Scrumptious food, delectable wine, impressive history, stunning architecture, and landscapes that might literally make you weep with joy (especially after a couple of glasses of the aforementioned wine): Italy and France have quite a bit in common as two of the major tourism powerhouses in Europe, so it’s no surprise that plenty of people have trouble choosing whether or not to visit France or Italy in a given year.
While the countries certainly have plenty of similarities when it comes to what they can offer tourists, they’re also entirely distinct destinations, each boasting different highlights and cultural quirks that make them incredibly wonderful to visit.
To us, trying to choose between France and Italy feels a bit like trying to choose between our right hand and our left.
They’re both wonderful places to visit, have similar appeals for travelers, and it’s impossible to imagine our lives without them… but they do have distinctions.
Trying to decide whether to visit Italy or France?
We’ve been visiting both countries repeatedly for years, and have racked up many months spent in each.
Here are the essential differences we’d use to choose when debating a trip to Italy vs. France!
Table of Contents
Visit France if…
… you’ve always wanted to see Paris.
There is only one Paris.
And no matter how many cities claim to be the Paris of insert region here (and that is a lot of cities), there is nothing like the original.
From admiring the Arc de Triomphe to marveling at the art in the Louvre, and from wandering the streets of Montmartre to soaking up views from the Seine, Parisian travel experiences are one of a kind.
If Paris is on your dream travel list and you can’t imagine planning your upcoming trip to Europe without it, book your ticket to France!
… you’re excited to try your hand at French.
The French (okay, mostly Parisians) are well-known for their reputation of wanting visitors to at least attempt their language when they visit.
While we consider the reputation fairly overblown and have generally found French people perfectly welcoming, you definitely want to learn some basic French phrases before visiting!
If you’re excited about trying your hand at practicing French, then France is the trip for you.
… you want to take a road trip but are nervous about driving.
Both France and Italy are home to magnificent regions worthy of a road trip, but for foreign visitors, driving in France can be a bit less intimidating than driving in Italy.
That is largely because the drivers are less aggressive–and that becomes even truer the further south in Italy you travel (we love a Sicily road trip, but it’s undeniably a bit intimidating for cautious drivers).
From Provence to Alsace to Bordeaux to Normandy and the Loire Valley, there’s no shortage of amazing road trips in France!
Visit Italy if…
… Venice is high on your wishlist.
Much like Paris, Venice suffers from a slew of cities declaring to be the Venice of Wherever… but there is only one Venice, and it is utterly unique. There is nowhere like it in the world.
If you are dying to see Venice… there’s no substitute in France (no, not even Annecy, though we love it there), so head directly to Italy.
… you want to keep an eye on the budget.
The cost of travel in either France or Italy varies dramatically based on where exactly you go and what kind of trip you plan.
However, while budget travelers can certainly find a way to make do in France and luxury seekers will find no shortage of pampering in Italy, very generally speaking, Italy is more affordable to travel through than France.
That is especially true if you avoid the northernmost regions (in Italy, the further south you go, the cheaper it gets).
… coffee is a priority.
France has amazing food, but no one does coffee like the Italians–so much so that we’ve even written an entire guide to coffee in Italy!
While we certainly enjoy sipping a cup of coffee and people-watching from the many cafes in France, for the pure drink alone, Italy consistently boasts a superior experience in our opinion.
… you want to see more of the best-known highlights with less time.
Seeing all of France or Italy is clearly a project worthy of a lifetime, but there’s no doubt you can cover more of Italy’s top 10 best-known sights in, say, two weeks than you can of the same in France.
France’s best-known destinations–Paris, Provence, the beaches of Normandy, Bordeaux, and the French Riviera, for example–are best visited through multiple trips.
For Italy, on the other hand, Rome, Florence/Tuscany, Venice, and Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast can be worked quite nicely into a two-week trip.
It’s not necessarily the best option, but travelers determined to do it all can even add on a day trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast from Rome.
While there is clearly far more to do in both countries than what I have listed, if you’re looking to sample the most internationally famous major highlights of Italy or France in one trip, that’s easier to accomplish in Italy.
Visit both France and Italy for…
… incredible food and wine.
The cuisines of Italy and France are some of the best known–and best-loved–on the entire planet, and both Italy and France are famous for their food.
Whether you end up devouring carbonara in Rome or confit de canard in Paris, and whether you sip wine in Burgundy or Tuscany, you will definitely eat and drink very, very well on your trip to France or Italy.
If you’re looking to get an overview of the local cuisine while sampling as many dishes as possible, here are a few of the food tours that we have personally taken and loved in France and Italy:
- The Ultimate Paris Food Tour (a long and delicious look into the food in Le Marais–we were so full after this tour!)
