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France is the world’s top tourist destination for good reason – artistic and architectural masterpieces, remarkable museums and natural landscapes, and a history harking back far beyond the Romans. Top it off with fine wine, food, and a culinary culture that permeates through every city and small town. This first-timer's guide to things to do in France can help you narrow down the best places to go, along with other top tips to make the most of your visit.

Paris

France’s chic, sexy capital has to be experienced at least once. Mix picture-postcard icons with simple Parisian moments and you'll truly fall in love with the city. Scale the then walk or cycle along the Seine, or cruise down it on a . Stroll by , which is closed for extensive renovation works following the 2019 fire, and grab a coffee at Café Saint-Régis, ice-cream at Berthillon or super juice at literary cafe of mythical bookshop Shakespeare & Company. Hit the then collapse on a bench with a Pierre Hermé macaron in the or Jardin du Palais Royal. Delve into hilltop Montmartre with a . Escape to posh leafy and come back blown away by France’s most famous chateau.

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Loire Valley

The lush is scattered with stunning French castles, or châteaux. Stand in awe of the Renaissance castle Château de Chambord, and graceful Château de Chenonceau astride the Cher River. Château de Blois, with its whistle-stop tour of French architecture, and classical Château de Cheverny is the perfect one-day combo. In summer put the gardens at Château de Villandry and Château d’Azay-le-Rideau after dark on your hit list. Base yourself in Tours, Blois or Amboise; hire a bike to pedal along the Loire riverbanks at least once; and try to catch a son-et-lumière (sound-and-light) show.

French Riviera

This strip of seashore on the big blue Med has it all – hence the extreme crowds in summer. The seaside town of is the queen of the Riviera with its cutting-edge art museums, belle époque architecture, pebble beaches and legendary promenade. Take glitzy day trips keeping an eye out for film stars in , Formula One drivers in , and hobnobbing celebs and socialites in . Sensational views make the drive along the three coastal roads from Nice to an absolute must. Otherwise, grab your hiking boots and stride out in the fiery Massif de l’Estérel for brilliant red-rock mountain scenery.

Provence

Check all devices are fully charged: the extraordinary light and landscape in this part of France’s south demands constant snapping and sharing. Start with , a millennia-old port with striking museums such as the anthropological MuCEM and coastline straight off a film set. Inland, zoom in on glorious Roman amphitheaters and aqueducts in , Orange and at the Pont du Gard. Drive past lavender fields and cherry orchards to hilltop villages and food markets in the bucolic Luberon and Vaucluse regions. No lens is large enough for the peak of Mont Ventoux (a cyclist's paradise) or the , Europe’s deepest canyon with 2620ft (800m) sheer-drop cliffs and startling emerald green water, no filter required.

Champagne

The sparkling viticulture region of in northern France is all class. Where else can you sip champers in centuries-old cellars and taste your way through vineyards and medieval villages straight out of a Renoir painting? Stay in (pronounced something similar to "rance") or Épernay to visit Pommery, Mumm, and other big-name Champagne houses. In Reims, pick a clear day to scale the tower of the cathedral where dozens of French kings were crowned. From both towns, scenic Champagne driving routes thrust motorists into the heart of this intoxicating region.

Brittany and Normandy

A wind-buffeted part of northern France, and were created especially for outdoor fiends and history buffs with sensational seafood, cliff-top walks, a craggy coastline and ancient sights steeped in lore and legend. Top billing is , a magical mysterious abbey-island, best approached barefoot across the sand with a guide. Hire a bicycle to explore the Carnac megaliths strewn along Brittany’s southern coast (wear a windbreaker). Normandy’s time-travel masterpiece is the but it's the heart-wrenching and WWII war cemeteries nearby that will really take you back to a moment in history.

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French Alps

The French Alps is one massive outdoor playground, which pumps during the ski season (December to April) when insanely challenging slopes and trails entice adrenaline junkies from everywhere. Mont Blanc prevails, and party town is the place to get up close to its might and majesty – the mountain panorama from the top of the cable car is the best there is, whatever the season. If small and chic is more your style then strap on the skis in Megéve-St-Gervais. To let rip after dark over hardcore après-ski head to Val d’Isère or Méribel and Courchevel in Les Trois Vallées.

• Walking shoes

• French phrasebook

• ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼'s Paris City Guides App

• Adaptor for France’s two-pin plugs

• Raincoat and umbrella (particularly for Paris and northern climes)

• Sunscreen and mosquito repellent (particularly for southern France)

• Detailed road map and/or GPS device

Essential phrases

Hello: Bonjour
Good afternoon: Bon après-midi
Good evening: Bonne soirée
Goodbye: Au revoir
Please: S’il vous plaît
Thank you: Merci
Do you speak English?: Parlez-vous anglais?
I am lost!: Je suis perdu!
Please can I reserve a table for two/four people: Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux/quatre personnes s’il vous plaît.

Getting around

Regular trains link cities and main towns. Check schedules and buy tickets at . Traveling around by car buys freedom, flexibility and a ticket to rural France. Motorists drive on the right side of the road and pay to use autoroutes (motorways). Plot routes, toll and fuel costs with .

Bicycle is a brilliant way of navigating towns and cities, including Paris. Sleek cycling paths link sights in the gorgeous and flat Loire Valley, Provence (not so flat) and Brittany. Research routes with .

Read more: How to get around in France

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Article first published in June 2015 and last updated in July 2021.