🇫🇷 FRANCE TRAVEL GUIDE 2026

Travel in France

Q: How many days do you need in Paris?

Three days is the minimum to do Paris justice. You can hit the highlights but a week lets you slow down and actually feel the city. Our 3-day itinerary covers exactly what to prioritise — skip the Louvre unless you love museums, don't skip Montmartre at dawn.

Q: Is Lyon worth visiting or is Paris enough?

Lyon is absolutely worth it and most people who go wish they'd stayed longer. It's France's gastronomic capital, genuinely beautiful, and has almost none of the tourist exhaustion of Paris. Two to three days is the sweet spot. It's just two hours from Paris by TGV — there's no reason not to combine them.

Q: Is Chamonix worth visiting if you don't ski?

Yes — and we say this as non-skiers who went in January. The Aiguille du Midi cable car takes you to 3,842 metres and you stand in the clouds above Mont Blanc. Add the village atmosphere, winter walks, the food and the views and you have a genuinely brilliant trip without ever putting on skis.

Q: Is France expensive to travel?

Paris is expensive — particularly accommodation and restaurants. Lyon is significantly more affordable and far better value. Chamonix sits in the middle. Budget travellers can do €70–100/day in Lyon, €130–160/day in Paris. The biggest hack: book TGV trains well in advance — Prem's tickets can be as cheap as €19.

Q: What is the best time to visit France?

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are the sweet spots for Paris and Lyon — good weather, manageable crowds, better prices than summer. Chamonix in winter (December–March) is spectacular even for non-skiers. Avoid Paris in August when locals leave and many restaurants close.

Q: Do you need to speak French in France?

No — but a few words go an enormous way. Bonjour, merci and excusez-moi will visibly change how locals treat you, especially outside Paris. In Lyon, making the effort is genuinely appreciated. In tourist areas of Paris, English is widely spoken — but always lead with French first.

We’ve eaten in a Lyon bouchon until they stacked chairs around us, walked every arrondissement of Paris with sore feet and zero regrets, and taken the Aiguille du Midi cable car in Chamonix with our hearts in our mouths. Here’s our France travel guide with everything we learned.

Currency

Euro (€)

Language

French

Best entry cities

Paris, Lyon

Plug type

Type E

Best season

Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

Visa (EU/US/UK)

Not required <90 days

Our coverage

6 articles

Honest guides from two people who've been there

France Travel Guides, as we lived them

France surprised us. We expected Paris to feel familiar — it didn’t. We expected Lyon to feel like a smaller Paris — it absolutely wasn’t. We went to Chamonix in January with no skis and no real plan and had one of the most unexpectedly brilliant trips. France keeps wrong-footing you in the best possible way.

We’ve been building this France guide since our first trip and it covers 3 destinations — Paris, Lyon and Chamonix — with 6 articles in total, all written from trips we’ve taken ourselves. Use it however helps you most.

Where we've been

France destinations we cover

Paris

Everyone arrives at Paris thinking they know it. Nobody does. We’ve been multiple times and it still catches us off guard – an alley in the Marais, a boulangerie in the 11th, a sunset from Sacré-Cœur on a Tuesday evening. Our 3 guides cover what to actually do, what to eat and how to spend a perfect 3 days.

Lyon

Lyon captured our hearts completely and instantly. We arrived expecting a provincial French city and found the gastronomic capital of Europe. We ate in a bouchon on the first night and didn’t leave until they started stacking chairs. Our 2 guides cover what to do and where to stay in this deeply underrated city.

Chamonix

We went to Chamonix in January with no skis, no plan and slightly unrealistic expectations. The Aiguille du Midi cable car took us to 3,842 metres above sea level and we stood there in the clouds above Mont Blanc with absolutely no words. Our guide covers everything worth doing if you’re not there to ski.

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All our France writing

Every France article

6 guides across Paris, Lyon and Chamonix. All written from real trips, updated for 2026.

January 25, 2026

What to Do in Chamonix in Winter: A Guide for Non-Skiers in 2026

Read →

December 15, 2025

Where to Stay in Lyon: A Personal Guide to Finding Your Perfect French Home Base

Read →

December 12, 2025

11 Unforgettable Things to Do in Lyon in 2026: Your Complete Guide

Read →

April 7, 2025

Best Things to Do in Paris: Favourite Spots, Tips & Local Secrets

Read →

April 6, 2025

Best Food in Paris: 10 Must-Try Dishes and Top Restaurants

Read →

April 6, 2025

3-Day Paris Itinerary for First-Time Visitors: The Ultimate Guide

Read →

Planning your trip

When to visit France

Our takes are informed by the specific places we cover — Paris, Lyon and the Alps all have very different sweet spots.

