First time to France Are we crazy to skip Paris?

It’s your trip. You should do what you want to go.

Here is my subjective take. Short answer: no, you are not crazy. Do what you want and go where you want. We tend to prefer mid-sized towns (Delft/Haarlem vs. Amsterdam for example), so I get your question as it makes sense to me. I will say, though, to us, Paris is different. My wife hates crowds and traffic and will not join me when I hit London and (so far) has chosen against visiting Rome, yet, she LOVES LOVES LOVES Paris, as do I. There is just something different about that city.

What Eef said. I love Paris. I try to go there at least twice per year but on my first trip to France in 1982, I skipped Paris entirely and went to Nice instead.

IMO, SKIP Paris. It is a commitment time-wise and expensive. Head to the Loire Valley ( Azay-le-Rideau is a lovely lesser traveled town ) and stay at La Grande Monarque, a great serene base for exploring the region. I hear Normandy is a tremendous, emotional experience but have experienced.

I guarantee you will have a more rewarding experience by visiting the smaller villages and by skipping the larger cities.

I am not a fan of our big US cities…But feel differently about Rome, Paris and London. All are unique and have their own very special vibe. We like to walk and have walked many miles in these 3 cities! But…you said you prefer small towns. Paris is a big city! I also love the small towns and countryside. Nothing crazy to stick to visiting/staying in a smaller quaint town and avoiding the city! Normandy area is all so special. Enjoy your planning!

This is like asking which one of my children would I give back? HA!! Yes, I have been to Paris many times and would love to go back. However, I have also been to Normandy and the Loire Valley and loved that too and based on your London/Rome philosophy it makes sense for you to skip Paris too. If you like the slow pace and less crowds of the other places, then skipping Paris makes sense. Have fun!!

I would say part of my answer would be based on when you are going. Paris is particularly tourist crazy right now and that isn’t likely to let up until after they finish with the 2024 Olympics. I love Paris and have been many times but as a result I can avoid many of the ‘tourist’ zones. We went to Normandy this past trip and loved both towns we stayed in: Caen and Le Havre. I could easily go back there.

It is your trip! If you think you will return to France, then skip Paris this time. If you aren’t likely to return, then perhaps a couple of days there as you transit between Normandy and the Loire Valley. I would suggest you not stay in a busy tourist area and perhaps wander a few neighbourhoods or go to a smaller museum or two. But ultimately this is your time.

We skipped London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin Cardiff (and all major cities) on a 7 weeker to England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales. Too many other wonderful places to visit.
We did visit Paris when we visited France but it was not high on the priority list and it was only visited as it was our arrival departure point.
Spend the time focusing on the places that YOU really want to visit.

Do.what makes you comfortable. I like.Paris.because it.seems.to.have small.neighborhoods and we love.just sitting outside people.watching. But this is your trip. When you come home am.sure someone will say "what you went to France and skipped Paris?" You can gladly say yes and we had a fantastic time"!!!

( Azay-le-Rideau is a lovely lesser traveled town ) and stay at La Grande Monarque

That's also where I stayed to explore the Loire Valley chateaux. It was such a nice hotel in a quiet area of town near the chateau. If you have a car they offered free parking, though it was in a public lot behind the hotel so was hard to get a parking spot during the day, after the day trip visitors were gone parking was easily available so I never had a problem when coming back to the hotel later in the day. That was 10 years ago so may have changed since I stayed there. In general I would recommend that hotel and heartily recommend Azay-le-Rideau as a base for that part of the Loire. It is ideally situated for visiting: Villandry, Langeais, Usse, Chinon, Chenonceau, and Amboise.

To answer the OP's original question - no, it's not crazy to skip Paris on a first visit to France. Follow Rick Steves' advice and assume you will return when you can do Paris justice. For any trip to Europe you should go where you want and do what you want and don't feel you're doing something wrong by not visiting the customary 'must sees'.

Not crazy at all.

Although I appreciate the input from others when it comes to researching a destination, I find that in the end I need to trust my own judgement. Others can point out pros and cons which I take into consideration, but you are the only one who knows what you want to get out of the trip.

I think that is fine. My husband once requested a trip with no castles, churches, or museums (it was our tenth trip to Europe) I obliged him and we had an amazing time.(By the time we got to Prague, his desire to see the Jewish and sector and visit the castle and church over rode his request and we visited them all.) Go see what is calling to you, not what is on everyone else's list. (full disclosure, my personal tastes are different from what others have said. Paris was just OK for me, I loved Rome and London. Viv la diverence)

Well I think so as I think Paris is the most interesting part of a very interesting country.

