France - Most beautiful places to visit in France ten

One of the most visited countries in the world, France conjures up an image of long hot summer days and probably the desire not to come home again. When we think of France we usually think of fine wine and cuisine, exceptional scenery and a laid back lifestyle which is the envy of the world. The diverse landscape – which has inspired centuries of influential writers, artists and poets – include huge mountain ranges, acres of green countryside and miles of gorgeous coastline. Paris aside, here are of the most beautiful places to visit in France ten:

1. Loire Valley
2. Mont Saint-Michel
3. Côte d’Azur
4. Giverny
5. Versailles
6. Annecy, The Alps
7. Champagne-Ardenne
8. Strasbourg
9. Bordeaux
10. The Gorges du Verdon

Welcome to Flyertalk, jonibd. I am moving your thread to the France Forum. I look forward to following the discussion.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Reads like a travel article. Exactly whose Top Ten is the list?

While most sights mentioned of course do belong there I noticed the exclusion of Provence with dismay as IMHO is deserves to be there somewhere.

One of the most visited countries in the world, France conjures up an image of long hot summer days and probably the desire not to come home again. When we think of France we usually think of fine wine and cuisine, exceptional scenery and a laid back lifestyle which is the envy of the world. The diverse landscape – which has inspired centuries of influential writers, artists and poets – include huge mountain ranges, acres of green countryside and miles of gorgeous coastline. Paris aside, here are of the most beautiful places to visit in France ten:

1. Loire Valley
2. Mont Saint-Michel
3. Côte d’Azur
4. Giverny
5. Versailles
6. Annecy, The Alps
7. Champagne-Ardenne
8. Strasbourg
9. Bordeaux
10. The Gorges du Verdon

i have only been to 7 of these 10 places. but of the 7, i disagree.

Well, first let's decide whether we're listing regions (Loire Valley, Côte d'Azur, Alps, etc.) or sites (Mont St.-Michel, Giverny, Versailles, etc.), as the two categories don't compare all that well. Having just returned from a trip that included northern Burgundy, I'd think that would have to figure in a list of regions, as would also the Dordogne region. And among sites/towns, surely Èze would come in ahead of Strasbourg or even Giverny? I have not been to Bordeaux (the city nor the region), but my impression is that I would not expect to find it on either top ten list, unless your top three criteria are all wine.

Not that I mean to disparage Bordeaux, Strasbourg, or Giverny, though.

How about the Bottom 10 Places to Visit in France:

1) CDG Airport


:p

"Watching the equities market dance to a remake of the B Side of a Safaris album"

As far as wine regions are concerned, Burgundy is, in general, far more attractive than Bordeaux, although, the Alsace region is by far the most scenic wine region in France.

How about the Bottom 10 Places to Visit in France:

1) CDG Airport


:p

"Watching the equities market dance to a remake of the B Side of a Safaris album"
No....Beauvais Airport :D

I just returned from visiting Mont St. Michel paired with a Normandy D-Day tour and I can't imagine a better pairing. Mont St. Michel was very impressive, however the D Day tour combined so much history and was so significant in the history of the world as we know it I have to say that is one of my top 3 places I have been. I have traveled quite a bit and when one visits the national cemetery it really hits home on how much sacrifice and respect you need to show in kind. Great tour and although taking a picture at the Eiffel tower and Arc de Triumph was cool Normandy is a place you put in your memory bank and glad you came to pay your respects.

Term 1...

How about the Bottom 10 Places to Visit in France:

1) CDG Airport


:p

"Watching the equities market dance to a remake of the B Side of a Safaris album"

I just returned from visiting Mont St. Michel paired with a Normandy D-Day tour and I can't imagine a better pairing. Mont St. Michel was very impressive, however the D Day tour combined so much history and was so significant in the history of the world as we know it I have to say that is one of my top 3 places I have been. I have traveled quite a bit and when one visits the national cemetery it really hits home on how much sacrifice and respect you need to show in kind. Great tour and although taking a picture at the Eiffel tower and Arc de Triumph was cool Normandy is a place you put in your memory bank and glad you came to pay your respects.

What makes travel great is the variety of opinions preferences and impressions while I completely agree on Normandy. Mt st Michel did nothing for us and there were six of us of varying ages. The reptiliarium on the road in gave us an indication of what was ahead and the crass commercialism that was allowed as you got to the site combined with locked wcs with no way to get change Mt st Michel is a place we laugh about as being taken in by hype with no substance. Ymmv
We were in and out in no time. Ymmv.

What makes travel great is the variety of opinions preferences and impressions while I completely agree on Normandy. Mt st Michel did nothing for us and there were six of us of varying ages. The reptiliarium on the road in gave us an indication of what was ahead and the crass commercialism that was allowed as you got to the site combined with locked wcs with no way to get change Mt st Michel is a place we laugh about as being taken in by hype with no substance. Ymmv
We were in and out in no time. Ymmv.