Spring

April — June

Our top pick

Paris in April is the city at its most beautiful — blossom, long evenings, terraces coming alive. Lyon is perfect for walking. Fewer tourists than summer and noticeably lower prices. Our favourite time to go.

Autumn

Sept — Oct

Our top pick

September is arguably the best month in all of France. Paris is back after August, Lyon's wine harvest begins, and the light across both cities is extraordinary. Warm, uncrowded and better value than summer.

Summer

July — August

Go prepared

Paris in August is oddly empty — many locals and restaurants leave the city. Can be very hot and heavily tourist-heavy at the same time. Chamonix is beautiful in summer. Book everything well in advance.

Winter

Nov — March

Go to Chamonix

Lyon's Festival of Lights in December is genuinely extraordinary. Paris in winter is beautiful but cold. Chamonix in January is the real reason to visit France in winter — even without skis, the Alps are breathtaking.

MONEY & COSTS

Is France expensive? Here's the truth

France ranges from very affordable (a crêpe on a Lyon street, a baguette for €1.20 from any boulangerie) to genuinely expensive (a Paris hotel in high season). Here’s what to realistically budget.

Budget

€70

– €100 per person/day

🛏 Hostel or budget hotel

🥐 Boulangeries & markets

🚇 Metro & public transport

Mid-range · most common

€130

– €180 per person/day

🏨 3-star hotel or apartment

🥗 Sit-down lunches & dinners

🎟 Museums & experiences

Comfort / splurge

€250

+ per person/day

🌟 Boutique or 4–5 star hotel

🍷 Bistros & wine lists

🚄 First-class TGV & transfers

Our honest take: Lyon is significantly cheaper than Paris and better value in almost every way — a 3-course lunch in a bouchon with wine costs €20–25. Paris hotels are expensive full stop. The biggest budget hack: book TGV trains in advance on SNCF. Prem's tickets Paris→Lyon can be as cheap as €19.

EXPERIENCES

Tours worth booking in France

We don’t recommend tours we haven’t taken or researched properly. These are the experiences across our three destinations that genuinely add something you can’t easily do alone.

TRAVEL IN France

What we wish we'd known before we went

France has its own unwritten rules – some charming, some genuinely important. We learned most of these the hard way, in a Lyon restaurant where we committed three etiquette crimes in the first five minutes.

✓

Always say Bonjour first

Walk into any shop, café or restaurant and say Bonjour before anything else. It's not optional in France — it's basic politeness and locals notice immediately if you skip it. In Lyon this matters even more than in Paris.

✗

Don't eat on the go in Lyon

In Paris it's fine. In Lyon — the gastronomic capital of France — eating while walking is genuinely frowned upon. Sit down, take your time, order properly. Lyon takes its food seriously and so should you.

✓

Book TGV trains in advance

Prem's tickets on SNCF can be €19 Paris to Lyon. The same journey booked last minute can be €80+. Always book at least 2–3 weeks ahead. Download the SNCF Connect app before you travel.

✗

Don't visit Paris in August

Many Parisians leave in August and restaurants close. The city feels oddly flat and tourist-heavy at the same time. If August is your only option, go — but manage expectations and book everything well in advance.

✓

Eat lunch as your main meal

The best value in France is the lunch formule — a set 2 or 3-course menu at midday, sometimes with wine, often at a fraction of the dinner price. Even good restaurants offer formule at lunch. This is how locals eat.

✗

Don't underestimate Chamonix in winter

The cold is real. At the Aiguille du Midi it can be −20°C at the top. Pack thermals, proper gloves and a serious coat even just to walk around the village. See our Chamonix guide for what to bring.

✓

Get a Navigo Easy card in Paris

The Paris metro is excellent and cheap. A Navigo Easy card (available at any metro station) lets you top up t+ tickets. Far cheaper than individual tickets and works on the metro, bus and RER. Buy it on arrival.

✗

Don't skip the boulangerie breakfast

Hotel breakfasts in France are often overpriced and underwhelming. A croissant and coffee at a local boulangerie costs €3–4 and is infinitely better. Find the nearest one on Google Maps the night before — make it a daily ritual.

