Europe
Solo travel in France
3/5English level
Solo travel in France
Rich in food, culture and fast trains, and easy to cross by TGV. Paris pickpockets and high prices are the trade-offs; English is limited outside cities, so basic French helps a lot. The easiest place to start is Paris.
Best places in France for solo travelers
| Place | Solo | English | Locals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | 4/5 | Widely spoken | Polite but reserved |
| Nice | 4/5 | Widely spoken | Polite but reserved |
| Provence | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| French Riviera | 4/5 | Widely spoken | Polite but reserved |
| Lyon | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Marseille | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Bordeaux | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Strasbourg | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Chamonix | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere | Friendly |
| Annecy | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Corsica | 4/5 | Limited | Polite but reserved |
| Aix-en-Provence | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Toulouse | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Loire Valley | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Normandy | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Montpellier | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Avignon | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Biarritz | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Colmar | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Polite but reserved |
| Antibes | 4/5 | Widely spoken | Friendly |
| Nantes | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Lille | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Brittany | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Cannes | 3/5 | Widely spoken | Polite but reserved |
| Saint-Tropez | 3/5 | Widely spoken | Polite but reserved |
| Carcassonne | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
| Dordogne | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas | Friendly |
Solo travel by place
- ParisSolo travel
- NiceSolo travel
- ProvenceSolo travel
- French RivieraSolo travel
- LyonSolo travel
- MarseilleSolo travel
- BordeauxSolo travel
- CannesSolo travel
- StrasbourgSolo travel
- ChamonixSolo travel
- AnnecySolo travel
- CorsicaSolo travel
- Aix-en-ProvenceSolo travel
- ToulouseSolo travel
- Loire ValleySolo travel
- NormandySolo travel
Sources
- US State Department travel advisory
- GOV.UK: France travel advice
- EU: Entry/Exit System (EES)
- Speedtest Global Index: France
- EF English Proficiency Index: France
- World Bank open data
Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.