Ask LP: What's a good destination in France that offers an escape from the crowds?
4 min read • Jan 15, 2021
Beyond the châteaux of the Loire Valley are quiet towns and sleepy villages. John Walton reveals his favorite things to do in the region.
Travel Stories
France
- Pace yourself in the world’s booziest races
5 min read • Jan 13, 2021
If you enjoy a drink and want a fitness challenge, these six boozy marathons and races could tempt you to pull on your running shoes.
- From new museums to markets, here's why you should visit France in 2021
6 min read • Jan 11, 2021
From new destination museums and grassroots dining to exciting outdoor adventures, here are the best reasons to visit France in 2021.
- Dreaming of owning a home in the Mediterranean? Here's all you need to know
8 min read • Aug 25, 2020
Fancy a villa by the sea, or an apartment in a vibrant Mediterranean city? Here's what you need to know about buying property around the Med.
- Traveling right now is a personal choice: here's why I didn't go
4 min read • Jul 22, 2020
Lonely Planet journalist John Walton was considering an overnight trip to see family, but decided not to. Here's why.
- Here's what you need to know about safe travel in France
5 min read • Jun 15, 2020
As borders reopen, Lonely Planet looks at what safety measures travelers will see in France.
- Virtual Vacation: France
8 min read • May 13, 2020
Experience the sensory feast of France from your very own living room with these virtual travel experiences you can do at home.
- Driving in the footsteps of Napoleon in the south of France
13 min read • Jan 31, 2020
A legendary road follows the emperor’s last epic journey from the Côte d’Azur to the Alps, through landscapes that remain off the beaten track today.
- Top family-friendly ski trips in the French Alps
5 min read • Jan 5, 2020
Family skiing in the French Alps is possible on a budget – if you know where to look. Here’s three great resorts for those with young skiers in tow.
- Why you should pick Lille over Paris for your next city break
4 min read • Oct 3, 2019
Our writer reveals why he avoided the Paris crowds and headed instead for the handsome architecture, great food and fabulous art museums of Lille.
- Spending diary: what I spent in 24 hours in Lyon
4 min read • Sep 9, 2019
The city of Lyon is known for its picturesque old town and its fantastic food. Here's how much I spent on a day and night in Lyon.
- Best places to see burlesque around the world
4 min read • Aug 1, 2019
Glamour, glitz, theater, comedy, body positivity, freedom of expression and striptease – what’s not to love? The art of burlesque first came onto the…
- The natural way: why nude vacations are taking off
4 min read • Jul 12, 2019
When you think you've seen and done it all and things just can’t get any better, what are you supposed to do? You do 'it' (whatever 'it' might be) in the…
- Food, flowers and antiques: a guide to markets in Paris
6 min read • Jul 1, 2019
Paris' multitude of markets plunge visitors into the heart of shopping in the French capital. Bustling street markets and rues commerçantes are piled high…
- What to do in Lille: three days in a creative city
6 min read • Jun 14, 2019
Just an hour north of Paris by high-speed train, and with fast, direct rail links to London and Brussels, Lille makes an accessible, eco-friendly city…
- D-Day: how to explore the Normandy beaches on the 75th anniversary
6 min read • Jun 4, 2019
6 June marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day beach landings, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Early on the morning of 6 June 1944, swarms of…
- Beyond the D-Day Beaches: Normandy’s essential WWII sights
6 min read • Jun 4, 2019
The largest seaborne invasion ever seen was launched from choppy waters onto the wind-whipped shores of German-held Normandy in the early hours of 6 June…
- 'Suffocating' Louvre is struggling with overcrowding: try these Paris museums instead
3 min read • Jun 2, 2019
Home to awe-inspiring masterpieces (the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo) the Louvre is the world's most popular museum but lately it's beginning to suffer…
- Women’s World Cup: what to do in France’s host cities
4 min read • May 31, 2019
The Women’s World Cup is being held in France from 7 June to 7 July this year, and football fans from around the world are expected to fill stadiums, bars…
- How to do a long weekend in France's Tarn region
3 min read • May 28, 2019
Tom Stainer, Digital Editor at Lonely Planet, recently returned from a trip to the Tarn region of France. Here's how to make the most of this beautiful,…
- The da Vinci road: a tour through the life of Leonardo
7 min read • Apr 12, 2019
Few geniuses have left as powerful an imprint on art, science and popular culture as Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). Paintings like the Mona Lisa and The…
- Rhapsody in bleu: a history of jazz in Paris
6 min read • Mar 25, 2019
Jazz music has infused Paris since the Great War. Building on the genre’s rich, politically influential and often serendipitous history, an evocative jazz…