Top 25 Places To Visit in France - Travel Guide

What's up guys my name is Ryan and I recently returned from traveling around France and I want to share with you my favorite places so here's my France top 25. After visiting France it's easy to see why it's the most visited country in the world. It's home to endless history, enchanting towns, from the towering Alps to the chic French Riviera, France is waiting to be experienced. Let's start this video off at Étretat. Located about a three hours drive from Paris, this was the first place I went to when I got to France. The main reason I wanted to come here was to witness the impressive sea cliffs. When we reached Étretat we walked through the beautiful coastal town and arrived at the beach. It had this nice pebble stone sand and you could get a view of the cliffs. I mean they were freaking huge, a lot bigger than I expected. Now after we decided to walk on top of the cliffs we strolled along the beautiful boardwalk and made it to the top. My favorite features of the cliffs are the sea arches, there are three of them, and I also like the pointed sea stack called l'aiguille. After a bit, sea fog started to roll in and gave the area such a different feel. It was just so much fun being on top of those cliffs. If you can, I recommend staying until sunset. The sun will hit the cliffs perfectly, lighting them up with an orange glow. Afterwards we're going to visit the island of Corsica. Located right above the island of Sardinia, Corsica is this massive island full of so many diverse landscapes. It's home to jagged mountains and some of France's best coastline. Now one of my favorite spots on the island is Bonifacio. It's this medieval town built upon these limestone cliffs. It's nicknamed the Mediterranean sentinel. Now it's located right in the most southern point of the island. Nearby there are some more incredible white cliffs with crystal clear waters. Another one of my favorite spots in Corsica is the Clangs de Piana. There are these sharp red cliffs that dive into the sea. They have such a distinct color and there's a windy road that drives right through them. There's also some incredible beaches in the area such as Plague de Boussaglia. Afterwards we're going to visit the French Alps. Now this is easily one of my favorite regions in all of France. It's home to the incredibly massive Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in all the Alps at 4,807 meters. Mont Blanc doesn't have the most prominent peak compared to other mountains, but it's just hard to comprehend how huge this mountain is. Now the town located at the base of Mont Blanc is Chamonix. It's a hub for some of Europe's best skiing and hikes. I really enjoyed walking around the town. It reminded me of a French Zermatt. Now one thing you got to do while you're there is take the gondola to l'Aiguille du Midi. Now to get there you can take a 20-minute cable car ride, which holds the world record for the highest vertical ascent by a cable car with an altitude gain of over 2,807 meters. It costs about 69 euros for a round-trip ticket to the top. Now while I was there it was extremely packed. I think there was like some holiday going on. So just plan accordingly. You'll take two lifts up. I mean just wild how steep it is. Now when you reach the top you'll be at an elevation of 3,843 meters. You can definitely feel the shortness of oxygen in your lungs. When you get off the lift you'll walk through this labyrinth of tunnels carved straight out of the granite. There's tons of walkways and platforms to explore. You'll get an excellent view of Mont Blanc and the other mountains. Now one thing I thought was crazy is that there's a place where the mountaineers exit to either go hike to Mont Blanc or just explore the glacier. L'Aiguille du Midi was such an incredible experience and definitely the highlight of our time in the French Alps. Now when you get back to Chamonix another thing you can do is take the train to Mer de Glace. You can get a Mont Blanc multi-pass for about 83 euros. This will both let you take the train and the lift to L'Aiguille du Midi. Now the train winds up the mountain and you get some great views along the way. Sit on the left-hand side get the best views. Now when you reach the top you'll be able to see the Mer de Glace. It's the second largest glacier in all of Europe. What's sad is when you look at pictures of over 150 years ago and you see how much this glacier has shrank. Regardless the whole area is breathtaking. You'll get views of the surrounding mountains. They're just like so jagged I've never seen anything like them. There's also a restaurant and hotel up top. Afterwards we're going to visit the nearby city of Anzi. Now located at the foot of the Alps about an hour's drive from Chamonix, this alpine town is famous for its canals hence it's called the Venice of the Alps. Now the city is just absolutely magical but what I love about the region is the lake