Top 7 interesting cities to visit in France

France is the most visited country in the world; over 83 million tourists come here every year! We offer you to go on an exciting journey through the cities of France, which will certainly surprise and amaze you: Lille – Mont Saint-Michel – Nantes – Toulouse – Montpellier – Avignon – Lyon. You can move between them by bus, high-speed or regular trains, airplanes. A trip from Avignon to Lyon by train costs € 25, while a bus ticket on the same route costs only € 9, but it takes an hour longer.

1. Lille

Photo by Geoffroy Hauwen

The city is located near Belgium and Luxembourg. For only € 5, you will arrive in Lille from Charleroi, Belgium. In Lille, you could visit the Palace of Fine Arts, which you can  admire from the outside. And inside you will appreciate the paintings of the famous Renoir, Rubens, Monet, and Rembrandt on the halls of the museum. Not less interesting event will be a visit to the house-museum of the hero of France Charles de Gaulle.

2. Mont-Saint-Michel

Photo by Alexandre Debiève

A unique place that has no analogs in the world. Among the plains is a monastery towering on a rock. But it is not only a monastery – it is a whole city with narrow streets, cafes and many beautiful places. A visit to Mont Saint-Michel is free, anyone can walk around the complex as much as they like, but you have to pay for visiting the sights. For example, entry to the abbey costs € 10.

3. Nantes

Photo by quentin

Another unique city of our route. Of course, the main advantage of Nantes will be well-preserved buildings of different eras, which are divided into quarters. Without exaggeration, you can travel through time, just walking through the city’s quarters: from medieval Dekre and Buffay of the 15th century to modern districts with post-war buildings of the 20th century.

4. Toulouse

Photo by Joanes Andueza

It is best to visit Toulouse from September to November or from March to May when there is comfortable weather. The city is very bright, extraordinary, you can feel the fusion of past and future. Toulouse is the center of astronautics and aviation of France. There is, perhaps, the best space museum in Europe. Dozens of cool exhibits will surely surprise you – there is even a copy of the legendary Soviet satellite sent to space in 1957. And in the aviation museum, you can take a tour of the Airbus A380 – another reason to visit Toulouse.

5. Montpellier

Photo source: www.portoalegre.travel

Montpellier is a very dynamic and youth city. Most of the attractions are located in its old part, which is separated by a pedestrian zone from other areas. There are many fountains, squares, museums. The most interesting is the Fabre Museum, where paintings by Rubens, Bruegel, Matisse, Manet, Renoir, and other great artists are kept. The advantage of Montpellier is the fact that the city is located a few dozen kilometers from the Mediterranean coast and several picturesque lakes.

6. Avignon

Photo by Patrick Boucher

This city is fascinating at first sight. Small in size, beautiful architecture, the weather is almost always good – many people like the city for these advantages. The center of Avignon is surrounded by high walls, which were built in the XIV century. You can get there through one of the eight gates that used to serve as portals to the city. The pride of Avignon is the Papal Palace – the main attraction of the city.

7. Lyon

Photo by Mike Benna

You must spend 2-3 days in Lyon because in one day it is impossible to visit all of its top attractions. The city captivates with its colorful quarters, which are very different from each other. There are two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, form the picturesque Presquil peninsula, which is one of the symbols of Lyon. The city is also the capital of a well-known organization – Interpol, therefore security is always at the highest level.