As several Instagram captions and kitchy home signs have likely reminded you, Paris is always a good idea, and it's the perfect place to start your French adventure. Take the Eurostar to Gare du Nord, or fly into Charles de Gaulle or Paris-Orly and spend a few days in the City of Lights soaking up culture, coffee, and a cocktail or two. While you're in the area, feel free to venture outside the city and visit Versailles (home to the perfectly manicured gardens and chateau of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette) or Giverny (the equivalent of walking into a real-life Monet painting), or head north to Normandy (for the history buff). Then rent a car or head to the nearest train station and off you go!