A ride in France can lift you to an Alpine summit or float you over a château valley. The country built memorable ways to travel through its mountains, rivers, and countryside, from the fastest trains in Europe to cable cars that climb to glaciers and balloons that drift above the vineyards. To take a ride in France is to discover that the journey can rival the destination, whether speeding south by TGV, rising to Mont Blanc, or drifting over the Loire at dawn. The country turned movement into spectacle.

The variety reflects the landscape. The TGV high-speed trains cross the country at remarkable pace, while in the Alps the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi lifts riders to a dizzying perch near Mont Blanc. Hot-air balloons float over the châteaux of the Loire and the vineyards of Burgundy at sunrise, and boats glide the Seine and the southern canals. The Riviera's clifftop corniche roads offer some of Europe's great scenic drives. This range of train, cable car, balloon, and boat gave France an unusual wealth of memorable rides.

Today the choices delight every traveler. The best rides in France span the high-speed trains, the Alpine cable cars, the balloon flights over wine country, and the river and canal boats. Travelers searching France rides tours or top rides experiences will find balloon excursions, mountain cable-car trips, and scenic rail journeys. Among the most exhilarating things to do in France, a balloon over the Loire châteaux at dawn is pure enchantment. Other countries move you from place to place. France makes the moving part of the magic.