Europe’s anchor — Paris, the Côte d’Azur, Provence lavender, Alpine ski resorts, Loire châteaux, and the world’s most-recognised cuisine. Easy first European trip.
Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame, Montmartre, Seine boat tours.
Côte d’Azur — Nice, Cannes, Monaco day-trip, Saint-Tropez yachts.
Lavender fields (Jul–Aug), Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Roman ruins at Pont du Gard.
Renaissance châteaux — Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise. Day trips from Tours or Paris.
World capital of wine. Saint-Émilion, Médoc. Half a day on the TGV from Paris.
Island abbey rising from tidal mudflats in Normandy. UNESCO site.