France & Spain Travel Itinerary
+ Top Attractions (By Train)

The French capital of Paris is a massive city full of striking monuments, world-class museums, and lovely historic buildings. Paris also offers an amazing array of cuisines from around the world, especially from Southeast Asia. For several popular attractions it's necessary to book tickets in advance, including the Eiffel Tower's elevator, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay Museums, and the Paris Catacombs.

The iconic Eiffel Tower is over 1,050 feet (320 m) tall, hosting observation decks from which you can enjoy incredible panoramic views over the city. Visit the Montparnasse Tower's observation deck for stunning views high above the city and of the Eiffel Tower. Enjoy picturesque views below the tower from the expansive Champ de Mars park and the beautiful Trocadero Gardens.

The magnificent Arc de Triomphe also hosts an observation deck towering above the famous Champs-Elysees, a grand avenue lined with high-end shops and boutiques. Just outside of Central Paris is the gorgeous and highly ornate Sacre-Couer basilica, which offers amazing views over the city.

Paris's Ile de la Cite island in the Seine River hosts the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, an elegant and highly elaborate medieval church. Also on the island is the ultra-lavish 13th century Sainte-Chapelle, a former royal chapel with breathtaking stained-glass windows. Adjacent is the castle-like Conciergerie, a medieval royal palace later used as a prison, which features Marie Antoinette's preserved prison cell on display.

In the area surrounding Paris you'll find several prominent attractions, including grand castle-like chateaus, Disneyland Paris, and the UNESCO-listed Chartes Cathedral. Among these attractions however, the most popular is the iconic Palace of Versailles, which is also the nearest to Paris and can be quite easily reached by car or public transportation.

Be sure to purchase tickets for the Palace of Versailles at least one week in advance as it is extremely popular and impossible to visit without an advanced reservation. The Palace of Versailles is truly massive, hosting many highly ornate decadent rooms, most notably the Royal Apartments and opulent Hall of Mirrors.

Surrounding Versailles is a seemingly endless expanse of landscaped gardens and parklands, which host many grandiose fountains, sculptures, several smaller lavish palaces, a towering artificial waterfall, and a gigantic man-made lake which you enjoy in a paddle boat.

Strasbourg is a major city in the Alsace region of Eastern France, a region known for its Alsatian wines and many lovely towns. The city of Strasbourg sits right on the German border, adjacent to the Rhine River. Strasbourg is know for its UNESCO listed historic center, which is located on Grand Ile, a large island surrounded by rivers in the middle of the city.

Among Strasbourg's top attractions is the lovely Petite France district of the old town, where the river splits into multiple small rivers, forming several tiny long islands. Here you can admire the many gorgeous and colorful medieval houses that line the rivers. Nearby is the 17th century Barrage Vauban, a covered bridge which hosts a rooftop terrace overlooking Petite France and its medieval guard towers.

The old historic center of Colmar is full of lovely half-timbered medieval structures of many colors, making walking through the old town a very enjoyable and scenic experience. The highlight of Colmar's old town is La Petite Venise (or Little Venice), where you can see many of these elegant homes lined up along the canal.

The best way to experience the extremely picturesque La Petite Venise is by taking a canal boat tour. Be sure to also walk around and admire the lovely homes along the canal from several amazing vantage points, including The Fishmonger District, the Rue Turenne Bridge, and the Pont St-Pierre Bridge. Colmar's most beautiful plazas are centered around fountains, include the Roesselmann Fountain and Fontaine Schwendi, both of which are surrounded by charming half-timbered medieval houses.

Avignon's historical center is full of stunning UNESCO-listed medieval buildings, including the fortified Palais des Papes (Papal Palace), which is among the largest gothic structures built in the Middle Ages. During the 14th century, this palace was the seat of Western Christianity (instead of the Vatican) and was inhabited by several popes.

Adjacent to the Papal Palace is the imposing 12th century Avignon Cathedral, as well as the Rocher des Doms, a beautiful hilltop park overlooking the Rhone River. Below the park is the stunning medieval Pont d'Avignon bridge, which only spans about two-thirds of the river, but offers excellent views of Avignon's Old Town from the other end of the bridge.

Nice is the largest city along the French Riviera of Southern France, and is known for its many high-end resorts and beaches. Nice is located very close the the micro-state of Monaco, and just beyond Monaco is the beginning of the Italian Riviera.

