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France 🇫🇷

backpacking Europe France 🇫🇷Mix Alpine cable cars, Roman bridges and tidal abbeys.

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Backpacking France in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
An overview of visiting France

Backpacking France
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 18, 2026

Paris is the least typical place in France. The capital holds about 2.1 million of the country’s roughly 68 million people, and most of the rest live among some 35,000 communes spread across farmland, river valleys and coast, each with its own mayor, bakery and fixed opinions. See only Paris and you have seen the exception.

France is worth the trip for its range: glaciers above Chamonix, the green canyon of the Gorges du Verdon, prehistoric cave art in the Dordogne, and everyday food that is better than most countries’ special-occasion food. On a cold morning in Annecy I bought a wedge of Reblochon so ripe it scented my whole pack for three days, and I would carry it again. The challenges are plain. Last-minute train fares sting, rural buses may run twice a day or not at all, strikes disrupt transport a few times a year, and the Riviera in August is crowded and overpriced for what it gives you. Skip the Champs-Élysées entirely; it is chain stores and traffic.

Spain is cheaper and stays up later. Italy matches the food, but its trains off the main lines are less dependable than France’s TGV spine. France suits travelers who like walking all day, eating slowly and planning a little ahead. It frustrates anyone after a cheap party circuit or total spontaneity in peak summer.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of France

Provence (Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon)

Marseille is loud, gritty and the best-value city on France’s Mediterranean coast. Eat North African food around Noailles market, then hike the Calanques from Luminy for limestone coves you reach on foot. Aix-en-Provence is prettier but runs the same café routine at higher prices. The TGV reaches Marseille from Paris in about 3h15 and Avignon in 2h40, but the Luberon’s hill villages need a car. Skip Saint-Tropez. It suits city lovers and hikers.

French Alps (Chamonix, Annecy, Grenoble)

Chamonix earns the trip: the Lac Blanc trail from the Flégère cable car is about two hours of steady climbing with Mont Blanc facing you the whole way. Annecy’s canal-lined old town is lovely and jammed in August, so swim the lake at the free public beaches and leave. Grenoble is a student city with mountains at the tram stop. Annecy is about 3h45 from Paris by TGV; Chamonix takes 6 to 7 hours with changes. Go if you like sweating.

Brittany (Rennes, Saint-Malo, Mont-Saint-Michel)

Brittany is wet, windy and fiercely Breton, with crêperies, cider and a coastal path (the GR34) that rewards walkers more than beach loungers. Walk Saint-Malo’s ramparts at high tide. Mont-Saint-Michel, just over the Normandy line, is a midday shuffle through souvenir shops; arrive late afternoon instead, when the tour buses leave. Rennes is 1h30 from Paris by TGV, with Saint-Malo another hour by train and the Mont about 1h10 by bus. It suits hikers and cyclists.

Loire Valley (Tours, Amboise, Chambord)

The Loire is flat, quiet and best seen by bike: the Loire à Vélo route links châteaux on easy riverside paths. Pick two or three palaces and do them properly. Chambord and Chenonceau justify the entry fees; the smaller ones start to blur after day two. Tours is about an hour from Paris by TGV and makes the most practical base. Evenings are sleepy, so this suits couples, cyclists and first-timers more than anyone hunting nightlife.

Southwest and Basque Country (Bordeaux, Biarritz, Bayonne)

Bordeaux itself is the draw: a cleaned-up riverfront, the wine bars of Chartrons and a lively student scene. Organized vineyard tours are overpriced; take the train to Saint-Émilion and walk the village instead. Further south, Biarritz has surf breaks and Bayonne has Basque bars serving pintxos and cured ham. The TGV covers Paris to Bordeaux in about 2 hours, then it’s roughly 2 more to Biarritz. It suits surfers and people who plan their days around meals.
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Geography and where places are located
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Why go?What sets this destination apart

Architecture

France lets you read a thousand years of building in a single trip, often in a single town. Romanesque … read more 👉
France lets you read a thousand years of building in a single trip, often in a single town. Romanesque churches such as the basilica at Vézelay lead into the Gothic giants of Chartres, Reims and Amiens, where the nave vault rises about 42 meters. The Loire Valley packs hundreds of châteaux along one river, and Le Corbusier’s chapel at Ronchamp proves the country still takes risks. Versailles on a summer weekend is a slow shuffle through crowds; Chambord and Chenonceau deliver Renaissance ambition with room to breathe. Skip the rebuilt medieval villages sold as theme attractions and look at towns where people still live in the old houses. I would take a weekday train to Chartres and give the 12th- and 13th-century stained glass a full hour.

