Exploring France beyond Paris
 

I will be travelling to Paris from July 23-Aug 5 and would like to spend some time outside Paris. I enjoyed visiting many of the major tourist sites during my last trip to Paris and am ready to see some of the less touristy sites and even leave Paris to see other parts of France. I've never been to any other region in France and would like to venture out this time. Where do you suggest I go?

We loved our day trip to Giverny, touring the gardens, Monet's house and, of course, the pond, bridges, lily pads, etc.

Since you are going in the hottest part of the year, I suggest going North, not South.
Maybe the Dday beaches and over toward Mont St Michelle?

Put up a map of France and throw a dart -- all is pretty and worth seeing. But I agree that South France is likely to not only be very hot, but also even busier with tourists than Paris in late July and August.
What about the Alps -- Mont Blanc, staying at Chamonix, or going to Anncey and Megeve?

Subject matter might be of interest

Churches
Wine regions
Food preferences
Countryside
Mountains
etc
all this is to be had in a country which has the most visitors per head of pop (osih)

train system is superb so for me Paris to Bordeaux or Dijon and rent car and explore wine regions. But note this is the hot season and tourists (french ones) are filling up hotel rooms so prices rise and get busy

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Brittany. It is our favorite part of France.

It would be a little cooler, there are some splendid castles, islands, but only one vinyard but they have cider and gallettes

The coastal areas will be crowded (even with this summer's wacky weather). Small villages in some area may feel empty because the residents are off on holiday themselves (a few summers ago we drove through the untouristy part of Alsace-Lorraine and in some villages, it was like driving through a ghost town.) Chamonix and Annecy can also be quite crowded.

Suggest you try "second cities"--Bourges, Angers, Nantes, Pau, etc., places that are easy to explore, have plenty to see on their own, and that aren't dependent primarily on tourism for their existence. If you want to go to a beach resort, try one that gets mostly French visitors...La Baule, for example.

By the way, how much time do you plan to spend outside Paris?

Day trips may be the best option because one does not have to deal with hotel room reservations and the travel would most likely be by public transportation. Troyes, Provins, Fontainebleau, Rouen, Chartres come to mind.