Explore France: Customized Travel Planning for Chinese Visitors

A local perspective on experiencing France beyond the postcard, from Paris and regional travel to food, everyday habits and slowing down.

France is often imagined through a few very familiar images: Paris, the Eiffel Tower, cafés, croissants, lavender fields and maybe the French Riviera. I understand why. These places and experiences are part of France, and many of them absolutely deserve their reputation. But having grown up here, I also know how different the country can feel from one region to another.

I was born in Normandy and now live in Provence. Between the two, I have seen very different landscapes, weather, food, architecture and ways of life. That is probably what I would want a first time visitor to understand most. France is not one experience. You can spend a few days in Paris, walk along a windy beach in Normandy, hike somewhere almost empty in the Mercantour, explore villages in the Luberon and finish by the Mediterranean without feeling like you have travelled through the same place. For me, that variety is one of the best reasons to take your time here.

1. Paris is worth seeing, but France does not stop at Paris

I would never tell someone to skip Paris on their first trip to France. It is a beautiful city and there is so much to discover that you could easily spend several days there without getting bored. The famous monuments are part of the experience, but so are the neighbourhoods, museums, cafés and simply walking around. At the same time, I think it would be a shame to visit France and only see Paris.

Most international travellers I have met know the names of other French cities such as Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux. What they do not always do is venture beyond those larger cities, and that is where France becomes especially interesting to me. Normandy is the region I am most attached to because it is where I was born. I love its villages, countryside, pebble beaches, unpredictable weather and quieter atmosphere. Cherbourg and the surrounding areas feel completely different from Paris or the south of France. Not far away, the Baie de Somme offers another kind of landscape, with birds, seals, coastal villages and a lot of nature.

Then there is Provence, where I live now. Here you have lavender, the Luberon, traditional villages, access to Marseille and the Mediterranean, and the southern Alps not very far away. For travellers who enjoy hiking and quieter places, the Mercantour can also be a wonderful contrast to France's larger tourist destinations. Paris deserves time. So does the rest of France.

2. Distances still matter, even in a relatively small country

France might not look particularly large on a map, especially if you are coming from China, Canada, the United States or Australia, but travelling from one end of the country to the other still takes time. For example, travelling from Marseille to Paris by high speed train usually makes much more sense to me than driving. By train, the journey takes only a few hours. By car, you can easily spend most of the day on the road. During a holiday, I would rather not lose an entire day simply moving from one city to another unless the road trip itself is part of the experience.

That does not mean the car is useless. Quite the opposite. For some regions, having a car gives you much more freedom, especially if you want to visit smaller villages, countryside or natural areas that are not easily connected by train. The way I would plan it depends on the distance and the destination. For longer connections between major cities, I generally prefer the train. For exploring a particular region, a car can make much more sense. Another option is to turn a long journey into part of the trip. Instead of driving directly from Paris to the south in one day, you can stop along the way and spend a few days discovering somewhere you might otherwise have missed.

I also like building trips around a central base. If accommodation is well located, you can explore one area one day and travel in another direction the next without constantly changing hotels. Some regions naturally work well together too. Normandy and Brittany can make a beautiful combination, and the Baie de Somme can be added depending on the route and the amount of time available. The important thing is not to see how many places you can fit onto a map. It is to create a route that still leaves you enough time to enjoy them.

3. French meals have their own rhythm

One practical detail that can surprise visitors is that restaurants in France do not necessarily serve food all day. Lunch service is generally around late morning to early afternoon, while dinner usually begins in the evening. Many restaurants close between the two services. For me, this feels completely normal because I grew up with it. But if you come from somewhere where you can easily sit down for a full meal at any time of day, it is worth knowing before you arrive. There are more restaurants now that stay open throughout the afternoon, especially in tourist areas and larger cities, but I would not assume that this will always be the case.

Food is also much more than sitting down in a restaurant. Going to a market, stopping at a bakery in the morning, having coffee on a terrace, sharing an apéritif or enjoying a long Sunday lunch are all very normal parts of life here. Even something as simple as going to the bakery during the day for a baguette sandwich, or stopping on the way home to buy fresh bread, can feel like a very French experience when you are visiting for the first time. I would not tell every traveller that they absolutely have to do the same things. Everyone arrives with their own idea of what they want to experience. The point is to find the everyday moments that fit naturally into your trip.

