Travel in France: three smart destinations to discover

Normandy, Occitania and the Southern Alps are the talk of the town! In the latest “Explore France, le voyage futé” tour , organized by Atout France, it’s clear that these regions have a lot to offer for a rewarding vacation.

Of course, the Paris region is on everyone’s lips with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, a number of other regions are making the most of sustainable travel by respecting local resources and rethinking mobility.

Impressionism celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024. The atmosphere in Normandy is sure to be festive, as its legendary charm and distinctive light have inspired painters such as Millet, Degas, Delacroix and Monet.

The Normandie Impressionniste Festival will offer numerous activities from March 22 to September 22, 2024. American artists James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Robert Wilson, and English painter David Hockney will be featured.

Among the events at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, a flagship exhibition will be devoted to James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), who shared Claude Monet’s enthusiasm for Japanese art. David Hockney, meanwhile, will be presenting a number of previously unseen canvases painted in Normandy.

Rouen Cathedral will be the setting for a brand new sound and light show by visual director Robert Wilson. As for Miguel Chevalier, a pioneer of virtual and digital art, he will be offering an interactive video projection on the ice of a skating rink.

The year 2024 also marks the 80thanniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Numerous events will be held throughout the year. The international ceremony will take place in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, at Omaha Beach, on June 6, 2024.

The Juno Beach Centre pays tribute to the Canadians who perished in the Second World War. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), you can discover the new temporary exhibition entitled “Rising to the Challenge”, from March 1, 2024.

The museum has also set itself apart with its sustainable development plan, which promotes eco-mobility around the museum.

France’s second largest region is sure to win you over with its many assets. These include 10 UNESCO World Heritage sites, eight regional nature parks, 44 winter sports resorts and over 50 marinas.

What better way to discover Occitanie than from station to station: 19 rail lines criss-cross the region. The Occitanie Rail Tour won the Rail Tourism Awards in 2023 as the best regional initiative for sustainable tourist mobility.

Ponds, creeks, vineyards and the Mediterranean as far as the eye can see: a breathtaking panorama awaits you on the Côte Vermeille, Perpignan / Cerbère line. Discover the richness of the Catalan terroir through villages such as Collioure, Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer.

Toulouse, capital of the Occitanie region, will charm you with its pink brick facades, rich heritage and culinary delights.

The 2nd edition of the urban opera Gardien du Temple will be held from October 25 to 27, 2024, featuring the Minotaur Asterion and the spider Ariadne.

In 2023, the town was awarded the UNESCO City of Music label. Toulouse thus becomes the second French city to be honored after Metz. Electro fans? Don’t miss the Bricks festival from July 5 to 6, 2024.

Note that Air Canada is the only airline to offer the Montreal-Toulouse flight year-round.

The ” Escale à Sète “ festival of maritime traditions will return from March 26 to April 1, 2024. The maritime world will be in the spotlight in Sète with a hundred or so traditional boats.

From canals lined with colorful facades to its fishermen’s kitchen, this town also offers 12 km of sand and a natural area including vineyards and ancient salt pans.

With peaks topping 3,000 metres, you’ll be won over by the sixty or so large ski areas and village resorts offering beautiful blue skies almost all year round! In fact, the sun shines 300 days a year, according to the Comité Régional de Tourisme Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

The Southern Alps are a true paradise for sports and nature enthusiasts: this area is home to 2,500 kilometers of downhill ski slopes, cross-country and ski touring routes, as well as numerous icefalls.

As part of its commitment to sustainable development, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region provides bus and train services to ensure easy access to the resorts.

Finally, the region is buzzing with excitement about the 2030 Winter Olympics: in November 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it had selected the French Alps as its sole bid.

There are several strategies for saving money when traveling. One of these methods is to use credit card rewards points to travel inexpensively.

The winning combo? Credit card sign-up bonuses and optimized daily spending. As you can see, the hunt is on for five points per dollar to quickly accumulate rewards.

You’d like to get started, but aren’t familiar with points and credit cards? Our beginner’s guide will give you a clearer picture.

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card can easily get you free hotel nights. In fact, it was the best credit card in the “Hotel” category in Canada in 2024, according to our rankings. These points can be used at over 8,000 hotels worldwide.

With just a few clicks of the card’s welcome bonus, you could book a free night in a luxury hotel, or even several nights, depending on the hotel category.

Tempted by Normandy? The Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde Autograph Collection is a historic 15th-century property in Rouen. This five-star establishment boasts a 700 m² spa.

To get to Toulouse with Aeroplan points, you could take advantage of the welcome bonus of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card.

As mentioned above, Air Canada is the only airline to offer year-round flights between Montreal and Toulouse. For travel on March 22, 2024, in economy class, 35,000 points are required + CAD 67 in taxes for a one-way ticket.