Flèche de la Basilique Saint-Michel

In the last few years, I've spent over 5 months in France. My situation is unique because my boyfriend is French, so I often get to explore areas of the country that other travelers might not think to visit. Paris is certainly worth experiencing, but the rest of France has so much to offer, too! Spanning as far north as Lille and as far south as Bordeaux, this guide will give you everything you need to experience some of the best areas of France, outside of its capital. The best part? I don't plan to stop exploring France anytime soon! I will continue to update this guide with new places as I visit them myself. I hope this guide inspires and informs your next, or first, trip to this incredible country. Safe travels! 🧳

In this guide you will have suggestions on what to visit, where to eat and where to focus your time at! Did you know that this city actually inspired Haussmann (responsible for the renovation of Paris)? So, instead of Bordeaux being known as "the little Paris", Paris should be known as "the big Bordeaux"! I've been to Bordeaux two times: in the winter and in the summer. In the winter, the gothic architecture of the church and cathedrals mixes up with the naked trees. In the summer, the all vibe of the city changes, every terrace is full of live and all the fountains have water (in the winter, all the fountains don't have water, because of the risk of freezing).