The French-Speaking Countries that Every Traveler Should Visit

Most people know that French is a very popular language that has a large influence on the world today. What a lot of people don’t know however is exactly how many countries around the world speak this wonderful language. In total, there are 29 countries where French is an official language. That is over 10% of all countries that exist on Earth. Not every country that speaks French is a place that you absolutely must visit, but there definitely are a handful that are highly-recommended. Let’s take a look.

France

This one of course is no surprise. France is both the home to the French language and the country with the most native speakers. If there is only one French-speaking country that you have the ability to visit then France is the one you should choose. With cities like Paris, Lyon, Nice, and many more France is an absolute must-do destination for not only any traveler, but any aspiring French learner.

Belgium

If you pass through France’s northeast corner you’ll end up in Belgium, another French-speaking country. In addition to French, Dutch and German are also official languages and thus spoken as well. Brussels is by far the most well-known city in Belgium, but there are also other amazing cities such as Bruges, Charleroi, Hainaut and Châtelet. If you’ve already been to France, enjoyed it, and are looking for something similar then Belgium will make a great destination.

Switzerland

Everybody is aware of Switzerland and its beautiful landscapes, but what a lot of people don’t know is that there is a portion of it where French is spoken. Unsurprisingly, this portion is the one that directly borders France. Although Switzerland as a whole is a must-do; the French-speaking portion contains amazing sight-seeing destinations such as Lac St Léonard, Le Bisse du Torent-Neuf and Le Creux-du-Van.

Monaco

Monaco is a tiny little country in Europe with less than 40,000 total inhabitants making it among the smallest countries not only in Europe, but also the world. With beaches, gardens, casinos, palaces, and tons more, Monaco is not a place that you should ignore during your European travels.

Quebec

Although technically not its own country Quebec is the only completely French-speaking province in Canada. Once you have visited France, Belgium and Switzerland then Quebec is your obvious next destination. The two most popular cities in Quebec are Montreal and Quebec City, both of which should be first on your list of cities to visit. If you’re pretty familiar with European French then Canadian French will be something that you may want to brush up on before you visit. Montreal will be a place that you can technically get by with just English, but Quebec City is a place that you’ll want to know how to say more than just hello in French.

Morocco

The official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Berber, but due to the history that Morocco has had with France French is still a widely used language and somewhat of a lingua franca for the area. Morocco, although situated in Africa, is vastly different than what most people think of when they envision Africa. You'll find beautiful architecture unlike anything you've likely ever seen before in amazing cities like Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fez. This is definitely a country for the more adventurous of us out there.

Unlike many other countries in the world, most French-speaking countries should only be visited if you have at least some handle of the language. This ultimately ends up being a good thing as knowing the language the country allows you to appreciate it all that much more.