Mountains

Few countries pack this much high ground into one border: the Alps topped by Mont Blanc at about 4,805 … read more 👉
Few countries pack this much high ground into one border: the Alps topped by Mont Blanc at about 4,805 meters, the Pyrenees running along Spain, the extinct volcanoes of the Massif Central, the gentler Vosges and Jura, and Corsica’s granite spine. Waymarked GR trails cover tens of thousands of kilometers, and staffed mountain huts called refuges serve dinner and breakfast, so your pack stays light. The Tour du Mont Blanc is famous for good reason, but in August it is a conga line. The Pyrenean GR10 or the Écrins National Park give you similar drama with a fraction of the people. Corsica’s GR20 is rough, rocky and exposed, so leave it for after your first multi-day trek. In the Alps, start walking early, because afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer.

Beach life

France gives you two very different seas and an island. On the Atlantic, Biarritz and Hossegor draw … read more 👉
France gives you two very different seas and an island. On the Atlantic, Biarritz and Hossegor draw surfers to powerful beach breaks, and the Dune du Pilat near Arcachon climbs over 100 meters above the pine forest. The Mediterranean is warmer and calmer, but the Côte d’Azur is mostly pebbles, and the private beach clubs charging for loungers are not worth it when the public stretches next door are free. For snorkeling, Corsica wins easily: its granite coves and the boat-only Scandola reserve have the clearest water in the country. Brittany’s beaches are beautiful and empty, though the sea rarely gets much above 18°C even in August. Atlantic currents are strong, so swim only between the flags at lifeguarded beaches.

Food

Eating in France pays off most at lunch, when many restaurants serve a fixed-price formule or menu du … read more 👉
Eating in France pays off most at lunch, when many restaurants serve a fixed-price formule or menu du jour that costs noticeably less than the same kitchen at dinner. The cooking changes every couple of hours by train: quenelles in Lyon’s bouchons, tarte flambée in Alsace, buckwheat galettes with cider in Brittany, bouillabaisse in Marseille, cassoulet in the southwest. Weekly markets and cheese counters stocking dozens of local varieties make picnics a serious option. Skip any restaurant near a monument with photo menus in five languages; walk two streets away and the quality jumps. Look for bakeries labeled “Artisan Boulanger,” which make their bread on site. Many kitchens close between about 2 pm and 7 pm, so turn up by 12:30 or settle for a sandwich.

⭐ HighlightsHighlights of France

  • Mont Saint-Michel: The abbey rises from the bay on a granite rock, and the tides around it are among the strongest in Europe, with a range that can reach about 14 meters. By midday the single main street is a shuffling queue of day-trippers, so stay until the buses leave and walk the ramparts as the water slides in over the sand flats. On a guided barefoot crossing of the bay, the mud is cold enough to make your ankles ache.
  • Aiguille du Midi: The cable car from Chamonix climbs to 3,842 meters in about 20 minutes, and the drop in air pressure hits you on the first flight of stairs at the top. Mont Blanc looks close enough to touch. Inside the glass box called “Step into the Void,” your stomach reacts before your brain does. Take the first cabin of the morning, before cloud builds over the summits.
  • Calanques of Marseille: White limestone inlets drop into water so clear it looks shallow when it is not, inside a national park created in 2012. The trail to Calanque d’En-Vau is rocky and steep
… read more 👉
  • Mont Saint-Michel: The abbey rises from the bay on a granite rock, and the tides around it are among the strongest in Europe, with a range that can reach about 14 meters. By midday the single main street is a shuffling queue of day-trippers, so stay until the buses leave and walk the ramparts as the water slides in over the sand flats. On a guided barefoot crossing of the bay, the mud is cold enough to make your ankles ache.
  • Aiguille du Midi: The cable car from Chamonix climbs to 3,842 meters in about 20 minutes, and the drop in air pressure hits you on the first flight of stairs at the top. Mont Blanc looks close enough to touch. Inside the glass box called “Step into the Void,” your stomach reacts before your brain does. Take the first cabin of the morning, before cloud builds over the summits.
  • Calanques of Marseille: White limestone inlets drop into water so clear it looks shallow when it is not, inside a national park created in 2012. The trail to Calanque d’En-Vau is rocky and steep in places, smelling of pine resin and hot stone, and the glare off the cliffs makes sunglasses mandatory. In summer, access can close on high fire-risk days, so check the park’s daily notice before you go.
  • Pont du Gard: This Roman aqueduct bridge stands about 49 meters over the Gardon river and was built in the first century AD without mortar. Come in the late afternoon when the stone turns gold, then swim in the river below it, where the current is gentle and the water feels cool after the heat of the riverbank.
  • Cité de Carcassonne: Two rings of walls, around 3 kilometers of them, and more than 50 towers, restored with pointed slate roofs in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. By day the inner streets are wall-to-wall souvenir shops selling plastic swords. Return after dark, when the floodlit walls glow orange and your footsteps echo off the cobbles between the ramparts.
Off the map, the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees, the wind-blasted island of Ouessant and the hilltop village of Cordes-sur-Ciel are all worth the detour, and I’d pick Gavarnie first for its Grande Cascade, a waterfall dropping more than 400 meters down a wall of rock.
Spotted a mistake or missing a highlight? Contact us.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through France

