Flights from Lisbon to France from 65EUR*

Flights to France from Lisbon

Vueling flies direct from Lisbon to 7 French cities: Paris, Nice, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes and Strasbourg. The flight to Paris takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the others fall within much the same range.

With flights that short, the real question is where to start. The north, the French Riviera, the Rhône valley and the Atlantic coast offer very different trips, and the airport you pick can shape the rest of your stay.

What documents you need to travel to France

France and Portugal are both in the European Union and the Schengen Area, so Portuguese and other EU citizens only need a valid national ID card or passport, with no visa.

Check the expiry date before you book, because an expired document means you cannot board and there is no leeway at the check-in desk. Children each need their own document, plus the other parent’s authorisation where applicable. If you hold another nationality, check your case on the travel documents page.

What to know when you land in France

From the airport into town. Paris is the one that needs planning. Its airports are a long way out, and the journey by train or bus takes around an hour, so look into it before you book your accommodation. Nice is the opposite: the airport sits right by the Promenade and the tram reaches the centre in a few minutes. Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes all have a shuttle or a direct tram from the terminal.

Time difference. France is 1 hour ahead of Portugal all year round. Both countries change their clocks on the same dates, but they sit in different time zones. Set your watch when you land and factor the hour in when working out your arrival at the hotel.

The TGV. This is what turns 7 airports into a gateway to the whole country. Paris and Lyon are 2 hours apart, and Marseille or Bordeaux are just over 3 from the capital. Stations are in the city centres, so flying into one city and home from another usually works better than a round trip.

Climate by region. Paris and the north are cool and wet for much of the year, with winters a good deal harsher than Lisbon’s. The Mediterranean south, from Marseille to Nice, has long, dry summers. The Alps change completely from one season to the next.

The currency is the euro, and France uses plug types C and E, at 230V. French is the official language, and English gets you by in tourist areas.

What to do in France

Paris and the north

Paris packs the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and Notre-Dame into an area you can cover on foot, with Le Marais, Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés as neighbourhoods to get lost in. The Palace of Versailles is half an hour away by suburban train. The city works just as well for a weekend as for a full week.

The French Riviera and Provence

In Nice you land right by the sea, and the coastal train reaches Cannes, Antibes and Monaco in under an hour. Marseille is the gateway to Provence: the Calanques National Park, Aix-en-Provence and Avignon with its Palais des Papes.

Bordeaux and Aquitaine

Bordeaux has completely restored its historic centre, now a World Heritage Site, and is a benchmark for architecture and food. The vineyards of the Médoc, Sauternes and Saint-Émilion are less than an hour away by car, as are the Arcachon dunes on the Atlantic coast.

Lyon, the Alps and the east

Lyon is France’s acknowledged food capital, with its bouchons and the Renaissance streets of Vieux-Lyon. The Alps are close by: Chamonix and Mont Blanc, Annecy and its turquoise lake. Nantes opens up Brittany and the Loire, while Strasbourg sits right on the border with Germany.

Luggage for your flight to France

What you can take depends on the fare you choose when booking. The simplest fare includes a personal item that fits under the seat in front, and from there you can add cabin or checked luggage.

For a weekend in any of the 7 cities, cabin luggage is usually enough. If you are heading to the Alps in winter with ski gear, which has its own conditions, check them before you confirm. You will find the current conditions in Vueling’s luggage policy.