A photograph of France

Country guide

Theme: Museums in France — page 2

France is 18 regions and 632,702 km2, and five of those regions are overseas - French Guiana in South America, the French West Indies, islands in the Indian and...

Photograph · Pierre Blaché · CC0

7,605 Places
1Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

France is 18 regions and 632,702 km2, and five of those regions are overseas - French Guiana in South America, the French West Indies, islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Metropolitan France alone runs from the Rhine to the Atlantic and from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, so a week here is a choice rather than a circuit. Of the 69.1 million people estimated in 2026, more than 13 million are in the Paris metropolitan area, which is why the capital tends to win the first visit. The corners - Alpine, Atlantic, Mediterranean - are further from one another than the map's familiarity suggests.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
French
French is the language of the Republic under Article 2 of the Constitution
Dialling code
+33
The country code for metropolitan France
Currency
Euro (€, EUR)
France has used the euro as its official currency since 2002
Emergency number
112
One number across the country; 15 reaches an ambulance directly
Plug type
Type E · 220 V
Round-pin sockets use a projecting earth pin
Tap water
Safe to drink
The health ministry says tap water may be consumed safely unless local authorities issue specific advice

Planning a visit

Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Guimet Museum Guimet Museum
    26 2 hours

    Guimet Museum

    Musée Guimet

    The Musee national des Arts asiatiques - Guimet holds the largest collection of Asian art outside Asia itself, spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia in one national museum.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Paris
  2. Palais de Tokyo Palais de Tokyo
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Palais de Tokyo

    The Palais de Tokyo is Paris's largest centre for contemporary art, occupying the eastern wing of a building raised for the 1937 International Exposition by architects Jean-Claude Dondel, Andre Aubert, Paul Viard and Marcel Dastugue.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Paris
  3. Musée Jacquemart-André Musée Jacquemart-André
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Musée Jacquemart-André

    Musée Jacquemart-André is a Paris museum housed in the former private mansion of Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Paris
  4. Musée Carnavalet Musée Carnavalet
    29 2 hours

    Musée Carnavalet

    Musee Carnavalet is the museum of the history of Paris, occupying two adjoining Marais mansions: the Hotel Carnavalet, built in the 16th century and remodelled by Francois Mansart in 1655, and the neighbouring Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  5. Musée de Cluny Musée de Cluny
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Musée de Cluny

    Musée de Cluny, formally the Musée national du Moyen Âge, brings together Roman archaeology, a late-medieval residence and medieval art in one compact Latin Quarter site.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  6. Maison de Balzac Maison de Balzac
    31 45 min

    Maison de Balzac

    Maison de Balzac is the house where the novelist Honore de Balzac lived from 1840 to 1847, on rue Raynouard in what was then the village of Passy and is now the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  7. Muséum national d'histoire naturelle Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
    32 2 hours

    Muséum national d'histoire naturelle

    The Museum national d'histoire naturelle is France's national natural history museum, founded in 1793 out of the royal Jardin du Roi, and it occupies several linked sites across the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  8. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme

    The Musee d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme, known as the MAHJ, is France's museum of Jewish art and history, opened in 1998 in the Hotel de Saint-Aignan, a 17th-century mansion in the Marais, 3rd arrondissement.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  9. Musée de l'Armée Musée de l'Armée
    34 2 hr 30 min

    Musée de l'Armée

    The Musee de l'Armee is France's national army museum, occupying wings of the Hotel des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement, the complex Louis XIV built in the 1670s as a hospital and retirement home for wounded soldiers.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  10. Musée de l'Homme Musée de l'Homme
    35 2 hr 30 min

    Musée de l'Homme

    The Musee de l'Homme is France's national anthropology museum, and it studies one subject only: what makes a human being, told through evolution, biological diversity and culture rather than through any single region or period.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Paris
  11. Salle Pleyel Salle Pleyel
    39 1 hour

    Salle Pleyel

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Paris
  12. Musée Boleslas Biegas Musée Boleslas Biegas
    45 1 hr 30 min

    Musée Boleslas Biegas

    Musée Bolesław Biegas is an exhibition devoted to the Polish sculptor, painter, playwright and essayist Bolesław Biegas, who lived from 1877 to 1954.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Paris
  13. Eve Eve
    50 1 hour

    Eve

    Ève

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Paris

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to France be?

Ten to fourteen days supports four or five days in Paris plus one coherent regional direction, such as Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, or Marseille. Avoid routing every extension back through Paris, because even fast TGV journeys leave local connection time at each end.

What entry documents are needed for France?

France applies Schengen entry rules, but the required passport validity or visa still depends on nationality and route. France-Visas is the official place to verify the exact requirement before booking and again before entering from outside Schengen.

What is the best way to travel around France?

TGV trains join France's largest cities, while TER services handle regional links and many rural areas still favour a car. Long-distance reservations may be mandatory, and each city retains its own urban ticket system rather than accepting one national visitor card.

When is a practical time to visit France?

April to June and September to October suit the Paris-plus-region route described here. Alpine access, Mediterranean heat, Atlantic weather, and rural seasonal services differ enough that the selected second region should determine the final dates.

What money and payment basics apply in France?

France uses the euro (EUR). Bank cards are common, yet a small euro reserve remains useful for markets or local machines; confirm any terminal conversion choice before accepting it because this page does not record changing fees.

What practical safety details should I save for France?

For urgent help anywhere in France, call 112; medical emergencies also use 15 and police matters 17. The electrical standard is 230 V with Type C and E plugs. This dataset has no recorded national tap-water finding, so consult the municipality or lodging for the specific stop.