Mont St. Michel isn't a destination where you spend a lot of time but the structure and novelty of the tides makes it a very impressive stop IMO. We stayed 2 hours and were out but it was quite a site for sure.

A France list that does not include Paris?
C'est une heresie !

As far as wine regions are concerned, Burgundy is, in general, far more attractive than Bordeaux, although, the Alsace region is by far the most scenic wine region in France.

+1

Love, love, love Alsace!

The old part of the city of Bordeaux is really beautiful, with impeccably restored colonnaded pre-revolutionary 18th century buildings. The town received plenty of government money for restoration and spent some of it on underground parking and a tram system, which keeps cars out of the central historic zone and keeps the limestone buildings white. Definitely worth a stop.

That was so well said. I remember standing on Omaha Beach three years ago, looking out at the water and imagining the overwhelming courage and death tolls and thinking that it never, ever could happen today. CNN, Fox and MSNBC would be broadcasting live and I don't think there is a President from either party who would have the nerve to make such a difficult call nowadays. And like you said, it's a place we all should go to. I can tell you that the amount of respect the French in the region show to those sites is inspiring.

I just returned from visiting Mont St. Michel paired with a Normandy D-Day tour and I can't imagine a better pairing. Mont St. Michel was very impressive, however the D Day tour combined so much history and was so significant in the history of the world as we know it I have to say that is one of my top 3 places I have been. I have traveled quite a bit and when one visits the national cemetery it really hits home on how much sacrifice and respect you need to show in kind. Great tour and although taking a picture at the Eiffel tower and Arc de Triumph was cool Normandy is a place you put in your memory bank and glad you came to pay your respects.

The old part of the city of Bordeaux is really beautiful, with impeccably restored colonnaded pre-revolutionary 18th century buildings. The town received plenty of government money for restoration and spent some of it on underground parking and a tram system, which keeps cars out of the central historic zone and keeps the limestone buildings white. Definitely worth a stop.

but unfortunately if you walk a few blocks away the area is terrible; dirty and crowded with scam artists hanging out in every corner.
I was not impressed by Bordeaux (the city) even though the part you mention which is a few blocks is very nice.

My top ten (out of Paris would be) :
1. Versailles : Le Château
2. The Alps : Chamonix, Chartreuse mountains, Vercors, Parc des Ecrins
3. Corsica : Mare e Monti, GR 20, Bonifacio, Piana
4. Côte d'Azur : Eze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Ramatuelle
5. Mont Saint-Michel : almost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveti_Stefan)unique
6. Alsace : Strasbourg, local wine makers, the view from Mont St-Odile and old chateaux
7. Provence : Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, les Calanques
8. Pays Basque : the land, the sea, the food
9. Bordeaux : the old city
10. Loire Valley : the Chateaux

My top ten (out of Paris would be) :
1. Versailles : Le Château
2. The Alps : Chamonix, Chartreuse mountains, Vercors, Parc des Ecrins
3. Corsica : Mare e Monti, GR 20, Bonifacio, Piana
4. Côte d'Azur : Eze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Ramatuelle
5. Mont Saint-Michel : almost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveti_Stefan)unique
6. Alsace : Strasbourg, local wine makers, the view from Mont St-Odile and old chateaux
7. Provence : Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, les Calanques
8. Pays Basque : the land, the sea, the food
9. Bordeaux : the old city
10. Loire Valley : the Chateaux

That's a real Top 10 ^
But i would skip number 3 and the keep the tourists away from this dry and boring island filled with bombers and terrorists ;)

That's a real Top 10 ^

Hi Mynameismud, thanks.

But i would skip number 3 and the keep the tourists away from this dry and boring island filled with bombers and terrorists ;)

I cannot remember who said : Ah, la Corse! Le problème, ce sont les Corses... Maybe de Gaulle.

Anyway, Corsica in May or September is definitely a must see. And sailing around the island at the same time of the year is a must do.


And what would be your number 3 then ?

Hi Mynameismud, thanks.



I cannot remember who said : Ah, la Corse! Le problème, ce sont les Corses... Maybe de Gaulle.

Anyway, Corsica in May or September is definitely a must see. And sailing around the island at the same time of the year is a must do.


And what would be your number 3 then ?

Hi bodory
It seems i got misunderstood...i was ironic when i wrote this about Corsica.
I'm really fond of this island and i do agree with you about may/september being the best period to go there.
I would probably rank Corsica number 1 on my own list ^
Speaking of "les corses" i have found them to be respectful, polite people and even nice towards "les pinsuts" (especially on trails such as Mare a Mare of course during the off season) and one can only thank them for having prevented real estate development on their beautiful island !