BUT we spent months in Italy before ever going to Rome. You plan the trump of your dreams not ours.

Paris takes a lot of energy to visit. I was there last week and will take my granddaughter soon. Still recovering.

Other areas offer sooo much to see and do. You won't regret Normandy and the Loire.

No, you aren't crazy. You can tackle Paris if and when you are ready.

Not crazy to me. We’ve spent the last 2 months travelling in Spain, France and UK without staying in cities (apart from flying into Barcelona). Last week we ended up in Edinburgh for a couple of nights due to travel arrangements and were very happy to leave and resume our small town stays - enjoying the local pubs, walks and village stores.

As others have said, do what you want.

I've been to Paris a few times and I'm done with it. But not the rest of France. It's different. It's wonderful.

With a few exceptions, I prefer smaller cities and towns to their larger cousins. And I feel the same way about Italy as you.

When are you planning to go?

We're the same. Big cities are not for us. We prefer small towns and villages in France.

You will have a car, I assume? Trains don't go to small towns.

I started a Google map years ago just for France. Any time I read about something, no matter how minor (my husband and I are easily entertained), I put it on the map. I have about 500 dots on that map now, most of them in the northwest quadrant of France.

Our two favorite parts of France are the Perche, which is in the Orne, and the Mayenne. You'll probably drive across one of them on your way to the Loire. I suggest you allow a little time to do some scenic driving in either of those areas. There are several of France's Plus Beaux Villages worth a stop.

https://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/fr/nos-villages/?map=true

For scenic routes, stay off the autoroutes. Michelin maps show scenic roads in green. We'll go out of our way for a green road or a panorama.

Daisy's mom. I am so happy to see such support for you following your own preferences. I wholeheartedly agree. Paris is great but so what? The rest of France is great, too, and you already know that you love small towns.
Crumbs, I did the same thing before our first trip to France, except I used different colored stickers instead of dots. That map, with all its stickers, is still up on the wall.

Not at all. I always say France gets better the further you get from Paris.

Paris was just OK for me, I loved Rome and London.

Connie, I felt the same way. London is one of my all time favorite cities, as is Rome, but while I enjoyed Paris, it did not have that je ne sais quoi that others find there.

Paris is my least favorite place in France.

I love Paris. I’ve been 7 times and can’t wait to go back. I’ve also been to many other places in France, from cities to small towns, and I love them too. You aren’t crazy to spend your time and money in places you want to see. We spent 6 weeks in France last year and only one of them was in Paris. We had a great time and enjoyed visiting both the Loire and Normandy after last being in those places in 2014. I recommend you have a car to get around. How much time do you have there?

From Belgium to the Loire valley and Normandy, chances are you will pass through Paris. Possibly even having to change train stations across Paris. Therefore, perhaps I would give it a shot and stay for 2 nights, if your trip schedule allows?
And if you fly out of Paris, you need to spend at least the final night in Parks anyway.

Obviously, plan the trip you want. That being said, if you have to go through Paris anyway to get to Normandy, perhaps stay for one day to get a feel for it. There's often no logic in what we like. Each city is unique. I do tend to like cities, Stockholm, London and Paris being some of my favorites. But liking places is often illogical. I just returned from Spain, flying to and from Madrid, spending about 5 days there. It's a lovely city architecturally, which would normally win me over immediately. However, I did not like Madrid at all (well, loved the Prado) and there is no logic behind why I didn't like it. I was surprised by my distaste, but it is my least favorite European city so far and I can't tell you why.

In other words, you won't know if you will like a place until you go there. So if passing through, take a taste. You might be surprised.

I love this forum! So often there’s no rhyme or reason why we love or not love a place! I did not really care much for Paris my first time. Second time there 2 yrs ago something clicked and really enjoyed it. So we can even have different experiences and change our opinions within a (less or more) timeframe.

I love Paris … but it is your vacation, not mine.

Will you be flying out of Paris CDG? If so, you will want to stay somewhere reasonably close to the airport on your last night. For most people traveling by public transportation, Paris is the logical choice.

In a word, yes. I love the small towns too but Paris is not to be missed. I just came from Belgium and loved it. Went to Bruges, Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp. Ghent was my favorite. In France I visited the Lorie Valley (stayed in Amboise) and Normandy (try the cider), as well as the south (Lyon, Arles). I missed the rest because I wanted to see more of Paris. In Paris I first stayed on Rue Rick Steves (Rue Cler) and when I came back I stayed in Montmartre for something different. I wanted to see Paris all my life and it lived up to my expectations...and then some.
One other thing not to be missed in France, if you have time: Le Mont St. Michel is incredible -- I stayed overnight and that makes all the difference.
I went to Italy in the '70s as a teenager, and Rome was probably my least fave too. I'm saving up for a return. Where in Italy did you go and what did you like?

