World Guide

France

Country · Europe, Western Europe

France
Photo: Pierre Blaché from Paris, France, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

France is a country in Western Europe with a population of about 69 million people and an area of approximately 644,000 square kilometers. Its capital is Paris. The country offers travelers a wide range of experiences, from historic urban centers to natural landmarks.

Highlights

France features 120 sights covered in our guide. Many of the most well-known attractions are located in or near Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, the Catacombs of Paris, the Panthéon, Sacré-Cœur, the Champs-Élysées, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Les Invalides, Sainte-Chapelle, the Bastille, and the National Assembly. Outside the capital, visitors can explore the Palace of Versailles, Disneyland Paris, the historic site in Bayeux, the caves at Lascaux, and the French Riviera. For outdoor and natural landmarks, Mont Blanc offers high-altitude scenery. Scientific sites like CERN are also present. Beyond these, cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Nîmes, Toulouse, Amboise, Fontainebleau, and Fontevraud-l'Abbaye provide further options for exploration.

Food and drink

French cuisine includes items such as the baguette, croissant, crêpe, and French toast. Cheeses like Brie and Camembert are common, alongside dishes like ratatouille. Sweet options include waffles and marzipan. Beverages include Champagne, cider, and Cognac.

When to go

The climate at the capital, Paris, features four distinct seasons. Summer months from June to August see the warmest daily highs, ranging from 21 °C to 24 °C, with relatively fewer rainy days compared to other times of the year. Spring, specifically April and May, offers milder temperatures between 14 °C and 18 °C. Autumn and winter bring cooler conditions, with daily highs dropping to 7 °C in January and December, and increased rainfall during the late autumn and winter months.

Practical notes

The currency used is the euro, with the CFP Franc also in use. The official language is French. The country uses 230 V electricity with plug types C and E. Driving is on the right side of the road. France operates in the UTC+01:00 time zone.

Cities

Food and drink to try in France

  • Champagne
  • Cider
  • Cognac
  • Ratatouille
  • Croissant
  • French toast
  • Marzipan
  • Waffle
  • Camembert
  • Baguette
  • Crêpe
  • Brie

