France is the most visited country in the world with approximately 90 million visitors in 2019. Most of these visitors have visited Paris during their stay in France. Indeed, Paris is a very interesting city and probably one of the most famous capitals in the world. Some famous places in Paris include the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, the Sacré-Coeur church (and the Montmartre neighborhood), the Arc de Triomphe or the Notre-Dame cathedral. Some places are a little less famous but are definitely still worth the detour such as the Sainte-Chapelle, the Orsay museum or the Luxembourg gardens. Paris is a city that is always changing and in movement, which makes it a very interesting place. Most museums have temporary exhibits going on at different times of the year and buildings are always being renovated.
But, France cannot solely be defined by its capital. A lot of wonderful places can be found outside of big cities. Indeed, France has all kinds of different landscapes; for example, the country has a lot of different mountain ranges, such as the Alps or the Pyrénées, which are beautiful in winter and in summer for activities like skiing or hiking, depending on the season. France also has a large range of beaches from Brittany to the Pyrénées (the border with Spain) where the water gets progressively warmer when it’s closer to the South. As for cities, some are very interesting to visit such as Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Chartres or Lyon.
We mustn't forget that France has a whole non-metropolitan part (a part of France that's actually not physically connected to the main country) which includes islands in the Caribbean such as Martinique or Guadeloupe, French Guiana (a country in South America), islands next to Africa such as La Réunion or islands in Oceania such as the Nouvelle-Calédonie island.
Overall, France is a great place for tourism as it offers a great diversity in its landscapes and destinations, adapted for almost any kind of tourism (eco-tourism, sport tourism, sightseeing or relaxing at the beach!) and season. In conclusion, being a tourist in France can offer you a very unique experience you’ll never forget!
- Ines Latrille - France (near Paris)