If you are backpacking Europe, odds are you are going to end up in France at some point. Paris is one of the major hubs for both planes and trains, and almost every independent European backpacker ends up doing a stint in a cheap hostel near the Gare du Nord. In fact, depending on how long you are there for, it is entirely likely that you end up doing quite a few.

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By this point in your life, I am sure you have heard so much about the country that you have probably already formed a complete opinion of what it will be like. You have a general feel for how the people will treat you, what types of food will be offered, and what the major landmarks are. Whatever you are thinking – it is only the tip of the iceberg!

France is a country that above all things prides itself on its cultural heritage. In light of their revolutionary motto of egalite, liberte and fraternite, France remains firmly dedicated to their histoire. Everywhere you go in France you get the feeling of a people proud of where they come from, and happy to continue promoting the social ethos that have got them where they are today. For the independent traveler, this equates to the preservation of sights, tastes and culture waiting for anyone willing to go out and find it.

To show the landmarks of France, it is best to split the country into four standard navigational categories: North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West.

In the North-East, which starts in Paris and extends across to the borders of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, a majority of the action is based around the capital. Paris is a dominating force, driving the political heart of the country as well as serving as the major transportation artery. However, I am not entirely a fan of the city. To me, capitals are where the government is given free rein to make short term changes, and in turn capitals always end up becoming calamities of restrictions, laws and complications unseen in smaller cities. For that reason I would say that Reims is my choice for the North-Eastern quadrant. The Notre-Dame is just as beautiful and infinitely less crowded than its Parisian counterpart, the forts, city hall and Basilica are all lovely, and the city itself contains less of the overall pompous air that pervades in the capital.

In the North-West lies Brittany, Normandy and the rest of the coastline overlooking Britain (albeit at a great distance). Having been to the coast a number of times, I can safely say that it is among the nicest parts of the entire country. To me, the West coast has it all. For history, there is the megaliths are Carnac.

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For society and a nice city cafe, there is Rennes. For everything you can require from France, it can be found in a tranquil town along the coastline. It is less easily traveled, harder to decide where to go (as the town sizes are smaller and less internationally known), but the treasures are greater. Some of the major sites to see are the castle Mont Saint-Michel, or the cities of Brest, Rennes and Nantes. Unlike some of the smaller sites (such as the fortress town of Vitré), they are well known and acclimatized to the onset of tourism. However, this is both a boon and a burden. For those who are looking for well established hostels, tourism industry, or a prevalence of spoken English, the larger towns are definitely the better option. For those looking for a more off the beaten path tour, there is little to be seen at the major destinations that cannot be found in a tour guide or online.

In the South-West from just north of Bordeaux down to the borders of Andorra and Spain is wine country. To be perfectly honest, beyond a few choice locations this area is not my favourite. To me, as a drinker of cheap local beers, wine country makes for fine train scenery. However, it is an extremely popular area with many foreign tourists, and does have some exceptional areas worth seeing. The major cities in the South-West are Bordeaux and Toulouse, and they both serve as train hubs for the smaller sites in the area. Both cities, like most of France’s major cities, are absolutely stunning, but also crawling with tourists!

If you intend on visiting them in the summer, expect to meet many others following your same path. Instead, I prefer to duck out to some of the more remote sites in the countryside where, although tourists still abound, there is room for you to breathe. The castle of Carcassonne below Toulouse is one of the only places I have been where a hostel (in fact, a small village) is built into the castle, and you can spend the night high above the town. It is not the most picturesque castle, but the sheer experience of sleeping within castle walls is enough to make me remember it very fondly. Another great place to visit (although definitely far off the beaten path) is Beynac-et-Cazenac. Classified as one of the most beautiful villages in all France, it does little to make you disagree. However, as it is located far from any major train station, it is not easy to access. Be sure to plan extra time if you intend on seeing it, as both the trip itself and the time spent there will undoubtedly take longer than you’d expect.

In the South-East there is a lot going on in very little space. The French Alps, the border of Switzerland and Italy, Monaco, Marseille and Lyon are all entirely worth a visit. The city of Lyon is among the nicest of the larger sized cities in France (I find Nice to be fairly bland… after all, who wants to go to a beach covered in rocks and topless grandmothers?). Its close proximity to Geneva, as well as a plethora of tourist sites makes Lyon almost unmissable.

The Notre Dame of Lyon is my favourite in the nation, the Ile Babre is relatively unspoiled, it is considered the gastronomical capital of France and the historical amphitheatre shows just how far back the history of Europe really goes. There is so much to say about the South-East of France, but if I were just there for a few days, I would spend them all in Lyon. Granted, if you wanted to day trip to Monaco, you could easily walk from one end of the country (the long way) to the other in under one and a half hours. Although it is not exactly the city for a backpacker’s budget, it is certainly worth a look. Plus, your backpack looks like it has some space left for one more patch.

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