Explore this map, I made as the ultimate France guide, to get inspired and discover the places that will become the highlight of your next trip. Many of the places in this map will have helpful booking links and/or links to social media posts with more inside information. I will be adding to this guide and my knowledge grows, please be encouraged to reach out with your own favorite spots to be included.
I see all my Guide Maps as perpetual works in progress and will do my best to add to and update them as my knowledge expands.
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Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Immersed in the heart of historical Paris, between the Jardin des Tuileries, the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre, Château Voltaire stands at the forefront of hospitality by offering the service quality of a five-star hotel and the atmosphere of yesterday’s elegant auberge today.
Set in the 18th arrondissement, the charming hilltop Montmartre district (also known as "La Butte") is a former artists' village once inhabited by Picasso and Dalí, and home to the domed Sacré-Cœur basilica.
The chic Champs-Élysées neighborhood is defined by its broad namesake avenue, which links the grand Arc de Triomphe and the chaotic traffic circle of Place de la Concorde. Upscale shops and shiny offices fill the area, along with stylish restaurants and casual takeout eateries
The Louvre is the largest museum in the world and cannot be completed in a day. I suggest focussing on the painting gallery and making time to see Napoleons apartments.
Open air areas offer a panoramic view of Paris rooftops and its most iconic buildings. Discover the foundations of modern art, such as fauvism, cubism, surrealism and more.
Day Trip to see Marie Antoinette's bed (1hr total train + bus) Palatial former royal residence dating from 12th century, housing 4 museums & opulent apartments.
Currently being restored from the recent fire, but still worth it to go see it from the outside. Towering, 12th-century cathedral with flying buttresses & gargoyles, setting for Hugo's novel.
$$ Sister restaurant to Pink Mama and easier to get a reservation. Whimsical, gardenlike setting for standard Italian food like pizza & pasta, plus a large wine
$$$ Classic regional dishes are served in this elegant lakefront eatery that has terrace dining.
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Versailles
Versailles is a commune in the department of the Yvelines, Île-de-France, renowned worldwide for the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites
$$$ Inventive high-end French cuisine, plus brunch & high tea, in a stylishly revamped palace pavilion. Make a breakfast reservation and buy your Versailles tickets at the table to skip the line and walk right in after your meal.
$$$$ An art deco-style fine-dining restaurant with designer chandeliers, as well as an elegant lounge bar, garden terraces and a pond.
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Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a town on the Alsace Wine Route in eastern France. Its cobbled streets are dotted with half-timbered winemakers’ shops and tasting rooms. Beauty and the Beast inspiration town.
Riquewihr is a town on the Alsace Wine Route in eastern France. Its cobbled streets are dotted with half-timbered winemakers’ shops and tasting rooms. Beauty and the Beast inspiration town.
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Colmar
Colmar is a town in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, near the border with Germany. Its old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings. Inspiration for Howl's Moving Castle.
Colmar is a town in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, near the border with Germany. Its old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings. Inspiration for Howl's Moving Castle.
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Champagne Region
Champagne was a province in the northeast of the Kingdom of France, now best known as the Champagne wine region for the sparkling white wine that bears its name in modern-day France. The County of Champagne, descended from the early medieval kingdom of Austrasia, passed to the French crown in 1314.
Great day trip from Paris to France's champagne region.
Reims is a city in northeastern France's Grand Est region. It's the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region, and many of the champagne houses headquartered there offer tastings and cellar tours.
Imposing, ornate, 13th-century, Gothic cathedral with twin towers & intricate stained glass windows. Towers closed weekdays sept. & oct.; 8 euros to go to top of tower & peek inside the roof.
Lyon, the capital city in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, sits at the junction of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Its center reflects 2,000 years of history from the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux (Old) Lyon, to the modern Confluence district on Presqu'île peninsula. Traboules, covered passageways between buildings, connect Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse hill.
3 miles of pedestrian-only walking & cycling paths past gardens, meadows, etc.
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Loire Valley
The Loire Valley, spanning 280 kilometres, is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. The area of the Loire Valley comprises about 800 square kilometres.
Highly recommend driving out to Loire and spending the night or two if you are traveling to Paris. It’s well worth it to explore the castles, do some wine tasting and take in the country.
Tours is a university town between France's Cher and Loire rivers. Once a Gallic-Roman settlement, today it's a university town and a traditional gateway for exploring the chateaux of the Loire Valley region. Major landmarks include the cathedral, Saint-Gatien, whose flamboyant Gothic facade is flanked by towers with 12th-century bases and Renaissance tops.
Amboise is a town in central France’s Loire Valley. It's known for the Château d'Amboise, the grand 15th-century residence of King Charles VIII featuring Leonardo da Vinci's tomb, as well as royal chambers, gardens and underground passageways. Just outside town, Château du Clos Lucé is Leonardo's former home, where he lived until his death in 1519. It houses a small museum displaying working models of his designs.
Creative takes on traditional dishes, set menus & Loire Valley wines in a 14th-century building.
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French Riviera
The French Riviera (or Côte d'Azur) is the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France. It includes famously glamorous beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez and Cannes, and the independent microstate of Monaco.
Saint-Tropez is a coastal town on the French Riviera, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Long popular with artists, the town attracted the international "jet set" in the 1960s, and remains known for its beaches and nightlife.
Menton is a town on the French Riviera in southeast France. It’s known for beaches and gardens such as the Serre de la Madone garden, showcasing rare plants.
Antibes is a resort town between Cannes and Nice on the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). It’s known for its old town enclosed by 16th-century ramparts with the star-shaped Fort Carré.
Cannes, a resort town on the French Riviera, is famed for its international film festival. Its Boulevard de la Croisette, curving along the coast, is lined with sandy beaches, upmarket boutiques and palatial hotels.