France

Paris lives up to the hype. The City of Light delivers world-class museums, iconic architecture, and some of the best food on the planet. Each arrondissement has its own personality — the Marais for trendy boutiques, Saint-Germain for literary cafes, Montmartre for bohemian charm. The city is surprisingly walkable and the Metro makes everything else easy to reach.

France's oldest and most diverse city sits on the Mediterranean coast with the stunning Calanques national park at its doorstep. A gritty, authentic port city famous for bouillabaisse, the Vieux-Port, and the hilltop Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica.

France's gastronomic capital — Paul Bocuse's legacy, traditional bouchons in the UNESCO Vieux Lyon, and Les Halles covered market. Roman ruins at Fourvière, silk-weavers' traboules hidden through the buildings of Croix-Rousse, and the Fête des Lumières lighting the city in December. 2 hours TGV from Paris for half the prices.

French Riviera capital on the Bay of Angels — Promenade des Anglais along pebble beaches, Vieux Nice's socca and salade niçoise shops, Cours Saleya flower market, and Matisse and Chagall museums the artists themselves stocked. Monaco is 25 minutes away for €1.70. UNESCO winter resort town since 2021.