I will be in France in August for a work conference. I'll be in Paris with a friend the first few days and then in Montpellier for the conference. After that, I'll have 4 days of solo travel before I fly out of Paris again. I'm 25 and a woman and am used to traveling solo, but I want to be able to feel safe and have never been to the mainland of Europe before. I'm interested in the culture, food, and natural environment of the area. I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money but obviously I know that Europe is expensive.
Options:
1. Panhandle area of Italy, mainly Genoa
2. Corsica
3. Barcelona and other Spanish cities close to France
4. Stay in France (Lyon and/or other places)
For those of you who live in this area or have been, what places would you recommend? Any of these options or something else entirely?
