7 Destinations in France Where the French Love to Go

The French know how to get around. Visit Greece, Italy, or Israel in August — when they generally vacation for the entire month — and you're bound to hear your fair share of "bonjours" and "au revoirs."

Generally, the French reserve domestic travel for school breaks or les ponts, when a national holiday falls at the end or beginning of a week, allowing locals to "make a bridge" with an extended weekend. Where locals go depends on a variety of factors such as season, distance, and cost, but whether they head for the snow-capped mountains, the vineyard-dappled countryside, or the rocky coasts, one thing is for sure: It will be beautiful. France's varied terrain is nothing short of spectacular, and I've had the great fortune of picking my jaw off the ground a variety of times since moving to Paris in 2014. While I spent the first few years visiting some of the major cities such as Strasbourg, Bordeaux, and Lyon, I slowly started venturing further afield to the small towns rarely mentioned in guidebooks. The following destinations, vetted by a few French locals, include spots worthy of a short break or longer.

Île de Ré

Located off the west coast, south of Normandy, this 32-square-mile island is known for its salt marshes, oyster beds, and bike paths. To get there, you can take the train from Paris to La Rochelle (about a three-hour journey) and then drive or take a bus across Île de Ré's namesake bridge. There are a number of small villages on the island, each with its own atmosphere, beaches, seasonal markets, and seafood restaurants — all best discovered by two wheels through vineyards and the occasional field of donkeys. The main town, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with an ancient citadel and a colorful harbor where the docked boats sometimes end up moored depending on the tide. The island has a small smattering of quaint hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, but this is the type of place to settle into a house rental for barbecuing in the yard and feasting on oysters available at nearby farms between April and November.

Ardèche

The French love their chestnuts. In fact, if you've been invited to Christmas at someone's home, the ideal gift to bring is les marrons glacés or candied chestnuts. The round, prickly-cased fruit is generally harvested in the fall, and the southeast area of Ardèche (located between Lyon and Avignon) produces over 4,000 tons per year. It's also famous for Monts d'Ardèche Regional Natural Park, where half-day loop hikes from the tiny town of Laviolle, past the ruins of a centuries-old farm and through the Volane valley, are an ideal autumn activity. In the summer, its southern gorge, complete with a natural bridge spanning the river, hosts all the action, from kayakers and canoers to hikers and swimmers. The entry point village of Vogüé boasts all that you'd expect from a town nestled into the limestone cliffs of a medieval castle: cobblestoned streets, ocher roofs, and facades dripping with ivy.

Îles d'Hyères

There's way more to the French Riviera than Cannes and Antibes, and when the French crave that crystal-clear azure sea, some hop on a boat for one of the Hyères Islands located offshore between Toulon and Saint-Tropez. Upon disembarking the ferry and breathing in the salty sea air overlaid with the scent of cedar, you'll know you've come to the right place. The island of Port-Cros is favored by nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts for its wild terrain, while Porquerolles attracts sunbathers and snorkelers to its five soft-sand beaches. (Both islands can only be traversed on foot or by bike.) Of course, they're mobbed in the summer, but the season begins in May and winds down in late October, so there's ample opportunity to enjoy the olive groves and vineyards without the crowds. While there are small hotels on both islands, as well as a growing number of captains who offer their (docked) boats as hospitality havens, Hyères town has more options and day trips are super easy.

Les Alpilles and Le Luberon

When it comes to the northern area of Provence, the French love both sides of the Durance River for its two regional natural parks with dry valleys and arid limestone ranges: Les Alpilles in the west and Le Luberon to the east. Dotted around them, through winding roads and fields brimming with lavender in early July, are cities both big (Arles) and small (Baux). I'll never forget my first multilevel cheese cart at the homey Bistrot du Paradou, or visiting the Carrières de Lumières, a former quarry where works of art are projected onto cave walls set to music. It was magical to see Van Gogh's "Starry Night" come to life in a cool (literally and figuratively — especially in summer) underground setting. The area is best explored by car, since the driving is just as delightful as the destinations themselves. And although Google Maps may say it takes 90 minutes to reach the three-tiered Pont du Gard (the Roman aqueduct spanning the Gardon River), it'll feel far less with the windows down and music up.

Bassin d'Arcachon

About a 40-minute drive west of the city of Bordeaux, this place is where all the vignerons go to relax pre- and post-harvest or just for the weekend. The bassin (bay) is home to dozens of oyster beds, which you can see during low tide and taste from any number of harvesters, some of whom have waterfront picnic tables for a late-day slurp. The beaches on this part of the coast are composed of fine, soft sand, which makes visiting the famed Dune du Pilat (the tallest sand dune in Europe) a must. Arcachon town itself is small but quaint with a hilly historical district featuring 19th-century villas and a beachfront promenade where bike paths make for a picturesque commute. Cap Ferret across the bay, which can be accessed by ferry from the Arcachon pier, offers an even quieter, more exclusive respite for those with bigger pockets.

Méribel

If your country was home to the largest "white carpet" on the planet, you'd grab your gloves and head for the French Alps, too. Every February, the French hit the slopes as if it were a religious rite. (Alas, I'm no snow bunny, but give me a fireplace and some cognac, and I'll play along in true après-ski style.) Located in the center of three valleys, Méribel is a favorite among families because of its wide, sun-soaked terrain and beginner trails. While Courchevel to the north is more champagne and caviar, and Val Thorens to the south is known for its black diamonds, Méribel in the middle offers a laid-back approach to alpine life. This is ski-in, ski-out territory, though, which means you could feasibly get a taste for all three over the course of a few days, depending on your ability and energy level. Architecturally, Méribel is also the quaintest resort, with multiple villages made up of traditional wooden chalets nestled in between pine trees.

Alsace Wine Route

The 105-mile Alsace Wine Route, from Strasbourg to just south of Colmar, is dotted with more than 100 picturesque villages. Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" would feel at home in destinations like Eguisheim and Riquewihr, with pastel-hued timbered houses, flower boxes hanging from windowsills, and 12th-century churches with bell towers and winding canals. During Christmas, twinkling lights and sleigh bells abound, not to mention markets touting vin chaud (mulled wine), spiced gingerbread, and pommes d'amour (candy apples). The best way to soak up all that Muscat? Flammekueche (otherwise known as tarte flambée or Alsatian pizza) with thin, crispy dough covered in cream, cheese, and bacon bits. Due to the region's northeastern location near the German border, the French generally spend at least four days here, exploring the villages and wineries specializing in rieslings and gewürztraminers, and often staying in chambres d'hôtes (bed-and-breakfasts) or hotels along the way.