# The 19 Best Places to Visit in France Outside Paris

> Fortified hilltops, Alpine lakes, Atlantic ports and half-timbered lanes, from the crowd favorites to the quieter finds. Which one gets your vote?

*By YPB Team · Published September 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-19-best-places-to-visit-in-france-outside-paris*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Carcassonne** — score 1000/1000
   Double-walled medieval fortress city in the Aude with more than 50 towers.
2. **Mont-Saint-Michel** — score 953/1000
   Tidal island abbey off Normandy, one of the most visited sites in France.
3. **Gordes** — score 741/1000
   Hilltop village of the Luberon in Provence, among the most beautiful villages of France.
4. **Biarritz** — score 661/1000
   Basque Coast resort town with a surf beach and Belle Époque villas.
5. **Chamonix** — score 661/1000
   Alpine resort beneath Mont Blanc, the base for hiking and skiing.
6. **Sarlat-la-Canéda** — score 529/1000
   Well-preserved medieval town in the Dordogne known for its market.
7. **Strasbourg** — score 529/1000
   Alsatian capital with a canal-ringed old town and a Gothic cathedral.
8. **Cordes-sur-Ciel** — score 529/1000
   Hilltop bastide in the Tarn, often wreathed in morning mist.
9. **Loire Valley** — score 448/1000
   River region of Renaissance châteaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau.
10. **Rocamadour** — score 448/1000
   Cliffside pilgrimage village in the Lot stacked up a limestone gorge.
11. **Nice** — score 448/1000
   Riviera city with a pebble beach, the Promenade des Anglais and a colorful old town.
12. **Annecy** — score 448/1000
   Alpine lake town with a canal-laced old quarter beneath the mountains.
13. **Étretat** — score 353/1000
   Normandy seaside village famed for its white chalk cliffs and arches.
14. **Bordeaux** — score 353/1000
   Port city on the Garonne and gateway to the world's best-known wine region.
15. **Lyon** — score 353/1000
   France's gastronomic capital, with Roman ruins and traboules.
16. **Colmar** — score 353/1000
   Half-timbered Alsatian town of pastel houses and canals.
17. **Avignon** — score 241/1000
   Walled papal city on the Rhône with a palace and a broken bridge.
18. **Saint-Malo** — score 0/1000
   Walled corsair port in Brittany with tidal beaches and ramparts.
19. **Albi** — score 0/1000
   Red-brick city on the Tarn with a fortress-like cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec museum.

Tags: europe, travel, france, destinations