Anzi. It's surrounded by scenic mountains and it's known as one of the cleanest lakes in all Europe. I mean I can't think of a better place to enjoy on a hot summer day. One of the crowning features of the area is the Chateau de Menthon Saint Bernard. The first fortress was built here around 1,000 years ago and today it stands as one of the most impressive castles in all the Alps. We decided to explore it. It cost about 11 euros to enter. I was just astonished by the size of it and how well the castle was preserved. There was a massive courtyard with perfectly laid stones. The chateau's interior was just as impressive. It's just wild to think people lived in such luxury hundreds of years ago. I mean I can't imagine what it must have been like to live there back then. After the Alps, we're going to head over to the Alsace region. Now located in eastern France, bordering Germany and Switzerland, the Alsace region is famous for its fairytale cities, wine country, and rich history. Over the centuries, the region has alternated between French and German control and today it represents a mix of those cultures. The capital of Alsace is Strasbourg. It's home to the formal seat of the European Parliament. Another enchanting city in the region is Colmar. If you want to escape the cities, you can experience the Alsace wine route. It's a 170 kilometer long route that passes through some of France's greatest wine country and picturesque towns. One of my favorites is the It's believed to be the village that inspired the town from Beauty and the Beast. Even if you don't drink wine like me, it's impossible to not fall in love with this region of France. After, we're going to France's capital of Paris. Now since the 17th century, Paris has been Europe's major center of finance, diplomacy, fashion, and the arts. Paris is one of the world's most visited cities and with all its attractions and fascinating history, it's easy to see why. Paris' most recognizable attraction is the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1889 for the World's Fair. The Eiffel Tower is 324 meters high which made it the tallest man-made structure in the world until 1930. Another popular attraction is the Louvre Museum. It's the world's largest art museum and it's home to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. You can also take a drive around the Arc de Triomphe or walk the grounds of the Palace of Versailles and there's just so much to see in this grand city. Now after, we're going visit the Loire Valley. Now located in central France, about a two-hour drive from Paris, this has to be the chateau capital of the world. It's home to over 300 French castles. Now if you're wondering why there are so many chateaus here, it's because of the combination of location, fertile grounds, and the competition amongst kings and royals that brought so many castles here. One of the most famous chateaus is Chambord. It's the largest in the valley and its estate is as big as Paris. It's rumored that Leonardo da Vinci helped design it. It took over 28 years to build and was finished in 1547. Now from above, you can see it's perfectly square moat that was built to protect the castle and it's truly a mind-blowing piece of architecture. Now another one of my favorites is the Chateau de Chenonceau. Built in the early 16th century, what's wild about this chateau is it's built upon a river. I mean, I love all the arches. It's definitely one of the most beautiful buildings in all of France. After, we're going to head down to southern France to the French Riviera. Now located on the southeast corner of France, I have to say that the French Riviera is home to some of the world's best coastline. One stunning city on the French Riviera is Menton. It's strikingly beautiful with its colorful buildings complemented with a backdrop of the Maritime Alps. We stayed several days here and I really enjoyed just walking around the city. Menton was a part of Italy until 1860 when it and the rest of Nice County was added to France. There's a great boardwalk that walks along the coast and I really enjoyed going out to the lighthouse pier to get panoramic views of Menton. Now afterwards, we're going to visit the medieval town of Ais. Now located on a hilltop tower, looking over the French Riviera, I have to say this was easily the coolest medieval place I visited in my time in southern France. It was only a short 30-minute drive from Menton. Now Ais was founded during the middle ages around the 14th century and today is known worldwide for its medieval vibe and views of the French Riviera. When we were there, we parked in a parking lot at the base of Ais and then walked up the winding stairs and cobblestone paths through the village. I mean you really feel like you're walking back in time. Everything is so old yet it's perfectly preserved and the village is just full of like these tunnel walkways and trees that were just built around. Truly is such a cool place. One