Top sights in France

  1. Eiffel TowerEiffel TowerParis
  2. Bayeux TapestryBayeux TapestryBayeux
  3. Palace of VersaillesUNESCOPalace of VersaillesVersailles
  4. LouvreLouvreParis
  5. Notre-Dame de ParisNotre-Dame de ParisParis
  6. Arc de TriompheArc de TriompheParis
  7. Catacombs of ParisCatacombs of ParisParis
  8. Mont BlancMont Blanc
  9. CERNCERN
  10. National AssemblyNational AssemblyParis
  11. PanthéonPanthéonParis
  12. Sacré-Cœur, ParisSacré-Cœur, ParisParis
  1. Champs-Élysées · Paris
  2. French Riviera
  3. Père Lachaise Cemetery · Paris
  4. Lascaux · MontignacUNESCO
  5. Les Invalides · Paris
  6. Disneyland Paris · Marne-la-Vallée
  7. Sainte-Chapelle · Paris
  8. Bastille · Paris
  9. Musée d'Orsay · Paris
  10. Ardennes
  11. Millau Viaduct · Millau
  12. Place de la Concorde · Paris
  13. Palais Garnier · Paris
  14. Basilica of Saint-Denis · Saint-Denis
  15. French Alps
  16. Strasbourg Cathedral · Strasbourg
  17. Chartres Cathedral · ChartresUNESCO
  18. Chauvet CaveUNESCO
  19. Tour Montparnasse · Paris
  20. Élysée Palace · Paris
  21. Pont du Gard · RemoulinsUNESCO
  22. Château de ChambordUNESCO
  23. Reims Cathedral · ReimsUNESCO
  24. Grande Arche · Paris
  25. Centre Pompidou · Paris
  26. Rouen Cathedral · Rouen
  27. Loire Valley · Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
  28. French West Indies
  29. Palace of Fontainebleau · FontainebleauUNESCO
  30. Château de Chenonceau · Chenonceaux
  31. Accor Arena · Paris
  32. Cluny Abbey · Cluny
  33. Mulberry harbours · Bayeux
  34. Château d'Amboise · Amboise
  35. Grand Palais · Paris
  36. Fontevraud Abbey · Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
  37. Hôtel de Ville, Paris · Paris
  38. Guédelon Castle · Auxerre
  39. Villa Savoye · PoissyUNESCO
  40. Canal du Midi · ToulouseUNESCO
  41. Palais des Papes · Avignon
  42. Tuileries Garden · Paris
  43. Hall of Mirrors · Versailles
  44. Palais-Royal · Paris
  45. Conciergerie · Paris
  46. Amiens Cathedral · AmiensUNESCO
  47. La Madeleine, Paris · Paris
  48. Place de la Bastille · Paris
  49. Dune of Pilat · Arcachon
  50. Crozet IslandsUNESCO
  51. Carnac stones · CarnacUNESCO
  52. Luxembourg Palace · Paris
  53. Château de Chantilly · Chantilly
  54. Château de Vincennes · Paris
  55. Camargue · Arles
  56. Louis Vuitton Foundation · Paris
  57. Vaux-le-Vicomte · Fontainebleau
  58. Grand Trianon · Versailles
  59. The Marais · Paris
  60. Notre-Dame de la Garde · Marseille
  61. Montparnasse Cemetery · Paris
  62. Saint-Sulpice, Paris · Paris
  63. Château Gaillard · Les Andelys
  64. Place des Vosges · Paris
  65. Pont Alexandre III · Paris
  66. Musée de l'Orangerie · Paris
  67. Rive Gauche · Paris
  68. Beauvais Cathedral · Beauvais
  69. Verdon Gorge
  70. Château de Pierrefonds
  71. Parc Monceau · Paris
  72. Maison carrée · NîmesUNESCO
  73. Cité de CarcassonneUNESCO
  74. Arena of Nîmes · Nîmes
  75. Musée de Cluny · Paris
  76. Palais de Chaillot · Paris
  77. Montmartre Cemetery · Paris
  78. Bayeux Cathedral · Bayeux
  79. Petit Palais · Paris
  80. Musée Rodin · Paris
  81. Grand Mosque of Paris · Paris
  82. Plenitude Arena · Paris
  83. Musée Marmottan Monet · Paris
  84. Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière · Lyon
  85. Saint-Eustache, Paris · Paris
  86. Notre-Dame du HautUNESCO
  87. Musée Carnavalet · Paris
  88. Tour Saint-Jacques · ParisUNESCO
  89. Saint-Germain-des-Prés · Paris
  90. Cordouan Lighthouse · RoyanUNESCO
  91. Albi Cathedral · Albi
  92. Luberon
  93. Maison Bonaparte · Ajaccio
  94. Opéra Bastille · Paris
  95. Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg · Sélestat
  96. Bois de Vincennes · Paris
  97. Clos Lucé · Amboise
  98. Saint-Étienne-du-Mont · Paris
  99. Château de Chinon · Chinon
  100. Vézelay Abbey · VézelayUNESCO
  101. Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse · ToulouseUNESCO
  102. Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac · Paris
  103. Bordeaux Cathedral · BordeauxUNESCO
  104. La Samaritaine · Paris
  105. Château of Blois · Blois
  106. Marseille Cathedral · Marseille
  107. Palais de Tokyo · Paris
  108. Lyon Cathedral · Lyon
  109. Aeroscopia · Toulouse
  110. Palace of Tau · Reims
  111. Basilica of Saint-Remi · Reims
  112. Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux · BordeauxUNESCO
  113. Cité de l'espace · Toulouse

UNESCO sites in France →

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 24 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C781114182124242016107
Average low, °C1135912151412952
Rainfall, mm544551506354595248665263
Rainy days131112913119910131213

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Paris (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

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