23 days in France Itinerary
Created using Inspirock France travel route planner
Start: Sydney
Fly to Zurich, Train to Colmar
1
Colmar
— 3 nights
Fly
2
Lyon
— 3 nights
Fly
3
Marseille
— 3 nights
Fly
4
Albi
— 1 night
Fly
5
Bayeux
— 3 nights
Drive
6
Nantes
— 4 nights
Fly
7
Reims
— 4 nights
Fly
End: Sydney
Thu, Dec 15 - Fri, Jan 6
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Colmar — 3 nights
©
Little Venice
Situated along the Alsatian Wine Route, Colmar is renowned for its German and French culture, well-preserved old town, numerous architectural landmarks, and its museums.Get some historical perspective at Vieille ville d'Eguisheim and Sanctuaire du Mont Sainte Odile. Satisfy your inner culture vulture at Eglise St-Martin and Musée d'Unterlinden. Get out of town with these interesting Colmar side-trips: Eglise Protestante (in Mittelbergheim), Ancien camp de concentration de Natzweiler-Struthof (in Natzwiller) and Orschwiller (Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg & Eglise Saint-Maurice). There's still lots to do: make a trip to Vieille Ville, admire the striking features of Maison Pfister, pause for some serene contemplation at Eglise Saint-Nicolas, and look for gifts at Mn Cristal Creation.
Plan a Colmar trip in moments using our itinerary builder.
Sydney, Australia to Colmar is an approximately 26.5-hour combination of flight and train. You can also fly; or do a combination of flight, shuttle, and train. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 9 hours traveling from Sydney to Colmar. Traveling from Sydney in December, things will get much colder in Colmar: highs are around 9°C and lows about 1°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 18th (Sun) so you can fly to Lyon.
Side Trips
Find places to stay Dec 15 — 18:
Highlights from your trip
Lyon — 3 nights
©
Culinary Capital of France
Lyon is a historical city with a vibrant cultural scene as the birthplace of cinema, the silk capital of the globe, and the second biggest Renaissance city following Venice.Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Bochard Chocolatier and Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. Do some cultural sightseeing at Théâtre gallo-romain and Musee Miniature et Cinema. Get out of town with these interesting Lyon side-trips: Grenoble (Room Escape Games & Musee de Grenoble). Next up on the itinerary: appreciate the extensive heritage of Colline de Fourviere, admire the landmark architecture of Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon, make a trip to Traboules du Vieux Lyon, and find something for the whole family at Mini World Lyon.
To find maps, where to stay, reviews, and more tourist information, read Lyon trip itinerary planner.
Traveling by flight from Colmar to Lyon takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. December in Lyon sees daily highs of 9°C and lows of 1°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 21st (Wed) so you can fly to Marseille.
Side Trips
Find places to stay Dec 18 — 21:
Highlights from your trip
Marseille — 3 nights
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Gateway to Provence
The 2013 European "Capital of Culture," Marseille is the largest port city on the breezy Mediterranean coast and the second largest city in France.Get some cultural insight at Palais Longchamp and Cathédrale La Major. You'll explore the less-touristy side of things at Vallon des Auffes and Cours Mirabeau. You'll find plenty of places to visit near Marseille: Aix-en-Provence (Hotel de Caumont - Art Centre & Vieil Aix), Les Baux de Provence (Musee des Santons & Chateau des Baux de Provence) and Amphitheatre (les Arenes) (in Arles). It doesn't end there: test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms and wander the streets of The Panier.
To find more things to do, where to stay, other places to visit, and other tourist information, go to the Marseille trip itinerary builder site.
Traveling by flight from Lyon to Marseille takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. Traveling from Lyon in December, expect Marseille to be a bit warmer, temps between 15°C and 5°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 24th (Sat) so you can fly to Albi.
Side Trips
Find places to stay Dec 21 — 24:
Highlights from your trip
Albi — 1 night
©
Albi is a commune in southern France. On the 25th (Sun), admire the natural beauty at Les Jardins de la Berbie, admire the masterpieces at Musee Toulouse-Lautrec, then pause for some serene contemplation at Cathedrale Sainte-Cecile, and finally pick up some local products at The Market Hall.
For where to stay, reviews, photos, and other tourist information, refer to the Albi trip website.
Traveling by flight from Marseille to Albi takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a train. Expect little chillier temperatures when traveling from Marseille in December; daily highs in Albi reach 11°C and lows reach 1°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 25th (Sun) early enough to catch the flight to Bayeux.
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For where to stay, reviews, photos, and other tourist information, refer to the Albi trip website.
Traveling by flight from Marseille to Albi takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a train. Expect little chillier temperatures when traveling from Marseille in December; daily highs in Albi reach 11°C and lows reach 1°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 25th (Sun) early enough to catch the flight to Bayeux.
