Fancy a holiday in France but don’t fancy the Olympic crowds? Here are 8 tourist-free hidden gems, hand-picked by travel experts – from a ‘local secret’ in Brittany to a ‘flower paradise’ on the Mediterranean.
With the Summer Olympics fast approaching, all eyes are on France.
The Paris Tourist Office expects more than 11 million visitors to come to the City of Light during the Games.
That’s great for the athletes, but not ideal if you’re looking for a relaxing, quiet French holiday.
This way you can keep your wanderlust for France alive, burning like an Olympic torch.
Just head to one of these expertly selected dream destinations in France that are guaranteed to be refreshingly free of other visitors. From a ‘stunning’ coastal spot that’s a ‘local secret’ to a region dotted with 80 volcanoes, these eight locations offer a temptingly quieter side of France this summer.
Uzès, Occitania
‘Uzès surpasses itself thanks to its beautiful streets and central square (above) full of restaurants’
Uzès, in the southern French region of Occitanie, is a certified ‘hidden gem’ according to Justin Ashby, France expert at an independent travel agency Simpson Travels.
Justin told MailOnline Travel: ‘Uzès certainly stands out from the rest with its beautiful streets and central square full of restaurants.’
He adds: ‘A 20-minute drive from the city is the famous Roman bridge Pont du Gard, while on the outskirts of the city is the Musée du Bonbon Haribo [Museum of Haribo sweets] will be a hit with the kids!’
Metz, Greater East
‘This vibrant city in Lorraine has a rich history and beautiful architecture. Visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral (pictured), Centre Pompidou-Metz and stroll along the Moselle,’ says Malcolm Massey
Located close to France’s borders with Germany and Luxembourg, Metz is ‘a hidden gem often overshadowed by Strasbourg’, says Malcolm Massey, Babbles France expert.
Malcolm adds: ‘This vibrant city in Lorraine has a rich history and beautiful architecture. Visit the Centre Pompidou-Metz and stroll along the Moselle.’
Another good idea? Visit the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, says Malcolm, which has so many kaleidoscopic stained-glass windows—designed by artist Marc Chagall—that it’s been nicknamed “God’s Lantern.”
Andernos les Bains, Gironde
Andernos-les-Bains has a claim to fame – it is home to France’s longest pier (above), which is 232 metres (761 ft) long
Located an hour’s drive from Bordeaux on the west coast of France, Andernos-les-Bains is a favourite beach destination of Babbel’s Malcolm.
The sandcastle hotspot, he says, is “a wonderful seaside town with a picturesque view of the Bassin d’Arcachon,” an enchanting bay on the Atlantic Ocean.
The city also has a reputation: it is home to the longest pier in France, which is a whopping 232 metres long.
Île d’Yeu, Pays de la Loire
‘With 700 plant species and almost 300 bird species, Île d’Yeu is an ideal destination for nature lovers,’ says HomeToGo
Nature lovers looking to escape the Olympic crowds can head to Île d’Yeu in the western French region of Pays de la Loire.
The Home Exchange Platform Team HomeToGo says: ‘This idyllic French island off the coast of the Vendée may be small, measuring just 23km2, but it promises plenty of adventure and stunning scenery.
‘With 700 plant species and almost 300 bird species, it is an ideal destination for nature lovers.’
Bormes-les-Mimosas, Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur
The 12th-century Bormes les Mimosas (above) is a “true floral paradise,” says the HomeToGo team
The 12th-century Bormes les Mimosas is a “flower paradise,” according to the HomeToGo team. Its flower-filled streets have earned it the prestigious French “Villes et Villages Fleuris” (Flowering Towns and Villages) award.
The passages there seem like dreamy places to get lost in this summer. According to the experts at HomeToGo, the village’s “vibrantly colored houses and artistic atmosphere” are worth a visit.
The village is located about one kilometer from the Mediterranean Sea, with the Bormes Tourist Office revealing that 17 km (10 miles) of sandy beaches await visitors in scenes ‘worthy of paintings by masters’.
Auvergne, Auvergne-Rhone-Alps
The Chaîne des Puys mountain range includes more than 80 volcanoes, with Puy de Dôme (pictured) as its highest point at 1,465 m (4,806 ft)
Did you know France has volcanoes? The dormant Puy de Dôme is a gem in the heart of the central French Auvergne region, says Malcolm van Babbel.
He says: ‘In the Auvergne, in central France, nature lovers can enjoy the Chaîne des Puys, hike the Puy de Dôme and relax in the thermal baths of Vichy.’
The Chaîne des Puys mountain range includes more than 80 volcanoes, with the Puy de Dôme as its highest point at 1,465 metres (4,806 ft).
Crozon, Brittany
‘Located in the Armorique Regional Natural Park, Crozon’s dramatic cliffs and sea caves, sandy beaches and scenic hiking trails make it a hidden gem worth exploring,’ according to HomeToGo
According to HomeToGo, idyllic Brittany is a popular destination for British tourists, but there are also a number of ‘local secrets’ that many Brits don’t know about.
The team says: ‘Crozon in Brittany is loved by domestic travellers in France and ranks as the 67th most popular French destination among residents of the country, according to HomeToGo.
‘But this stunning coastal spot remains a local secret and is still relatively unknown to Brits, with it being the 503rd most searched French location among UK holidaymakers.
‘Located in the Armorique Regional Natural Park, Crozon is a hidden gem worth discovering, with its impressive cliffs and sea caves, sandy beaches and beautiful hiking trails.’
Montreuil-sur-Mer, Hauts-de-France
‘It may be small, but little Montreuil-sur-Mer has a lot to offer and has the great advantage of being only a 40-minute drive from Calais’
If you’re travelling to France via the Channel Tunnel or ferry this summer, Montreuil-sur-Mer is “extremely accessible”, according to the Hauts-de-France Tourist Office.
The team said: ‘It may be small, but little Montreuil-sur-Mer has a lot to offer and has the great advantage of being just a 40-minute drive from Calais.’
This city has a reputation for good food, and the team recommends a meal at one of the restaurants run by Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Gauthier. Little frog is a ‘cozy rotisserie’ while Anecdote serves ‘chic, contemporary French’ cuisine.