The city's iconic Place Massena is a vast plaza of checkerboard-patterned tiles lined with elegant 19th century Italian-esque buildings. Nearby is the baroque 17th century Nice Cathedral, as well as the beautiful lavish Basilique Notre-Dame de l'Assomption basilica. Nice's majestic St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral is the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe and is highly ornate.

Towering above the coastline near Place Massena is Castle Hill, which hosts a striking waterfall, ruins, and stunning panoramic views overlooking Nice and the ocean. Just below Castle Hill is the scenic Nice Port Lympia, which is lined with many colorful historic buildings and filled with giant yachts. Rising above the other side of the port is Mont Alban, which offers truly breathtaking panoramic views over Nice and the neighboring peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

The micro-state nation of Monaco is only about at large as a small city. Monaco sits on the coast along the French Riviera and is completely surrounded by France adjacent to the city of Nice. The country is located between Nice and the Italian border. Monaco is among the richest countries in the world and is filled with extravagance, with luxurious high-rise buildings lining the streets, and mega-yachts and gardens lining the coastline.

Monaco's top attraction is the famous Casino Monte-Carlo, an elegant 19th century casino overlooking the ocean with ultra-lavish interiors. The next most popular attraction is the 12th century Prince's Palace of Monaco, a decadent fortified palace in which the Monacan royals of have lived for over 700 years. You can see part of this opulent palace via guided tour. Nearby you can also enjoy the breathtaking views overlooking Port Hercule, and admire the beautiful Romanesque Saint Nicholas Cathedral with its lavish interiors.

This itinerary combines the city of Nimes and the vast castle-like fortified Cite de Carcassonne together in one or two days. The distance between Nimes and Carcassonne is approximately 2 hours directly by train, which also departs about every 2 hours. Plan to start you day as early as possible and only very briefly explore Nimes, as you'll want several hours to explore Carcassonne during the day.

If you're continuing to Barcelona, be aware that the last trains depart from Carcassonne quite early in the evening, however buses to Barcelona run later. Note that this bus takes twice as long as the 2.5 hour train ride between Carcassonne and Barcelona.

Barcelona is a massive city and the capital of Catalonia and is best known for its many wondrous and highly intricate structures designed by the famous Antoni Gaudi, which comprise many of Barcelona's top attractions. Be sure to make advanced reservations for Gaudi's most popular attractions, including La Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo, Casa Mila (or La Pedrera) and Parc Guell.

The fairytale-like Casa Batllo is a highly eccentric building featuring many fantasy-like elements, with very trippy and colorful rooms. Nearby is Casa Mila (or La Pedrera), a tall building known for its fantastical spire-covered roof, which features winding walkways and terraces set amongst surreal architectural features.

La Sagrada Familia is a towering basilica that's nearly 560 feet (170 m) tall and has been under construction for nearly 140 years. The basilica's exterior showcases a hyper-complex mix of gothic and art nouveau architecture, with multiple giant towers. This basilica's interior is breathtakingly aesthetic, with vibrant rainbow-colored stained glass windows, and massive white columns that support highly intricate geometric flower-like patterns on the ceiling.

In the foothills of Barcelona is Gaudi's iconic Parc Guell, a fantasy-like park with many amazing and colorful unique structures, including the famous mosaic tile terrace overlooking Barcelona. The park also hosts oddities such as it gingerbread-like houses, Doric column rooms, and palm tree-like colonnaded footpaths.

Valencia is Spain's third largest city and is located on the country's eastern coast, along the Mediterranean Sea.

Within Valencia's Ciutat Vella Old Town is the picturesque Plaza de la Virgen, which features a brilliant fountain and the stunning 13th century Valencia Cathedral, with its unique Colosseum-like arcade arches. This incredible cathedral also hosts an ancient relic which is claimed to be the actual Holy Grail. Climb the cathedral's Torre del Micalet tower for spectacular views overlooking the Old Town.

Popular attractions near the Plaza de la Virgen include the Archaeological Center of Almoina, which hosts the ruins of an ancient Roman bath complex, and the UNESCO listed La Lonja de la Seda, a lavish and highly elaborate medieval building. Also nearby is the beautiful art-nouveau style Central Market of Valencia, one of the largest public markets in Europe. Be sure to also see the iconic Torres de Serranos, a towering and imposing medieval gate to the Old Town.