The 7-Day Paris and Île-de-France Route

One base, zero hotel changes and a week of the most famous art, glass and gilded rooms in France. It suits first-timers who want to master one great city and slip out by train for royal and medieval day trips.
  • Sainte-Chapelle’s walls of stained glass
  • The Louvre Museum and Musée d’Orsay
  • A full day at the Palace of Versailles
  • Chartres Cathedral’s medieval blue windows

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Paris to the Mediterranean Route

A rail journey from Parisian boulevards to Provençal squares and Riviera coves, with Lyon’s bouchons in between. Expect Roman stones, sea swims and long lunches, at a pace that leaves room for both.
  • Lyon’s traboules and food halls
  • Avignon with the Pont du Gard and Arles
  • Hiking down to the coves of Les Calanques
  • Nice, Eze and Antibes on the Riviera

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Grand Loop of France

Three weeks that stitch together tidal Atlantic ports, Loire châteaux, Bordeaux wine villages and the sunbaked south. It … read more 👉

The 7-Day Paris and Île-de-France Route

One base, zero hotel changes and a week of the most famous art, glass and gilded rooms in France. It suits first-timers who want to master one great city and slip out by train for royal and medieval day trips.
  • Sainte-Chapelle’s walls of stained glass
  • The Louvre Museum and Musée d’Orsay
  • A full day at the Palace of Versailles
  • Chartres Cathedral’s medieval blue windows

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Paris to the Mediterranean Route

A rail journey from Parisian boulevards to Provençal squares and Riviera coves, with Lyon’s bouchons in between. Expect Roman stones, sea swims and long lunches, at a pace that leaves room for both.
  • Lyon’s traboules and food halls
  • Avignon with the Pont du Gard and Arles
  • Hiking down to the coves of Les Calanques
  • Nice, Eze and Antibes on the Riviera

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Grand Loop of France

Three weeks that stitch together tidal Atlantic ports, Loire châteaux, Bordeaux wine villages and the sunbaked south. It is the broadest slice of the country you can see comfortably by train, with time to slow down at every stop.
  • Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey from walled Saint-Malo
  • Château de Chambord by bike or shuttle
  • Saint-Émilion and the Cité de Carcassonne
  • Roman Nîmes and the lemon-scented coast at Menton

