markets (see Things to do in Strasbourg).
• The Dordogne: Sarlat, the Lascaux IV cave, Rocamadour and the valley’s castles.
• Burgundy: Dijon, Beaune and the Route des Grands Crus.

Our tips for a successful itinerary

1. Don’t change hotels every night: two to three nights per stop give you time to breathe.
2. Book trains and accommodation early, especially in summer and during French school holidays (see When to visit France).
3. Keep a free day for the weather or a place you fall for.
4. Get an eSIM for navigation and tickets on your phone (see our guide Internet in France).

Where to stay at each stop

Our guides detail the best areas: Where to stay in Paris, in Nice, in Lyon, in Marseille, in Bordeaux and in Strasbourg.