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.

Best season

Year-round, peak May–Sep

Hotel stock

125 · 13 Palace · 8,616 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Disneyland Park (10,214,000), Cathédrale Notre-Dame (9,000,000), Musée du Louvre (8,681,079), Château de Versailles (8,358,074), Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (8,000,000), Tour Eiffel (6,750,000)

Long-distance coach stations

Paris Bercy-Seine (5,400,000), Paris La Défense (600,000)

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 Gabriel ★★★, Le Pré Catelan ★★★, Pierre Gagnaire ★★★, Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris ★★★, Épicure ★★★, Guy Savoy ★★, L'Abysse au Pavillon Ledoyen ★★, L'Ambroisie ★★, La Scène ★★, Le Clarence ★★, 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.

Best season

Two peaks: Dec–Mar and Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

96 · 7 Palace · 2,969 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Le Pal (730,000), Musée des Confluences (708,965), Walibi Rhône-Alpes (667,000), Téléphérique du Brévent (648,280), Aiguille du Midi (645,600), Montenvers – Mer de Glace (525,540)

Long-distance coach stations

Lyon Perrache (2,700,000), Grenoble (1,300,000)

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 camping stays. Hotel volume grows on international demand alone, and the market is moving upmarket.

Best season

June–September, peak Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

37 · 2 Palace · 1,179 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Dune du Pilat (2,000,000), Futuroscope (1,900,000), Aquarium de La Rochelle (800,000), Zoo de La Palmyre (600,000), La Cité du Vin (400,000)

Port

Bordeaux

Beach clubs

Blue Cargo

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.

Best season

April–October, peak Jul–Aug

Hotel stock

106 · 9 Palace · 4,619 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Palais des Papes (600,000), MUCEM (428,194)

Long-distance coach stations

Marseille Saint-Charles (1,500,000), Nice Aéroport (300,000)

Port

Marseille, Cannes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Toulon, Nice

Beach clubs

Beach Les Pêcheurs, Plage Belles Rives, La Guérite, La Plage du Martinez, Carlton Beach Club, Bijou Plage, Plage Croisette Beach, Vilebrequin La Plage

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.

Best season

June–September

Hotel stock

30 · 346 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Musées et sites de Toulouse (3,130,000), Sanctuaire de Lourdes (3,000,000), Pont du Gard (1,500,000), Château et remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne (643,882), Gouffre de Padirac (532,045), Cité de l'Espace (400,000)

Long-distance coach stations

Toulouse Matabiau (1,100,000), Montpellier Sabines (800,000)

Port

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.

Best season

June–September

Hotel stock

10 · 727 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Océanopolis (400,000)

Port

Saint-Malo

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.

Best season

May–September

Hotel stock

8 · 424 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Puy du Fou (2,600,000), Musées d'Angers (276,005)

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.

Best season

May–September and December

Hotel stock

23 · 1 Palace · 984 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Nigloland (710,000), Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (596,709), Musée national de l'Automobile (278,450)

Festivals

Foire aux Vins d'Alsace (Oct), Marché de Noël de Strasbourg (Dec), Marché de Noël de Colmar (Dec), Le Cabaret Vert (Aug), Marché de Noël de Reims (Dec), Marché de Noël de Metz (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.

Best season

April–September

Hotel stock

13 · 867 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen (2,097,900), Cimetière américain d'Omaha Beach (1,978,400), Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel (1,627,042), Maison et jardins de Claude Monet (920,000), Aître Saint-Maclou (713,200), Basilique Sainte-Thérèse (600,000)

Port

Cherbourg, 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.

Best season

May–September

Hotel stock

9 · 618 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

Parc Astérix (2,300,000), Nausicaá (916,000), Château de Chantilly (476,000)

Long-distance coach stations

Lille Europe (1,000,000)

Port

Calais, Dunkerque

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.

Best season

May–October

Hotel stock

17 · 403 keys

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.

Destination

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.

Best season

May–September; much closed off-season

Hotel stock

27 · 507 keys

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.

Destination

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

Port

Bastia, Ajaccio

Beach clubs

Tamaricciu

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

Best season

April–October

Hotel stock

14 · 346 keys

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.

Destination

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

Attractions on file

ZooParc de Beauval (2,000,000), Domaine national de Chambord (1,148,509), Château de Chenonceau (800,000), Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire (537,938)

Festivals

Printemps de Bourges (Apr)