Move Over Paris! 5 Uncrowded France Destinations Chosen By A Local

Love it or hate it, Paris is the world's most visited city.

Cliché or not, crowds swarm Place du Trocadéro for Eiffel selfies, Seine cruises past elegant façades, and lamp-lit Montmartre strolls under the shadow of Basilique du Sacré-Cœur's soaring dome—and listen, I get it.

Never dreamed I'd ditch my previous cozy London nook for the cheese-munching surrender-monkey heartland, yet five years on, here I am: rooted, sounding Frenchier by the day (read: endless complaining and eye-rolls at clueless tourists).

Crowds and scams aside, I can't imagine living elsewhere, but real talk?

Paris is far from being my top romantic French escape, at least not in this weather.

Lucky for this adopted Parisian (and you), France is huge, and the crumbling Haussmann-designed capital I call home base is just the entrée.

Craving old-school France, minus beret-wearing TikTokers, metro pickpockets emptying your wallet before you blink, and strikes every other weekend? Here are 5 underrated French gems you should stop sleeping on:

(PLUS: We've built an interactive quiz for you at the end of this article to find your perfect match!)

Quimper

To me, nothing screams timeless Celtic France quite like Brittany, its Celtic heartland full of picturesque coastal towns where time seems to stand at a standstill, countryside castles, and family-owned crêperies.

When it comes to weekend getaways in the region, Saint-Malo usually takes the crown due to its proximity to Mont Saint-Michel, the most visited monument in France after the Eiffel Tower, and the Channel Islands, but if you're asking me, Brittany's true unspoiled charm is found in Quimper.

A small city in the heart of Brittany, it is best known for its timeless Old Town, criss-crossed by narrow cobbled lanes.

They're lined by half-timbered houses and boutique shops, and if you ever find yourself at a crossroads, you'll likely end up in a stunning historic square, whether you take the left or right turn.

Beautiful Building In Quimper Old Town, Brittany, France

Other medieval French cities like Carcassonne and Rouen are pretty, alright, but they're packed with foreign tourists. Quimper is France's little Breton secret, and its 15th-century architecture gives it a real storybook vibe.

Also, let's be real: Saint-Corentin, rising above the slate roofs of the Old Town with its soaring Gothic spires, is one of the prettiest cathedrals in the country. Crazy-detailed stained glass, hauntingly-beautiful vaulted ceilings, and serene riverside setting.

The cathedral alone is good-enough reason to get me packing my bags, but failing that, I'd travel as many miles as necessary just to have another forkful of Aux Vieux Quimper's iconic square crêpes.

Europe is changing its entry requirements for Americans. Make sure you know the travel rules that apply at the time of departure here.

Arles

The region of Provence is perhaps the second most popular French destination after Paris, but beyond the award-winning Gordes wineries and the endless lavender fields, there's a whole forgotten Roman world to discover that most tourists are sleeping on.

One of my favorite towns to explore in Provence is Arles, a picture-perfect riverside gem with an insane ancient heritage, strong artistic vein, and laid-back southern vibe without the Aix crowds.

I'm a big History buff myself, and having been to a fair few Roman arenas in my time, I have to say Arles' Roman Amphitheater features among the most-impressive ones. It's perfectly-preserved, with an intact elliptical arena, marble seats, and monumental arcades.

In summer, you can even catch live gigs as it still hosts live entertainment to this day.

The town of Arles itself is a Post-Impressionist dreamscape, with jaune stone buildings and their signature Southern European shutters, and a golden-hour atmosphere that will make you feel like you've stepped into a 19th-century painting.

Speaking of which, Arles just happens to be the spot where Van Gogh painted a ton of his most famous works.

From Yellow House, to Café Terrace, to Starry Night over the Rhône, it's just the coolest thing to see these paintings come to life, almost exactly as the tortured Dutch genius left them.

Aigues-Mortes

France is the land of fairytale castles and châteaux, but certainly an entirely-walled medieval town with imposing ramparts, and a bubblegum-pink lake for backdrop has to be some sort of AI fever dream?

That's what I used to think, too, until I drove past Aigues-Mortes on my way to the much more hyped Montpellier, located a 35-minute drive away, and my heart just stopped short of exploding. To be quite frank, it felt like I was dreaming.