👉 explore this 21-day route

🌤️ When to go?Best time to visit France

The best months for backpacking France are May, June and September, when daytime highs sit around 18 to 25°C (64 to 77°F) across most of the country, hostel prices run well below July and August, and the French themselves are still at work. Region matters: the Mediterranean coast and Corsica stay warm enough to swim into early October, the Alps and Pyrenees only open their high trails from mid-June, and Paris works year-round if you can live with gray skies from November to March.
  • Spring shoulder (April to June): April swings between sun and cold showers, then May and June settle into mild, long-light weather. Prices stay moderate, but long holiday weekends in May fill trains and rural guesthouses fast. The hills turn green and markets fill with asparagus and strawberries.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Paris reaches 25 to 30°C and Provence regularly tops 30°C, with recent heatwaves above 35°C. French families pour onto the coasts, dorm beds in Paris and Nice climb to €40 to 60, and beach towns book out weeks ahead. In exchange, every mountain refuge, ferry and seasonal bus is running.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): Summer warmth hangs on in the south while crowds thin sharply after schools restart. Wine regions are at their busiest with the harvest. By late October, many campsites and beach-town hostels shut until Easter.
  • Winter (November to March): Expect 3 to 8°C, drizzle and early sunsets in the north, with 10 to 14°C and more sun on the Riviera. City rooms are at their cheapest, but ski resorts in the Alps charge their highest rates of the year.
I’d book long-distance trains for May and September as soon as you have dates, since the cheap fares vanish first, and I’d pack a light rain shell even for June.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: good for travelingAUGAugust: good for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
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💰 Costs (as of 2026)What things cost day to day

Backpacking France on a budget costs €60 to €100 a day. That covers a hostel bed, mostly self-catered meals, a few cheap trains or buses and one paid sight, and Paris pushes you toward the top of that range.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodation€25 to €55 per nightA dorm bed in Paris usually costs €35 to €55, more on summer weekends. In Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux expect €25 to €38. You pay less by booking weeks ahead, picking a 10 to 12-bed room and staying Sunday to Thursday. Prices run close to Germany’s, roughly a third higher than Spain or Portugal and well below Switzerland.
Meals€15 to €30 per daySupermarkets like Lidl, Carrefour and Monoprix make self-catering easy. A baguette is €1.10 to €1.40, a wedge of Comté runs €3 to €5 and a bottle of drinkable wine starts around €4. Street food costs €5 to €8 for a crêpe or galette and €7 to €10 for a kebab. A lunchtime formule (set menu) at a neighborhood bistro costs €14 to €20 and beats almost any dinner on price. I’d skip sit-down dinners in Paris completely and spend that money on one long, proper lunch outside the capital, where the same formule is a few euros cheaper and the cooking is often better.
Local transport€5
… read more 👉
Backpacking France on a budget costs €60 to €100 a day. That covers a hostel bed, mostly self-catered meals, a few cheap trains or buses and one paid sight, and Paris pushes you toward the top of that range.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodation€25 to €55 per nightA dorm bed in Paris usually costs €35 to €55, more on summer weekends. In Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux expect €25 to €38. You pay less by booking weeks ahead, picking a 10 to 12-bed room and staying Sunday to Thursday. Prices run close to Germany’s, roughly a third higher than Spain or Portugal and well below Switzerland.
Meals€15 to €30 per daySupermarkets like Lidl, Carrefour and Monoprix make self-catering easy. A baguette is €1.10 to €1.40, a wedge of Comté runs €3 to €5 and a bottle of drinkable wine starts around €4. Street food costs €5 to €8 for a crêpe or galette and €7 to €10 for a kebab. A lunchtime formule (set menu) at a neighborhood bistro costs €14 to €20 and beats almost any dinner on price. I’d skip sit-down dinners in Paris completely and spend that money on one long, proper lunch outside the capital, where the same formule is a few euros cheaper and the cooking is often better.
Local transport€5 to €25 per day (averaged)A single metro or bus ticket in Paris costs €2.50. Long distances are cheapest on FlixBus or BlaBlaCar, at €10 to €25 for Paris to Lyon. Ouigo low-cost high-speed trains on the same route start around €16 to €40 if you book early, while standard TGV fares bought on the day can go past €90.
Activities€0 to €35 per dayBig tickets drive the cost up. The Eiffel Tower summit by lift is about €36 and the Louvre is €32 for most non-EU visitors (€22 for EU and EEA residents). Versailles runs around €21 to €32 depending on the ticket. Under-26 residents of the European Union get into national museums for free, and hiking, beaches and old-town walks cost nothing.
Miscellaneous€5 to €12 per dayAn espresso standing at the bar costs €1.50 to €2.50, while the same cup at a terrace table is €3 or more. A wash and dry at a laundromat is €6 to €10. A Free Mobile or Bouygues prepaid SIM costs €10 to €20 a month. Tourist tax adds €1 to €3 a night on top of the room rate.
Total Daily Budget€60 to €100Outside Paris, a bed in Lyon plus supermarket meals, one bus fare and a free museum day comes to about €60. A Paris day with a €45 dorm, a bistro lunch, metro rides and the Louvre lands closer to €100. Spain and Portugal often run €45 to €70 a day, and Switzerland easily tops €120.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutFrance Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (501 pages) contains:
✅ 135 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
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✅ How to get around
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✅ Month by month travel advice
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🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where to stay in France

