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Regions of France

Les régions

France is roughly the size of Texas, with Alpine peaks, Atlantic surf, Mediterranean coves and some of the world's great wine country. Here is how the regions compare, and which one fits your trip.

Verified October 2026

Tap a region to open its guide. The numbers you'll see on hover are département codes, which also appear on French postcodes and older license plates.

How France is organized

Mainland France is divided into 13 administrative regions and 96 départements. Our guides group them the way travelers actually move around: by landscape, food and the train lines that connect them. A département's two-digit number (75 for Paris, 14 for Calvados in Normandy, 13 for Bouches-du-Rhône around Marseille) shows up everywhere, from postcodes to the plaques at the top of each of our guides.

Distances are manageable. Paris to Nice is about 430 miles (690 km) in a straight line, roughly New York to Pittsburgh, and the TGV covers it in under six hours. Most regions are two to three hours from Paris by fast train.

North and west

Green countryside, Atlantic and Channel coasts, châteaux, Champagne and the D-Day beaches. Mostly two hours or less from Paris.

14 · 27 · 50 · 61 · 76NORMANDIENormandyD-Day beaches, the American Cemetery, Mont-Saint-Michel, Honfleur and Étretat, with tours, trains and itineraries. 22 · 29 · 35 · 56BRETAGNEBrittanySaint-Malo, Carnac, the Pink Granite Coast, islands, galettes and cider, and the GR34 coastal trail. 18 · 28 · 36 · 37 · 41 · 45 · 44 · 49VAL DE LOIRELoire ValleyChambord, Chenonceau, Villandry and more: château prices, itineraries, bike and car-free options, Loire wines. 08 · 10 · 51 · 52CHAMPAGNEChampagneReims, Épernay, big houses vs growers, 2026 tour prices, harvest timing and WWI sites. 54 · 55 · 57 · 67 · 68 · 88ALSACE & LORRAINEAlsace & LorraineStrasbourg, Colmar, the Wine Route, Christmas markets, Nancy, Metz, Verdun and American WWI cemeteries. 02 · 59 · 60 · 62 · 80HAUTS-DE-FRANCENorthern FranceLille, Amiens, Somme battlefields, the Opal Coast, Chantilly and Compiègne, an hour from Paris.

East and the mountains

Wine villages, France's food capital and the Alps.

21 · 25 · 39 · 58 · 70 · 71 · 89 · 90BOURGOGNE & JURABurgundy & JuraPinot Noir villages, Beaune and Dijon, abbeys, canals, and the Jura's cheese and wine. 01 · 03 · 15 · 42 · 43 · 63 · 69LYON & AUVERGNELyon & AuvergneLyon's bouchons and traboules, Beaujolais, and Auvergne's volcanoes, cheeses and pilgrim towns. 04 · 05 · 38 · 73 · 74LES ALPESAlpsMont Blanc, Annecy, giant ski areas, alpine lakes, and the Tour de France's famous climbs.

The south

Provence, the Mediterranean coast, Carcassonne and the island of Corsica. Hotter, sunnier and busiest in July and August.

04 · 13 · 84PROVENCEProvenceAvignon, Arles, Luberon villages, lavender fields, Marseille and the Calanques. 06 · 83 · MONACOCÔTE D'AZURRiviera & MonacoNice, Monaco, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, perched villages, beaches and the coastal train. 11 · 12 · 30 · 31 · 34 · 66 · 81 · 82OCCITANIEOccitanieToulouse, Carcassonne, Cathar castles, Canal du Midi, Nîmes, Pont du Gard, Montpellier and Collioure. 2A · 2BCORSECorsicaFerries and flights, driving times, Bonifacio, Calvi, Cap Corse, Scandola, the GR20 and a 7-day loop.

The southwest

Bordeaux wine, prehistoric caves, Atlantic surf and Basque food.

16 · 17 · 33 · 40BORDEAUX & L'ATLANTIQUEBordeauxBordeaux city, wine châteaux, the Dune du Pilat, oysters, Cognac, La Rochelle and Île de Ré. 24 · 46 · 47PÉRIGORD & LOTDordogneLascaux and painted caves, Dordogne castles, Rocamadour, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, canoeing, truffles and Malbec. 09 · 64 · 65PAYS BASQUE & PYRÉNÉESBasque & PyreneesBiarritz, Bayonne, Basque villages, San Sebastián day trips, Lourdes, Gavarnie, Pic du Midi and Pyrenees hiking.

Overseas France

France also includes islands in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, each with its own entry rules.

971 · 972 · 973 · 974 · 976 · 987 · 988LA FRANCE D'OUTRE-MEROverseas FranceGuadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, Tahiti, Réunion, New Caledonia and more: flights, entry rules, seasons.

Which region fits your trip?

A filled dot means the region is one of France's best for that interest; an open dot means it's good. “No car needed” means you can see the highlights by train, bus and tours.

RegionWineFoodHistoryBeachesMountainsVillagesNo car needed
Normandy
Brittany
Loire Valley
Champagne
Alsace & Lorraine
Hauts-de-France
Burgundy & Jura
Lyon & Auvergne
The Alps
Provence
Riviera & Monaco
Bordeaux & Atlantic
Dordogne & Lot
Basque & Pyrenees
Occitanie
Corsica

Combining regions on one trip

France's fast trains radiate from Paris like spokes, so the easiest trips follow one spoke out and back, or link two spokes with a flight. Good pairings for a first trip:

  • Paris + Normandy + Mont-Saint-Michel + Loire: a loop through the northwest in 8 to 10 days.
  • Paris + Champagne + Alsace + Burgundy: wine and half-timbered villages in 9 to 11 days, especially good in late fall and at Christmas.
  • Paris + Lyon + Provence + the Riviera: the classic south-bound route in 12 to 16 days. Fly home from Nice if you can.
  • Paris + Bordeaux + Dordogne + Basque Coast: food, wine and the Atlantic in 10 to 14 days, with a rental car for the Dordogne.

Try any of these in the trip builder, and see journey times in our train guide.