The Time Travel Tourism Trend: 7 French Destinations That Take You In Time to Another Era

I’m a history gal, so traveling back through the centuries to another world has always excited me. I’ve often daydreamed about going back to the 12th century and seeing the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Poitiers. But of course, I wouldn’t want anyone to see me, or for anything to happen to me. I’d want the safe option where I’m simply a fly on the wall watching, listening, and learning.

It seems I’m not alone in this, as one of the latest travel trends, spurred on by shows such as Outlander, Bridgerton, and the Tudors, is nostalgia travel. We’re fascinated by the lives of those who have gone before us and want to explore their worlds. Taking a trip back in time and visiting places like the Scottish Highlands to see where the Battle of Culloden was fought is top of many people’s travel list.

But what about France? How has that been affected by this trend? With its rich history and culture, there is no shortage of towns and villages to inspire every would-be time traveler.

The Rise of Nostalgic and Time-Travel Tourism 

The desire to step into the past isn’t new, but it’s definitely having a moment. Fueled by a steady stream of screen adaptations and binge-worthy historical dramas, nostalgia tourism has taken off. And not just in a “visit this old building” kind of way. People want to feel history. They want to walk the cobbled streets their favorite characters walked, eat where they ate, and look out over the same landscapes.

TV series pull viewers into opulent courts, smoky war rooms, and forbidden romances, mixing real locations with heightened drama to create irresistible time-travel fantasies. It’s not just TV either. Books like The Paris Library and The Alice Network are sparking a wave of travel rooted in the 20th century. 

In an age of fast-paced tech and global uncertainty, people are looking for depth. We crave connection. And nothing offers that quite like standing in a place where stories, real and imagined, unfolded.

7 French Destinations For Time Traveling Tourists

All the Light We Cannot See (Book and TV Series) – Saint-Malo

Set during World War II, All the Light We Cannot See tells the story of a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, and a German soldier, Werner, whose lives intersect in the walled coastal city of Saint-Malo. The book was a hit, and the Netflix adaptation brought those crumbling stone buildings and war-torn streets to life. 

The city of Saint-Malo was bombed to bits in 1944, but it was rebuilt stone by stone using the original granite. Walking the ramparts, you get this strange mix of beauty and loss. It’s also a city with layers. Pirates once called it home. Resistance fighters hid in cellars. And now, travelers come here to walk through time with open eyes.

If you go, head straight to the ramparts and walk the full loop around the old town. You’ll get views that make it clear why this spot was strategic in every century. The Fort National, just offshore, was featured in the book. The Saint-Vincent Cathedral is worth a visit. It survived the war and still carries the weight of everything that happened. 

🏨 Hotels in Saint Malo 

The Languedoc Trilogy (Book) – Carcassonne

Kate Mosse is the reason I fell in love with Carcassonne. Her Languedoc Trilogy is set in the citadel where a modern-day archaeologist stumbles into a world tied to the Cathars and the bloody crusades of the 13th century. The series weaves between past and present, with secret codes, hidden books, and underground chambers that don’t feel that far-fetched when you’re standing in the shadow of the real citadel. 

Carcassonne is stunning and beautifully preserved, but it was once the center of one of the most brutal chapters in French history. The Cathars were slaughtered for their beliefs, and the fortress that still stands today was where it all happened. Walking through the double walls, past arrow slits and ancient towers, makes you feel as though you are stepping into the pages of a history book. 

To see the Carcassonne from the books, go beyond the souvenir shops. The Château Comtal inside the cité is a must, especially for the underground sections that mirror moments in the books. Outside the walls, the Bastide Saint-Louis offers a more lived-in view of the city’s past. If you’ve read the books, keep an eye out for names and places. Mosse doesn’t write fantasy; she builds her stories from the bones of real history.

🏨 Hotels in Carcassonne

The Three Musketeers (Film) – Part I: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady  

The new Three Musketeers films (Part I: D’Artagnan and Part II: Milady) are slick, fast-paced, and full of grit. They strip away the polish and throw you into the mud, blood, and politics of 17th-century France. A lot of the filming was done at the Château de Fontainebleau and Château de Chantilly, and you can still feel the weight of history in those places. 