Even just pulling up to the town's gates, where the main car park is, staring along the imposing towers and ramparts, and full of empty moats, will steal your breath away. If you know what I mean, the fortifications surrounding the Old Town are Dubrovnik-level of pretty.

The coolest part?

Medieval Town Of Aigues-Mortes In The Camargues Region Of Southern France, Southern Europe

You can actually walk on them on a loop around the entire perimeter, with views of Aigues-Mortes' centuries-old tiled-roofs and grid-like townscape on one side, and its glistening pink lake on the other. Up stone steps and down ladders, and onto windswept battlements, it's a 45-minute stroll of pure Old World magic.

Oh, and if you're wondering why on top of it there's a pink lake in the scene, Aigues-Mortes is located in Camargue, France's heavyweight for sea salt production.

Not to get too technical here as you're probably here for the vibes, like me, but the pink is due to a mixture of extremely salty water + a microorganism called Dunaliella salina.

You can go around the lake, and visit the salt marshes on a little cute tourist train leaving from Salin d’Aigues-Mortes, and if it's that vivid pink color you're hoping for, like the pictures, July or August are the best months to visit because both sunlight and salinity are highest.

Reims

Speaking of cathedrals, what if I told you France's most important medieval cathedral is not Paris' iconic Notre-Dame, though you can visit it easily at only a short one-hour TGV ride away? Does the fact that barely any international tourists come here sound appealing enough to you?

Welcome to Reims, the proud home of Notre-Dame de Reims, the quintessential Gothic edifice to crown them all.

In a sense, this is France's Westminster Abbey: it's where, from c. 816 to 1825, almost all French kings were crowned, starting with Louis the Pious, one of the very first Christian monarchs, and ending with Charles X.

The building itself is simply a marvel to look at, with its three portals richly-decorated with biblical sculptures and figures of saints, a rose window surrounded by elaborate tracery, and flying buttresses that seem to touch the sky.

That's the main reason why the odd wandering tourists would take a day trip here from Paris, before making the gross mistake on hopping on the train back right away. Don't.

Reims's Basilique de Saint-Remi is just as impressive, if not more: a Romanesque-Gothic hybrid, it has the most spectacular display of stained glasswork I've seen in my life, and the low-light, ethereal interior is mesmerizing.

My top Reims hidden gem, though? Porte de Mars, a virtually intact 3rd-century Roman triumphal arch, with clearly visible carvings and reliefs. Sorry, the history-obsessed male in me can't resist the Roman Empire obsession.

Bastia (Corsica)

On the quieter side of Corsica, away from the busy international airports and crowded beach bars of the southern coast, Bastia straddles the sparsely populated northeastern coast of the island, and in a way, it feels less like a tourist spectacle and more like a window of authentic island life.

It has a bustling port, local markets, lively back streets, and that Southern European grit: you know, that lived-in, urban feel.

With its pastel-hue townhouses, fishing boats, charming Italian-style cafés, and glittering waterfront, the Viex Port, or Old Port, is my coup de cœur—that's just a French word for a major highlight you absolutely cannot miss.

What can I say? I have a soft spot for that slow, salty, Mediterranean lifestyle.

Overlooking the port, at the end of the long lungomare, the Citadelle de Bastia is a must-see hilltop fort-turned-residential district. The ocher-colored apartment buildings are literally built within the castle walls, and the views from up the ramparts are just breathtaking.

If you're anything like me, half of the reason why you're flying out to Corsica this summer is their amazing seafood and local cheeses. In that case, you might want to swing by Place du Marché, especially on Saturday mornings, when local farmers and traders set up their stalls.

Great spot to sample Corsican flavors, like panini corse, a distant cousin of the Italian panini served with prosciutto and brocciu cheese, from the island's rugged mountains, and fiadone, the flagship Corsican dessert: a cheesecake made (again) from brocciu, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest.

The only applicable French word here is magnifique.

Now take this quiz to find out which French Gem is perfect for you!

🇫🇷

French Gem Finder

Ditch Paris: Escape the Crowds Question 1 of 3

What's your ideal travel ‘vibe'?

🎻 Celtic/Storybook 🏛️ History Buff 🌊 Mediterranean Question 2 of 3

What are you most excited to see?

⛪ Gothic Spires 🦩 Pink Lakes 🎨 Artist Dreamscapes Final Question