4. A little French goes a long way

You do not need to speak French fluently to travel through France, but I do think making a small effort is appreciated. I personally always say hello when I enter a shop. It is something I do naturally, partly because of how I was raised and partly because it simply feels polite to me. So if I had to choose only three French words for a visitor to learn, they would be Bonjour, Merci and Au revoir.

The pronunciation does not need to be perfect. For me, seeing someone try to speak your language is already something positive. It shows an effort to connect rather than expecting everyone around you to adapt immediately.

I also think this is useful because some French interactions can probably feel a little more formal than what travellers are used to at home. When you grow up here, you do not necessarily notice these things because they are simply part of daily life. Travelling abroad made me realise that many small social habits that feel completely normal in one country can feel very different in another. You do not need to understand every cultural detail before you arrive. A little observation and willingness to adapt is usually enough.

5. See the icons, but leave room for everyday France

Some famous places are famous for a reason. The Mont Saint Michel is one of them. Even as someone who grew up in Normandy, I still think it is magnificent and absolutely worth seeing. It is one of those places where the setting is almost as impressive as the monument itself.

But the France I would want someone to discover is not limited to places like that. Villages such as Ansouis or Lourmarin in Provence can be just as memorable in a completely different way. There may not be a world famous monument waiting for you. Instead, you walk through a village, notice the architecture, sit somewhere for a drink and simply enjoy being there.

The Luberon is another example that is very personal to me. I can see it from my window every day, so it is part of my normal surroundings. That does not stop me from thinking it is beautiful. Sometimes travelling makes us think that something needs to be rare or famous to be worth seeing.

Living somewhere reminds you that this is not always true. A landscape, a bakery, a small museum, a quiet village or an hour sitting at a café can tell you just as much about a place as its biggest attraction.

Iconic France. Unexpected France. Your France.

6. Opening hours, public holidays and seasons can change your plans

One habit I have whenever I plan a day out is checking opening hours a few days beforehand. Then I usually check again on the morning itself. It sounds simple, but it avoids a lot of frustration. This is particularly important on public holidays or when visiting smaller attractions, restaurants and businesses that might have specific closing days.

Seasonality also makes a big difference in France. Living in Provence, I have seen summers become increasingly difficult because of the heat. July and August can be beautiful, but very high temperatures can completely change the way you experience a destination. Walking through a village or spending hours outside is simply different when it is extremely hot. Winter in the south, on the other hand, can be surprisingly pleasant. It is quieter and temperatures can still be relatively mild compared with other parts of France.

That does not mean there is one perfect season for the country. It means the destination and the kind of trip you want should influence when you come. Before any important day of sightseeing, I would check the opening hours, whether it is a public holiday, the weather forecast and whether anything needs to be reserved in advance. A few minutes of preparation can save an entire day.

7. France is better when you stop trying to see all of it

My approach in France is similar to the way I travel elsewhere. I rarely plan more than two or three important activities in one day. The rest of the time can be used to explore the area, walk through a neighbourhood, visit a village, stop somewhere for coffee or simply take a break. You do not necessarily need an entire empty day. Sometimes a few free hours are enough. If you are staying in a village, that time can be spent walking around without a specific destination. In a city, you might discover a museum you had not planned to visit or simply find a café you like.

France has an incredible variety of museums too. They are not all enormous institutions like the Louvre. There are museums dedicated to art, history, local industries, traditions, particular artists and subjects you might never have thought about before. I think those smaller discoveries can make a trip much richer. And sometimes the most French thing you can do is much simpler. Buy bread. Sit outside with a coffee. Stop for a beer in the late afternoon. Walk through a market. Spend longer over lunch than you originally planned.

You do not need to experience the whole country in one trip. What I would want someone to understand before leaving France is that the country is not defined by one city, one landscape or even one way of life. The France you experience in Normandy will not feel exactly like Provence. Marseille will not feel like a village in the Luberon. The coast, mountains and countryside each have their own rhythm. And that is part of what makes travelling here interesting. A good trip does not need to show you everything. It needs to give you enough time to understand the places you chose.

France beyond the postcard

You do not need to choose between seeing famous France and experiencing local France. You can visit Paris, see the Mont Saint Michel or spend time on the Mediterranean coast and still leave room for a bakery, a market, a quiet village or a few hours with absolutely nothing planned. For me, that balance is what makes a first trip feel much more personal.

Come for the places you have always wanted to see. Leave some space for the ones you did not know you would love.

Iconic France. Unexpected France. Your France.

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