France Trip Ideas & Inspiration
These are starting points, not fixed packages. We adjust the nights around your pace.
Ways to spend the time
- 7 nights: Paris and Strasbourg — Four nights in Paris, the train east, then three nights in Strasbourg with a day in Colmar. Depending on the schedule, some TGVs run from Strasbourg straight to Charles de Gaulle airport for the flight home.
- 10 nights: Paris, Strasbourg and the wine villages — Four nights in Paris, three in Strasbourg, and three in Colmar or a smaller Alsace village, so the wine route gets its own unhurried chapter.
- December: A Christmas-market week — Three nights in Paris, then four in Strasbourg, with Colmar and a smaller village market as day trips. Hotels are the constraint, so this is the version to book first. Christmas markets
- Add a country: France plus Belgium or the UK — Paris to Brussels is about 1 hour 25 minutes by high-speed train, and Eurostar reaches London in about 2 hours 15 minutes. Belgium planning United Kingdom planning
Is France right for this trip?
A good match if
- It’s your first trip to Europe and you want something manageable
- Food, wine, markets and museums are the point
- You’d rather take trains than drive
- You want a December trip built around Christmas markets
Maybe look elsewhere if
- You want a different city every night
- Lavender fields and the Mediterranean are the dream — Provence or the Riviera is a different plan, and I’m happy to talk about it
- You need guaranteed sunshine in winter
Keep planning
- Things to See & Do — Paris, Strasbourg, Alsace and the markets
- When to Go & Travel Tips — Seasons, trains and entry
- Europe travel planning — The bigger picture
- Belgium & Bruges — A short train from Paris
- The United Kingdom — Eurostar to London
- Travelling Solo for the First Time — Solo trips and Paris
- When Travel Doesn’t Go as Planned — The Strasbourg suitcase
- Trip checklist — European city packing
Let’s plan your France trip
Tell me how long you have, whether Paris is a first visit or a return, and if December markets are on the list. I’ll plan the route and book the stays and trains.
The initial 30-minute consultation is complimentary. The professional research fee is $50 per traveller aged 2 or older, paid before research begins.