France has plenty of hostels and budget rooms, with dorm beds running roughly €30 to 55 in Paris and €20 to 40 in most other cities. In Paris, the Canal Saint-Martin area and Belleville in the northeast hold the densest cluster of large hostels, with cheap bars and good metro links but a scruffy edge after dark, while Montmartre puts you near Sacré-Cœur and the Pigalle nightlife at the cost of steep hills and pickpockets around the main stations. Elsewhere, look at Vieux Lyon in Lyon for cobbled-lane atmosphere and walkable sights, the Vieux-Port and Cours Julien in Marseille for late nights (stay … read more 👉
France has plenty of hostels and budget rooms, with dorm beds running roughly €30 to 55 in Paris and €20 to 40 in most other cities. In Paris, the Canal Saint-Martin area and Belleville in the northeast hold the densest cluster of large hostels, with cheap bars and good metro links but a scruffy edge after dark, while Montmartre puts you near Sacré-Cœur and the Pigalle nightlife at the cost of steep hills and pickpockets around the main stations. Elsewhere, look at Vieux Lyon in Lyon for cobbled-lane atmosphere and walkable sights, the Vieux-Port and Cours Julien in Marseille for late nights (stay alert around the station), and the Old Town of Nice for beach access, though its narrow streets stay noisy until late in summer.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in France


Best quality hotels in France

🚌 Getting aroundTransportation options and logistics

Day to day, French timetables are dependable, but national rail strikes can cancel a large share of trains with only a few days’ warning, so check the SNCF Connect app the evening before you travel. High-speed fares rise as seats sell, so book TGV and Ouigo tickets 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Regional trains cost the same whether you buy months early or on the platform.
  • Ouigo (low-cost TGV) is the best value in France for long distances. Fares run €10 to 60 one way. Paris to Lyon takes about 2 hours and
… read more 👉
Day to day, French timetables are dependable, but national rail strikes can cancel a large share of trains with only a few days’ warning, so check the SNCF Connect app the evening before you travel. High-speed fares rise as seats sell, so book TGV and Ouigo tickets 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Regional trains cost the same whether you buy months early or on the platform.
  • Ouigo (low-cost TGV) is the best value in France for long distances. Fares run €10 to 60 one way. Paris to Lyon takes about 2 hours and Paris to Marseille about 3 hours 20 minutes. Seats are the same as on regular TGVs, but there is no café car. The fare includes one cabin bag and one small bag, and extra luggage is cheaper to add online than at the station. Book on the Ouigo site or app. Some departures use suburban stations such as Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy or Massy TGV, which adds 30 to 50 minutes on the RER. Check before you book, and arrive at least 30 minutes early because boarding closes before departure.
  • TGV INOUI costs €25 to 120+ on the same routes. You get more legroom, a bar car and flexible exchanges. Travelers aged 12 to 27 should buy the Carte Avantage Jeune (€49 a year). It caps many long-distance fares and cuts others by around 30%, so it pays for itself in two or three trips.
  • TER regional trains cost €4 to 30 and are the way to reach small towns. Nice to Monaco takes about 20 minutes for roughly €4 to 5, and Marseille to Aix-en-Provence about 40 minutes for around €8. Buy tickets in the SNCF Connect app or from station machines. Riding without a valid ticket means an on-the-spot fine of €50 or more.
  • FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus charge €5 to 35 between big cities. Buses are slow, though: Paris to Lyon takes 6 to 7 hours against 2 by train. A bus only makes sense when the train costs over €60, or when an overnight coach saves you a hostel bed. Book in the apps. Luggage goes under the bus with a tag, so keep valuables on you.
  • BlaBlaCar ridesharing puts you in a local driver’s car for €25 to 40 from Paris to Lyon (4.5 to 5 hours). It is most useful in rural areas such as the Dordogne or inland Brittany, where trains run rarely. Pay through the app and choose drivers with verified profiles and plenty of reviews.
Domestic flights are rarely worth the airport transfers and baggage fees when a fast train covers the same trip in 3 to 4 hours. Renting a car only makes sense for the countryside. In the cities it is a waste of money because of parking costs and traffic.

