All My France Guides
All My France Guides
Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
A collection of all of my France guides & itineraries.
I've lived in Paris since 2016 and I LOVE sharing France with others. I'm quite convinced I've seen more of France than most French people, and it's so fun to capture all my favorite trips in a handy guide for you to use.
This links to:
(2) Loire: Chartre & Tours
(1) Bretagne: Brest
(1) Normandy: Etretat, Honfleur, & Le Havre
(4) The South: Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Provence, Marseille & the Calanques
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The Loire
Chartres
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Explore the stunning gothic cathedral, stroll past adorable timber-lined buildings, discover a mosaic-covered house, and be mesmerized by a light show highlighting this city’s renowned architecture.
💚 The itinerary is designed to be as sustainable as possible, which includes using car-free transportation.
Guide includes:
🚂How to Get There
⏱️Time from Paris
💸Cost
👌Pro Tips from somebody who has personally done all of these things (me!)
📆Best Time to Go
🗺️1, 2, and 3-day itineraries, including:
📍5+ Sites: Quick things to see
✨5+ Experiences: Things to do in 1-2 hours
🍴5+ Places for Food, Coffee, & More
🏨2 Sustainable hotel recommendations (€)
🔗Additional helpful resources linked
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
📍 An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙 I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend, left a review, or contributed a small tip.🙏🏼
Car-free • Architecture • Sustainable/Eco
$15.00
Tours
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Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
France: Loire Valley Wine & Chateaux: 3-days, car-free (incl. Tours & Amboise)
This is for folks who are really into wine tasting and have already seen the most famous (stunning) chateaux.
During a 3-day weekend, delve into the renowned wine appellations of the Loire region, sprinkle in some lesser-known chateaux, and do it all car-free from Paris!
Guide includes:
🍷A full-day wine tour recommendation in Chinon & Bourgeuil
🍷A half-day wine tour recommendation in Vouvray & Montlouis-sur-Loire
🏰 A half-day chateaux recommendation to visit Azay-le-Rideau & Villandry
🚴🏼♀️ Bike info for cycling to the chateaux and/or Amboise (great for casual riders!)
📍 Not-to-miss sites, wine bars, & restaurants throughout Tours, Chinon, and Amboise (plus some cafés, fromageries, & butchers)
✨ There is enough in this guide for a full day itinerary in Amboise!
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
📍 An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙 I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend, left a review, or contributed a small tip. 🙏🏼
Sustainable/Eco • Slow Travel • Nature • Wine
$15.00
5.0
(1)
Bretagne
Brest
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Spend a weekend in France’s western coastal city. Learn about its marine heritage, eat crepes and oysters, and enjoy its multiple covered public spaces!
Brest is a pretty small, quiet town and you can knock out everything on this list easily within 2 full days.
This guide includes:
📍10 things to do
🦪3 places to eat and drink
🏨1 (great!) hotel
Be sure to pack an umbrella just in case 🌦️
You also get:
✍️My personal notes for each recommendation
📍An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend or contributed a small tip. 🙏🏼
Art • History
Free
Normandy
Étretat
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Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
France: Etretat, Honfleur, & Le Havre: 4-days, car-free in Normandy
This is a 4-day, 3-night guide to visit three classic French cities on the Normandy coast over a long weekend.
💚 The itinerary is designed to be as sustainable as possible, which includes using car-free transportation.
Guide includes:
📍What to do in each city
🚂 How to get from Paris to Le Havre, with time and cost estimates
🚍 How to get from Le Havre to Etretat and Honfleur, with time and cost estimates
👌 Pro tips from somebody who has personally done this itinerary (me!)
🤓 Interesting facts about many of the sites
🏩 Suggestion on where to stay in Le Havre (€)
📆 Best time to go
🔗 Additional helpful resources linked
❌ Does not include many food recs.
You also get:
✍️My personal notes for each recommendation
📍An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
All questions asked in my TikTok’s comments are answered in this guide!
💙I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend, left a review, or contributed a small tip.🙏🏼
💸 Discount code inside for 50% off a 30-minute trip consult.
Sustainable/Eco • Slow Travel • Nature • Beach
$15.00
The South
Nice
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Out of all the places I adore in France, Nice and its surrounding areas truly has my heart. This is where I dream of retiring.
You're still very much in France - BUT: The people are noticeably friendlier than in Paris (no shade to Parisians, I love them too), the weather is delightful, the beaches are gorgeous, and the food has a lighter, Mediterranean flair (as opposed to the heavy dairy-based recipes typical in much of France).
If 6 days sounds like a lot to you, never fear: This itinerary uses Nice as a home base and includes many day-trip options.
