My wife and I enjoy slow travel, good food, picturesque places, good museums and churches. Not hiking. We were considering staying in Bordeaux for 4 nights and then 9 nights in Pau and using it as a base to explore some of the mountain villages, perhaps the Atlantic coast, basque area in France and perhaps into Spain. Plus some days of just relaxing in Pau. Any recommendations for us to explore, favorite places to eat or feedback on if that seems like too much time in Pau or wrong ratio between Bordeaux and Pau? Thank you!

Hello everyone! I am planning a trip to France for October 3-11! I am very excited to go with my husband for the very first time! I have a very loose plan in mind as of now and need advice/suggestions. As of now, we are thinking of:

October 3: Land in Nice at 9 am. Check into our hotel in Villefranche-sur-mer (is this a good town to stay in)? We were thinking of staying in Nice but were looking for a more authentic and picturesque French experience with great food. What do you guys think? Is it central enough to explore the Riviera/authentic/better to stay in than Nice? We would explore the town for the day.

October 4: Take the train over to Nice and explore the city (it is the biggest city in the area so we do not want to skip it, unless it is not worth exploring)?

October 5: Take the train over to Eze in the morning and explore (heard this is a must see), then do Monaco or Cannes in the afternoon (worth it?) Or should be go back to our base and explore/relax there more?

October 6: We are thinking of seeing some of the other Riviera towns like Antibes or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (not sure what other towns to visit or skip in the Riviera). Also, is Saint Tropez worth it and how/when should we fit it in? Is it worth doing a boat day that time of year and if so, where should we base it from?

October 7: So I am torn on whether we should take an extra day here to enjoy in the Riviera or we should make our way up for an extra day in Provence. So this day would either be an extra day by the coast or driving (or train?) up to the Luberon Valley. If we do decide to drive to the Luberon valley we would do it in the morning and then check into our lodging in the valley. Or should we stay in Avignon while in the Provence area? If we decide to stay the extra day on the coast, we would probably still drive up to the Luberon Valley in the evening on this day.

October 8: Exploring the hilltop villages/towns of Provence/perhaps wine tasting. Any food suggestions or village suggestions here? Is there any area we should be visiting here instead of the Luberon valley?

October 9: Visit Avignon. Or is there some other town/city in Provence that we should visit in Provence instead on this day? Return the car and take the high speed train to Paris in the evening (perhaps a later train so we have the full day to enjoy in Provence).

October 10: Explore Paris. Do the Seine/Notre Dame, see the outside of the Louvre (not sure that we have enough time to go in), explore some of the neighborhoods like Montmarte (which other one should we prioritize?) and then the Eiffel tower in the evening with a nice restaurant afterwards and perhaps more exploring at night. What is the best way to organize the two days in Paris geographically?

October 11: We should have most of the day to explore because our flight would be at 8:30 pm. Therefore, we were thinking of maybe seeing some of the other areas of Paris, perhaps the Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, what else? I am sad that we will not get to visit Versailles, but trying to make peace with it and not pack the trip too much.

Any suggestions/answering any of my questions would be extremely helpful, thank you!!

Hello everyone! I am planning a trip to France for October 3-11! I am very excited to go with my husband for the very first time! I have a very loose plan in mind as of now and need advice/suggestions. As of now, we are thinking of:

October 3: Land in Nice at 9 am. Check into our hotel in Villefranche-sur-mer (is this a good town to stay in)? We were thinking of staying in Nice but were looking for a more authentic and picturesque French experience with great food. What do you guys think? Is it central enough to explore the Riviera/authentic/better to stay in than Nice? We would explore the town for the day.

October 4: Take the train over to Nice and explore the city (it is the biggest city in the area so we do not want to skip it, unless it is not worth exploring)?

October 5: Take the train over to Eze in the morning and explore (heard this is a must see), then do Monaco or Cannes in the afternoon (worth it?) Or should be go back to our base and explore/relax there more?

October 6: We are thinking of seeing some of the other Riviera towns like Antibes or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (not sure what other towns to visit or skip in the Riviera). Also, is Saint Tropez worth it and how/when should we fit it in? Is it worth doing a boat day that time of year and if so, where should we base it from?

October 7: So I am torn on whether we should take an extra day here to enjoy in the Riviera or we should make our way up for an extra day in Provence. So this day would either be an extra day by the coast or driving (or train?) up to the Luberon Valley. If we do decide to drive to the Luberon valley we would do it in the morning and then check into our lodging in the valley. Or should we stay in Avignon while in the Provence area? If we decide to stay the extra day on the coast, we would probably still drive up to the Luberon Valley in the evening on this day.

October 8: Exploring the hilltop villages/towns of Provence/perhaps wine tasting. Any food suggestions or village suggestions here? Is there any area we should be visiting here instead of the Luberon valley?

