Traveling France by train will show you how a journey can be enjoyed as much as the destination. Make the most of your vacation in the country by spending less time in the airport and more time exploring these pretty places, all while viewing the diverse landscapes as they were meant to be experienced. Let Trainline guide you through the most beautiful cities in France.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Mario Guti. Image Location: Bordeaux, France.
What are the prettiest cities in France?
Bordeaux
Thanks to ultra high-speed rail service Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), the Paris to Bordeaux journey only takes a little over 2 hours.
Wine drinkers know that there is no better place than Bordeaux to taste world-renowned wines, and within Bordeaux there is no better place to delve into wine culture than the La Cité du Vin museum. Inaugurated in 2016, the cultural center has almost 150,000 square feet of space to discover and to learn how to distinguish different wines. We also recommend you take a stroll or bike along the Garonne River docks, which are fully walkable.
To travel to, from and between these legendary vineyards safely, you can bet on the train. Only 35 minutes away from Bordeaux is Saint-Émilion, a medieval village with world-renowned wineries, catacombs, and a 12th-century church carved – not built, carved – from a single block of limestone.
Strasbourg
If you’re dreaming of replaying Beauty and the Beast, head to the storybook towns of Alsace, a region bordering Germany. From Paris, you can get to Alsace’s capital city, Strasbourg, via the fastest service in as little as 1h 43m.
There’s plenty to do here, such as the light show at the Gothic cathedral and the famous Strasbourg Christmas Market. Year-round, you can spend time in Grande Île, the historic city center, where you’ll find the Kammerzell House, a Renaissance-style building that is now a restaurant. Then, walk to La Petite France district, where most houses are surrounded by canals and date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Golibo. Image Location: Annecy, France.
Which French villages are like the one in Beauty and the Beast?
From Strasbourg, you are only a short 24min train trip away from Colmar and a 1h 7m train journey away from Ribeauvillé, two villages you will swear sprang from the pages of your favorite fairytale or Disney movie.
Avignon
One of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years’ War happened in Avignon, a small walled city with stunning medieval architecture.
You can get to Avignon from London St Pancras (6h 7m), Paris (2h 38m) or Marseille (27min) as well as many other European cities. Once there, do not miss the 14th-century Palace of the Popes, where nine popes lived while France was the seat of Catholic power. There’s also a bridge that has inspired a nursery rhyme.
If you love theater and have a bigger budget, visit in July when the city hosts not one but two live arts festivals. While most shows are in French, there are a few that are in English or offer subtitles. During the rest of the year, you can also catch the Avignon-Jazz Festival, or Hivernales d’Avignon, a contemporanean dance festival.
What city in France looks like Venice?
Annecy
If you’re a fan of canals, book a ticket to Annecy and see why the city is nicknamed the “Venice of the Alps.” Its storybook downtown is crisscrossed by canals and will only take 3h 42m to reach from Paris thanks to the high-speed train.
This beautiful city will enthrall lovers of nature and sports thanks to its pristine lake at the foot of the Alps, which offers plenty of options from sailboating to wakeboarding. If you’re brave, try paragliding to truly take in the beauty of Annecy and its surroundings.
For a more relaxed trip, there is plenty of history to see. A stroll through town will take you past the medieval prison Palais de I'Île, the Château d'Annecy, the 16th-century Cathédrale Saint Pierre d'Annecy, and so much more.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Maremagnum. Image Location: Annecy, France.