i love all places french. i like the market towns around st. remy, the south around the carmargue, the area of wine around pau, nice and cannes and go see grasse if you can.. . perfumery. it depends upon what you like to do.. the country or the big city. i LOVE avignon and surrounding area, carcassone also. have fun where ever you go.

elizabeth

France is one of my favorite places.

If I were you, I’d try to get over to monaco, take a little trip to see the meditteranean, get on a boat, and go.

The waves in the sunset are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.

Peace,

Mazarine

Well, it depends on how much time you want to spend and what your favourite places are of course.

In Lyon, going to the Cote dAzur is a breeze… take the trip from down(the rural, naturalistic part or even Marseille or the Camargue) to up (the posh part, Monaco, Menton). This said check your timescale and decide to start your coastal trip anywhere inbetween. I know the whole coastline like my wallet, in fact I traveled it more than four dozends time in my life, last time is 6 weeks ago.

Locations at the coastline you should see (besides the obvious places you can detect on a map easily) is: the Calanque de Figuerolle , take a car to drive of hike the Route des Cretes (La Ciotat), the southern part of the peninsula Hyeres, Le Lavandou, Cavalere, Cavaliere, drive through the woody hills to Ramatueille and St. Tropez.

Cannes, Nice – when passed by nice, definitely go up the hill to Eze.You will love this place in heaven! Do not hesitate to pay 11 euros for a small coffee on the terasse of the restaurant there, it is wort it!

The rest… is obvious and you’ll find it on the road to Menton.

So, how much time do you want to spend?
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Please feel free to ask for more tips.

Nice is absolutely wonderful! It was one of the best places I’ve ever been. It’s incredibly relaxing. It’s like a small piece of heaven on earth!

And Monaco is wonderful it’s a really tiny little place, but it’s just pure beauty. Plus there is Monte Carlo… I was too young to go in while i was there.. but i’d die to go back and see what it’s like.

Seems you’ve already gotten some excellent responses. I’d opt for the Cote d’Azur. One place not mentioned is Nimes—well preserved Roman arena. There are excellent ruins to be seen. If you are travelling by car, you might want to travel across the Gorge du Tarn—very exciting. And don’t overlook Aix, the seat of the Papacy. There is much to see and do.

While I really liked Bordeaux, it’s further away than the Mediterranean coast and there weren’t many “sights” in the neighbourhood. If you were opting for Bordeaux to visit vineyards, you could go to the Beaujolais area which is right outside Lyon – there are some very nice winetasting options near mount Brouilly, just follow any sign on the road. As for the coast, personally I loved Montpellier. But then again I’ve never been to the Côte d’Azur. Have fun!

As others have said, it depends on what you like; also what time of year you’re planning to go, what your budget is, where you live, and how you’ll be traveling.

I would suggest using the excellent trains in France rather than driving — a nice way to see some of the countryside without having to pay attention to the road, and you get to mix with the locals too :o)

The climate on the Cote d’Azur is mild which is great after a long cold winter, but since you live in LA and have palm trees year-round it may not actually be all that special for you. Also, the Cote d’Azur it is quite “touristy” and if you’re going in the summer can get a bit crazy.

I did enjoy Nice which is elegant and definitely has that mediterranean feel to it, very pleasant to just stroll on the boardwalk and people-watch or have coffee in a cafe. If you go to Nice, don’t miss out on the local specialties, like pissaladiere (a pizza-like dish made with onions that is finger-licking good). And for some very unique ice cream flavors, check out Fenocchio in Old Town (Vieux Nice).

I especially love Marseille which is more of a gritty harbor town but has a great personality all its own. Marseille will be European Capital of Culture in 2013 and I imagine they’ve started to add some new attractions in preparation for that. The fish market on the harbor makes for fabulous people-watching (and eating) and it’s fun to walk around town and just see where you end up :o) You’ll see everything from a splendid opera house to the Arab market (Marseille has a large North-African/Arab population).

The historic village of Eze is gorgeous, especially if you enjoy a hike up the mountain (go early on a weekday and you’ll have the place all to yourself, it feels like time travel!).

I didn’t enjoy Monaco very much because it was too over-run with tourists for my taste, and hard to get around. Again, depends on what you’re looking for.

I haven’t been to Avignon but it’s supposed to be worth seeing. A friend of mine just went there a couple weeks ago and she was quite taken.

If you go in the summer or fall I would highly recommend visiting the Auvergne region which is very close to Lyon and is gorgeous, again especially if you enjoy being out in nature — there are many hiking trails in the area that offer fantastic views. If you like cheese, be sure to stop by in St. Nectaire which is a tiny hamlet with charming little cheese stores selling the local specialty. Yummy!

I haven’t been to Bordeaux but have heard it’s beautiful.

In closing, I’d like to say that since you’ll be in Lyon anyway, be sure to do some sightseeing there. Lyon is very special to me and quite possibly the most beautiful city I’ve been to so far. Do some online research and check out the traboules in Old Town (Vieux Lyon) and Old Town in general; the Fourviere Basilica from where you have a stunning view of the city (take the funicular up and walk back down, or vice versa); and the trompe-l’oeils all over the city.

I spent two weeks in Bordeaux, and it is an amazing city. It’s very historical and beautiful, and there is a lot of sightseeing to do there. Also it is a short ways from the beach and the highest sand dune in Europe, which is a pretty fun place to go.

I have never been to Nice, but my parents have and although they said it is very beautiful, it is also a very touristy town. You won’t get quite the cultural experience from going to Cote d’Azur that you would from Bordeaux. Also, Bordeaux is a short drive from Saint Emillon, which is a beautiful old town with a lot of wineries nearby.

I would suggest Bordeaux for the culture you would experience.