Lonely Planet France: Perfect for exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled (Travel Guide)

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And France’s superb train network makes it easy to explore the far corners of this rich, varied country. We’ve highlighted the following journeys because they offer scenic beauty, keep up a vintage heritage or are just plan fabulous. Different autoroutes charge different amounts per kilometer (you can calculate fees at autoroutes.fr). Note that you need to choose the right lane when you exit the motorway – some lanes are automated, others have attendants, and some are reserved for frequent users with automated Liber-T passes. Don’t enter one of the lanes marked by a big orange ‘T’ unless you have a pass; look out for green arrows, or a picture of cash or a credit card, and you should be okay. Car parking in France

There are regular ferry services to several French ports (including Calais, Cherbourg, Roscoff, Le Havre, Brest and others). Boats also connect the French mainland with offshore islands, the Channel Islands, and Corsica (which is served by frequent ferries from Nice, Toulon and Marseille). With 11km (6.8mi) of hiking trails, picnic areas and spectacular views, the Parc du Mont Boron offers an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of Nice. The hilltop forest is spread across 57 hectares (141 acres) of Aleppo pines, olive trees and holm oaks. Routes Nationales (N or RN) are national highways with divider strips on some sections. They often run alongside or close to autoroutes and pass through main towns – they’re slower but toll-free.Flowing through central Paris, the Seine is flanked by many of the French capital’s most emblematic sights. Whether it's day or night, when the river’s ripples reflect the illuminated monuments, getting out on the water sees first-time visitors fall for Paris’ charms and return travelers – and even locals – rekindle the magic. Two hours' drive to the west is Ciderie Claids, is a cidery that’s been around since 1992. A visit here is a full-body apple-trip; you smell them first and then the fizzy flavors dance on your tongue. You can even take home a bottle that’s been made a certain year, just like wine. 8. Visit the charming harbor town of Honfleur History buffs can visit the 16th-century military Fort du Mont Alban at the top of the hill, which affords sweeping panoramic views of Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, the Cap-Ferrat peninsula and the Esterel mountains. Detour: Once you’re done feasting on history, get ready for some of the creamiest and best ice cream of your life at Ferme de la Haizerie in Vaux-sur-Aure. It’s a tiny and unpretentious ice cream shop that offers local flavors such as Calvados, and teurgoule – a Normandy rice pudding – made from fresh farm milk. 14. Visit the iconic abbey at Mont St-Michel With two to four public holidays in May (depending on when Easter falls), opening hours can be a tad unpredictable. But May is also the month of the Nuits des Musées when hundreds of museums around the country open their doors for free from dusk till 1am. It's also when the global sensation that is the Cannes Film Festival whirls into town and drenches the south of France in silver-screen glamor. Unsurprisingly, prices shoot up for the duration of the festival.

One of France’s most famous artists, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) lived in Nice for nearly 40 years. See one of the world’s largest collections of his work, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and paper cut-outs, at the Musée Matisse in Cimiez. Various bus and coach companies compete with the SNCF's rail services, offering cheaper but much slower services between large towns and cities. These include FlixBus and the cross-Europe coach network run by EuroLines. The region’s châteaux and defensive walls remain – most distinctive of all are bastide towns such as Monpazier, encircled by fortified walls and protected by sturdy ramparts. Each village has a central market square, so if you time your drive right, you can hit a weekly market and sample the local specialties. A resort’s ecological footprint is becoming increasingly vital to skiers. Green-thinking Morzine-Avoriaz hits the spot with renewable energy-powered chalet accommodation, electric-vehicle transfers and car-sharing, zero-waste initiatives and plant-based dining. Skiers can rent ski clothing from Crevasse Clothing, feast on artisan cuisine showcasing local produce at Avoriaz’s cool new hotel-restaurant hangout MiL8, drink zero-waste coffee roasted in the valley by Cafés Vorlaz and chink craft beer with local eco-riders at Morzine’s experimental microbrewery Bec Jaune. Both resorts, accessible by train to Cluses or Geneva and then shared transfer, carry the Flocon Vert (‘Green Snowflake’) label, awarded for sustainable practice to 11 resorts in France. At the Genoese villa housing Nice’s Musée Matisse, you can get an intimate perspective on his paintings, drawings, prints, cut-outs and sculptures and visit his grave across the park.When you’re visiting religious sights such as churches, dress modestly and cover bare shoulders (skip sightseeing altogether while worship and religious celebrations are taking place). Health and safety 13. Prevention helps avert petty theft It’s known for its bucolic countryside and impossibly long stretches of beach where the famous D-Day landings took place during WWII. Beyond the shores lies much to discover: a rich literary history, four protected designation of origin cheeses, and of course, the iconic Mont St-Michel, a surreal Gothic abbey dating from the 13th century set on top of an island that appears to float like a mystical dream on water during high tide. Detour: If you just want to get a taste of the slow life, book yourself a stay at a Parcel tiny house. It’s under two hours from Paris but offers a true nature escape to the middle of an apple orchard haven. Through a partnership with the neighboring organic farm Jardins de la Thillaye, you can taste Saint-Émilion wine, the best butter of the region, locally made calva and cider, and Norman beef. Bring boots – the trek out to the cabins is long and the grassy fields can turn muddy easily under the volatile Normandy skies. 12. Snag a striped sweater at Saint James For an easier alternative, board the Panoramique des Dômes cog railway for a 15-minute trip. To get up even higher, spiral above Puy de Dôme on a paragliding flight. 15. Ring in the festive season at Strasbourg’s historic Christmas market Scout new ways to explore the planet's wildest places with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. 1. Palombaggia, Corsica