A France list that does not include Paris?
C'est une heresie !

that was actually the part I liked in that list ;)

that was actually the part I liked in that list ;)

Paris is of course on top of any Top List :D ;)

+1

Any list should also include Burgundy (it's on some lists, but not enough of them IMHO. it's a wonderful part of France...the wine, history, villages and friendly people).

Also, the Annecy-La Clusaz-Flumet area of the French Alps.


Paris is of course on top of any Top List :D ;)

No love for Lyon on this list?

Yes. Having lived in Lyon, I definitely recommend it. For me Lyon is also part of the Alps.

No love for Lyon on this list?

i do not think lyon to be such a beautiful view, but it is a beautiful place to eat.

It's a breathtakingly beautiful country, we've been going for years and still get blown away when visiting new areas where we haven't been before. There's hardly a corner of this great country that doesn't "coupe le souffle!"

Top 10 lists are a bit silly, but they always create food for thought.

What! Has no one any love for the Pyrénées-Orientales?
The Abbey of St. Martin of Canigou, the Priory of Serrabone, the Cathar fortresses like Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. The common denominator is elevation.

What! Has no one any love for the Pyrénées-Orientales?
The Abbey of St. Martin of Canigou, the Priory of Serrabone, the Cathar fortresses like Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. The common denominator is elevation.

The ancient town of Prades, where the famous cellist Pablo Casals made his home, (Great festival in summer) spa town Molitg les Bains and the breathtaking backdrop of the foothills of the Pyrenees.

"There's hardly a corner of this great country that doesn't "coupe le souffle!""

"There's hardly a corner of this great country that doesn't "coupe le souffle!""

That's my sense as well. I believe it was another FT thread that asked which parts of France were worth visiting, to which I replied by asking what areas would not justify a visit. My question went unanswered as a rhetorical question, but I was half serious in asking. I've only (so far) personally visited Paris, Normandy, northern Burgundy, Provence, the Côte d'Azur, and the Dordogne region, plus glimpses of the landscape from TGVs between Paris and London and between Paris and Saarbrucken. So I can't say for sure based on my own experience. But what I have seen, and the research I've done, seems to indicate that maybe the Nord-Pas-de-Calais is not worth a transatlantic journey, but that every other region is individually worth the trip. I do also harbor some uncertainty, though, about parts of the central west, say, between Nantes and Bordeaux. But I haven't really looked very closely there, so I suspect that's more responsible for my ambivalence, rather than an actual lack of appeal.

So are my impressions about right? Or am I missing some part of France that's not really "all that?"

Top 10 lists are a bit silly, but they always create food for thought.

Indeed. As a case in point, my interest in Alsace has risen several notches based on the enthusiasm expressed by several in this thread.

---

I'm notoriously difficult to choose gifts for. Once my wife asked what I'd like for my birthday, and without thinking, I said, "France." But I'm really just a simple man with simple needs, and I eventually was persuaded that asking for all of France could be considered excessive. Ultimately, I was able to refine the suggestion into a much more reasonable subset of the entire country: Even though it might leave out some important parts of Paris, I'd be still be happy to limit it to just the portion of France that has been broadcast from helicopter cameras during the Tour de France.

I think I could be happy with that.

One of the most visited countries in the world, France conjures up an image of long hot summer days and probably the desire not to come home again. When we think of France we usually think of fine wine and cuisine, exceptional scenery and a laid back lifestyle which is the envy of the world. The diverse landscape – which has inspired centuries of influential writers, artists and poets – include huge mountain ranges, acres of green countryside and miles of gorgeous coastline. Paris aside, here are of the most beautiful places to visit in France ten:

1. Loire Valley
2. Mont Saint-Michel
3. Côte d’Azur
4. Giverny
5. Versailles
6. Annecy, The Alps
7. Champagne-Ardenne
8. Strasbourg
9. Bordeaux
10. The Gorges du Verdon

You forgot Corsica.
I would place it Nr 1.

:)

On a lovely spring, summer or fall day, there are few places more beautiful than the ruins of the Abbey at Jumieges, especially if there is a breeze whispering through the trees.

On a lovely spring, summer or fall day, there are few places more beautiful than the ruins of the Abbey at Jumeiges, especially if there is a breeze whispering through the trees.

or in the morning in the fog.

On a lovely spring, summer or fall day, there are few places more beautiful than the ruins of the Abbey at Jumieges, especially if there is a breeze whispering through the trees.

Or standing on the D8 approach to St-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot on a misty morning. Or hundreds of other vistas in this beautiful country!

Yep, Paris , Provence, the Dordogne would all get a vote for me.

Reads like a travel article. Exactly whose Top Ten is the list?

Googling the text, it appears to be from here:
http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/10-of-the-most-beautiful-places-to-visit-in-france/ and then reposted on various forums such as this one, sometimes perhaps promoting an unrelated website.