France Travel Guide: Paris, Provence, Riviera & Where to Go in 2026

Depends on what you like in a glass. Champagne is the obvious answer for first-timers — just 45 minutes by train from Paris to Reims or Épernay, and the chalk cellars beneath both cities stretch for over 250km of underground bottles aging at the great houses (Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Moët, Taittinger). For serious wine pilgrims, Burgundy rewards the deepest study — base in Beaune, taste Pinot Noir and Chardonnay village by village, walk the UNESCO-listed Climats. Alsace is the most scenic for a road trip — the 170km Route des Vins through villages like Riquewihr and Eguisheim, with bike paths between vineyards. Bordeaux is more structured and ceremonial; Provence is rosé country and the oldest French vineyard (26 centuries). Three to four nights in one region beats hopping.

EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens enter freely under free-movement rules. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and around 60 other visa-exempt countries can stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen Area (France included). From late 2026, those visa-exempt travelers will need an ETIAS authorization (online application, around €7, valid three years) before flying. Russian and Chinese passport holders need a Schengen short-stay visa applied for via VFS Global or the French consulate. Travel insurance should cover at least €30,000 in medical expenses across the Schengen area. The 90-day clock counts across all Schengen countries — not 90 days per country.

April to June and September to October are when France is at its best — temperatures 18–25°C, gardens at their peak (Giverny in May is unmissable), wine harvest in September, accommodation prices reasonable. July and August are peak: Paris empties of Parisians (many shops and restaurants close in August), the south fills up, and prices double on the Côte d'Azur. Christmas markets in Alsace and Strasbourg run late November through December and are some of Europe's best. Winter is the quiet sweet spot for Paris museums and Burgundy fireside lunches. If you're after lavender in Provence, hit the first two weeks of July before the harvest in late July–early August.

Avoid menus in three languages, restaurants on the immediate Seine waterfront in central arrondissements, and anywhere a host hustles you in from the street. Parisians eat in the 11th (Rue Paul Bert is the bistro spine — Le Servan, Clamato), the 10th (Le Verre Volé, Chez Casimir), the 9th for new-wave (Bouillon Pigalle for cheap brasserie classics, Le Pantruche), and Belleville (20th) for natural wine bars. For the classic experience: a corner café for coffee at the zinc, a bistro at 1pm for the prix-fixe lunch, an apéro around 7pm, dinner from 8:30. Always reserve. Tap water (une carafe d'eau) is free and expected — asking for it is normal, not cheap.

For Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nice — no. The TGV high-speed rail network is excellent: Paris to Lyon in 2 hours, Paris to Bordeaux in 2 hours, Paris to Marseille in 3, Paris to Strasbourg in under 2. Book 2–3 months ahead through SNCF Connect for the cheapest fares. Rent a car when you're going rural: Burgundy villages, Loire châteaux, Alsace wine route, Provence, the Dordogne, Brittany. Driving in Paris is genuinely awful — narrow streets, aggressive scooters, expensive parking. Pick up the car when you leave the city, drop it before you return. See our car rental services guide.