- Trastevere at Sunset: Rome Food & Wine Tour (an amazing overview of one of the best neighborhoods in Rome)
- Cooking Class at a Tuscan Farmhouse (this was such a dreamy experience in Florence–the views were almost as good as the food!)
… world-class cities.
Both France and Italy are packed with cities that bucket lists are made of.
Paris and Rome are just the tip of the iceberg, and there’s no doubt that city-lovers will find something to love in the unique nature of each country’s beautiful cities.
… dynamic landscapes.
Magnificent coastlines, snow-capped mountains, rolling hills of farmland… all of these things can be found in spades in both Italy and France.
Whatever landscape you’re seeking on your trip to France or Italy, you’ll be sure to find it in either place.
… hilltop towns.
Have you been dreaming of admiring rolling landscapes and vineyards that go on endlessly from the top of a tiny town perched on the highest hill around?
Whether you visit France or Italy, you’ll have your pick.
Tuscany and Provence are the most famous options for this, and the surrounding regions in Italy and France both have plenty of places to choose from as well!
Okay, but which one is our favorite?
Choosing our favorite between beloved destinations is a task that is nearly always ridiculously hard and occasionally downright impossible.
France and Italy are two of our very favorite places on the planet, and after many visits to each, we’re nowhere near done exploring either of them.
But, if we had to choose whether to say goodbye to France or Italy for, say, five years or more… we’d say goodbye to France and keep Italy.
That being said, there are plenty of people who feel the opposite–and we would despise letting go of either one.
Planning a trip to France and Italy
Simply can’t choose between Italy and France and want to make sure you visit both?
It’s absolutely doable, with careful planning and a few sacrifices!
We’d recommend only combining the two countries if you have a week or longer, and using the rule of thumb that you should spend at least 2-3 full days (not including the day you arrive and depart) in each destination.
If you have one week, that could look like spending a few days in Paris, and then a few days in Florence or Rome.
If you have two weeks, that could look like visiting Paris, one major Italian city, and one coastal or countryside destination in the country of your choice (so for example, combining Paris, Provence, and Venice).
Unless you happen to be visiting Nice and want to combine the French Riviera with a major northern Italian city like Milan or Venice, you’ll likely want to fly between Italy and France rather than take the train, though if it suits your schedule, we find train travel between the two countries much more enjoyable!
To get a feel for your options by train, we recommend checking schedules and prices with Omio, which will pull up all relevant companies and routes.
Shop train tickets for your trip to France and/or Italy today!
France vs. Italy: The Final Decision
Still can’t choose between Italy and France?
If both destinations call to you so strongly and combining them isn’t an option (which, psst: check out train routes and budget airline flights between Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Nice to cities like Rome, Pisa, Naples, Bologna, Milan, and Venice), consider choosing to go to France or Italy based on which plane tickets are cheaper.
Still not sure?
You can even decide by flipping a coin–seriously.
Because the truth is, whether you end up in Italy or France, you’re bound to have an absolutely magnificent trip.
Read More About Visiting Italy and France
If you found this Italy vs. France comparison guide helpful, we’d love to continue to be part of your travel planning here on Our Escape Clause!
France and Italy are two of our most written about countries, and as of 2026, we’ve published dozens of guides about traveling to France and nearly 150 about Italy travel.
You can browse all of our France articles here, all of our Italy articles here, or check out these blog posts:
France
- 25 Dreamy Places to Visit in the South of France (+ Map!)
- What to Buy in Paris: 25 Best Paris Souvenirs + Gifts
- 19 Best Things to Do in Strasbourg, France (+ Tips for Visiting!)
Italy
- 15+ Common Travel Mistakes in Italy (What NOT to Do!)
- 9 Phenomenal Road Trips in Italy (Itinerary Ideas + Driving Tips!)
- 13 Underrated Cities in Italy to Visit to Escape the Crowds
My wife and I are going to take our maiden voyage to Italy. We are leaving two young boys behind, so this means we only have 8 days (7 nights) to fit in our trip. We love food, wine, shopping, and history. With all said, which 2 cities would you recommend? Also, would you use a travel agent?
Hi Timothy,
That’s a very hard choice, but the good news is that there aren’t really any wrong answers.
Rome + Florence is a classic choice, and either of those cities combined with Venice (with the help of a high-speed train is wonderful as well.
If you’re hoping to see the coast, Rome + the Amalfi Coast is also wonderful.
We go over several options for one week Italy itineraries in this post: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/7-days-in-italy-in-a-week/
Personally, we don’t think a travel agent is at all necessary for planning trips to Italy, but it’s always an option if you prefer. 🙂
Hope that helps and that you guys have a wonderful time!