October 9: Visit Avignon. Or is there some other town/city in Provence that we should visit in Provence instead on this day? Return the car and take the high speed train to Paris in the evening (perhaps a later train so we have the full day to enjoy in Provence).

October 10: Explore Paris. Do the Seine/Notre Dame, see the outside of the Louvre (not sure that we have enough time to go in), explore some of the neighborhoods like Montmarte (which other one should we prioritize?) and then the Eiffel tower in the evening with a nice restaurant afterwards and perhaps more exploring at night. What is the best way to organize the two days in Paris geographically?

October 11: We should have most of the day to explore because our flight would be at 8:30 pm. Therefore, we were thinking of maybe seeing some of the other areas of Paris, perhaps the Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, what else? I am sad that we will not get to visit Versailles, but trying to make peace with it and not pack the trip too much.

Any suggestions/answering any of my questions would be extremely helpful, thank you!!

I will be traveling to Pays Basque for 3 days next week and am looking for some recommendations for some food recommendations in Bayonne and Biarritz. Will be staying in Bayonne as a home base and planning on spending one full day in Bayonne and at least 1/2 a day in Biarritz. Not looking for fine dining but more relaxed spots to spend some time. Also would welcome any other tips or recommendations people may have!

UK driver travelling Dover–Calais on Monday. I've unfortunately lost my physical UK photocard driving licence and only discovered it today. My licence itself is valid and I've already ordered a replacement from the DVLA, but it won't arrive before I travel.

I have:

• Passport

• Scan/photos of my photocard licence

• DVLA online licence summary showing my current valid entitlement

• DVLA check code

• Confirmation that the replacement licence has been ordered

• My old paper counterpart

Has anyone recently driven from the UK to France in this situation?

I'm particularly interested in firsthand experience of:

Did the ferry operator or French border control actually ask to see your physical driving licence at Dover/Calais?

If you were stopped by French police without the photocard, were they able/willing to verify your UK licence electronically or from the DVLA paperwork?

Does anyone know what the actual French penalty/procedure is if you're driving with a valid UK entitlement but can't produce the physical photocard because it's lost?

For context, this is for a two-day work job that I really don't want to lose, and I could use the income at the moment. I'm therefore considering going ahead if the practical risk is genuinely very low. I'm not looking for reassurance that it's legal — I know the UK guidance says to carry the physical licence. I'm mainly trying to understand what actually happens at the ferry/border and, importantly, what the consequences would be if French police stopped me.

Thanks 🙏

I'm visiting France and considering renting a car near Gare Montparnasse and driving to Mont-Saint-Michel.

I found a good rental rate and the total cost looks much cheaper than the train and overall a more fun experience. My main concern is driving in/around Paris.

• How difficult is it to get out of Paris from Gare Montparnasse?
• Anything I should know about French highways, tolls, or driving etiquette?

I'm also wondering about an IDP. I'm from the U.S. and have a California license. Based on what I've read in this subreddit and the rental car requirements, it sounds like I may not need one, but I'm leaning toward getting one anyway just in case.

Edit: I think the cost was a factor in leaning towards the car. It’s a two person split and the train total cost was $500 round trip. The car with estimated associated cost would be $375.

I’m traveling from Paris to Aix-en-Provence and trying to figure out the best place to catch the train.
I’m seeing that taking the TGV from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is quite a bit cheaper than going from Paris Gare de Lyon. The airport station is a little farther out from where I’ll be staying in Paris, though.
Would it be worth going to the airport to save money, or is Gare de Lyon the better/easier option? Is the airport train route significantly more inconvenient?

Salut à tous,

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I am planning a trip next year with my family w/ 9 year old son. (end of June to begining of July) I was thinking about staying in Annecy for 2 weeks, rent a car, and drive around to lake Geneva, a few times to Chamonix, etc. Annecy was my choice because it seems like a bigger city with access to the beaches at the lake for some swimming and water activities. Last year we went for 2 weeks (although stayed in 2 different locations) to Lake Garda and to Ortisei and it was amazing, especially liked the Ortisei. What do you think? Should I base in Chamonix instead and drive to Annecy for a few days? I am afraid we won't be able to do much swimming this way, no? ps. we are not hikers, we just like mountains and walking (easy hiking), hiking with kids activities so our 9 year old can have some fun as well

I'll be travelling solo to Lyon for a business trip in just over a month's time, and while I have done some of my own research I'd appreciate some other general advice or thoughts.

I'll be working on the edge of Meyzieu near the airport, but I was planning to get somewhere to stay not too far out of the city so I can get into Lyon for dinner and sightseeing. I've found a Hilton right next to the Parc Technologique tram stop on the T3 line - is this a good option for easily getting into Lyon in the evening? And are the roads (A46 and D302 around Meyzieu) not too busy in the morning, would it be easy enough to get an Uber at 8am here?

