READERS' BEST PHOTOS

29 Stunning Photos of France

France inspires flights of fancy in any season. Make your great escape in this readers' slide show of scenes from across the country.

Friday, Jul 1, 2011, 1:00 AM | Subscribe to the magazine

"April in Paris, Notre Dame."
(Courtesy RSchatz/myBudgetTravel)
"Early morning at the Eiffel Tower."
(Courtesy WineLuvr/myBudgetTravel)
"Moulin Rouge."
(Courtesy erebus/myBudgetTravel)
"An early Saturday morning, Lyon."
(Courtesy henger65/myBudgetTravel)
"Base of the Eiffel Tower."
(Courtesy currierm2/myBudgetTravel)
"The village of Bonnieux, part of my journey to Provence."
(Courtesy blake/myBudgetTravel)
"Viva la Louvre."
(Courtesy Flightdirector/myBudgetTravel)
"I.M. Pei's restructured pyramid entrance to the Louvre is a vast improvement over the way it used to be. That said, a good tip is to buy the museum pass at another museum and enter at the Richelieu entrance to avoid lines."
(Courtesy davidspiel/myBudgetTravel)
"Lavender fields, seen on my journey to Provence."
(Courtesy blake/myBudgetTravel)
"Reflection of Sainte-Chapelle."
(Courtesy virgtong/myBudgetTravel)
"St. Etienne du Mont's spiral staircases."
(Courtesy wineprincess44/myBudgetTravel)
"Doorbell signs in Montmartre Art District, Paris."
(Courtesy harryvg/myBudgetTravel)
"A lovely setting in the village of Chenonceaux, in the Loire Valley of southern France. Picture taken with my Nikon D70s during a tour of the valley with our son, who was teaching English in a university in Orleans."
(Courtesy Dick/myBudgetTravel)
"I spotted this old Renault in front of my hotel in the 7th district during a visit to Paris in March 2009. For a moment, it seemed as if I were in a 1950s movie."
(Courtesy summero/myBudgetTravel)
"One of our favorite things to do in Paris is wander the back alleys around Sacré-Coeur basilica during sunset and imagine that we are walking in the footsteps of van Gogh, who resided in the neighborhood."
(Courtesy oldfashiongirl/myBudgetTravel)
"Riding on the Métro in Paris."
(Courtesy klovato/myBudgetTravel)
"Color in Paris."
(Courtesy klovato/myBudgetTravel)
"The City of Light lives up to its name."
(Courtesy Michael.Baker/myBudgetTravel)
"Annecy is one of the most picturesque towns I have ever seen. I loved this mini castle surrounded by the water."
(Courtesy scott82970/myBudgetTravel)
"The red roofs of Old Town, Nice."
(Courtesy mail4rob/myBudgetTravel)
"A perfect snapshot of the clouds whirling around the peaks of the Chamonix-Mont Blanc mountain range in the French Alps."
(Courtesy RachaelOBanion/myBudgetTravel)
"I took this picture in the Paris Metro: It looks like the model is doing all she can to attract the gentleman's attention, but he is oblivious to her flirtations."
(Courtesy kochmanski/myBudgetTravel)
"An artist in Montmartre."
(Courtesy patfax/myBudgetTravel)
"Pont du Gard, near Nîmes."
(Courtesy travelbugnc/myBudgetTravel)
"On Friday, September 12, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI was in Paris, and the run-up to that was incredible. I happened upon these three nuns sitting inside the Peace Monument, looking out over the Champ de Mars toward the Eiffel Tower and enjoying a lull in their afternoon."
(Courtesy septictanc/myBudgetTravel)
"Villefranche-sur-Mer, France."
(Courtesy mail4rob/myBudgetTravel)
"I was walking through the local markets in Paris on a sunny morning, and the smells of the fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats filled the air."
(Courtesy cackowoski/myBudgetTravel)
"A Paris Métro sign."
(Courtesy bevandlee/myBudgetTravel)
"Paris in March."
(Courtesy virgtong/myBudgetTravel)