First-timers pair Paris with two or three days on the Côte d'Azur or in Lyon; repeat visitors trade up for Bordeaux, Strasbourg and the villages of Provence. The best windows are May to June and September, warm, lighter crowds, and easier to book than the August peak.
11 French city guides
Fun fact
France is the most visited country on earth, drawing around 100 million travelers a year. Most never leave Paris, which means the Loire châteaux, the Alps and the Provençal hill towns stay surprisingly uncrowded.
Stereotypes, sorted out
The realityLead with a simple bonjour and the whole exchange changes. Politeness here is a code, not a mood, and following it earns warmth fast.
The realityThe baguette is real and excellent, with a law protecting how it is made. The beret is mostly for tourists and film sets now.
The realityStrikes happen and can hit transport, but they are announced well ahead. Check the day's news and keep a loose backup plan.
The realityIn cities and tourist areas plenty do. Open with a few French words and you will be met halfway, often in fluent English.
Cultural notes that actually help
- Say bonjour when you enter a shop or café, and au revoir on the way out.
- Lunch runs roughly noon to 2; many kitchens close between services.
- Tipping is light. Service is included, so just round up when it was good.
- Dress a notch up. Smart-casual goes a long way in restaurants and churches.
- Sundays are quiet. Many shops close, so plan markets and museums instead.
- Bread sits on the table, not the plate, and you tear it rather than bite it.
Famous French faces
Napoléon Bonaparte
Charles de Gaulle
Marie Curie
Claude Monet
Victor Hugo
Coco Chanel
Zinedine Zidane
Édith Piaf
Charles de Gaulle
Napoléon Bonaparte
Emmanuel Macron
Jacques Chirac
François Mitterrand
Louis XIV
Marie Antoinette
Georges Clemenceau
Zinedine Zidane
Kylian Mbappé
Thierry Henry
Michel Platini
Tony Parker
Alain Prost
Teddy Riner
Marie-José Pérec
Claude Monet
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Paul Cézanne
Edgar Degas
Henri Matisse
Auguste Rodin
Édouard Manet
Marcel Duchamp
Catherine Deneuve
Brigitte Bardot
Alain Delon
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Marion Cotillard
Gérard Depardieu
Juliette Binoche
Omar Sy
Édith Piaf
Serge Gainsbourg
Charles Aznavour
Johnny Hallyday
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Jean-Michel Jarre
David Guetta
Marie Curie
Louis Pasteur
Antoine Lavoisier
Blaise Pascal
René Descartes
Pierre Curie
Henri Poincaré
André-Marie Ampère
Paul Bocuse
Auguste Escoffier
Alain Ducasse
Joël Robuchon
Anne-Sophie Pic
Guy Savoy
Marie-Antoine Carême
Pierre Hermé
Must-try French food
Croissant & pain au chocolat
The benchmark French breakfast.
Steak frites
Bistro steak and a mountain of fries.
Soupe à l'oignon
Onion broth under melted Gruyère.
Coq au vin
Chicken braised in red wine.
Boeuf bourguignon
Burgundy beef stew in red wine.
Ratatouille
Provençal stewed summer vegetables.
Crêpes & galettes
Sweet crêpes or savoury galettes.
Macarons
Almond-meringue jewels.
Cassoulet
Slow-cooked white beans, duck and sausage.
Confit de canard
Duck leg cooked in its own fat.
Foie gras
The South West's rich delicacy.
Magret de canard
Seared duck breast, served pink.
Garbure
Hearty cabbage, bean and duck soup.
Piperade
Basque peppers, tomato and egg.
Canelé de Bordeaux
Caramelised custard cakes from Bordeaux.
Roquefort
The region's blue sheep cheese.
Bouillabaisse
Marseille's saffron fish stew.
Ratatouille
Stewed summer vegetables in olive oil.
Salade niçoise
Tuna, egg, olives and beans.
Socca
Nice's chickpea pancake.
Pissaladière
Onion, anchovy and olive tart.
Tapenade
Black olive and caper spread.
Pan bagnat
Niçoise salad packed in a bun.
Pastis
The anise apéritif of the south.
Galette de sarrasin
Savoury buckwheat crêpe.
Crêpe
Sweet wheat crêpe, folded.
Kouign-amann
Caramelised butter pastry.
Far breton
Prune custard flan.
Huîtres
Cancale oysters on ice.
Moules marinière
Mussels in white wine and shallots.
Caramel au beurre salé
Salted butter caramel.
Cidre brut
Dry Breton cider.
Choucroute garnie
Sauerkraut with sausages and pork.
Tarte flambée
Thin tart with cream, onion and bacon.
Baeckeoffe
Three-meat and potato casserole.
Bretzel
Soft Alsatian pretzel.
Kougelhopf
Almond and raisin brioche.
Munster
Pungent washed-rind cheese.
Spätzle
Soft egg noodles.
Vin chaud
Alsace mulled wine.
Coq au vin
Chicken braised in red wine.
Gratin dauphinois
Creamy sliced-potato gratin.
Fondue savoyarde
Melted Alpine cheese pot.
Raclette
Melted cheese scraped over potatoes.
Tartiflette
Potato, bacon and Reblochon bake.
Salade lyonnaise
Frisée, lardons and poached egg.
Quenelle
Pike dumpling in creamy sauce.
Saucisson
Cured pork sausage of Lyon.
Moules-frites
Mussels served with fries.
Camembert rôti
Baked Normandy camembert.
Tarte normande
Apple and cream tart.
Carbonnade flamande
Beef braised in brown ale.
Welsh
Cheddar, beer and ham on toast.
Ficelle picarde
Ham and mushroom crêpe gratin.
Teurgoule
Slow-baked cinnamon rice pudding.
Calvados
Norman apple brandy.
Croissant
The benchmark breakfast pastry.
Steak frites
Bistro steak and fries.
Soupe à l'oignon
Onion broth and Gruyère.
Jambon-beurre
The classic ham and butter baguette.
Croque-monsieur
Toasted ham and cheese with béchamel.
Macarons
Almond-meringue jewels.
Paris-Brest
Praline choux ring.
Opéra
Coffee and chocolate layer cake.
Champagne
Reims and Épernay's celebratory sparkling wine.
Bordeaux
The South West's structured red wine.
Bourgogne
Burgundy's prized Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Cognac
Charente's aged grape brandy.
Pastis
The anise apéritif of the south.
Calvados
Normandy apple brandy.
Cidre brut
Dry Breton cider.
Vin chaud
Alsace mulled wine.