of the main features of the village is the exotic garden. It's this beautiful place that sits on top of the village. It not only has beautiful plants and cactuses, but it offers one of the best views of the French Riviera. It's definitely worth the hike and six euro entry fee. Now afterwards, we're going to head over to Nice. Now as the capital of the Maritime Ailes department of France, Nice is the second largest city on the French Riviera after Marseille. Now if you're flying into the French Riviera, this is probably the best airport to come to. I didn't really spend any much time here. I didn't really feel like walking around the city, but I do regret not checking out. So if you're in the French Riviera, you definitely can give Nice a visit. Now another prominent nearby resort town is Cannes. Now it's located about 40 minutes drive from Nice. Like many places along the French Riviera, Cannes is associated with the rich and famous and hosts the annual Cannes Film Festival. Now just outside of Cannes is some of the most beautiful coastline on the French Riviera. It's called the Esterel and it's these red rock cliffs that dive into the sea. Now I was talking to a local on the beach and he told me that this was his favorite place on the Riviera, so I had to go check it out. The coastline is part of the Esterel Massif and it stretches from Cannes to Saint Raphael. Now it's full of hidden coves, red rock islands, and secluded beaches. I love just driving along the coastline and parking in its many lookout points and just exploring the I highly recommend visiting here. Now one really cool place I visited in the area is Cap du Germain. Now the reason I wanted to go here is because there's this little island with a medieval looking watchtower on it. It was constructed in the 20th century and it's believed to be the inspiration behind the Black Island in the Adventures of Tintin. It just looks so scenic coupled with the red coastline and there's a really nice beach there and the water is perfect for freediving. Such an enjoyable place. Now afterwards we're going to visit the town of Saint-Tropez. Now this is one of my favorite towns I visit on the French Riviera. Saint-Tropez is located about an hour and a half drive from Nice. Now Saint-Tropez grew as a fishing village and military stronghold until the 20th century and it was the first town to be liberated on the French Riviera during World War II. In the 1960s Saint-Tropez started gaining popularity amongst jet setters and today it's renowned for its beaches, nightlife, and yachts. Now the main part of Saint-Tropez is pretty small but I love just walking around its streets and alleyways. There was this path that walks along the coast and it was just really nice to explore. All in all Saint-Tropez is a really beautiful town and I understand why it's so popular. Now afterwards we're going to visit Cassis. Now I think this was my favorite place we visited in southern France. We stayed several days here I'm just so glad we did. It's a seaside town with that classic French cheek charm. Now Cassis is overlooked by Cap Canaille which is home to the highest sea cliffs in all of France with a height of 394 meters. Now there's a great beach in Cassis overlooked by a castle. I mean I just love walking around the harbor working out all the boats. You can also walk to the lighthouse at the end of the harbor to just relax and enjoy the sounds of the sea. Now one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Cassis and just southern France in general was to visit the Calanques. Now there are these incredible sea coves surrounded by daunting cliffs and crystal clear waters. The one I really wanted to go to is Calanques d'Amboux. Hope I said that right. Now there's several ways to get here. You can either take a boat, kayak, or hike in. Now on our first day there we rented a little boat from the harbor in Cassis and headed out to the Calanques. Now the views on the way were just absolutely incredible. Now one downside about the boat is we couldn't land on the beach. You can only drive like halfway through and then it's roped off. But if you do rent a kayak or a paddleboard you can take it to the beach which I definitely recommend if you can handle the long paddle. Now we went in as far as we could in the Calanques and then turned around after we just kept exploring the coastline heading west as we relaxed in this other Calanques with some just really unique cliffs and rock formations. It was such a phenomenal area. Now the next day I really wanted to go to the beach in the Calanques d'Amboux so we decided to do a hike. Now the hike was about seven kilometers long and it had this one steep descent to get to the beach. Nothing you can't handle. Now once we reached the beach I mean it was really an amazing sight. The steep white cliffs coupled with the greens of the pines and blues of the water were just amazing. Now the beach was a decent size with a lot of smooth