Obviously, the posts on this thread are opininions.
Reading others' viewpoints is helpful in deciding what to do.

I also highly recommend going with your gut.

However, I also like to do what we call "eating somebody else's pizza". Not every trip, but every second or third trip, I go someplace that doesn't call my name, but that is recommended to me by someone I care about. I like pepperoni and cheese, but if I never try mushrooms and onions, I may be missing out.

Paris was one of those cities that I didn't want to go to. Now, I know I will keep going back and back and back....

So, if it is a once in a lifetime trip, follow your gut. Down the road....absolutely go to Paris.

When we went to France 4 years ago, we planned Normandy and the Loire Valley and I absolutely did not want to go Paris because I do not like big cities. However, my husband and friends persuaded me to change my mind, and I loved Paris. I was so surprised. Just finished another week visiting there. However, it was intense, as we were running around trying to see all the big tourist sites. Normandy and the Loire Valley were wonderfully relaxing - the contrast with Paris was stark. Hope this helps you decide what’s best for you.

As others have said ... do what you want.

How long are you going to be in France? Why do you want to go to France? What do you enjoy when you travel ... and what do you NOT enjoy? Sounds like you enjoy small towns and not big cities. Why was Rome your least favorite place in Italy? How do you feel about museums?

Our first trip to France was essentially only to Provence, plus a drive through Nimes and down to Barcelona. No Paris. Our second trip was Paris ONLY; one week and we felt that we had no time for even a day trip to Versailles or Giverny. Our 4 week trip in May-June 2023 ended with just four nights and three days planned for Paris. One full week in the Loire was wonderful. If you're only planning 10 days or less in France, then with the Loire + Normandy I'd say you already have a full plate.

Bon vacance.

As others have said, do what you want. It’s not crazy at all.

But count me among those who think Paris is different. I, too, don’t really like Rome. But I love Paris. My upcoming week there in November will be trip number 7. So, I’d give it a try at some point. It might surprise you. But go off season. The weather is never really horrible and the crowds might be more manageable.

Interesting article in The Guardian today: Who let all these tourists into our lovely tourist traps? France tells its 37m visitors where to go.

IMO, it is ok not to include Paris, London, Rome, or any large city if you find smaller towns and off the beaten paths more to your taste.

Thanks so much for all the encouragement and advice. We are planning on getting a car when we leave Belgium. We are planning on 3 weeks for this trip. We will most likely fly out of Paris and maybe spend a day or two there. My sister has been to France probably 20 times and they love Paris. Museums are fine, my husband is much more artsy than I am but we did enjoy museums in Florence. I know we will have a great time and already having fun planning.

It's your trip! However, its not all or nothing. There has been a lot of discussion on this forum about how long to stay in Paris with folks recommending stays 5 days and longer. I hear, "you can't do Paris justice in such a short stay". We've been to Paris a few times now and never have stayed more than four nights. We wanted some balance in our trips. Further, of all the places in France, even Europe, Paris is a city we are more likely to find ourselves in on future travels. Paris is a major travel hub. We are doing a trip to Western Europe in September and this time we are flying out of CDG and not spending any time in Paris, but, if we wanted to, we could. If there was something I desperately needed to see in Paris, we could stay a couple nights, so easily. We love France, and we love Paris. There are so many wonderful places in France and its a large country. It's hard to prioritize.

If you have the time, you might consider a 2 or 3 night stay, just to get a taste of Paris.

I think it depends on the reasons why you are leaving Paris out of your itinerary. If you're simply not interested in what it has to offer....art, food experiences, iconic sites and monuments...then that's fine. We all enjoy different things. However, if you are avoiding it out of fear or discomfort about large urban areas, then I think that's a shame. Travel can be more rewarding when we get out of our comfort zone for a bit, especially if we are talking about such an iconic city like Paris. I would still recommend spending at least one full day there, and basing yourself in a part of the city that doesn't feel like a big city like Montmartre or Ile Saint-Louis.

Not a mistake!! You know what you like and that's it! We are the same (love small towns) and planned a 2 week trip for the fall with only the last day in Paris for our flight out the following day _( just wanted to be near the airport early should any glitches happen with trains.) So, while Paris, may be a wonderful city, it's your vacation and there is sooooooo much to see you have to prioritize what matters to you. It will also be our first time and we have literally narrowed it down to seeing a very very very small part of France between Bordeaux and Dordogne/Lot with the idea to immerse ourselves in one area rather than trying to cram it all in!