FOOD & DRINK

Must-try dishes in France

France changed how we think about eating. These are the 6 dishes across Paris, Lyon and Chamonix that we still talk about — two from each destination, all from meals we actually ate.

🗼 Paris 🥐

Croissant au beurre

Not a revelation until you eat a real one in Paris. Shatteringly crisp outside, almost custardy inside, heavy with butter. We tried five different boulangeries. The difference between a good one and a great one is enormous.

Full Paris food guide →

🗼 Paris 🧅

French Onion Soup

Deep, caramelised, with a lid of melted Gruyère you have to fight through. A Parisian classic that most places do adequately and a few do extraordinarily. The best version we had was in a tiny bistro in the 6th at 11pm.

Full Paris food guide →

🍷 Lyon 🐟

Quenelles de Brochet

Lyon's signature dish — a delicate pike dumpling in a rich Nantua crayfish sauce. Sounds odd, tastes extraordinary. We had it in a certified bouchon in Vieux Lyon on night one and ordered it again on night three.

Full Lyon guide →

🍷 Lyon 🩷

Tarte aux Pralines Roses

Lyon's signature dessert — a shocking pink tart filled with crushed caramelised almonds and cream. It sounds like a fairground food. It tastes like the best thing you've eaten all trip. Buy it from a boulangerie, not a restaurant.

Full Lyon guide →

⛰️ Chamonix 🫕

Fondue Savoyarde

After a day at altitude in January cold, sitting around a pot of melted Beaufort and Comté cheese in a mountain restaurant is one of life's genuinely great experiences. Get the version with local charcuterie on the side.

Full Chamonix guide →

⛰️ Chamonix 🍵

Vin Chaud at a mountain café

Technically it's just mulled wine. In Chamonix, standing outside a café at 1,000 metres with Mont Blanc visible above the treeline, it becomes something else entirely. One of those simple moments you'll still be thinking about a year later.

Full Chamonix guide →

Common questions

France travel FAQ

Answered based on our actual experience in these specific places – not generic France advice.

How many days do you need in Paris?

Three days is the minimum to do Paris justice. You can hit the highlights but a week lets you slow down and actually feel the city. Our 3-day itinerary covers exactly what to prioritise — skip the Louvre unless you love museums, don't skip Montmartre at dawn.

Is Lyon worth visiting or is Paris enough?

Lyon is absolutely worth it and most people who go wish they'd stayed longer. It's France's gastronomic capital, genuinely beautiful, and has almost none of the tourist exhaustion of Paris. Two to three days is the sweet spot. It's just two hours from Paris by TGV — there's no reason not to combine them.

Is Chamonix worth visiting if you don't ski?

Yes — and we say this as non-skiers who went in January. The Aiguille du Midi cable car takes you to 3,842 metres and you stand in the clouds above Mont Blanc. Add the village atmosphere, winter walks, the food and the views and you have a genuinely brilliant trip without ever putting on skis.

Is France expensive to travel?

Paris is expensive — particularly accommodation and restaurants. Lyon is significantly more affordable and far better value. Chamonix sits in the middle. Budget travellers can do €70–100/day in Lyon, €130–160/day in Paris. The biggest hack: book TGV trains well in advance — Prem's tickets can be as cheap as €19.

What is the best time to visit France?

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are the sweet spots for Paris and Lyon — good weather, manageable crowds, better prices than summer. Chamonix in winter (December–March) is spectacular even for non-skiers. Avoid Paris in August when locals leave and many restaurants close.

Do you need to speak French in France?

No — but a few words go an enormous way. Bonjour, merci and excusez-moi will visibly change how locals treat you, especially outside Paris. In Lyon, making the effort is genuinely appreciated. In tourist areas of Paris, English is widely spoken — but always lead with French first.

Written by Ru & Tiago

The Nomadic Hearts

✈️ France since 2024 📍 Paris · Lyon · Chamonix 📝 6 articles

We're Ru & Tiago — the two people behind The Nomadic Hearts. We ate in a Lyon bouchon until they started stacking chairs around us. We walked every arrondissement of Paris with sore feet and zero regrets. We took the Aiguille du Midi cable car in Chamonix in January and stood at 3,842 metres above sea level with absolutely no words. Every article on this page comes from a trip we actually took — no filler, no places we haven't been. Just honest guides from two people who keep going back.

More about us →