pebbles. We went for a swim and the water was just so freaking clear. I wanted to find a cliff jump spot so after swimming down the cove I found this rock about seven meters high and did a few jumps off of it. I mean there's truly no better feeling than cliff jumping into the Mediterranean. Definitely was one of my favorite places we went and a perfect place to end our time on the Côte d'Azur. While we're still in southern France we're going to visit the Verdun Gorge. Now located about a two hours drive from Nice, the Verdun Gorge is one of the most impressive canyons in all of France. Now one of my favorite places in the gorge is the view from Pont du Galetas. You get a view of the dramatic cliffs contrasted with the strikingly blue water. Now while you're there you can rent a boat or paddleboard and explore the gorge. You can also drive on top and get some more phenomenal views. After let's head over to the medieval fortress of Carcassonne. Now when I imagine medieval Europe I don't think there's a better place that exemplifies it better than this fortified city. Located in southern France Carcassonne began as a Roman fortified hilltop and was given to the Visigoths in the 5th century who continued to fortify and build the city. Throughout the centuries Carcassonne proved to be an impregnable fortress as army after army failed to overtake the protected city. Today the city consists of 53 towers that are protected by two outer walls. It remains as one of Europe's greatest medieval gems. Afterwards we're going to head over to the Pyrenees mountains. Now straddling both France and Spain the Pyrenees are a mountain range that separates the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe. Now one of the most impressive places in the Pyrenees is the Cirque du Cavernier. It's this dramatic glacial bowl with waterfalls descending its cliffs. Another cool place is Lac de Ayou. It's a nice two-hour hike to the lake and has incredible views of the mountains. After we're going to visit the region of Brittany. Now located on the northwestern tip of France Brittany is full of rugged beaches and countless lighthouses. One thing that is particularly fascinating about Brittany is its presence of megalithic monuments. There are thousands of stones scattered around the region ranging from ancient tombs to single-standing stones that were arranged by neolithic people over 7,000 years ago. It's just pretty interesting if you ask me. Now aside from the ancient megaliths Brittany is home to some stunning coastal towns. One of my favorites is Les Conquets. It's an ideal maritime city with a picturesque harbor. One of the highlights of the area is the Kermouvan lighthouse. It's just such a beautiful setting. Now for our final destination we're going to visit Mont Saint-Michel. I have to say this was probably my favorite place I visited in France. This place was just truly magical. Now to get there it's a four-hour drive from Paris. When we arrived we checked into our Airbnb and made the long walk to Mont Saint-Michel. Now you can't drive directly to the title island. Instead you can park in the parking lots outside and either take a shuttle or walk about four kilometers. Now I definitely recommend walking if you can. As you approach the island it's quite the experience. It just made me think of how the people must have felt throughout the ages as they came here. I mean just truly something out of a fantasy film. Now when you reach the island and walk through the gates you feel like you're walking into a Harry Potter movie. It was as if I was walking down Diagon Alley. Now we had such a good time walking through the winding alleyways and marveling at all the details. The abbey is the crowning feature of the island. Its construction began in the 10th century and was added onto throughout the ages. Now due to strategic position and dangerous changing tides the abbey and the rest of the island remained protected throughout history. Now around sunset the tide started to come in. I was amazed by how fast the water levels were rising. I mean I understand now why it was so dangerous for the medieval pilgrims to walk to the island. Now on our way back we met up with some sheep in the fields. I mean truly it was a special experience and one of my favorite memories from my time in France. The next day we woke up to see Mont Saint-Michel for sunrise. On our way back we ran into a herd of sheep storming through the streets on their way to eat some morning grass. I mean definitely it was the perfect way to end our time at Mont Saint-Michel. Well that is it for my France top 25. I'm barely scratching the surface so be expecting a part 2 coming soon. Let me know where your favorite place is in the comments below. I also start a Spanish channel if you prefer to watch my videos in Espanol. I did a video on France you might enjoy. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at shirley.films. It's Ryan and we will see you later.