Travel Inspiration

5 Fabulous Weekend Breaks in France

24/09/2022

Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
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Thanks to its rich history and variety of landscapes, France offers no end of fantastic options for memorable French weekends. From historic towns to the wild coastline or snow-capped mountains, whatever kind of trip you fancy, you can find it in France.

If you are looking for ideas for weekends in France, we can help! To get you started, here are five fabulous weekend breaks in France with something for everyone. Five tried-and-tested France weekends with tips on what to do and where to stay.

Provence - France

1. Marseille

Marseille - France

Are you looking for south of France weekend breaks? Marseille is one of the most appealing (and most “exotic“) cities in Southern France. The capital of Provence is a cosmopolitan, rebellious, and unique city, but first and foremost, Marseille is Mediterranean.

Thanks to its direct train connections with Paris, Marseille is perfect for a French weekend getaway. As soon as you step into Marseille’s soil, let yourself be transported by its culture, singing accent, and well-assorted identity to enjoy the city’s joie de vivre – and perhaps a glass of pastis with your tribe at the Old Port.

How to spend a weekend in Marseille?

Are you planning your Marseille trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Marseille, hotels, and more!

Top Marseille Accommodation and Lodging

Hotel La Résidence du Vieux Port (top suggestion), Alex Hotel & Spa (mid-range), Le Petit Nice-Passedat (luxury).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

2. Avignon and the Luberon

Avignon - France

If you are looking for French weekends in Southern France full of history, you should seriously consider Avignon. The former city of Popes and cardinals, once the center of intrigues and passions, is one of the most fascinating south of France destinations, with many fun things to do in and around.

In the summer, Avignon gets metamorphosed into an open-air theater thanks to its reputed Festival d’Avignon. The city is also an excellent base to explore the lavender fields of Provence and Luberon’s hilltop villages.

What to do in Avignon and Luberon during the weekend?

Are you planning your Avignon trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Avignon, hotels, and more!

Top Avignon Accommodation and Lodging

Hotel Cloître Saint-Louis Avignon (top suggestion), Avignon Grand Hotel (mid-range), Hotel Central (mid-range).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

3. Chartres

Thanks to its proximity to Paris, Chartres is one of the most popular weekend trips in France. People go to Chartres to visit its impressive cathedral, but Chartres is also one of the most lovely cities in Central France, with little streets flanked by old buildings, its charming stairs linking the Old and New Town, and romantic walks along the Eure River. 

Chartres is since the Middle Ages an important pilgrimage center. All this religious tourism and the exploitation of the fertile plains of the Beauce river allowed the emergence of an affluent class that participated in financing the new cathedral in 1194.

Chartres Cathedral is one of the most fabulous Gothic cathedrals in France and one of the main tourist attractions in Central France. The cathedral is almost unique in all of France for its architectural homogeneity, the delicate sculptures of its facades, and the symbolism and quality of its stained glass windows. On the cathedral’s floor, pilgrims still follow the 261.50 m of the labyrinth meanders, praying, meditating, or on their knees. This labyrinth is considered the symbolic path to God and eternity.

How to spend a weekend in Chartres?

Try to arrive on Friday, when the cathedral’s staff removes all the chairs, to walk through the labyrinth.

  • Get lost in the streets of the Upper Town, near the cathedral. This part of the city has beautiful half-timbered houses. Don’t miss the oh-so-pretty Rue des Écuyers.
  • Visit the International Stained Glass Center. Learn about the stain glass technique and see the craftsmen at their benches.
  • Walk along the banks of the Eure River in the Lower Town to get a feel for medieval Chartres.
  • Visit the beautiful Château de Maintenon and its gardens, located 20 km northeast of Chartres.
  • Be captivated by Chartres’ Light Show (April to October, after sunset) in the historic center.

Are you planning your Chartres trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Chartres, hotels, and more!

