Explore France by the Back Roads
The best way to experience the French countryside is to get off the autoroute. That's why we plan our France countryside tours around the smaller roads — the ones that wind through villages, past farms and vineyards, and along rivers that most visitors never see.
Your personalized guidebook and our MyFrance travel app include detailed driving directions for every day of your trip, with our recommended scenic routes, suggested stops, and tips on where to park, where to eat, and what to look out for along the way. We don't just tell you where to go — we tell you the most beautiful road to take to get there.
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Many of our countryside tours start from Paris, since that's where most of our travelers fly into. From there, you might head south into the Loire Valley or Burgundy, west to Normandy or Brittany, or southeast toward Provence. Some travelers focus on one region and take their time; others prefer a longer trip that covers two or three. Either way, the driving is part of the experience — not just a way to get from one place to the next.
Between drives, you'll stay in B&Bs and small boutique hotels (see above) that we've personally tested and selected. Many are in the countryside itself — stone farmhouses, converted manors, homes surrounded by gardens or vineyards — and your hosts are often the best source of local recommendations.
Our Normandy, Brittany & the Loire Valley Tour is a good example of how we combine scenic countryside driving with history, gastronomy, and time to explore at your own pace.
In Every Region, a Different France
One of the things that surprises visitors most about France is how much the landscape changes from one region to the next. A French countryside tour can look completely different depending on where you go — and that's part of what makes driving here so rewarding.
- On a tour of Provence, you'll find lavender fields, olive groves, and hilltop villages built from honey-colored stone.
- On one of our Burgundy tours, the road winds between neat rows of vines and through small wine towns like Beaune and Vézelay.
- The Dordogne is known for its river valleys, medieval castles, and some of the best food in France.
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Patricia & Vandell, USA
Normandy and Brittany have a completely different character — green, coastal, and full of stone farmhouses, half-timbered villages, and dramatic shoreline.
And in the Loire Valley, the countryside opens up into wide river views and Renaissance châteaux surrounded by formal gardens.
We know these regions well because we live here and we're regularly on the road visiting the places we recommend. When we plan your trip, we'll match the regions to your interests — whether that's wine, food, history, walking, photography, or simply the pleasure of driving through beautiful scenery with nowhere particular you need to be.
