Destination: France

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Timeless Classics

From Paris to Nice, with a few short detours along the way, is a breathtaking 2000km that can be done in a jam-packed fortnight, but definitely merits as much time as you can give it.



There’s no better place to kick off a whistle-stop tour of classic French sights than Paris, where the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and Louvre warrant a postcard home. Stroll the banks of the Seine and gardens of Versailles, then flee the capital for Renaissance royalty at Châteaux de Chambord and Chenonceau. Or skip the Loire and spend a couple of days in Normandy, not missing Rouen’s Cathédrale Notre Dame, the Bayeux Tapestry, Mont St-Michel and the D-Day landing beaches.

Venture south through the Bordeaux wine region. Surfers can ride waves in Biarritz, and the faithful/faithfully curious might enjoy world-famous Lourdes. Otherwise, it’s straight to Carcassonne and its city walls; Roman Nîmes with a trip to the Pont du Gard; and the papal city of Avignon with its nursery-rhyme bridge. Finish on the Côte d’Azur, not missing Grace Kelly’s Monaco, a flutter in Monte Carlo Casino , a portside aperitif in St-Tropez, a strut in Cannes and a stroll in Nice.

Travelling to France?
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