France

France is the country that makes ordinary moments feel like an occasion. You can spend the morning in a Paris museum, the afternoon in a lavender-scented Provence village, and the evening over a long dinner that nobody rushes. Then there is the range: Atlantic surf, medieval walled towns, vineyards, Alpine glaciers and wild Corsican coastline. It is a place where food, art and landscape are woven together, and every region has its own accent, cheese and traditions. Even a short trip leaves you planning the next one.

Talking points

• Paris is only the beginning: Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Marseille each feel like a different country.
• Regional food is a reason to travel by itself, from Alsatian choucroute to Provençal bouillabaisse.
• Mont Blanc, the Calanques, Atlantic dunes and Corsican beaches all sit within one country.
• Châteaux, cathedrals and Roman ruins turn the map into a timeline of European history.
• The high-speed train network makes it easy to cross the country without a car.