My younger travels to France include memories of skipping around Notre Dame in a gold & white tracksuit as a child, later revisiting as a seasoned 11 years old traveler wearing a beret with “Paris” embroidered on it (the “A” was obviously the Eiffel Tower), and dancing awkwardly with my friends at a disco in Nice where even the icky night club French men wanted very little to do with us.

I’ve been lucky enough to have traveled through France a lot during my life. As a child, as a teen, as a student, and as an adult.

I’ve experienced it with the wide-eyed wonder of a child standing beneath Notre Dame’s towering facade alongside my family. I’ve wandered the streets late with friends during college trips as we sang and laughed too loud for our elderly neighbours to enjoy. I’ve canoodled with my husband in cafe chairs over tiny espresso cups on wintery afternoons. And in recent years, I’ve moved on to ushering my own little ones through this incredible country where the simplest things feel luxurious: carousel rides, ham & cheese between fresh bread, shopping in a market.

When people want to know where to go in France, I always recommend Paris… and then I always recommend they get out to see France. They’re such different experiences and both should be enjoyed. Here are some of my favourite places outside of the famous capitol city.

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