Regions

The country's leading market by a wide margin. A hotel region rather than a camping one: 81% of overnight stays are in hotels. Business demand has fallen for a second consecutive year, shifting the mix towards leisure.

Seasonality

Year-round, peak May–Sep

Hotel stock

125 properties, 13 of them Palace, 8 571 keys recorded

Airports

Paris–Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris–Orly (ORY)

Access

Two airports and every high-speed line converge here. Any region is within a day return, except Corsica and the far south.

Key destinations

Paris, Château de Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Fontainebleau, Provins, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Auvers-sur-Oise, Provins, Barbizon, Rambouillet, Saint-Denis, basilique, Vallée de Chevreuse

Festivals

Salon de l'Agriculture (Feb), Marathon de Paris (Apr), Roland-Garros (May), Rock en Seine (Aug), Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre (Oct), Paris Fashion Week (Mar), Foire de Paris (Apr), Solidays (Jun), Lollapalooza Paris (Jul), Fête de l'Humanité (Sep), Nuit Blanche (Jun)

Starred tables

Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen ★★★, Arpège ★★★, Kei ★★★, Le Cinq ★★★, Le Pré Catelan ★★★, Pierre Gagnaire ★★★, Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris ★★★, Épicure ★★★, Guy Savoy ★★, L'Abysse au Pavillon Ledoyen ★★, L'Ambroisie ★★, La Scène ★★, Le Clarence ★★, Le Gabriel ★★, Le Grand Restaurant ★★, Le Meurice Alain Ducasse ★★, Le Taillevent ★★

Twin seasonality: Alpine winter and a lake-and-mountain summer. This is where France's mountain luxury sits — Courchevel, Megève, Val d'Isère.

Seasonality

Two peaks: Dec–Mar and Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

96 properties, 7 of them Palace, 2 969 keys recorded

Airports

Genève–Cointrin (GVA), Lyon–Saint-Exupéry (LYS), Clermont-Ferrand–Auvergne (CFE), Chambéry–Savoie (CMF), Grenoble–Alpes–Isère (GNB)

Access

Lyon is the regional hub, but the Alpine resorts are more often reached via Geneva — it is closer to Courchevel than Lyon is. Chambéry and Grenoble open up in winter and go quiet in summer. Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice are the rail terminals for resort transfers.

Key destinations

Lyon, Annecy, Chamonix–Mont-Blanc, Courchevel, Val d'Isère, Megève, Chaîne des Puys, Gorges de l'Ardèche, Vienne, Le Puy-en-Velay, Clermont-Ferrand, Vichy, Aix-les-Bains, Grenoble

Festivals

Nuits de Fourvière (Jul), Fête des Lumières (Dec), Les Nuits Sonores (May), Musilac (Jul), Biennale de Lyon (Sep), Festival Lumière (Oct)

Starred tables

Flocons de Sel ★★★, Georges Blanc ★★★, Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc ★★★, Le Clos des Sens ★★★, Les Morainières ★★★, Maison Pic ★★★, Maison Troisgros ★★★, Régis et Jacques Marcon ★★★, La Bouitte ★★, Le Montgomerie ★★, Le Neuvième Art ★★, Paul Bocuse ★★, Sarkara ★★, Takao Takano ★★

France's leading camping region with 30.3m stays. Hotel volume grows on international demand alone. The 4–5-star segment added 12.7% over three years — the market is moving upmarket.

Seasonality

June–September, peak Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

37 properties, 2 of them Palace, 1 179 keys recorded

Airports

Bordeaux–Mérignac (BOD), Biarritz–Pays Basque (BIQ), Pau–Pyrénées (PUF), La Rochelle–Île de Ré (LRH), Limoges–Bellegarde (LIG)

Access

Bordeaux is two hours from Paris by TGV, which puts the region within weekend reach — unusual for the south-west. Biarritz takes direct European flights in summer.

Key destinations

Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, Biarritz, Dune du Pilat / Arcachon, Sarlat & Dordogne, Lascaux, La Rochelle & Île de Ré, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Cognac, Futuroscope, Périgueux, Bergerac, Angoulême, Poitiers

Festivals

Festival International de la BD (Jan), Francofolies (Jul), Fête du Piment (Oct), Bordeaux Fête le Vin (Jun), Garorock (Jun), Fêtes de Bayonne (Jul), Feria de Dax (Aug)

Starred tables

Les Prés d'Eugénie – Michel Guérard ★★★, Christopher Coutanceau ★★, La Grand'Vigne ★★

The leading luxury market after Paris. Growth is driven by the top end: 4–5-star hotels gained 7% in a year while unclassified stock declined.

