France 

This offers traditional French food with a seasonal menu set in the heart of Domme. Emphasis is on the duck and local produce. They take reservations and it’s advised to make one, especially in summer.

This restaurant is in a fantastic location in Albi – directly across the street from the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum and very nearby the Cathedral Ste. Ceclie. They offer very nice outdoor and indoor dining, and a good value prixe-fixe menu – very friendly wait staff as well.

This restaurant in Albi is located off a quiet street behind the cathedral. It offers a beautiful terrace shaded with trees and complete with string lights for magical dining. You can opt for a delicious prixe fixe menu of traditional regional food where you get to select a combo of appetizer, entree, and desert.

If you stay at the lodging we recommend (Parc Avril) this could not be more convenient. The food was great. They offer a reasonable prix fixe menu with appetizer, main, and dessert.

This is a charming stop in L’Hospitalet, the village adjeacent to Rocamadour, which is a great stop on the way in or out for a drink or quick bite to eat. Wander across the street for unparalleled views of Rocamadour.

This restaurant offers up incredibly fresh Catalan cuisine. The dishes are simple but delicious. It’s a small restaurant set in the old quarter with a few tables spilling to the outside. Their specialty is the parriade de poissons or a giant seafood plate, but you shouldn’t miss Collioure’s famous anchovies. Closed Monday.

Located on Place Marcou it’s the oldest cafe in the city. Snag a table outside on the liveliest square in Carcassonne. Dine on red checkered tablecloths, and order Cassoulet, the traditional dish of the region. Their french onion soup and many-cheese grilled cheese sandwich were really great.

This is a great place to grab a drink or tapas. It’s tucked in the old town and has a Spanish pub feel. It’s a nice break from the tourists that typically overlook this restaurant serving French/Catalan salads and tapas. Come for an early evening drink and consider staying for a casual dinner. It has […]

This lovely bar, restaurant, and wine shop offers amazing outdoor views in Puycelsi as well as good casual food. Their gelato and local beer is especially worth getting. It offers a cozy bar like feeling inside as well. If you’re shopping for dinner, the attached store offers a good selection of local, well-priced wine.

Le Jimmy’s is decorated like a stop along highway 66 in the US: license plates on the walls, a juke box, pastel covered seating, and even a motorcycle. While that might not sound like a French experience, the cafe actually offers great coffee, good cocktails, and seats pouring onto Sarlat’s main square Place de la Liberte.

This is a very cute restaurant situated in the heart of Sarlat. The interior hosts exposed stone walls giving a romantic old-world dining feeling, however it also offers nice outdoor seating. The fare is typical of the region. The restaurant offers a nice prix-fixe option.

Dine on authentic Burgudian cuisine in stone cellars. Reasonable price fix menus

This restaurant, located at the entrance of Sarlat is located in a charming old stone house. It draws tourists and locals alike for its delicious dishes and offers a nice prix-fixe option. Most of the food is made from local ingredients and is heavy in sausage, duck, foie gras – but everything is more delicious […]

Chez La Vieille La Buvette (wine bar + small plates) Septime – splurge La Verre Vole (wine bar + real food) Vivant – small plates Breizh Cafe – best crepes that are sit-down Le Servan Papillon Dersou – splurge Clown Bar Allard Clamato Tannat Benoit Paris – very traditional French cuisine Le 52 Le Grand […]

One of the prettiest castles in Europe, Chenonceau sits in the Loire Valley along the river Cher. You’ll instantly recognize it for its beautiful arched bridge. The wonderful setting, formal gardens, and lovely architecture makes this chateau a highly enjoyable visit.

The famous 70 yard long medieval tapestry tells the story of William the conquerors conquest of England and has an interesting museum about the times. Included audioguide.

No visit to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel tower. The outside is for your iconic Paris photos, probably best with a stroll across the river to the Place du Trocadero or on the same side by walking to the end of the Champ du Mars. Buy timed tickets well in advance to ascend. Don’t miss views from the second floor as well as the top (views from the second level in some ways are better than from the top).

This is perhaps the most beautiful of the Loire palaces. It is built over the river and has a fascinating interior. You can rent a multimedia audio guide although there is a free booklet included with entry fee. The pace does get crowded – advance tickets are a good essential in high season.

Excellent museum that has fascinating artifacts and does a good job of letting you see how the battle was waged

This is the biggest and grandest of the Loire chateaux – and that is saying a lot. It began as a simple hunting lodge (and is surrounding by a 20-mile-long wall enclosing a game preserve). The place has 440 bedrooms and 365 fireplaces (hunting was a winter activity). Be sure and see the famous double […]

The Abbey was created in 1093 by a group of Benedictine monks and at one point became one of the richest Cistercian monasteries in the Christian world. Today it offers an extremely interesting historical tour of a beautifully intact abbey and is frankly impressive.

Perhaps the most famous gothic cathedral in the world, Notre Dame is located on the Isle de la Cite in the heart of Paris. It is particularly famous for its spectacular rose woods of stained glass and gargoyles. Tragically it was severely damaged by a fire in April 2019 during restoration work. Fortunately it seems […]

This is one of the best museums in the world and houses the best collection of Impressionist art anywhere. It’s a re-purposed train station so not only is the collection remarkable, the building is as well.

The old port of Honfluer is an amazingly scenic harbor now filled with sailboats that the old town developed around. Get out your camera and enjoy the scene (especially good in morning night) and the fish market

This stunning chapel was built in only 7 years to house Louis IX’s collection of holy relics. It has the most amazing stained glass you can see anywhere in the world and is truly a must see when you are in Paris.

This is a remarkable cathedral, predominantly for its orange brick mass and brightly and intricately painted interior. While many cathedrals seem the same after you’ve visited a few, this one will stand out in your mind.

Amazing abbey since the year 700 floating seemingly above a vast bay. This has been a popular pilgrimage site for more than 100 years and now is a popular pilgrimage site for tourists. Get tickets in advance and to avoid crowds try and arrive before 10. Park in the extensive parking area on the mainland […]

This beach was the center of the American D Day assault and was the site of the bloodiest D Day fighting. The German positions on the cliffs above fired down on the Americans who had to run across the exposed beach and huddle against the cliffs awaiting reinforcements. It’s a wonder anyone survived let alone […]

This is a fascinating museum of the charity hospital of Beaune which was founded in 15th century.

Possibly the most famous art museum in the world, the Louvre is also incredibly popular, crowded, and enormous. Here are some tips: Plan your visit. If you spent one minute in front of every piece of art in the place it would take you 64 days to see everything. Plan the things you want to […]

Monet developed these expansive gardens and spent much of his later career painting here. The famous lily gardens and Japanese bridge are here and many gorgeous flowers. Open April 1 to October. Advance tickets recommended.

This amazing ornate palace is a UNESCO world heritage sight and a short train ride from downtown Paris (about 50 min). Louis the XIV built this extravagant palace and moved the entire French Court here in 1682. The Hall of Mirrors is justifiably famous but so is the whole palace and grounds. The grounds are huge and should not be missed (we even ventured once in heavy rain because they’re just that pretty).

Located 74 km (45 min) outside of Paris, Giverny is known for Monet. He lived in the tiny village from 1883 until his death in a house surrounded by gardens. Here you’ll find the Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet (and the bridge seen in his Japanese bridge series). It makes a perfect day trip from Paris. Reach it from the Saint-Lazare Paris station to the Vernon-Giverny station. From the station grab a taxi, the bus shuttle or walk (1 hour-7km).

This WW2 museum walks through the lead up to the war, the war itself and the aftermath (Cold War, etc). Allow a couple of hours.

This is a fascinating museum – not only does it have the largest collection of Rodin’s works, it is housed in his mansion. In the garden you’ll get to see The Thinker. Highly recommended.

Head to the Pech Merle caves if you want to see real prehistoric cave paintings, 29,000 years old. While the International Center for Cave Art at Lascaux is a wonderful replication of the the original Lascaux, all the paintings you’ll see are replicas. If you want to see the real thing this is a great […]

Lavishly furnished Loire chateau with fantastic interiors (family still lives here on the 43rd floor), famous for its 100 hunting dogs.

Lyon was founded as the roman city of Lugdunum in 43 AD and was the Roman capital of Gaul. This well done museum is built on a hill overlooking Lyon (take the funicular to get up here) and includes two impressive roman theaters. 

This museum houses 5000 of Picasso’s paintings in a former mansion. This is perhaps the best Picasso museum to be found anywhere. We recommend a museum pass to skip the line.

This small museum is a surprising treat just adjacent to the Louvre. While most of the great impressionist paintings are at the Orsay and many other Monet pictures are at the Marmottan, the Orangerie houses two large rooms with Monet’s amazing water lily paintings. There are additional impressionist works on a lower floor. The museum […]

If this cathedral looks familiar it’s because you’ve almost certainly seen it before – in one of the 30 depictions Claude Monet painted of it in various lights and times of the day. The church has been here for more than a thousand years and was visited by Charlemagne, sacked by the Vikings, but the […]

This center not only offers an exact replica of the most famous cave paintings in the world, it also offers an interactive center about cave paintings.

This is the world’s largest collection of Chagall’s works with 17 large murals designed specifically for this museum. Hours: Open daily except Tuesday May – Oct: 10:00-18:00 Nov-Apr: 10:00-17:00

If you like the artist Toulouse-Lautrec (ie the one who painted all those famous poster-like pictures of the Moulin-Rouge and dancers), this museum is for you. Even if you only kind of like his art, this museum is an impressive collection (biggest in the world of his art) and very fun to wander through.

This is a private, intimate, non-touristed museum with some of the best Monet paintings in the world (among other impressionists). Not covered by the Paris museum pass but well worth a visit and housed in a charming mansion.

This is the largest and most impressive wine cellar in town and offers a tour of some of their three miles of caves followed by a tasting of 1o wines (a better deal than the Marche aux Vins –  though perhaps not as broad a sampling as focused on one producer).

The white Basilica of Sacre Coeur tops the highest hill in Paris. Climb the stairs to tour the church, then wander through the neighborhood to the west (toward the Musee Montmartre) to get a feel for this famous bohemian neighborhood.

This castle perches 500 feet above the Dordogne River and offers many sparse, intact rooms with fantastic views of the countryside.

Located in a medieval abbey on the side of a roman bathhouse, this museum in Paris is easy to visit. Look at treasures from the middle ages and it includes the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.

In 1515 King Francis I of France invited Leonardo de Vinci the position of “ Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect of the King”. Leonardo spent his last 3 years here. The Chateau has and interesting exhibit on his inventions and a tour with rooms recreated with period furnishings.

This famous and grand boulevard runs from the Louvre to the Arc de Triumph. Stroll past the elegant shops, hotels, and residences and end at the magnificent Arc de Triumph commissioned by Napoleon to celebrate Parisian traffic (actually a battle victory but it sits in the middle of a massive traffic circle). With your museum […]

After the papacy moved from Rome to Avignon in the 14th century, Avignon remained the seat of the Roman Catholic church for almost 70 years. Visit this UNESCO world heritage site which is the largest medieval fortress and biggest gothic palace in Europe.

Lyon was the “capital of the Resistance” under the Vichy regime during WWII and Nazi occupation – the Traboulis offered a great way to avoid capture. The museum is in the same building the Gestapo used. We thought this museum was interesting and well worthwhile. Hours: W-Su; 10:00 – 18:00

25 acres of lovely gardens in the heart of Paris. Head to the pond to sail a toy boat or catch a puppet show. It’s a delightful place to stroll and if you are traveling with kids, a pure delight.

You must book ahead for this! It’s a great visit to a high quality winery / producer (it’s not cheap and you will need reservations). It’s located right in town and offers history along with tasting, as it served as the cellars of kings of Burgundy and France.

This small museum is free and has several impressionist pieces including one of Monet’s paintings of the Rouen cathedral you just saw, as well as other impressionist works featuring the Normandy countryside.

Calvados tasting and tour a short distance from Bayuex

The second largest church in Pairs is most notable for two things: an amazing organ (recitals on Sunday) and a small sign in English that says “for Dan Brown Da Vinci Code readers: “Contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best-selling novel, this [the line in the floor] is not a vestige of a pagan […]

This cathedral in little Bayeux is as big as Notre Dame in Paris and was originally Romanesque with later gothic features added. The famous Bayeux tapestry was woven to decorate this church

This castle dates back to the 15th century and was the home of Kings of France during the Renaissance. Tour the interesting interiors moving from gothic to the 19th century.

This is the oldest church in town and very small but it offers a very pretty cloister and garden. This was the only stone building in all of Albi in the 11th century until stone became more popular and the imposing Ste. Cecile Cathedral was built. Just pop in from the main shopping street, Rue […]

Calvados and cider production in a 10th century fortified farm near Pointe du Hoc

This is a cellar with a variety if wines for tasting right across from the Hotel Dieu. When we first came here it was back in the early 80’s and it was a great deal – they must have had 50 wines set up on barrels in an old wine cave and you made your way along tasting (and spitting if you wanted to make it to the end).

This chateaux is more ruins, but is a fun climb through. The very small fee grants you a card to read in a variety of languages that leads you through this castle that has been standing since the 12th century.

Built in the gothic revival style in the late 1800’s this church sits on a hill overlooking the city near the Roman Museum. Take the funicular to get up here (and walk back down). If you take the tour to the roof you’ll have an amazing view of the city. The interior is quite impressive. 

This museum housed in a 16th century half timber house recreates typical rooms from Honfluer’s past

In the Middle Ages as much as 2/3 of the population of Europe died in certain towns and Rouen was no exception. This courtyard dates from the 1500’s and is surrounded by half-timbered buildings. There are “dance of death” carvings on the colonnades.

Lyon’s most popular outdoor market dating from 1910 is open every day (though biggest on the weekends) and is the perfect place to do all of your food shopping.

Ruins of enormous abbey dating to 654 destroyed during the French Revolution along a scenic drive between Rouen and Honfluer

More ruins than anything else, the castle offers rampart walks, beautiful views of the harbor below, and some local art exhibits.

Rocamadour, once one of Europe’s top pilgrimage sites, today offers stunningly dramatic views, a nice walk down to explore its cathedral built into a cliff, and thousands of years of history.

In the 1600’s lace was an important industry in Bayeux and here you can see workers weaving lace (and pick up souvenirs)

Van Gogh did much of his work in Arles and this self-guided tour does a great job of showing the painting against the actual scene. Allow a half day to fully appreciate it. Pick up the brochure/map in the TI office to begin your tour. Read more about what you’ll visit this downloadable PDF. 

This wonderful English speaking walking tour of Carcassonne begins at the tourist information office and provides a very detailed and comprehensive overview of the city’s history and sites. The tour lasts 1h15. Tours leave between 1:30 and 2pm depending on the time of year.

This castle hangs onto a cliff above the Dordogne River and has a great castle museum covering warfare (weapons and armor). The castle is a little more touristy than Beynac’s but is still a great step into the medieval world, offering beautiful views and rich history.

If you have time and inclination, pedal out to the nearby villages of Pommard and Meursalt which are both decently close (18 km round trip, or an hour of cycling). You’ll roll through vineyards on quiet service roads and bike only lanes.

This wine producer offers a nice indoor tasting room and pours both white and red varietals from grapes grown in the nearby hills. The tasting itself is free or you can opt for a cellar tour. The wine was quite good and very reasonably priced (we took a few bottles home).

While not entirely necessary (Sarlat is pretty small) it was nice to have a walking tour of the city.

Albi’s market is located in an Art Nouveau building set on a pretty square. It has a nice selection of French produce, meats, and fish and also offers pastries, wines, beers, jams and cakes. It’s a great place to grab picnic or breakfast things.

The biggest market of the week is on Wednesday mornings and all day Saturday. Sarlat has hosted a huge market since the Middle Ages and still does.

Nice hotel in the desirable Rue Cler neighborhood not far from the Eiffel tower

This was a very nice contemporary and colorful hotel directly across the street from the Narbonne Gate. It offered all modern amenities including free private secure parking and a very nice pool. It backs up to a hill with beautiful views of the Pyrenees complete with a small trébucher primed to launch at the city.

Located right outside of the castle walls, this hotel was a short 1 minute walk into the old town. The rooms were clean, have AC, and offered an incredible view of the ramparts lit up at night. The price included a decent breakfast. It has free parking onsite. It also offers a bar and restaurant […]

This hotel occupies a great location and is a very nice place to stay. It offers larger room options for families. It’s decently reasonably priced.