Things to do in France

If you're travelling to France, here is a list of some of the top activities, places to go and things to do. Enjoy!

Things to do in France

If there is one country always on my travel horizon, France is it. There are so many historical/sophisticated/fun things to do in France you could travel for years through its various regions and never get bored. (And if you do get bored there, you really need to take up a hobby.)

From the chateaus of the Loire Valley to the cosmopolitan flair of the French Riviera, you can choose a million different ways to enjoy a French vacation. So let's jump right in and talk about some of the best things to do there.

Top activities for your France vacation

Explore the war memorials and D-Day sites in Normandy. It was at the Memorial de Caen in Caen that I broke down and cried. Add to that Dieppe and Juno Beach, and this is be one of the most sobering yet enlightening trips you'll ever embark on.

Wake up and smell the roses in Giverny. Also in Normandy, and only a couple of hours from Paris, the Impression master Claude Monet kept a lavish garden and home in the small town of Giverny. It makes a sweet-smelling day trip from Paris.

Stuff your face in Lyon. Often called Paris's second city, Lyon has become a must-eat destination for foodies.

Enjoy the haute culture of Paris. Factor in world-famous art museums such as the Louvre, French designers such as Coco Chanel, luxury hotels, and plenty of urban sophistication, and you've got yourself one of the most popular vacation spots on the globe. (In fact, it IS the most popular.)

Sip a glass of pink champagne or at least a crisp rosé on a breezy terrace overlooking the Mediterranean on the Cote d'Azur. Popular South of France destinations such as Nice, Cannes. St Tropez and Antibes bring you into jet set territory and offer a slice of the high life.

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Relax in a French spa town. French spa towns such as Evian-les-Bains and Vichy offer Belle Epoque history, mineral-rich water and a look back at a more gracious way of life when wellbeing was a social activity.

Tour the chateaus of the Loire Valley. If you like grand castles, the beautiful Val de Loire should be on your list. Chateau de Chenonceau, the Royal Chateau of Amboise, the Domaine de Chambord ... these are just three lavish stops on a trip through France's valley of the kings.

Go star spotting at the Cannes Film Festival. A celebrity magnet, the Cannes Film Festival is one of those iconic stops for A-listers, producers, starlets, wanna-be starlets, men who want to date starlets and wheeler dealers that never get old. Oh right, the films are pretty good, too.

Go barging on the Canal du Midi. Built on the orders of Napoleon, this ambitious canal in the South of France is 241 km long and offers a lazy way to float through the French countryside.

Follow the footsteps of the playwright Molière in Pézenas, a town once known as the Versailles of the Languedoc region, it's a gem of a town that is well worth exploring.

Visit Versailles. For some serious luxury try a private backstage tour of the Palace of Versailles, or get into the spirit with a 18th-century photo shoot at Costumes & Chateaus.