Classic
Ritz Paris
Place Vendôme · Paris
The 1898 grande dame reborn in 2016 — Hemingway Bar, Espadon restaurant and the Chanel Spa on Place Vendôme.
From 1,500€Check prices→
01
Excursions
The most-booked experiences on the island · book with free cancellation
Tours & excursions · Best-sellers on Viator
France — Louvre skip-the-line, Versailles, Riviera boats and Provence lavender
Hand-picked from Viator's top-rated experiences on France, sorted by review volume and average rating. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, reserve now and pay later.
- ◆ Free cancellation 24 h
- ◆ Reserve now, pay later
- ◆ Instant confirmation
- ◆ Best-price guarantee
Culture3 hoursLouvre skip-the-line guided tour
4.8(38,200 reviews)
The Louvre in half a day without a queue: an art-historian guide walks the Denon wing highlights — Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace and the French crown jewels.
From
€65per person
- Skip-the-line entry
- Licensed guide
- Small group of 15
- Headsets included
Culture9 hoursVersailles palace + gardens from Paris
4.7(21,400 reviews)
A full day from central Paris to the palace of Louis XIV with skip-the-line entry to the château, the Hall of Mirrors, then the Grand and Petit Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's Queen's Hamlet.
From
€75per person
- Skip-the-line
- Round-trip transport
- Château + Trianon
- Licensed guide
Culture3 hoursEiffel Tower summit access + Seine cruise
4.6(18,700 reviews)
Guaranteed summit access to the top of the Eiffel Tower (no re-queue for the second lift) plus a one-hour Seine cruise past Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Grand Palais.
From
€95per person
- Summit access
- Skip second-lift queue
- Seine river cruise
- Live commentary
Culture9 hoursRiviera day — Èze, Monaco & Monte-Carlo from Nice
4.7(9,200 reviews)
The classic Riviera loop from Nice — Grande Corniche viewpoints, the medieval eagle's-nest village of Èze, Monaco Old Town and free time on Place du Casino in Monte-Carlo.
From
€95per person
- Small-group van
- Èze + Monaco
- English commentary
- Hotel pick-up
Boat & beach9 hoursSaint-Tropez boat day from Cannes or Nice
4.7(4,800 reviews)
By fast catamaran from Cannes or Nice along the Estérel red cliffs to Saint-Tropez — free time in the old port, lunch on Place des Lices and a peek at Pampelonne on the way back.
From
€110per person
- Estérel cliffs sail-by
- Free time in Saint-Tropez
- Sun deck
- Return by 18:00
Nature9 hoursProvence lavender + Gordes + Sénanque abbey
4.8(5,600 reviews)
A summer classic from Avignon or Aix — Sénanque Cistercian abbey with its purple foreground, hilltop Gordes, the ochre village of Roussillon and a lavender-distillery tasting.
From
€105per person
- Small group
- Lavender fields (Jun–Jul)
- Three hilltop villages
- Distillery tasting
Culture13 hoursMont-Saint-Michel day tour from Paris (train + guide)
4.6(4,100 reviews)
A full day from Paris to the tidal abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel by TGV — coach transfer from Rennes, guided visit inside the abbey and free time on the ramparts before the tide comes in.
From
€225per person
- TGV round-trip
- Skip-the-line abbey
- Licensed guide
- Time to see the tide
Food & wine10 hoursChampagne day — Reims + two houses tasting
4.8(3,900 reviews)
A day in Champagne from Paris — Reims Notre-Dame (where French kings were crowned), a Grande Marque house (Taittinger or Mumm) and a smaller grower cellar with lunch pairing.
From
€180per person
- Two cellar visits
- Six-glass tasting
- Reims cathedral
- Lunch included
Affiliate links with Viator: you pay the same price as on the official site, and Suites & Sunsets earns a small commission that helps keep our guides free to read.
02
Towns
The essential villages and what to do in each
01 · SeptParis
Base four nights in the 1er, 6e or 7e — Louvre, Orsay, Eiffel and a food scene without equal.
Read the guide →- 05 · Sept
Côte d'Azur
Nice as base, day trips to Monaco, Èze, Antibes and Saint-Tropez. Sea, palaces and blue-hour aperitivo.
Read the guide → 
09 · SeptProvence
Avignon, Gordes, Roussillon and lavender fields in bloom late June to mid-July.
Read the guide →- 12 · Sept
Loire Valley
Chambord, Chenonceau and Villandry — Renaissance châteaux by bike or car from Tours.
Read the guide → - 15 · Sept
Bordeaux
The Port of the Moon, Cité du Vin and the Grand Crus of Médoc and Saint-Émilion.
Read the guide → - 18 · Sept
Chamonix / Mont Blanc
Aiguille du Midi cable car, Mer de Glace and the Tour du Mont Blanc — Europe's alpine capital.
Read the guide →
03
Town map
Filter by category and see what to do in each town
Loading map…
VerComerPlayaExcursiones● Beach
04
Beaches
Beach-by-beach guide with parking, best time and facilities
5 handpicked beaches
Beaches on this island
Each beach has its own guide: where to park, the best time to arrive, what's actually on site, the beach bars worth recommending and what to avoid.
Sandy beach4.5 km
Plage de Pampelonne, Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle · Var
The Saint-Tropez legend — Club 55, Nikki Beach and the yachts of the Riviera
- ◆
- Parking: Paid lots at Bonne Terrasse, Tahiti and Patch (10–15€/day).
- ◆
- Best time: June + September for the colour without the August pandemonium.
