8 best things to do in France: the most unmissable experiences from Paris to Provence and beyond

24.05.2024 - 07:49 / lonelyplanet.com

Nicola is one of the writers on the newest France guidebook. She makes touch choices to narrow down the most quintessential French experiences to help you plan an amazing trip. 

Plotting a dream trip to France is not only about joining the dots between bucket list sights and places: Paris’s eyesore-to-icon tower, royally palatial Château de Versailles, medieval Carcassonne, papal Avignon, Provence’s lavender fields and jet-set St-Tropez, Normandy’s D-Day landing beaches and Impressionist portfolio en plein air…the list is long.

No, a grand tour of France befitting of the country’s Herculean history, cuisine and cultural heritage (this is, after all, the world’s most visited country, with 72.3 million annual tourists in 2023) is a unique journey into its heart and soul. It requires time and thought unraveling why cooks in the north use salted butter and those in the south, tangy olive oil. It might mean tracking down forgotten cuisine bianca ("white cuisine") in Riviera backcountry or puzzling out megalithic menhirs in Brittany and prehistoric cave art in the Dordogne. Depending which region you explore, it most definitely means mingling with Alsatians, Euskalduna or Ch’tis perhaps at an open-air market or zinc bar. In a nutshell: feel the intoxicating pulse of French art de vivre. 

Whether you're traveling solo or en couple, on a multi-generational family adventure, or fun foray with girlfriends or mates: France delivers. Here are eight top things to do to weave into your trip. As the French will tell you, it’s all about savoir-faire (know how). 

Pepper a city break in Paris, Marseille or Bordeaux with lunch at a traditional bistro, minted to feed workers in the 19th century. Expect tightly packed tables, old-fashioned decor and the daily menu du jour chalked on the board. Chefs take their lead from local, seasonal produce at the market – meaning asparagus and strawberries in spring, earthy game in fall and winter scallops. Die-hard bistro dishes like steak frites (steak and fries), tête de veau (rolled calf’s head), boeuf bourguignon (beef and red wine stew) and garlicky snails in their shells –  unchanged for centuries – are year-round staples.

Classic bistros include Bistrot Paul Bert and L’Epi d’Or in Paris, Marseille’s Sépia, and Bordeaux’s Le Bouchon Bordelais. In famously foodie Lyon, where diehard traditional bistros are called bouchons, try mâchon – an offal-based brunch enjoyed by 18th-century silk weavers after a hard night’s work – at Le Mercière or Le Café du Peintre.

Local tip: The most authentic bistros only open for lunch and dinner weekdays; plan accordingly. Reserve a table well in advance. 

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