Experience the best of a French road trip

Starting our journey in Cherbourg, you couldn’t ask for a better jumping off point. From Cherbourg, head southeast towards the villages of Vierville-sur-Mer and Arromanches-les-Bains. This coastline served as the spear head for the Allied liberation of France, and the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany’s occupation of Europe. With famed names like Juno, Gold, Sword, Utah and Omaha Beach, over 5,000 Allied soldiers lost their lives on these beaches in one day. It’s a solemn place, where the scars of the war are still visible all around. Dotted around the coast are museums and monuments honouring those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom of Europe. Today, the beaches are open to the public. You can swim in the ocean, sunbathe or enjoy a meal in one of Normandy’s many quintessentially French villages. 

Driving southwest from Normandy, you’ll soon arrive at the majestic island of Mont Saint-Michel. This island, accessible only during low tide, is one of France’s most iconic landmarks. The medieval monastery simply dwarfs any surrounding nature, and with a construction time of over 1000 years, perhaps it’s well earned. Mont Saint-Michel, a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site, draws in over 3 million visitors each year, and with good reason. Once you step through the city’s gates, it’s like being transported straight into the Middle Ages. 

The drive from Mont Saint-Michel to Bordeaux will take you through amazing scenery and vineyards galore, so make sure to stop by the villages and towns you encounter to make the most of your journey! And speaking of wine, what place is better known for its wine than the city (and region) of Bordeaux?

With La Cité du Vin located on the banks of the Garonne River, there’s just no excuse not to sample the local wines. At La Cité du Vin, shaped like a wine decanter, you’ll learn everything there is to know about winemaking, it’s history and complex world. With tours, tasting workshops, art exhibitions and more, La Cité du Vin is a must when coming to Bordeaux.

Be sure to check out the art installation Miroir d’Eau, the world’s largest reflecting pool covering an area of 3400 square meters, as well as Cathédrale St-André, whose mighty towers lord over the city of Bordeaux. 

Driving southeast from Bordeaux, crisscrossing through the numerous vineyards and gorgeous villages along the way, you’ll soon end up in Aix-en-Provence. Simply called Aix, or Ex for the non-French, Aix-en-Provence is a city where the amber coloured buildings and cobblestoned streets are punctuated by fountains, quaint markets and a lively tourist-centred nightlife. For a typical “Aixperience”, make sure you stop by the art museum Musée Granet and the not-so-easy-to-pronounce Paroisse Cathédrale Saint Sauveur Aix-en-Provence. Luckily, this city is quite used to tourism so you’ll have no problem getting a guide or brochure to help you along the way. 

After visiting the stunning city of Aix-en-Provence, take a turn and head southeast towards the Mediterranean. With countless towns, beaches and vineyards dotted around the coastline, there’s no shortage of things to see, do and eat. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t even mention the French Riviera.

With staggeringly beautiful cliffsides, crystal blue waters and beaches galore, maybe it comes as no surprise why Côte d'Azur has for decades allured everyone from locals to billionaires alike. Be sure to stop by St. Tropez and Cannes for a glamorous stay along the Mediterranean coast.

As cars tend not to float, when you’ve reached the Mediterranean the only way forwards is north. From the coast, head northwest and set your eyes on the Verdon Gorge. Dubbed the Grand Canyon of Europe, this geological marvel is an epic way to start your journey back to the Atlantic coast. With steep cliffs plunging down 700 meters into the Verdon River, this 25km long stretch of jaw-dropping drama will have you constantly pulling over the serpentine roads to just admire this breath-taking scenery. 

There are a few things that simply are. The sun is warm, water is wet and when in France you simply must visit the City of Love. Paris is one of those places whose reputation precedes itself. With so many things to see, do, explore, taste, smell and hear, you can be hard pressed to find a guide can ever do the city justice. However, without a guide you might miss out on some hidden gems!

Beyond visiting the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame, there are places that deserve some extra attention.

The street Rue Crémieux is a wonderful little street with houses painted in all kinds of colours, making for a nice little break from the classic Parisian white that otherwise rule this city.

Le Squat du 59 Rue de Rivoli, quite close to the Louvre, is a unique art museum. Previously occupied by squatters until 1999, this house is now a museum covered wall to ceiling in great graffiti art, with a myriad of artists and collaborations. Best part? The entry is completely free of charge.

Ville Léandre is another hidden gem worthy of extra attention. This quiet little art deco street has almost English vibes to it, with vines climbing up the buildings, cobbled streets and old lantern lampposts.

The final stop on our tour of Paris’s hidden gems is the Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Square. This secret garden, tucked away behind Parvis de Sacré Coeur, is perfect to stroll through, take beautiful pictures or have a picnic to celebrate the romance of each other, Paris and France.