Fast rail lines spread out from Paris, so I’d route a long trip across the country through Paris on a cheap Ouigo. That is often quicker than a slow direct regional line between two provincial cities.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), France’s main international gateway, sits about 25 km (16 miles) northeast of central Paris, and the RER B train is the cheapest reliable way in.
  • RER B train (30 to 40 minutes to Gare du Nord, €13 airport ticket): Catch it from the station inside Terminal 2 or from Terminal 1 via the free CDGVAL shuttle, buy your ticket at the machines or ticket windows before the gates, and expect trains roughly from 4:50 am until just before midnight.
  • Roissybus (60 to 75 minutes to Opéra, about €16.60): It leaves from signposted stops outside Terminals 1, 2 and 3, takes tickets from the airport machines, and runs from about 6 am to 12:30 am.
  • Noctilien night buses N140 and N143 (60 to 80 minutes to Gare de l’Est or Gare du Nord, about €2): These cover the hours when trains stop, roughly 12:30 am to 5:30 am, leaving from bus stops at the terminals with a standard bus ticket bought in advance or from the driver.
  • Taxi (45 to 60 minutes, flat fare €56 to the Right Bank or €65 to the Left Bank): Use only the official taxi rank outside arrivals, where the fixed fare applies to licensed cabs 24 hours a day and cards are accepted.
  • Ride-hailing (45 to 60 minutes, roughly €45 to 75 depending on demand): Book through the app once you have your bags and meet the driver at the designated pickup zone, since prices surge during rush hour and late at night.
If you land after midnight, skip the drivers who approach you inside the terminal and head straight for the official taxi rank or the Noctilien stop, keeping your bag zipped and in front of you on the night bus.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: medium)Is France safe to visit?

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
France is generally safe for solo travelers, and violent crime against tourists is rare. The main risk is pickpocketing on the Paris Metro, around the Eiffel Tower and at Sacré-Cœur, where petition and string-bracelet scams target visitors. Women traveling alone may face street harassment or catcalling in some urban areas and on late-night RER trains, so take a taxi or ride-hail after midnight if you are unsure of the area. France is welcoming to LGBTQ+ travelers: same-sex marriage has been legal since 2013, and Paris’s Le Marais has one of Europe’s best-known gay scenes, though public displays of affection draw more attention in rural areas and some suburbs. The emergency number is 112.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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✈️ VisaDo you need a visa to visit?

Citizens of the EU, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries can visit France without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen Area. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) now registers fingerprints and a photo at the border, and the ETIAS online travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers is planned to start later. Travelers who need a Schengen visa must apply through the official France-Visas website. You then submit your documents and biometrics at a French consulate or its appointed visa center before you travel.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What to pack for France

Packing for France depends heavily on region and season. Brittany and Normandy get Atlantic rain year-round, the Mediterranean coast regularly passes 30°C in July and August, and the Alps and Pyrenees can turn cold even in summer. Old town centers are full of cobblestones and steep streets, so prioritize comfortable shoes you can walk in all day over anything flashy. The French tend to dress neat and understated, and a smart-casual outfit will help you fit in at restaurants and churches far better than beachwear or athletic gear. France uses Type E sockets at 230V, and packing light pays off on trains, where luggage racks fill fast and stations often have long stairways.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

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🙋 FAQCommon questions before visiting

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through France can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized France itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