Top Chartres Accommodation and Lodging

Jehan de Beauce – Les Collectionneurs (top suggestion), Best Western Premier Grand Monarque Hotel & Spa (mid-range), Hotel Particulier de Champrond (budget).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

4. Tours

Tours - France

If you are looking for fabulous France city breaks, Tours is always a good idea. Tours is a historical city with a rich heritage and the capital of a kingdom, even if for a short time. It is also a student city, with a lively city center populated by many restaurants and bars that pop up their terraces outside as soon as the beautiful days arrive. 

With such an exciting past and its perfect location in the heart of the Loire Valley, Tours is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway from Paris by train.

Wander around its historic quarters with their half-timbered houses. Visit Saint-Gatien Cathedral, the bustling Place Plumereau, and the Olivier Debré Contemporary Art Centre. With more time, visit one of the Loire Valley Castles nearby: Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Amboise, or Chenonceau.

On sunny days, be sure to include in your Tours wanderings a rest break at the famous Tours-sur-Loire Guinguette, where the beach extends the city limits to the banks of the Loire River.

How to spend a weekend in Tours?

  • Visit the Musée du Compagnonnage, born during the big medieval construction sites
  • Wander around the Old Town and visit the Marché des Halles
  • Head to Plum Square for a “petit noir” (little black coffee)
  • Rent a bike and head to Château de Villandry, to see its magnificent gardens.

Are you planning your Tours trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Tours, hotels, and more!

Top Tours Accommodation and Lodging

Les Tresorières (top suggestion), Hotel du Cygne Tours (mid-range), Ferdinand Hotel Tours (mid-range), Castel Fleuri (budget).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

4. Bayonne and the Basque Country

Bayonne - French Basque Country

If you are looking for weekends in France off the beaten path, try Bayonne. Bayonne is a beautiful historical city in the French Basque Country. Located at the confluence of the Adour and the Nive rivers, Bayonne’s charming streets are the perfect place to learn more about Basque history, culture, and gastronomy.  

Signs in two languages, posters, and bookstores in Basque, trinquets… Regional culture permeates the Old Town, and that is what gives it its special personality!

Easy to reach from Paris by direct trains, Bayonne is another great destination to visit for a weekend. If all this was not enough, Bayonne produces the best chocolate in France :-).

How to spend a weekend in Bayonne?

  • Visit the Cathedral
  • Explore the Petite Bayonne and the Grande Bayonne
  • Visit the Musée Basque to learn more about the Basque Culture
  • Watch a match of pelote basque at Trinquet de Saint André
  • Take a food tour to discover the region’s specialties
  • Take a day trip to Biarritz or the picturesque town of Saint Jean de Luz

Are you planning your Bayonne trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Bayonne, hotels, and more!

Top Bayonne Accommodation and Lodging

Okko Hotels Bayonne Centre (top suggestion), Hotel Mercure Bayonne Centre Le Grand Hotel (mid-range), Hotel Villa Koegui Bayonne (mid-range), Hotel Le Bayonne (budget).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

5. Bordeaux

Bordeaux - France

Bisected by the Garonne River, Bordeaux is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and Bordeaux wine. One of the most beautiful cities in France, Bordeaux is well connected to the French Capital by TGV trains, and it is also an excellent base to explore the Bordeaux wine region and the coast.

Bordeaux is a highly walkable city, making it easy to move around and see as much as possible. From the Cité du Vin to the Musée d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux is also a cultural hub, with more protected buildings than any other French city except Paris. 

With so many things to do in and around Bordeaux, it’s no wonder why Bordeaux ranks high on our list of best weekend breaks in France!

How to spend a weekend in Bordeaux?

Are you planning your Bordeaux trip last minute?

Below are some of the best ways to travel to Bordeaux, hotels, and more!

Top Bordeaux Accommodation and Lodging

Hotel Singulier Bordeaux (top suggestion), Yndo Hotel (luxury), Le Palais Gallien Hotel & Spa (luxury), Hotel La Maison Bord’eaux (mid-range), La Maison du Lierre Bordeaux Centre Ville (budget).

Don’t forget your travel insurance!

SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)

And there you have it, our list of five fabulous French weekends combining culture, gastronomy, and sightseeing. Now all you need to do is decide which one you will choose (but we suggest doing them all!).

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