Travelling through France: nuance, character, and unexpected pleasures

France intrigues, fascinates, and sometimes exasperates.

The small villages, the cheeses, the changing landscapes, the terraces, the art of living… and that grumbling charm that irritates as much as it endears.

It’s a country with character, with its own codes, its own pace, and a very particular way of welcoming people.

I was born here. I grew up, worked, and lived here before leaving for a long time. And it’s exactly that slightly shifted perspective, between rootedness and rediscovery, that I now share with those who want to feel France, not just pass through it.

What the guides don’t tell you

In France, everyone has an opinion. And no one ever fully agrees.

It’s a country where timetables are flexible, where voices rise over an overbaked baguette, and where the best part of a trip might be a lunch that lingers, a detour you hadn’t planned, or a conversation at a terrace.

Every region has its own habits, its nuances, its logic.

Trying to see it all at once can make the whole experience feel rushed, blurry, or frustrating.

You have to choose, slow down, and most of all: observe.

A little personal story

It was after coming back to France, after several years overseas, that I truly rediscovered its subtleties. A waitress was having a friendly whinge, while just nearby, two retirees were bickering over the price of olives. No one was in a rush. It was a bit chaotic, and it felt just right. Maybe it was the sun, the smells, or the upside-down jet lag of being back. But suddenly, everything hit me: the voices, the rhythm, the freedom people have here to just be who they are. It wasn’t anything extraordinary. But somehow, it was all there.

Three ways to travel through France, without missing the point.

The true richness of France lies in its contrasts, its detours, and its atmosphere.

1) Exploring France in all its diversity

This one's for those who can’t sit still. Every stop reveals a different side of the country, a buzzing city, a quiet town, a nature escape, a hidden gem off the main road. For example: Marseille – Calanques – Luberon – Camargue, or Toulouse – Carcassonne – Biarritz – Bordeaux.

2) Following a thread

Instead of ticking off places on a list, you can build your trip around a theme that actually resonates with you, like hiking, culture, food, wine, or wellness…

3) Going deep into one region

Rather than skimming over everything, you pick one region, and take your time.

For example:

– The Pyrénées-Orientales: hilltop villages, colourful markets, strong local traditions

– The French Riviera: stunning beaches, art festivals, and that laid-back Mediterranean rhythm

A few balanced itinerary ideas

Two weeks in the South-West

• Toulouse – Aveyron – Aubrac: a grounded itinerary rooted in warmth, scenery and soul.

Start in Toulouse, the "pink city", with its lively laneways, brick façades, buzzing terraces, and a kind of urban authenticity you won’t find anywhere else.

Continue through Aveyron with bastides, farmers’ markets, cheeses, deep gorges, hiking trails, and hilltop villages.

Then head up into Aubrac, a vast, open plateau where nature takes over, and where you might cross paths with pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela.

A generous, vibrant journey. Deeply human.

Three weeks of food, wine, and regional flavour

• A gourmet journey to discover France through what it grows, cooks, and shares, it’s most vibrant, living culture.

Start in Lyon, proudly known as the capital of French gastronomy, where tradition and know-how run deep. Then head to the Drôme and Ardèche: olive oil, picodon cheese, colourful markets, small natural winemakers, and passionate truffle hunters, sometimes it’s the producers themselves who’ll take you truffle hunting before you taste it that same evening.

Continue south to Marseille, for a bold, sun-drenched Mediterranean cuisine.

And end in Bordeaux, wine capital of France, to savour the region’s best grands crus.

Each stop reveals a new side of France.

More than a journey, it’s a travelling feast, full of bold flavours, generous landscapes, and genuine encounters.

Five weeks through France’s contrasts

• An itinerary to experience the many faces of the country: culture, nature, heritage, coastline, mountains, and food.

Start in Paris, for its cultural buzz, museums, and character-filled neighbourhoods.

Take a light-hearted break at Disneyland, then head down to the Loire Valley, where elegance, history and gentle landscapes blend beautifully.

Continue west to Brittany for its wild coastline, crêpes, and old legends, then follow the shore through Normandy and its D-Day beaches. Travel south to the Basque Country, where strong traditions, bold architecture, and Atlantic surf set the tone.

Swing through Toulouse, warm and welcoming, before heading to Marseille, raw, sun-drenched, and full of Mediterranean attitude.

Finish in Grenoble and the surrounding Alps, to breathe deep, hike high, and wrap the journey on a mountain note.

In short

Travelling through France isn’t about seeing everything. It’s about choosing what you truly want to experience, diving into a country that refuses to be reduced to a single image and making every stop a meaningful one.