So much to see, so little time. How to choose? To help you get started, we’ve listed our top picks for where to go in France, and our plan for your best three-week trip.

Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are our recommended priorities:
3 days: Paris, maybe Versailles
6 days, add: Normandy (3)
8 days, add: Loire (2)
11 days, add: Dordogne, Carcassonne (3)
16 days, add: Provence, Riviera (5)
19 days, add: Burgundy, Chamonix (3)
22 days, add: Alsace, northern France
26 days, add: Basque Country

• If you have only a week and it’s your first trip to France, do Paris, Normandy, and the Loire.
• If you have about 8–10 days, consider a loop linking Paris, Normandy, and the Loire. Or do a one-way trip, such as flying into Nice and out of Paris, seeing the Riviera, Provence, the Alps, and Burgundy along the way.
• For a 10- to 14-day trip that highlights Paris, Provence, and the Riviera, fly into Paris and out of Nice. After touring Paris, take the TGV train to Avignon, rent a car there, and drop it in Nice (or use trains, buses, and minivan tours to get around). This trip also works well in reverse.
• Travelers with a little more time could add Burgundy and/or the Alps, which are about halfway between Paris and Provence and easy to explore by car or train.