Top 5 Places to Party in France

By Rahul Aug. 7th, 2012

Paris

With all its famous attractions, it can be easy to forget that it’s also that France has got a fantastic nightlife. Here’s the top 5 places to party in France.

Marseille

Arriving in the Southern port city of Marseille is like arriving in another country- the natives speak French but they consider themselves to be “Marseillais". There city has a history stretching back 2,600 years and has amassed great deal of diversity over this time; around one quarter of the population have North African roots and there are also strong influences from West Africa and Italy. This diversity has helped shaped Marseille’s colourful nightlife. A lot of the centrally located clubs and bars are in Vieux Port. The area really captures the culture of Marseille and is home to the sports bar Le Canebière, and the famous Bar de la Marine, which was used in the 1930s film Marius. The cost of a pint is about £6.

Paris

The capital of France is a great place to catch the train in Europe as it has connections throughout the continent, it’s also great place to stop for a party. While there is a sense of quantity over quality, among a lot of the tacky and soulless bars and clubs there are some real gems, including the Batofar, which is a club set on a boat on the Seine. The club has a strong urban influence and has helped a lot of new urban music to breakout in the city. If you travel to France looking for pure Parisian extravagance however, there is La Perle, which has trendy clubbers, trendy music and trendy, inflated prices, the cost of a pint here is significantly higher than the city average of £6.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the capital of one of France’s biggest wine regions, however, while it may be more famous for the scholarly side of getting hammered, it still has lots of places to let your hair down in. Despite being one of the most exclusive places in France, the large student population in the area helps to keep the cost of a pint down to around £4.20. A popular student haunt is Sénéchal, a club with strong 70s overtones. Le Lucifer is also great fun; it serves 250 different types of beer from around the world and has live rock music on Wednesdays.

Le Havre

In the northwest of France is the vibrant port city of Le Havre. The city was devastated in the second world war but has overcome this difficult period in its history to become a fun and exciting place, particularly at night. It is situated along the coast of the English Channel and is great place to go out if you’re headed down south from Calais. The bars and clubs in Le Havre offer an interesting mix of expensive clubs and pubs as well as those that suit a tighter budget. An average cost of a pint in the city is around £4.

Strasbourg

The beautiful architecture in the city of Strasbourg is incorporated into its fun, student oriented nightlife. It is this young clientele that helps to keep the nightlife in Strasbourg so fun and cheap, with an average pint costing under £4. The area’s nightlife is also heavily influenced by a strong Germanic culture. The city has historically been passed between Germany and France and is a great place to experience the best of both cultures simultaneously. The Académie de la Bière is open daily until 0400 and servers 70 different types of beers, while Le Chalet is a fun club with two dance floors, a great mix of people and karaoke.