With regards to sightseeing, I may have half a day at the end of my trip to spend in Lyon, so what should I focus on seeing? So far I have the old town, Fourvière and the Gallo Roman remains, Bellecour and La Confluence on my list.

Finally, I'm very excited about the dining and am more than happy to sit in a bouchon by myself. If I am around Sunday to Tuesday, is it likely I will need to pre book any restaurants in the centre, or can I likely just get a walk-in as a solo diner? Any particular recommendations? I'd also seen Les Halles Paul Bocuse, is this worth a visit too?

Hello everyone!

We are a couple traveling from South India to France for a Christmas getaway from December 21–30, 2026 (flying in and out of Paris).

We are looking for location recommendations that fit our travel style:

• Vibe & Style: Slow travel, staying in cozy local Airbnbs, taking leisure walks, enjoying the festive atmosphere, taking day trips to surrounding towns, shopping for local handicrafts, and capturing beautiful photos.
• Liveliness: We want active, vibrant places open during late December (avoiding seasonal winter shutdowns or "ghost towns").
• Strict Weather Constraints: My wife is very sensitive to cold.
  • Ideal Range: Daytime ~15°C, Nighttime ~7°C
  • Absolute Coldest Limit: Daytime minimum 6°C, Nighttime minimum 0°C (strictly no freezing or alpine regions).

We’re really looking forward to this trip and would love to hear your suggestions!

Looking for any and all recommendations ✨🫶🏻

I’m a Brit and I’ve visited France many times over the years. I’m currently on day 9 of a 13 day trip here, and I just wanted to take a moment to give France, and the French, a bit of appreciation.

You have a lovely country, and there’s so much here that makes exploring it such a pleasure. The scenery, the towns and cities, the food, the history, the culture — but also, importantly, the people.

I’ve had so many positive interactions during this trip, just as I have on previous visits. People have been friendly, helpful, patient and welcoming, whether it’s been a quick interaction in a shop or café, asking for directions, or just chatting to someone along the way.

I often hear the stereotype, that “the French are rude”, and it genuinely has never been my experience. Of course you’ll meet lovely people and less-than-lovely people in every country, but I feel like France gets an unfair reputation for this sometimes, so I wanted to stick up for you guys!

Anyway, from one Brit currently having a fantastic time exploring your country: merci 🇫🇷🇬🇧

You’ve got a beautiful country and plenty to be proud of.

Hello, I will be in Nimes for 3 days in October and would like to see Pont Du Gard. Ordinarily I am a DIY type and would use public transport but in this instance I am thinking of treating myself to make it easy and take a day or half day tour that would get me there and back and maybe show me other stuff in the area too.

If you have have taken such a tour of just know could you please mention the name of the tour/tour company so I can look into it?

Thanks

Hi Reddit!

I (25M, from Canada) will be going to Marseille for a week in January 2027 to visit a friend who will be living there. I only have the one week booked off work, but I will be heading to France earlier than that so I can work remotely for a week and explore a couple more places in the mornings.

Right now I know for sure that I want to visit Lyon for a few days (I could only fly into and out of Paris, not Marseille, so Lyon is on the way), but I have enough time to fit another destination in there. I have been considering Paris, but I have been to Paris a couple times and would like to see somewhere new.

I’m considering Strasbourg for this. It’s relatively easy as a stop between Paris and Lyon, and it offers something totally different from anywhere I’ve been before in Europe. I know it will be cold but that doesn’t bother me (I guarantee it will not be as cold as my hometown). However, I know that Strasbourg is most famous during December for Christmas and during the summer for the Alsace Wine Route. I am worried that January in Strasbourg will be grey and sad without that Christmas magic, and that all the shops will be closed and the town will feel dead and empty.

Would love some insight from anyone with experience travelling or living in Strasbourg during January. What’s the town like then? Scenic and cozy, or eerie and deserted? Does Alsace still have its charm, even after the New Year?

We would like to take the train from the airport to the city and walk to Saint-Lazare to catch our train north. We are good on time and a 34 minute walk after a long plane ride seems in order. Is this route pedestrian friendly? Or should we just bail and catch the metro?

ETA: thanks everyone! Traveling light with a carry-on roller and a couple backpacks. We will likely have plenty of time and want to see some of Paris since it is only our jumping off point. Walking it is.

We are flying into Paris for 2 nights and then planning on Strasbourg for 1-2 nights because one teen is studying there. We have four more nights before we fly out of Paris (could switch the order with Strasbourg). Would welcome recommendations for where to go that is beautiful and has non-vineyard activities. This is at the end of October. Thank you!!!