Places in France That You Need to Visit That Are Not Paris

Places in France That You Need to Visit That Are Not Paris

The summer may be almost over, but that doesn’t mean the fun is over. There’s still some time to get away, or better yet, plan a vacation in the fall when it’s not boiling hot. France is such a beautiful country any time of the year, especially now when everything is in bloom. The food is to die for, the wine flows like water, and the landscape is stunning. Don’t get scared away by the French people who refuse to speak English. It’s definitely a country worth visiting. Two places I recommend you visit are Saint-Malo and Dinan in Brittany. 

Yup, I just recommended two places that aren’t really in the wine region or in Paris. Did you know that there’s so much more to see in France besides vineyards and the Eiffel Tower? As someone who has traveled to France lots of times, I’ve found some gems that are worth visiting. 

Saint-Malo, France

The City of Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo is a beautiful city right on the water. It has a stunning sand beach for miles. The best thing about the beach is, it’s not especially crowded. Sometimes it can be so annoying when you want to visit somewhere and it’s jam-packed with people. The city itself has got so much history, you’ll never get enough of it. The city center is bursting with cute little shops and restaurants. 

The Beach, Saint-Malo, France

I love how historic the city is. You can even walk on the old city wall and look at the ocean. You can see the Fort National island in the middle of the water. When the tide is low, you can walk up to the fort and tour it. There’s even the possibility of getting into some mischief there. My partner Kevin and I had a lot of fun there when we visited.

Fort National, Saint-Malo, France

No city would be really visited if you didn’t try the local food. Kevin and I love trying all the local delicacies when we travel. I highly recommend you order oysters at any restaurant you visit in Saint-Malo. They were the best oysters I have ever eaten. And I didn’t even try an oyster until I was an adult, so I know haha. But seriously, they were so fresh and full of taste. 

A Small Town Called Dinan

Dinan, France

We stumbled upon a little town called Dinan on the same trip. My sister was with us too. She lives in Paris but is moving to Brussels in September. Yay, she’ll be closer to me. Don’t get Dinan confused with Dinant. They are different places. Dinant is in Belgium and Dinan is in France.

Now I have to warn you if you have trouble walking then this isn’t the place for you. There are stairs and hills everywhere. The summer heat doesn’t help either. But I promise you, if you visit it, you won’t regret it. Dinan has all the charm and is more of a small French town. The town looks like it’s in a different time period.

Dinan, France

There’s a castle, hills, stairs, a stunning view, incredible food and lots of places to shop. The town was so impressive to see. Can you imagine living in the center of a town that has a 14th-century castle? The streets were all cobblestone. We have a lovely time exploring. We cooled ourselves off with some ice cream and bought some delicious raspberry liquor. I even bought myself a cute blue leather purse. Not that I really use it but you can never can enough purses. Right?

Traveling Beyond the Big Cities

I’m always looking for places to visit that are not popular to visit. Of course, I want to see some of the famous cities like Paris and Amsterdam, but I want more than that. I want to see the unseen. I’m so grateful that Kevin is always open to just hop in the car and stray outside the city. It’s so much more fun to see the world that way. I hope you visit Saint-Malo and Dinan and tell me all about it in the comments. Thank you for reading!

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What’s a place you’ve visited that blew you away?

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