Guide includes:
📍 High Level Plan
✨ General Tips
🍅 7 Food & Drinks Not to Miss
🧼 7 Souvenir or Gift Ideas
🍴 10 restaurant/bar recs in Nice (5 cheaper, 3 mid-range, 2 higher end)
🗒️ 6-day Itinerary: 3 days in Nice (including arrival & departure days, and 1 full-day in Nice with two morning options & 2 afternoon options), and 3 days for half-day trips, full-day trips, or a free day*
🗺️ 7 additional options for your half or full-day trips from Nice or for your free day
💚 Pro Tips
*I suggest 1 full-day trip, 1 day split between 2 half-day trips, and 1 day of free time. These do not overlap with the 7 additional options for half and full-day trips,
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
📍 An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates (I love Nice and keep going back)
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙 If you love this guide, I would really appreciate it if you shared it with a friend, left a great review, or contributed a tip.
Car-free • Slow Travel • Sustainable/Eco
$25.00
Aix-en-Provence
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Aix (pronounced “Ex”) is THE place to visit for all things Cézanne! This is also a wonderful jumping-off point, stop, or end-destination for a longer trip through the Provence region.
This 3-day itinerary includes:
📝 Logistics: how to get there, where to stay, high-level plan, and important info to help you get the most out of your visit
📍 5 sites to see
🍽️ 7 eateries (3 lunch/dinner spots, 1 brunch spot, 1 great bar for people watching, 1 boulangerie, 1 local farmer’s market)
🎨 7 activities
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
🗺️ An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates when you SAVE this guide
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙 If you love this guide, I would really appreciate it if you shared it with a friend, left a great review, or contributed a tip.
Car-free • Art • Slow Travel • Sustainable/Eco
$15.00
A 9-day, 8-night itinerary for leisurely driving through the best of Provence from Nice to Aix-en-Provence.
Discover 7+ essential stops along the way, including classic perched villages, lavender-scented countryside, and remarkable natural landscapes.
(Contact me to tweak this itinerary for you if needed!)
Included in this guide:
📍 High-Level Plan: where to visit each morning and afternoon, and what town to stay in
✨ General Tips (🕰️Opening Hours, 🚻Bathrooms, 🚙Driving,🍴Meal Times)
🛣️ Drive times between each destination, avoiding toll roads*
💚 Pro Tips
*The most you’ll drive in a day is about 3 hours, with most drives being about 2, and a couple of days built in with minimal driving.
Coming Soon: (SAVE NOW to access all future updates)
⚓️ Anchor activities in each location (1-3 high level suggestions of what to do)
📍 Personal notes for each place
📍 Some restaurant, bar, and boulangerie recommendations
📍 Accommodation suggestions
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
📍 An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates (I just returned from this trip in Sep. 2023 so tons more recs and notes are coming soon!)
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙 If you love this guide, I would really appreciate it if you shared it with a friend, left a great review, or contributed a tip.
THIS GUIDE IS NOT:
- A guide to Nice & its Surrounding Areas.
- A guide to Marseille & the Calanques.
- An in-depth itinerary for Aix-en-Provence.
I have separate, detailed guides for each of these three areas.
50+ • Couples • Road Trip • Outdoors • People & Culture • Slow Travel • Sustainable/Eco
$25.00
Marseille
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Marseille is a major port town on France's southwestern coast. It's a unique French city that has a vibe all of its own… You might not really feel like you’re in France!
Marseille has been heavily influenced by immigration from Northern Africa & Italy, resulting in a rich and colorful diversity.
Vibrant street art, lots of interesting food, and a little bit of a gritty feel will be the backdrop to your stay here.
Marseille is frequently used by visitors as a home base to hike, enjoy the water, and explore the surrounding towns and natural areas.
I have visited Marseille three times and love this city!
This guide includes:
6 general recommendations, including advice on where to stay and things to eat
6 things to do
5 restaurants
4 pizza places
4+ laptop-friendly cafes
3+ bars
4 day trips
3 Calanques recommendations
4-day relaxed itinerary
2-day compact itinerary
You also get:
✍️ My personal notes for each recommendation
📍 An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️ Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend, left a review, or contributed a small tip. 🙏🏼
Nature • Slow Travel
$15.00
* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
Hello et bonjour ! I'm (another) American in Paris.
I've lived in France since 2016 and I loooove sharing my Paris & France recs in hopes I can help others love this city and country as much as I do. I'm quite confident I've seen more of France than most French people, so no matter what you're looking for, I've (probably) done it!
✅ What I'm a great fit for: Mature travelers, couples, solo travelers, and families who enjoy soaking in authentic experiences, great food and wine, off-the-beaten-track gems, classic sites, and sustainable travel.
🌱 What's sustainable travel about? Traveling in a way that is kind to the environment, respectful of local culture, & supportive of the local economy. My trip-planning services are always through a sustainable lens.
❌ What I'm not a great fit for: Travelers focused on bars/clubbing or high-end shopping.
➡️ Follow me on TikTok, Instagram & Pinterest @hilaryinparis for Paris & France recommendations, tips, personal stories, and more.
🌍 PS: I'm on Thatch because I genuinely love sharing France with folks. My day job is running Yugen Earthside, a booking platform for responsible package trips primarily catering to groups of mature American travelers. My company's website is linked below.
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