Nancy-

( Azay-le-Rideau is a lovely lesser traveled town ) and stay at La Grande Monarque)

Re: parking at Le Grande Monarque

They have completed renovation on the second building and the parking adjacent to this building is now completely secure, fenced and gated. You are provided a key card for gate access to the parking as well as for access to the exterior doors for after hours entry.

Jhilts, thanks for that information. If I get back to the Loire area I would definitely stay there again.

Neither of us are fans of big cities, so we planned to avoid Paris when traveling to France to join the Best of Eastern France Tour last year. We thought we would fly into Amsterdam and spend time traveling through Germany and Belgium before joining the tour in Reims. Then, with covid, we decided it was best to go to only one country, so we flew into Paris and stayed for five days. I ended up loving our time there and would go back. But, I don't think you are making a mistake if it doesn't seem right for you.

I personally love Paris, so I am biased. But one thing you might do is watch some videos on YouTube about Paris, and see if it looks appealing to you. It has wonderful architecture and a river running through it, but maybe you need to see it on the screen to see if it looks like something you would enjoy. Peter

I'm one for whom Paris is the center of the universe - and many ways it is because my significant other lives there and I spend lots of my holiday time there. But France is many, many things. To me, there are other parts that have their own magic.

But that said, taking my cab to la gare de l'Est and passing La Tour Eiffel, Place de la Concorde, and the Centre Pompidou I had a moment where I reveled in all the splendor that this city offers. Anyone who is "over it" clearly didn't do it right and spent too much time with Mona Lisa keychains and Le Chat Noir posters. Frankly there is no finer city on earth.

I have done Paris once, and loved it. I do want to go back--but I am looking forward to a second Paris visit that is much mellower. I feel like we did all the "big things" on that first trip (2004), and I would love to just walk around and do a "parks, shops, and cafes" trip without feeling the need to do any big sightseeing. Honestly, if I were doing a trip to France, I would find it hard not to include Paris at least a little bit, but at the same time I understand wanting to avoid the big city scene.

I don't think you're crazy. My spouse is French and on this trip back to France we avoided Paris for a few reasons. I have no desire to go back. Much prefer the countryside and mountains. Even Lyon is too busy for me.

There’s no requirement to spend any time in Paris, so you’re not crazy. When we visited Belgium, then headed off to Normandy, we took the train from Brussels to Lille, France, and rented our car there. That allowed us to both pick up and return the car in France, avoiding a large extra fee that would’ve been incurred with a “multi-country” rental. The drive into Normandy from Lille was smooth.

We love to travel and Paris is one of my favorite cities. However, I will not go there or, frankly, any of the "big European cities" in peak season. You didn't mention when you were traveling but if you like towns and villages maybe it's because of the crowds in the big cities during peak season.

Paris is wonderful and I visit semi regularly but the unquenchable obsession so often seen here with best restaurants (there are thousands) best hotels, best experiences….best ad infinitum really stretches credulity. I live part of each year in an area about 1/2 day’s drive from Paris, a place we are welcomed by the locals, at ease with the pace and awash in culture and cuisine. You can do that in a lot of places in France to some degree.

So YES! Skip Paris and see more of France.

Thanks for all the replys. We decided to include Paris for 5 nights at the end of our trip. We will be in France mid April to early May. But then today after some research decided we skip Paris because of the pre Olympic's construction sites, etc. When we do see Paris, I want it to look like Paris, not with all the mess that I fear will be there.

Honestly, I don't think there'll be that much construction going on in the city. Whatever big construction projects there are have already started and there are not that many, at the moment it is mainly the Opéra Garnier renovation and that's not Olympics-related. There's always construction here anyway: to me that's not reason enough to skip Paris!

But since you were on the fence about visiting Paris, maybe just do what your gut tells you to do.

Skipping Paris on this first trip to France depends on several factors, time, your energy level, other trip destinations in France. etc. It is a very personal decision.

My first trip to France had to include Paris, could not imagine going to France and not have Paris as part of that trip, basically unthinkable, went to Paris for the first time in 1973, not until 4 years later did I have another chance of returning, and I have been going back to Paris repeatedly ever since.

This past June-July trip was the first time back in Paris in 5 years....emotionally fulfilling, sociologically and culturally revealing.

Given your itinerary I would detour to Paris after visiting the Loire Valley. No way would I skip Paris. Weigh the variables and decide which option is best for you on this trip..

Paris is the best city in the world, in my opinion. If you don't go this time, I suggest going a different time. It's magical. I can't think of one U.S. city that's even close to being in its league.

"I can't even think of one US city that's even close...." How true !