France has no required vaccinations for entry. Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date, especially measles (MMR), tetanus-diphtheria and COVID-19. Hepatitis A and B are sometimes recommended for longer stays. If you plan to hike or camp in forests in eastern France, such as Alsace or the Alps, consider the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine. Pharmacies across France (look for the green cross) can handle minor health issues.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in France, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In France, wait to be seated in restaurants, keep your voice low in public and on trains, and ask for the bill when you are ready. Waiters will not bring it unprompted, because hurrying diners is considered rude. Put your bread directly on the table next to your plate. Avoid asking for heavy changes to dishes or for ketchup in traditional restaurants. Dress neatly, and cover your shoulders and knees in churches. Don’t touch produce at market stalls without asking, and don’t talk about money or ask people what they earn. Topless sunbathing is common on many beaches but not in towns or at public pools, and full face coverings are banned in public spaces by law. Women may meet persistent flirting or comments in cities, and a firm, cold refusal without further engagement is the locally accepted response. Same-sex couples can be openly affectionate in central Paris and most cities, but should be more discreet in rural areas.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for France.
  1. Bœuf bourguignon: Beef braised for hours in Burgundy red wine with onions, mushrooms and lardons. It is the classic French Sunday stew and a showcase for the Burgundy wine region.
  2. Coq au vin: Chicken slowly cooked in red wine with mushrooms and bacon. It started as a farmhouse way to tenderize an old rooster and is now a bistro staple across France.
  3. Cassoulet: A rich bean casserole from the southwest with duck confit, Toulouse sausage and pork, baked until a crust forms. Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse all claim to make the true version.
  4. Bouillabaisse: Marseille’s saffron-tinted fish stew, served with rouille sauce and toasted bread. Fishermen first made it from the unsold catch, and a proper one costs €50 to 70 per person, so it is a splurge to plan for.
  5. Galettes and crêpes: Brittany’s buckwheat galettes are savory, often filled with ham, egg and cheese, and sweet wheat crêpes follow for dessert. They are a cheap and filling meal across France for €8 to 15.
  6. Steak frites: A pan-fried steak with fries and often a pat of herb butter. It is the default bistro lunch and the most reliable budget meal on a set menu.
  7. Tartiflette: An Alpine bake of potatoes, lardons, onions and melted Reblochon cheese. It is the classic ski-season comfort food of Savoie.
Tap water in France is safe to drink, and most locals drink it every day. It is recommended for tourists too, and restaurants will bring a free carafe of tap water (“une carafe d’eau”) if you ask. Bottled or filtered water isn’t necessary, but don’t drink from taps or fountains marked “eau non potable”.
The main language in France is French. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your French skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for France includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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In Paris and the big tourist hubs like Nice, Lyon and the Loire châteaux, you can get by in English at hotels, museums and most restaurants. Under-35s and hostel staff across France usually speak it well. In rural villages and small-town shops, expect little beyond the basics. No second language helps as much as a few French phrases. A downloaded offline French pack in Google Translate, with its camera mode for menus and signs, will get you through most situations.

Money & Payments

The local currency of France is EUR (€).
ATMs (called “distributeurs” or “DAB”) are everywhere in France, even in small towns. Bank-run machines usually charge no local fee, though your home bank may add its own. Avoid stand-alone Euronet machines in tourist areas, which charge several euros per withdrawal. Always decline the “conversion” offer and choose to be charged in euros. Visa and Mastercard, including contactless and phone payments, are accepted almost everywhere, from metro machines to bakeries. Some small cafés set a €10 card minimum, while outdoor markets, rural guesthouses and flea markets often want cash, and American Express is less widely accepted. Don’t bring US dollars: withdraw euros on arrival or bring a small amount from home. If you do need to exchange cash, a bank gives far better rates than the airport exchange counters.
Tipping in France is optional, because French law requires restaurant and café prices to include a service charge (“service compris”). Locals usually round up or leave €1 to 2 at a café or for an average meal, and 5 to 10% only for excellent service at a sit-down restaurant. For taxis, rounding up the fare is enough, and hotel porters or tour guides appreciate €1 to 5.

🧩 Nearby countriesOther countries to combine with France

📸 PhotosScenes from around the country

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

We 💚 feedbackWhat to know before planning your trip

The best reason to backpack France is density. Within a few hours you can move from glacier to vineyard to Atlantic surf, and the bread, cheese and wine along the way are good even at their most ordinary. The drawback is cost creep in high summer: beds in Paris, the Alps and the Riviera climb steeply in July and August and sell out early. The best tactic is to base yourself in regional cities such as Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille or Rennes and day-trip out to the famous small places instead of chasing rooms inside them. You see the same sights, spend calmer evenings and meet a France that is talking to itself rather than performing for visitors.

✈️ When did I visit France?
Being close to The Netherlands, my home base, I visited France many times. Since then, this guide is regularly updated based on feedback from locals and recent backpackers (last update: 18 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in France, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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