Sandy beach3 km
Palombaggia, Corsica
Porto-Vecchio · Corsica
Corsica's Caribbean cove — red rocks, umbrella pines and turquoise flats
- ◆
- Parking: Paid lots (5€) along the D807; fills by 10:00 in July.
- ◆
- Best time: Weekdays in June or September — August is packed.
Wild cove8 km
Omaha Beach, Normandy
Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer · Calvados
The most storied D-Day sector — 6 June 1944 and the American cemetery on the bluff
- ◆
- Parking: Free lots at Vierville, Saint-Laurent and Colleville.
- ◆
- Best time: Low tide for the full sand; sunrise for the atmosphere.
Wild cove300 m
Calanque de Sormiou, Marseille
Marseille · Bouches-du-Rhône
The Calanques National Park's most beautiful fjord — cliffs, cabanons and blue water
- ◆
- Parking: Restricted July–August (reservation required); free hike from Les Baumettes rest of year.
- ◆
- Best time: May–June and September — winter for the hike alone.
Sandy beach800 m
Côte des Basques, Biarritz
Biarritz · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
The birthplace of European surf — long lefts, Basque cliffs and Pays Basque style
- ◆
- Parking: Paid on-street (1.
- ◆
- Best time: Mid to low tide (check tables) — evenings for the alpenglow on the Pyrenees.
05
Sleep
Beds worth the trip
Style
Palace
Le Bristol Paris
Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré · Paris
Palace-classified hotel with Epicure (3★ Michelin), a rooftop pool and a private garden by the Élysée.
From 1,700€Check prices→
Luxury
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Cap d'Antibes · Côte d'Azur
Legendary 1870 palace on 22 pine-shaded acres above the Med — sea-water pool carved into the rock.
From 1,400€Check prices→
Boutique
La Réserve Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle · Saint-Tropez
Cliff-top Relais & Châteaux above Pampelonne with a Nescens medical spa and a 40-m infinity pool.
From 900€Check prices→
Boutique
Château de la Chèvre d'Or
Èze village · Riviera
Medieval Relais & Châteaux clinging to Èze rock, two Michelin stars and a garden 400 m above the sea.
From 700€Check prices→
Palace
Airelles Château de Versailles
Palace of Versailles
14 rooms inside the palace grounds — private after-hours tours and Alain Ducasse's kitchen.
From 1,900€Check prices→
Popular areas in France
Book your stay
Compare real prices across 70+ booking sites for France, or add travel insurance for peace of mind.
Affiliate links · price shown on the partner's site · best-price guarantee
06
Eat
Tables jotted on a napkin
- Book →
Le Cinq (3★)
Three-star French classic · Paris · Four Seasons George V
- Book →
Epicure (3★)
Palace three-star at Le Bristol · Paris · 8e
- Book →
Septime (1★)
Modern bistro cult classic · Paris · 11e
- Book →
La Vague d'Or (3★)
Riviera three-star · Saint-Tropez · Cheval Blanc
- Book →
Mirazur (3★)
World's Best voted #1 (2019) · Menton
- Book →
Paul Bocuse (2★)
The Lyon institution · Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or
07
Diario
A journal entry
Entry 03 · Wednesday
Paris — Left Bank
07:00 croissants at Du Pain et des Idées before the queue. 09:00 opening at the Musée d'Orsay — the Van Gogh room to ourselves for twenty minutes. Lunch at Clown Bar (natural wine, offal, no attitude). 15:00 Sainte-Chapelle for the stained glass. 20:00 dinner at Septime — the tasting menu, a glass of Vouvray and a night walk back over the Pont Neuf.
- ✓Book Septime 21 days ahead at 12:00 Paris time
- ✓Musée d'Orsay ticket at 09:00 opening — skip the 11 h queue
- ✗Sainte-Chapelle timed entry to avoid Palais de Justice security queue
08
Itineraries
Ready-to-copy routes
5 days · Paris in depth
Louvre, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle, a Michelin dinner and a Versailles day trip. Ends with Champagne day from Reims.
Leer itinerario →8 days · Paris + Côte d'Azur
Four Paris nights, TGV to Nice, four Riviera days for Monaco, Èze, Antibes and Saint-Tropez by boat.
Leer itinerario →12 days · France grand loop
Paris, Loire châteaux, Bordeaux + Saint-Émilion, Provence lavender, French Riviera and back to Paris by TGV.
Leer itinerario →09
Practical
What we've noted for next time
Getting there
Paris CDG is the main long-haul gateway; ORY handles domestic and short-haul. Nice (NCE), Marseille (MRS), Lyon (LYS) and Bordeaux (BOD) are the main regional airports. The Eurostar links London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in 2h20.
Getting around
TGV covers Paris-Lyon in 2h, Paris-Marseille in 3h, Paris-Bordeaux in 2h. Book on SNCF Connect or Trainline 3 months out for the best fares. Rent a car for the Loire, Provence, Alsace and Corsica; skip a car entirely in Paris and on the Riviera.
Best time to go
May–June and September–early October are the sweet spot everywhere — mild temperatures, open terraces and the Riviera sea already at 21 °C in June. Provence lavender blooms late June to mid-July. Chamonix is best December–March for ski and mid-July to early September for hiking.
Emergencies
112 pan-European. 15 for SAMU (medical); 17 for police; 18 for fire. SOS Médecins offers 24-h house calls in major cities. Public hospitals (APHP in Paris) are excellent and free at point of use for EU visitors with an EHIC/GHIC.