French market towns off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed market towns in France, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Bastia, a port town at the base of Cap Corse; Mende, the little prefecture of Lozère on the River Lot; and Saint-Flour, a compact town and diocesan seat since 1317. This page includes 13 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Lyon, Paris or Bordeaux.
Saint-Flour
This particularly photogenic compact town in the Cantal département of south-central France, Saint-Flour sits above scenic surroundings with mountain views a…
Bastia
Corsica's principal port and commercial hub, Bastia sits at the base of Cap Corse on the island's northeast coast, where a walkable harbour front, small fort…
Joinville
This small town on the water in Haute-Marne, north-eastern France, Joinville carries a layered medieval history: it was the seat of a lordship in the county…
Saint-Quentin
A photogenic town in northern France's Aisne department with a walkable centre and a dense food-and-drink scene, Saint-Quentin sits on the Somme river and tr…
Mende
Mende is the little prefecture of France's Lozère department in Occitania, set along the River Lot amid mountain terrain and offering a café and restaurant s…
Viviers
This modest town on the Rhône in southern France's Ardèche, Viviers was once the capital of the historic Vivarais province — a name it gave to the entire reg…
Voiron
A gateway town to the Chartreuse Mountains in southeastern France, Voiron sits at the foot of the range with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants,…
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
This modest town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques with a notably dense café and restaurant scene, several historic churches, and a position right on the water wit…
Saint-Sever
Known since at least the late Middle Ages as "Cap de Gascogne" — the head of Gascony — Saint-Sever is a small historic town in the Landes department of south…
Bourganeuf
This small town in the Creuse department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourganeuf owes its medieval origins to the Knights Hospitaller, who made it the seat of thei…
Pamiers
Sitting on the right bank of the Ariège river at the foot of the first Pyrenean foothills, Pamiers is the largest town in the Ariège department, with a compa…
Guéret
This compact prefectural town in France's Creuse department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, offers a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Langogne
A small town in the Lozère department of southern France, Langogne sits in the valley of the Allier river at a historic crossroads between the Auvergne, the…
French market towns: quick answers
Which French market towns can you visit on a day trip from Lyon, Paris or Bordeaux?
Voiron and Mende are among 2 market towns on our day trips from Lyon. Saint-Quentin is among 1 market towns on our day trips from Paris. And Oloron-Sainte-Marie is among 1 market towns on our day trips from Bordeaux.
Where are France's less-touristed market towns?
Wandering Well lists 13 market towns across France. The most are in Lozère (2) and Creuse (2).
Which are the highest-rated?
7 are rated gold, including Mende, Saint-Flour, Bourganeuf and Bastia.
Which can you reach by train?
7 of the 13 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Mende, Pamiers, Saint-Quentin and Langogne.