Find places to stay Dec 24 — 25:
Highlights from your trip
Bayeux — 3 nights
©
Most travelers take a trip to Bayeux to see the famed tapestry depicting the legendary Norman Conquest from the 11th century.Popular historic sites such as Musee du Debarquement Utah Beach and Church of Sainte-Mère-Église are in your itinerary. Do some cultural sightseeing at Cimetiere Militaire Allemand de La Cambe and Pointe du Hoc. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Bayeux: Honfleur (Saint Catherine's Catholic Church & Notre Dame de Grace) and La Maison du Biscuit (in Sortosville-en-Beaumont). There's still lots to do: witness the site of a historic battle at Omaha Beach, gain insight at Maisy Battery, brush up on your military savvy at Memorial de Caen, and admire the landmark architecture of Cathedrale Notre-Dame.
To find where to stay, photos, maps, and more tourist information, you can read our Bayeux online trip itinerary planner.
Traveling by flight from Albi to Bayeux takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a train. In December in Bayeux, expect temperatures between 11°C during the day and 4°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 28th (Wed) early enough to drive to Nantes.
Side Trips
Honfleur, Musee du Debarquement Utah Beach, Church of Sainte-Mère-Église, La Maison du Biscuit, Pointe du Hoc
Find places to stay Dec 25 — 28:
Highlights from your trip
Nantes — 4 nights
©
Venice of the West
Regarded as an art and history city, Nantes is called the Venice of the West.Discover out-of-the-way places like Passage Pommeraye and Chateau de Langeais. Do some cultural sightseeing at Rochefort-en-terre and Old City Walls of Vannes. Change things up with these side-trips from Nantes: Angers (Bd Passion Collection, Chateau d'Angers, &more) and Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau (in Azay-le-Rideau). There's still lots to do: test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms, take in nature's colorful creations at Jardin des Plantes, and step into the grandiose world of Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne.
For where to stay, ratings, traveler tips, and tourist information, go to the Nantes online travel planner.
You can drive from Bayeux to Nantes in 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or do a combination of train and flight. In December, daily temperatures in Nantes can reach 13°C, while at night they dip to 3°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 1st (Sun) so you can catch the flight to Reims.
Side Trips
Angers, Old City Walls of Vannes, Rochefort-en-terre, Chateau de Langeais, Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau
Find places to stay Dec 28 — Jan 1:
Highlights from your trip
Reims — 4 nights
©
City of Kings
Reims is home to Champagne--the most celebrated and celebratory wine in the world.Popular historic sites such as Œuvre de la cathédrale and Basilique Saint-Remi are in your itinerary. Explore hidden gems such as Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin and La Maison Mumm. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Reims: Chapelle des Templiers (in Laon), Metz (Place Saint Jacques & Nicolas boucherie) and Amiens (St-Leu, Cathedrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens, &more). There's more to do: admire the striking features of Palais du Tau.
To find where to stay, other places to visit, maps, and more tourist information, read our Reims online trip itinerary planner.
You can fly from Nantes to Reims in 3 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. Traveling from Nantes in January, expect little chillier with lows of 0°C in Reims. On the 5th (Thu), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can fly back home.
Side Trips
Find places to stay Jan 1 — 5:
Highlights from your trip
France travel guide
France has been the world's most popular tourist destination for decades, and geographically, it is one of the most diverse countries in Europe. Its cities are holiday hot spots and contain some of the greatest treasures in Europe, its countryside is prosperous and well tended, and it boasts dozens of major tourist attractions, like Paris, the French Riviera, the Atlantic beaches, the winter sport resorts of the French Alps, as well as the castles of the Loire Valley, Brittany, and Normandy. The country is renowned for its gastronomy, particularly wines and cheeses, as well as its history, culture, and fashion industry.
You'll find that the French people are very polite and may react coldly to you if you forget this. You might be surprised as you're greeted by other customers and the proprieter when you walk into a restaurant or a shop. Be sure to take your sightseeing off the beaten path in France. Besides the famous Eiffel Tower and the chic resorts of the Côte d'Azur (French Riviera) you'll find many places to visit in the form of museums filled with fine art, crafts, and archaeological relics, wonderful medieval villages and castles, diverse national parks, and local shopping direct from artisans themselves.
Whether you're touring the Christmas Markets or going skiing during winter, viewing the springtime influx of color in Provence, sunbathing on the Mediterranean coast in the summer, or watching the fall foliage against the backdrop of the châteaux in the Loire Valley, you're sure to find just the right place to be. Spring is a time when the tourist attractions are just starting to expand their hours, but it may still be cold in the mountainous regions and the north. Summer is the busiest time in France with the longest hours for many museums and attractions, but it's often when you will experience the most crowds. Winter in France is filled with winter carnivals, Christmas Markets, and of course, skiing. Fall is a time to celebrate the release of Beaujolais nouveau wine in November, as well as experience Nuit Blanche, a day in October when major attractions, museums, galleries, parks, and swimming pools remain open all night.