Seasonality

April–October, peak Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

106 properties, 9 of them Palace, 4 619 keys recorded

Airports

Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), Marseille Provence (MRS), Toulon–Hyères (TLN)

Access

Nice is the country's second airport and the gateway to the Riviera; Marseille serves Provence. The TGV to Nice takes nearly six hours, so the far south sells by air rather than rail.

Key destinations

Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Avignon, Marseille & Calanques, Gorges du Verdon, Gordes & Luberon, Aix-en-Provence, Èze, Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence, Antibes, Grasse, Menton

Festivals

Fête du Citron (Feb), Carnaval de Nice (Feb), Féria de Pâques (Apr), Festival de Cannes (May), Festival d'Aix-en-Provence (Jul), Festival d'Avignon (Jul), Jazz à Juan (Jul), Chorégies d'Orange (Jul), Rencontres de la Photographie (Jul), Festival de Menton (Aug), Nice Jazz Festival (Jul), Festival Off d'Avignon (Jul), Festival de Ramatuelle (Aug), Fiesta des Suds (Oct)

Starred tables

AM par Alexandre Mazzia ★★★, L'Oustau de Baumanière ★★★, La Table du Castellet ★★★, La Vague d'Or – Cheval Blanc St-Tropez ★★★, La Villa Madie ★★★, Le Petit Nice ★★★, Mirazur ★★★, La Palme d'Or ★★

The second camping region with 29.6m stays. Mediterranean coast plus the Pyrenees and heritage — Carcassonne, Pont du Gard.

Seasonality

June–September

Hotel stock

30 properties, 327 keys recorded

Airports

Toulouse–Blagnac (TLS), Montpellier–Méditerranée (MPL), Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées (LDE), Perpignan–Rivesaltes (PGF), Nîmes–Alès–Camargue (FNI)

Access

Toulouse and Montpellier split the region between them. Ground distances are long — roughly three hours from Toulouse to the coast, which has to be built into itineraries.

Key destinations

Carcassonne, Toulouse, Pont du Gard & Nîmes, Collioure, Lourdes, Cirque de Gavarnie, Albi, Montpellier, Canal du Midi, Rocamadour, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Conques, Millau et son viaduc, Sète

Festivals

Festival de Carcassonne (Jul), Carnaval de Limoux (Jan), Feria de Nîmes (May), Jazz in Marciac (Jul)

Starred tables

Auberge du Vieux Puits ★★★

One of the fastest-growing coastal regions. Demand is largely domestic and the international share is low — both a risk and an open niche.

Seasonality

June–September

Hotel stock

10 properties, 727 keys recorded

Airports

Brest–Bretagne (BES), Rennes–Saint-Jacques (RNS)

Access

Rennes is ninety minutes from Paris — the closest coastal point in the country by time. The far west, Brest and Quimper, is already three and a half hours.

Key destinations

Saint-Malo, Carnac, Pointe du Raz, Belle-Île-en-Mer, Dinan, Quimper, Golfe du Morbihan, Côte de Granit Rose, Concarneau, Cancale, Forêt de Brocéliande, Île de Bréhat, Locronan, Vannes

Festivals

Les Vieilles Charrues (Jul), Festival Interceltique (Aug), Fête des Brodeuses (Jul)

Starred tables

Le Coquillage ★★★

Atlantic coast plus strong event pull: Puy du Fou and the Le Mans 24 Hours fill rooms outside the general season.

Seasonality

May–September

Hotel stock

8 properties, 425 keys recorded

Airports

Nantes Atlantique (NTE)

Access

Nantes is the only major airport in the west. The coast is under an hour away, which makes the region convenient for short stays.

Key destinations

Nantes, Puy du Fou, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Île de Noirmoutier, Angers, Le Mans, Île d'Yeu, Saumur, Fontevraud, La Baule, Guérande, Le Croisic, Saint-Nazaire

Festivals

24 Heures du Mans (Jun), Hellfest (Jun), Festival d'Anjou (Jun), Cinéscénie du Puy du Fou (Jul)

Starred tables

La Marine ★★★

The only region with a genuine winter city peak: the Christmas markets of Strasbourg and Colmar. Champagne is a separate luxury cluster.

Seasonality

May–September and December

Hotel stock

23 properties, 1 of them Palace, 984 keys recorded

Airports

Bâle–Mulhouse (BSL), Strasbourg–Entzheim (SXB), Metz–Nancy–Lorraine (ETZ)

Access

Strasbourg is 1 h 46 from Paris and Reims just 45 minutes — by travel time Champagne is effectively a suburb of the capital. Basel-Mulhouse serves southern Alsace as an international gateway.