French kings lived in Fontainebleau for centuries, and Napoleon said his goodbyes on the staircase. Chantilly is surrounded by forest, and the stables are almost as grand as the château. You’ll recognize those long corridors and candlelit chambers if you’ve seen the films.

🏨 Hotels near Fontainbleau

Midnight in Paris (Film) – Paris

Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen at his very best. It follows a disillusioned writer who finds himself walking through 1920s Paris each night, brushing shoulders with Hemingway, Picasso, and Gertrude Stein. The film is part love letter to the city and part reflection on how we romanticize the past. While it floats through different eras, it’s grounded in one thing: Paris is the star. 

It’s fabulous to see the rain-soaked streets, smoky cafés, and quiet corners that make you wonder who walked there before you. Much of the filming took place in real spots that are easy to visit. The steps where Gil first slips back in time are at the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, not far from the Panthéon. Shakespeare and Company also features, and while it’s not the same store Hemingway would’ve known, it’s a wonderful place to visit.

It’s a different version of the city, one you get at 1 am when the streets are mostly empty and the air smells like rain and cigarettes. If that mood speaks to you, skip the bus tours and walk. That way, you’ll see the real Paris.

🏨 Where to stay in Paris

The Serpent Queen (TV Series) – Loire Valley 

The Serpent Queen throws you into the life of Catherine de’ Medici, and it doesn’t hold back. It’s sharp, brutal, and full of palace politics. A lot of the series was filmed at Chenonceau and Amboise, two stunning châteaux in the Loire Valley. They have real history soaked into the stone. 

Chenonceau spans the River Cher and was shaped by the women who owned it, including Catherine. You get a sense of control and calculation walking through her rooms. Then there’s Amboise, perched above the Loire with sweeping views and a royal past that includes everything from Leonardo da Vinci’s final days to brutal executions in the courtyard. 

If you’re visiting, walk the long gallery over the river at Chenonceau where Catherine held court. It’s easy to imagine her holding everyone’s gaze while keeping her enemies close. At Amboise, take the underground passageways down to the town. They’re steep and shadowy, and you can feel the tension that must’ve followed every step back when the stakes were life or death. These places make the show feel real because the stories they tell are.

🏨Where to stay in the Loire Valley

Marie Antoinette (TV Series) – Versailles

The latest Marie Antoinette TV Series dives into the pressure, isolation, and power struggles that defined her time at court. It’s bold and visually striking, but what grounds it is the setting. Much of the series was filmed at the Palace of Versailles, and it shows. The real Versailles doesn’t need a filter. It’s as overwhelming as it is beautiful, and you can feel the weight of history pressing in from every direction.

Walking through Versailles today, it’s hard to believe anyone actually lived there. The Hall of Mirrors gets all the attention, but the private apartments offer the real insight. This is where Marie Antoinette tried to carve out a life for herself, hosting quiet dinners, sneaking out to her gardens, and trying to find a sliver of freedom in a world built to watch her every move. 

If you go, don’t skip the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet. They weren’t part of court life; they were Marie Antoinette’s escape, a space where she had more control. Seeing those places after watching the series gives it all a different meaning. 

🏨 Where to stay in Versailles

The Hundred-Foot Journey (Film) – Sarlat-la-Canéda 

The Hundred-Foot Journey is all about food, family, and the friction between cultures. While the village in the film is fictional, much of it was filmed in and around Sarlat-la-Canéda, one of those places that hasn’t been flattened or over-modernized. You won’t find the restaurant from the movie, but you will find the narrow lanes, stone facades, and market scenes that set the tone.

Sarlat sits deep in the Dordogne and is known for food, and it leans into it: truffles, foie gras, walnuts, everything. If you saw the film and felt hungry halfway through, you’ll feel right at home here. If you’re going, hit the Saturday morning market first. It spills through the old town and smells wonderful. The Place de la Liberté is featured in the film and is a good spot to sit with a glass of wine and watch the world go by. 

🏨 Where to stay in Sarlat