France works particularly well as a multi-city trip because the rail network makes it practical. Paris to Lyon is under two hours, Paris to Bordeaux just over two, Paris to Marseille around three. That puts four genuinely different regions within a single week without long transfers or internal flights. Book TGV tickets in advance: fares rise steeply close to departure, and the cheapest tiers sell out weeks ahead. Beyond the cities, the pattern that serves most travellers is to base in one place and take day trips rather than moving hotel every night. Lyon reaches the Beaujolais and the Rhone valley; Nice reaches the Riviera and the Alpes-Maritimes; Bordeaux reaches Saint-Emilion and the Atlantic dunes.
When to visit
May, June and September. August is the French holiday month - the coast is full and many city restaurants close.