The 20 best places to visit in France in 2025

You sort of have to see it to believe it when it comes to Paris. You can’t quite get why this city is so magical until you’re there. And sure, cram your schedule full of Eiffel Tower climbing and trips to the Louvre, but make sure you factor in some time to just sit, order a coffee or a rosé, and just watch the day go by. That’s the best way to do Paris: slowly.

Discover Paris:

📍 The best things to do in Paris
🧑‍🍳 The best restaurants in Paris
🎨 The best museums in Paris
🥐 The best cafés in Paris

The port city of Marseille has been one great big melting pot of cultures ever since it was founded by the Greeks a whopping 2,600 years ago. Having thrown off its rep as a town of sailors and gangsters, these days Marseille is a dazzlingly multicultural city with galleries and rooftop bars galore – and all within easy reach of marvellous spectacles of nature in the form of calanques and coves. 

Discover Marseille:

📍 The best things to do in Marseille
😋 The best restaurants in Marseille
🥾 The essential guide to Marseille’s calanques
🚤 The best boat trips from Marseille

Nice by name, nice by... alright, that’s a bit too cheesy. But it’s true. With its lavish beachside promenade, throngs of established museums and hearty wine bars, Nice is a rather exceptionally lovely coastal city. It’s the former residence of Henri Matisse, with an entire museum dedicated to the legendary artist – and with skies this vibrant, it’s not hard to see where he found the inspiration for his bold blues.

Discover Nice:

📍 The best things to do in Nice
🏖 The best beaches in Nice
😋 The best restaurants in Nice
🛍 The best shops in Nice

The pride of France, champagne is enjoyed all over the world and to discover the best appellations and the finest crus, you need to head to the northeastern region that gave it its name. From the Saint-Thierry Massif to the Marne Valley, explore the area’s finest vineyards and cellars – the producers know how to show you a good time.

Lyonnais are known for being particularly proud of their city – and they’ve every right to be. This place is a gastronomic wonderland and (disputedly, we admit) France’s food capital, with each of its Michelin-starred abodes matched by dozens of under-the-radar culinary masters. And with its Unesco-protected city centre, Rhône and Saône river views and its history as a silk centre, Lyon has loads of non-foodie stuff to do, too.

Discover Lyon:

🍴 The best restaurants in Lyon

Stretching for more than 100 miles along France’s southeastern coast, the Riviera is best appreciated as a whole: as a series of delightful places rather than any one in particular. From perfume capital Grasse and rocky Èze to legendarily-glitzy Saint-Tropez and film-tastic Cannes, the Côte d'Azur is everything it claims to be and more.

Discover the French Riviera:

😎 The best places to stay on the French Riviera

Not just the greatest winemaking hub in the world, Bordeaux is also a full-blown dream of a city: packed with characterful medieval architecture, a top-tier dining scene and sprawling green open spaces, and within touching distance of some of the mightiest (and warmest) beaches on France’s Atlantic coast. Even teetotallers will find a shedload to do here.

The combination of the Arcachon Basin and the Dune du Pilat is pretty much unbeatable. The Archachon Basin is one of the most exceptional nature reserves in France (sadly, it was affected by wildfires in the summer of 2022, but it will bounce back) while the Dune du Pilat is Europe’s tallest sand dune, meaning in this corner of southwest France, there’s something to delight people of all ages. L’Ile aux Oiseaux’s almost mythical cabanes tchanquées (houses perched on stilts above the water) are another must-see in the area.

Normandy’s stirring white-chalk cliffs – from picturesque port Honfleur to chic weekend getaway Étretat – gave birth to no less than the entire art movement of Impressionism. New bike route La Seine à Vélo reunites many of the area’s joys, especially at Monet’s home and lilypad-lined gardens at Giverny, before taking in Rouen (tied to Joan of Arc lore) and seaside Deauville. Keep on coasting for three more musts: the D-Day landing sites, Bayeux’s famously ornate tapestry, and ‘Wonder of the West’ the Mont-Saint-Michel, an island topped by a gravity-defying abbey.

Standing at 4,808 metres, Mont Blanc never fails to impress visitors to Chamonix. While strolling through this charming Alpine village is delightful, you’ll want to head up to the heights of Brévent to really appreciate the breathtaking views. Some of the other must-see spots in the area include the Mer de Glace, the Aiguille du Midi, and the hikes to Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon.