Many Trips Later: These Are The 7 French Cities I’d Choose Over Paris Any Day
Let me just say it: I like Paris. I really do. I’ve sipped overpriced espresso near the Seine, gotten lost in the Louvre, and played chicken with mopeds in Montmartre.
But after a dozen-plus trips to France, the cities that stuck with me the most, the ones I daydream about long after the plane ride home, weren’t Paris. They were the places that surprised me, welcomed me, and didn’t feel like they were performing for tourists.
So if you’ve done the Eiffel Tower selfie and are itching for something richer, this list is for you!
1. Lyon
If France had a capital of flavor, Lyon would wear the crown! And probably eat it too. I still remember my first bouchon meal here: sausage, lentils, and a local red that made me rethink every overpriced meal I’d had in Paris. The food is soulful, comforting, and unapologetically local!
The Renaissance old town feels like a portal back in time, with secret passageways (they call them traboules) that twist through buildings like something out of a spy movie. I wandered into one and popped out in a completely different street. 10/10 would recommend.
The vibe is less polished, more lived-in. The people are warm in a way that feels real, not rehearsed. Lyon simply invites you in. It’s the kind of place that gets under your skin without trying too hard.
2. Bordeaux
Bordeaux surprised me. I went for the wine (obviously), but I stayed for everything else. The city is effortlessly elegant! Wide boulevards, creamy limestone facades, and a riverfront that practically begs you to take a slow stroll with an espresso in hand.
One of my favorite afternoons was spent biking through the Chartrons district. I was weaving past antique shops and art galleries before ending up in a tucked-away wine bar where the bartender poured me something “not on the menu” with a wink. Moments like that don’t happen in the tourist-packed cafés of Paris.
And let’s not forget the nearby vineyards. An hour out, and you’re sipping Grand Cru surrounded by rolling vines. Paris might give you glitz, but Bordeaux offers charm with depth. And a glass that’s never empty!
3. Marseille
Marseille is messy, loud, and unapologetically itself! And guess what, I loved it for that. The first thing that hit me? The smell of spices and sea salt near the Vieux-Port. It’s a wild mix of cultures, and it shows up in everything: food, language, graffiti. Paris is curated. Marseille? Raw, real, unforgettable.
One evening I wandered into a backstreet couscous joint on a whim. Packed, no English menus, just laughter and steam rising from enormous platters. I ordered what the guy next to me was having and ended up with the best meal of the trip.
And then there’s the Calanques. Those rocky inlets just outside the city look like something out of a fantasy novel. I spent an afternoon cliff-jumping and sunbathing with locals who treated me like an old friend. Marseille isn’t for everyone, but if you like your cities with edge and soul, it’s magic.
4. Éze
Éze perches like it owns the sea. I’d seen pictures, but nothing prepared me for the real thing. The stone alleyways twist like a maze, every turn revealing a burst of bougainvillea or a glimpse of that unreal coastline. It’s the kind of place where you slow down without even trying.
I hiked up the Nietzsche Path from the coast, sweating buckets, questioning my life choices. But when I reached the top,I got slapped in the face by one of the best views I’ve ever seen. The medieval village, the Mediterranean, the sky? It all just glowed.
What makes Éze special is the feeling! It’s sipping a lavender cocktail in a garden that smells like heaven. It’s the sense that you’ve stumbled into a dream that doesn’t want to end. Paris feels busy. Éze feels eternal.
5. Rouen
Rouen has that quiet confidence of a city that knows it’s seen some things. Joan of Arc was burned here. Monet painted its cathedral dozens of times. And I? I got completely enchanted by its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses that lean in like they’re whispering secrets.
The Gothic architecture, the moody skies, the bells echoing from the cathedral… it felt like walking through a French noir film.
But what sealed the deal? The lack of crowds. I sat in a quiet square sipping calvados and watching the world go by, feeling like I’d slipped into a slower, sweeter version of France. Rouen doesn’t beg for attention. It earns it.
6. Annecy
The best way I can describe Annecy is to say that it feels like watercolor painting that someone accidentally brought to life. The canals, the flower-draped balconies, the lake so clear it looks photoshopped! I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time I was there. It’s France with a pinch of fairy tale.
I rented a bike and circled Lake Annecy, stopping for croissants and spontaneous swims. The water is glacial, but in the best way. It shocks you into being completely present. That’s the thing about Annecy: it doesn’t rush you. It draws you in, quietly.
The old town is impossibly pretty, but it’s also lived-in. Locals chat over morning espresso, kids race through the alleys, and you start to feel like maybe this is what real happiness looks like.
7. Strasbourg
Strasbourg is a beautiful contradiction. Half-French, half-German, and 100% captivating. I came during the Christmas market season, and I swear, stepping into the old town was like walking into a snow globe. It was almost too perfect!
I toured the European Parliament on a whim and got a glimpse into the political heartbeat of the EU. Then later that same day, I was feasting on flammekueche at a canal-side tavern run by a couple who joked like sitcom characters.
The best part? It’s got layers. A little history, a little quirk, a lot of beauty. Paris may be the icon, but Strasbourg? It’s the plot twist you didn’t see coming!