Key destinations

Strasbourg, Colmar & Route des Vins, Reims & Épernay, Metz, Nancy, Verdun, Riquewihr & Eguisheim, Troyes, Mulhouse, Route des Crêtes, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Épernay, avenue de Champagne, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Vittel et Contrexéville

Festivals

Foire aux Vins d'Alsace (Oct), Marché de Noël (Dec), Marché de Noël (Dec), Le Cabaret Vert (Aug), Marché de Noël (Dec), Marché de Noël (Dec)

Starred tables

L'Assiette Champenoise ★★★, L'Auberge de l'Ill ★★, La Table d'Olivier Nasti ★★, Le Parc ★★, Villa René Lalique ★★

Second-fastest growth after Île-de-France. Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day beaches and Deauville are three distinct demand types in one region.

Seasonality

April–September

Hotel stock

13 properties, 745 keys recorded

Airports

Caen–Carpiquet (CFR), Deauville–Normandie (DOL)

Access

The region is the closest to Paris by road, and that is its main asset: Deauville and Honfleur run on weekend traffic from the capital. There are no major airports of its own.

Key destinations

Mont-Saint-Michel, Étretat, Honfleur, Deauville, Plages du Débarquement, Giverny, Rouen, Bayeux, Cabourg, Cherbourg, Suisse Normande, Falaises de la Côte d'Albâtre, Le Havre

Festivals

Carnaval de Granville (Feb), Festival du Film Américain (Sep)

A third of stays are international, mainly British, Belgian and Dutch. A region of short stays and cross-border traffic.

Seasonality

May–September

Hotel stock

9 properties, 618 keys recorded

Airports

Paris–Beauvais (BVA), Lille–Lesquin (LIL)

Access

An hour from Paris and ninety minutes from London by Eurostar. A cross-border traffic region; Beauvais handles low-cost flows into the capital.

Key destinations

Lille, Baie de Somme, Chantilly, Le Touquet, Amiens, Côte d'Opale, Arras, Château de Chantilly, Cap Blanc-Nez et Cap Gris-Nez, Vieux-Lille, Compiègne, Roubaix, La Piscine

Festivals

Carnaval de Dunkerque (Jan), Braderie de Lille (Sep)

High-spend wine tourism on modest overall volume. The Hospices de Beaune auction in November is the segment's event of the year.

Seasonality

May–October

Hotel stock

17 properties, 403 keys recorded

Airports

Dijon–Bourgogne (DIJ)

Access

Dijon is ninety minutes from Paris, Beaune a short drive on. The wine route is almost entirely a driving product, which sets the format: a rental car is mandatory.

Key destinations

Beaune & Route des Grands Crus, Dijon, Vézelay, Besançon, Arbois & Jura, Abbaye de Fontenay, Cluny, Nevers, Chablis, Autun, Salins-les-Bains, Cascades du Hérisson, Belfort

Festivals

Les Eurockéennes (Jul), Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune (Nov), Foire Internationale et Gastronomique (Nov), Trois Glorieuses (Nov)

Starred tables

Maison Lameloise ★★★, La Côte Saint-Jacques ★★, Le Relais Bernard Loiseau ★★

The sharpest seasonality in France. High average rate, limited room stock, access by ferry and the island's airports.

Seasonality

May–September; much closed off-season

Hotel stock

27 properties, 507 keys recorded

Airports

Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte (AJA), Bastia–Poretta (BIA), Figari–Sud Corse (FSC), Calvi–Sainte-Catherine (CLY)

Access

An island: three airports plus ferries from Marseille, Toulon and Nice. Almost everything closes in winter and capacity is stretched in summer — book well ahead.

Key destinations

Bonifacio, Ajaccio, Calvi, Réserve de Scandola, Porto-Vecchio, GR20 / Bavella, Corte, Bastia, L'Île-Rousse, Piana et calanques, Saint-Florent, Vallée de la Restonica

A single product: the Loire châteaux. It sustains steady sightseeing volume and the densest concentration of château-hotels in France.

Seasonality

April–October

Hotel stock

14 properties, 346 keys recorded

Airports

Tours–Val de Loire (TUF)

Access

Tours is 70 minutes from Paris; beyond that the châteaux require a car. The standard format is rail to Tours, then a rental on arrival.

Key destinations

Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise & Clos Lucé, Tours, Chartres, Bourges, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Orléans, Blois, Cheverny, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Loches, Vallée du Cher

Festivals

Printemps de Bourges (Apr)