Popular with charter planes and low-cost airlines, Beauvais - Tille Airport is located 75 kilometres north of Paris. Every year it welcomes more than 4 million passengers, who tend to make a beeline for the City of Lights.

That said, the city of Beauvais does serve up its fair share of French allure, with the towering Cathédrale Saint-Pierre offering visitors a taste of Gothic architecture. The grand Hôtel de Ville dates back to 1752, with some smaller buildings constructed in the 12th century. For those in search of small town France, a stop in Beauvais makes for a unique detour.

Beauvais town centre is serviced by a Transports Urbains du Beauvaisis commuter bus, where trains connect to major Parisian stations like Gare du Nord and Amiens. Most passengers pre-arrange a private scheduled coach for the 75-minute drive to Paris.

The airport was constructed in the 1930s, though just 10 years later it was seized by the Germans. The aftermath of the Battle of France saw it used as a Luftwaffe military airfield until it was liberated by US Allied ground forces in 1944. In 1945, the Americans returned full control back to French authorities.