Luxury travel to France opens up a world of high style, intense flavors, and ancient treasures. When so much of your culture is represented on the UNESCO-designated list for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, you know you’ve been a good influence on the world. It’s this intangibility – that je ne sais quoi – that propels France toward the top of the bucket list for the 100 million visitors who reach its shores every year.
World nomads will agree, that soaking up everything the City of Light has to offer, roaming the medieval towns and Alpine villages, and stretching out along the Mediterranean beaches are definite enticements when a luxury vacation is in the cards. Who better practiced than the French to dish out opulence on a grand scale? More Michelin-star restaurants than you will have time for (30 to be exact), fashion-house haute couture and classical museums filled with priceless works of art – France is well-stocked with such treasures.
Best times to travel: April to June and September to November
View of Eiffel Tower and River Seine at sunrise in Paris, France. Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks of Paris
Ducking into Paris for an extra-long weekend, a suitcase filled with your best clothes, can really reset your mindset. Maybe you can even pop into the Palace of Versailles to witness its splendor, the epitome of royal elegance of the time. To think it used to be a hunting lodge…
But if you have already visited France, you’ll know it is more than just big cities. Indulge yourself by expanding your world-view into the numerous chateaux of the Loire Valley, up cable cars to the French Alps in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes regions, and down into the rolling vineyards to taste wine for days.
Tully can scout out that perfect villa in Southern France, pre-book first class tickets on the Trains à Grande Vitesse or bullet trains, find a yacht to charter for a week’s sail along the French Riviera and more. Tully tours are totally bespoke, so you do whatever you want when you want.
Sand beach beneath the colorful old town Menton on french Riviera, France
Your travel guide will take good care of you, but as for tips: opt for stylish yet comfortable daywear, watch the weather, try to speak the language (they will appreciate it) and let the chef feed you what she wants. Maybe you should consider a gastronomy tour? France has been making the most exquisite cheese since 500 AD – it’s time you went right to the source.
Once you immerse yourself in everything France has to offer, you’ll find bits of it following you home – words, gestures, evocations – little aides-mémoire to return to its grand boulevards and quiet rivers one day soon.