Spain's incredibly scenic Costa Blanca (White Coast) is a popular vacation destination lined with gorgeous beaches and amazing resort towns, including Alicante, La Villajoyosa, Benidorm, and Calpe. Additional popular towns are Altea, Moraira, Denia, and more.

Towering over the coastal city of Alicante is the 9th century Santa Barbara Castle, a massive hilltop fortification surrounded by expansive medieval walls, which offers majestic panoramic views over the scenic coastline. Just below the castle is the sandy El Postiguet Beach, which features a long promenade and fantastic views looking up at the castle.

Further up the coast is the picturesque town of Villajoysa (or La Vila Joiosa), which is best known for the vibrant colorful homes which line the Paseo de Sant Pere boardwalk behind its beautiful sandy beach.

The city of Granada is known for its incredible medieval Arabic architecture, which stems from the city's historic Moorish occupation. Granada's most famous attraction is the UNESCO listed Alhambra, a massive hilltop complex constructed in the 13th century which contains several sprawling palaces. The iconic Alhambra showcases breathtaking and highly intricate Islamic architecture, with brilliant mosaics and elaborate designs throughout its many ornate patios and palaces.

The Alhambra complex is surrounded by imposing medieval walls which contain many beautiful gardens, as well as the ruins of an Alcazaba fortress. From the Alhambra's Torre de la Vela tower you can enjoy sweeping panoramic views over Granada. Adjacent to the Alhambra are the gorgeous Generalife Gardens and lavish Generalife Villa hosting more elegant patios.

Below the Alhambra is the Paseo de los Tristes promenade, which offers views of the Alhambra and hosts the 11th century El Banuelo Arab bath complex. For stunning views of the Alhambra you can walk up to the Mirador San Nicolas viewpoint.

Seville is among the largest cities in Southern Spain and is the capital of the Andalusia region. The city's most iconic sight is the breathtakingly gorgeous Plaza de España, which is so massive that it hosts a canal you can paddleboat in. Spanning the plaza's canal are several highly ornate and colorful bridges, and towering above the plaza is a mesmerizing colossal structure lined with columns and arches.

Cordoba is a beautiful ancient city of Arab and Roman influences. The city's most iconic sight is the UNESCO listed Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, a massive religious structure originally built as a grand mosque by Moorish rulers in the Middle Ages. Later this incredible site was expanded into a Christian cathedral, retaining many features including its iconic series of Moorish arches and beautiful giant courtyard.

Nearby you can admire the stunning UNESCO listed Roman Bridge of Cordoba, which features both ancient Roman and medieval Moorish elements.

Spain's capital city is located in the center of the country and acts as a transportation hub to many other destinations within Spain. Among Madrid's top attractions is the massive Royal Palace of Madrid, an ultra-lavish and highly embellished baroque palace which also hosts the Royal Armoury of Madird, as well as the lovely Sabatini Gardens and Campo del Moro garden.

Directly across from the palace is the majestic Almudena Cathedral with its romanesque crypt, and nearby you can admire intricate frescoes painted by Goya at the royal San Francisco el Grande basilica.

Located northwest of Madrid is the walled city of Segovia, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The incredible Aqueduct of Segovia is among the best-preserved ancient Roman aqueducts in the world, towering above the entrance to the walled historic city center. Adjacent to the aqueduct you can even walk along part of Segovia's walls while enjoying excellent views.

Toledo is a picturesque medieval city built atop a hill, which is surrounded on three sides by a giant bend in the Tagus River. The old town of Toledo is located within this river bend and is surrounded by impressive fortified walls, which contain many charming rustic buildings. Consider the short hike to the Mirador del Valle viewpoint, which provides the iconic views overlooking Toledo from behind the river featured in many postcards.

The stunning Alcantara Bridge is one of the historic city entrances, which offers views looking up at the Alcazar palace and the city's walls. The massive 16th century Alcazar de Toledo is a former royal palace which now serves as an Army Museum of historic weaponry and armors.

On the opposite side of Toledo is the picturesque San Martin's Bridge leading out of the city, which features an exciting zipline over the Tagus River. It's also possible to take an extremely scenic walk along the river below Toledo between the two bridges.