France 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.

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.

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 city of Lyon is the third largest city in France and features many beautiful buildings with similar architecture styles to Paris. Atop a hill overlooking the city is the magnificent white Basilique of Notre Dame de Fourviere, a uniquely designed Romanesque-Byzantine style basilica offering fantastic views over Lyon. Nearby is an archaeological site excavating the ancient Roman city of Lugdunum. This amazing site hosts the giant Gallo Roman Theatre, as well as other ruins and a museum displaying artifacts uncovered from the site.

Below Fourviere Hill and the Notre Dame Basilica is the riverfront Vieux Lyon District, in which you'll find many lovely Renaissance-style buildings. Within this district is the 14th century Lyon Cathedral, a beautiful gothic church which sits adjacent to the ruins of a 5th century cathedral. Nearby is the unique and highly recommended Movies & Miniature Museum, which displays countless major film props from famous movies, along with many highly elaborate miniature scenes on display.

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.

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.

Marseille is the second largest city in France and is located within the Provence region along the Mediterranean Sea. Atop Marseille's tallest hill is the stunning Byzantine-style Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, a magnificent towering basilica with highly ornate interiors. This basilica offers incredible far-reaching views over Marseille and the coastline.

The Old Port of Marseille is an extremely scenic waterfront area lined with many restaurants and historic buildings. Fort Saint-Jean sits at the Old Port's entrance, offering amazing panoramic views over the harbor and coastline. This fort is connected by bridge to Marseille's most prominent museum, the Museum of European & Mediterranean Civilizations (MuCEM). Also nearby is one of the largest and most beautiful churches in France, the Marseille Cathedral (or Cathedrale La Major), a brilliant and highly elaborate Byzantine-style church.

Take a short boat ride from the Old Port to the incredible 16th century Chateau d'If, a fortified castle perched atop a tiny island, which was the inspiration for the famous Count of Monte Cristo novel.

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.