With medieval roots and a huge student population, Montpellier manages something pretty unique: An almost perfect balance between the past and the present. One moment you can be strolling the impressive center, past the mighty La Place Royale du Peyrou and the onetime mansions of rich Renaissance merchants. The next, you’ll be singing karaoke and … Read more
Toulouse is the metropolitan hub of southwestern France. Although it’s wedged between the rustic hills of the Haute Garonne, the lavender fields of Occitanie, and the wiggling Garonne River, it’s a fun-filled, cutting-edge place. Yep, students fuel late-night parties in the wine bars and clubs, while arguably France’s best rugby team get the crowds roaring … Read more
Strasbourg has that tempting Alsatian blend of Germanic culture and French pizzazz. The capital of the region, it hosts some of the most important EU institutions of all, from the European Court of Human Rights to the Council of Europe. They bring life and energy to the town, which might otherwise have been a kitschy … Read more
Draped over the hills around the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, Lyon gazes east to the snow-capped French Alps with its proud historical monuments and edgy inner districts. Founded by the Romans and made rich by medieval bankers and traders, it’s one of the coolest spots in all of France. One moment you’ll … Read more
Amsterdam to Paris is a route followed by thousands of travelers every year. Backpackers, business folk, city hoppers – you name it, they’re on the hunt for ways to move from the 16th-century canal rings of flower-strewn Holland to the rich art collections and romantic wine bars of the French capital. If you’re among them, … Read more
Travel between two of the great romantic, artistic, and historical cities of Europe by making the hop from France’s captial to Italy’s. It’s a move that’ll see you trade a skyline dominated by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur with the seven hills of Rome, topped by the silhouette of St Peter’s Basilica and … Read more
Paris and Brussels are next-door neighbours. They’re separated by just the poppy-spotted Flanders Fields and the winding rivers of the wooded Ardennes forest, across 160 miles of Northern Europe. All sorts of travelers make the hop from one to the other, with business commuters mingling with budget backpackers on the trains, planes, and automobiles that … Read more
Grab a marker and get ready to strike two lines from your bucket list: Paris and Barcelona await on this cross-Iberian odyssey. Among the greatest cities on the planet, they beckon with a Flamenco twirl of tapas, wine and top-notch sites, ranging from the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower to the haunting spires of … Read more
Paris to Nice is a journey from buzzing metropolis to chic riviera. One has the spires of the Eiffel Tower and the romantic cafes of Montmartre. The other is about sunning yourself on the Cote d’Azur, between pebble beaches and pine-topped hills. No wonder, then, that so many travelers try to do the trip each … Read more
Bordeaux is a sublime showcasing of French grandeur and elegance. Manicured parks and plazas of perfect symmetry combine in its UNESCO-tagged center to produce somewhere that looks good in any light, any weather. There are palaces and ancient abbeys and even Roman ruins to pique the interest. Then you get onto the gastronomy. In a … Read more
On a city-hopping tour of France, both Paris and Lyon are musts. Going from the first to the second means going from the iconic Eiffel Tower and the romantic cobbled streets of Montmartre to the historic capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. There, you’ll be able to wander shadowy alcoves and alleys in the atmospheric Vieux … Read more
Loads of travelers each year plan to make the hop straight from Paris to Berlin. The reason? It’s a jaunt that will let you take in two of Europe’s – nay, the world’s! – most awesome capitals. You’ll start by wandering the Louvre in search of the Mona Lisa and finish with glimpses of the … Read more
Paris and Milan have a lot in common. They are both fashion hubs, with a reputation for haute couture and beautiful people. They both sport grand architecture and buildings, whether that means the Gothic spires of Notre-Dame or the handsome turrets of the magnificent Milano Duomo. Each has its own unique cuisine, including saffron-scented risottos … Read more
With more than 3,000 years of trading history to its back and a story that includes everyone from the Romans to the Phoenician Greeks to Napoleon’s imperial armies, Marseille is one enthralling French metropolis. The grit and energy of the Vieux Port belies the A-list grandeur of the Cote d’Azur, but comes with other pleasures … Read more