Read France as regions such as Paris, Provence, Loire Valley, not as a pin.
Paris-Versailles-Loire is the spine.
Regions
- Paris — Paris is stop 1 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Provence — Provence is stop 2 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Loire Valley — Loire Valley is stop 3 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Normandy — Normandy is stop 4 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Lyon — Lyon is stop 5 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- French Alps — French Alps is stop 6 in a France map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
Routes
- Paris-Versailles-Loire — Paris-Versailles-Loire — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Lyon-Provence-Cote d Azur — Lyon-Provence-Cote d Azur — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Paris-Normandy-Mont-Saint-Michel — Paris-Normandy-Mont-Saint-Michel — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Geneva-Chamonix — Geneva-Chamonix — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
Icons
- Paris — Why Paris photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Provence — Why Provence photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Loire Valley — Why Loire Valley photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Normandy — Why Normandy photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Lyon — Why Lyon photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
Pairings
- Slow pair — Pair Paris with Provence; drop a third stop before you add one.
- Weather pair — Do not force a wet coast and a dry highland into the same week.
- Honeymoon pair — Two city nights plus three quiet nights recover better than a trophy circuit.
Dropping the third city is usually a gain.
When to goPlacesHow to travelCultureCostHoneymoon notesToday