Best Cities to See in France (I Tested 15)

I've spent the last eight months bouncing between 15 French cities, burning through train tickets and overpriced croque monsieurs to figure out which ones actually deserve a spot on your itinerary.

Here's what nobody tells you: most French cities feel interchangeable after your third cathedral. But nine of them punched through my jaded-traveler cynicism and earned their keep. The rest? Skip them unless you're collecting stamps in your passport for fun.

This is my honest ranking of the best cities to see in France, with real costs, routing logistics, and the stuff that actually matters when you're trying to work from a café with spotty WiFi.

1. Lyon — The City Paris Wishes It Was

★★★★★ (5/5)

Lyon is what happens when you take Paris's food scene, remove 80% of the tourists, cut prices by 40%, and add actual hills for views.

I based myself here for six weeks, and it ruined other French cities for me. The old town (Vieux Lyon) feels like a movie set, except the bouchons (traditional restaurants) serve €15 three-course lunches that would cost €45 in Paris. The traboules (hidden Renaissance passageways) are cooler than any Paris Instagram spot, and you won't elbow through cruise groups to see them.

Why it works: Two rivers, a massive park (Parc de la Tête d'Or) perfect for laptop breaks, and enough museums to justify a week without feeling like you're forcing it.

💡 Pro tip: Stay in Croix-Rousse neighborhood. It's where actual Lyonnais live, has the best morning market (Tuesday-Sunday), and rent is 30% cheaper than Presqu'île (the peninsula between rivers).

How long: 5-7 days minimum. I stayed 42 and didn't get bored.

Getting there: 2 hours from Paris by TGV (€35-80 depending on booking window), 90 minutes from Marseille.

For more French city comparisons, check out I Visited 12 French Cities. These 7 Are Actually Worth It for what NOT to do in Spain.