Amboise
This medieval village is where we stayed while we toured the Loire Valley chateaus each day. There is a number of DiVinci’s inventions on display, and he was buried here.
Antibes
This little town in the southeast corner is a classy beach town, away from he noise of Cannes and the other more commercial areas.
Arles
A great little town in the Provence region that has a many well-preserved Roman ruins including a stadium. Don’t forget to go see Van Gogh’s garden while you are there.
Avignon
This town is a great starting point for a Provence trip because the TGV (the high-speed train) stops there. Avignon is the former home of popes so there is a lot of religious artifacts and history located here.
Barlest
This is the town where Robin’s grandfather’s family is from.
Biarritz
This coastal town was a quick drive from Spain and a great place to see on a sunny afternoon. Biarritz was one of the hot destinations of the 50’s and 60’s and still attracts crowds today.
Bordeaux
This is the hub of wine for the southwest of France. We spent a couple days here enjoying the wine and food, so easy to get around and see everything.
Cannes
Famous for its film festival, Cannes is well-known, but also over-run. It is a beach town but it is so crowded that it does not have the charm that many may hope it will possess.
Chambord
Known for the liquor of the same name, Chambord is a large chateau in the Loire Valley with a double helical stairway, something that stands out as an architectural star in an area that is focused on opulence and showing off money, not technology.
Chateauneuf du Pape
This hilltop village is knows for two things, wine and popes. These days there aren’t many popes hanging around but plenty of great wine. It is very famous for its wine, and the good news is that you can buy its (generally) expensive wines at great prices here.
Chateauneuf de Pape photo gallery
Chenonceau
This palace in the Loire Valley is beautiful because it reaches out over the river, allowing them to pull cold, fresh water up into the palace directly from the river. Very picturesque.
d’ Azay le Redieu
This is a beautiful Loire Valley chateau that is set on a lake, giving it a beautiful view.
d’ Azay le Redieu photo gallery
Glanum
This small town has a number of very interesting Roman ruins that are easy to walk to or drive to as they are right off of the main road that runs up to St. Remy.
Gordes
Gordes is a hilltop village that has a commanding view of the valley. This Provence stop is well worth at for the beautiful architecture, views and great places to stop and have a bite to eat.
Juan Les Pins
We stayed in this tiny little town and traveled out to the other sites; its location made it perfect and its laid-back lifestyle makes it a great place to stay. We had dinner in a wonderful Thai restaurant and spent several evenings sitting on the waterfront.
L’Isle Sur La Sorgue
This is a must-see stop on your Provence travels. Not a place that you would spend a week, but we dropped in and walked around to see some amazing views of this city that is located on the river and uses this as a draw to pull people in to see.
L’Isle Sur La Sorgue photo gallery
La Roque – Gegac
Carved into the rock cliffs, these towns are great stops along the river where you can relax, have a glass of wine and take in the sights.
La Roque – Gegac photo gallery
Les Baux aux Provence
This hilltop castle and medieval town stand tall in Provence as a place to stop and tour. With incredible views of the countryside in all directions it is easy to see how the large collection of catapults and other weapons on display were used to take on attackers.
Les Baux aux Provence photo gallery
Menerbes
This Provence town is a nice stop on your tour, perfect for spending a lazy afternoon walking around and maybe enjoying a coffee or cold drink in the middle of the afternoon at a lazy pace.
Monte Carlo
Well-known for its famous high-end casino and its wealthy patrons that stroll through town. We went in to gamble here, but the stakes were far too high by our standards. This is the playground for the rich and famous, as evidenced by the yachts and luxury cars.
Nimes
Nimes is the home of denim, the material that literally changed the world. Throughout the town you’ll find Roman ruins including temples and a large coliseum that are all in very good condition despite their age.
Paris
What can I say about Paris? There were more than 1000 photos to sort through of this town, a testament to beauty and outstanding scenery of Paris. As a friend once said, Paris lives up to its reputation. Literally stunning, a favorite travel spot even after been here 8-10 times.
Pont du Gard
Out in the middle of nowhere, Pond du Gard is located on a river but the big attraction is the well-preserved Roman aqueduct that spans the river. This engineering marvel delivered water to the masses in the past but now draws them in as tourists.
Rocamadour
This town was a little more out of the way from the higher concentration of river towns that we visited earlier in the day, but it was well worth the drive. To get the best views you’ll need to climb to the top.
Roussilon
The red rocks of Roussilon are similar to the red rocks and sand that you will find in Sedona, Arizona. Beautifully set against a backdrop of green trees (not a desert) there are so many shots that you’ll probably burn out the shutter button on your camera.
Salignac
It was a rainy afternoon, but the twisty drive to this area yielded a great time walking around the beautiful gardens. I can only image how great the gardens look in the sun.
Sarlat le Caneda
This was our home base when we were in the Dordogne region. It was a nice little town, but more importantly it was very central to all of the day trips that we took.
Sarlat le Caneda photo gallery
Senanque Abbey
We were here just before the lavender season started so we missed the real spectacular views, but when the purple stuff is in bloom this abbey pops in photos even more than now.
St. Cyprien
This was a small down that was a morning destination for croissants. There was an open market on Sunday morning that provided a little entertainment as well.
St. Remy
St. Remy is one of our favorite small towns. It is built around a loop that is a nice little walk, with pleny of restaurants and cafes in the center so you have plenty of places to sit, people watch and just waste away a lazy afternoon in the sun.
St. Tropez
This playground of the rich and famous probably had its heyday in the 1960’s but it still attracts the wealthy with their boats and cars along the French coast.
Vezac
An amazing set of gardens that are perfect manicured. You can lose yourself for hours here. Added tons: Dinosaur bones!
Villandry
This palace in the Loire Valley is one of my favorites. Not necessarily for what is inside or the building, but more for the gardens that lay just outside of the main palace. It is so picturesque that you can spend a whole day here just wandering around and snapping pictures.
Vouvray
This town in the Loire Valley is a great stop after looking at palaces all day. Their wine specialty is a dry white sparkling wine, similar to champagne but more approachable on the typical hot afternoon; you don’t have to wait for a special occasion.