À = To/in and De = From/of with cities in French (French Prepositions of Location)
In French, you can use the preposition "à" or "de" with cities. However, there is a difference.
How to use 'à' or 'de' with cities in French
Look at these sentences using à and de:
Je vais à ParisI'm going to Paris
Il va au Havre.He's going to Le Havre
Elle est à New York.She is in New York.
Note that you use à when describing going to or being in a city.
And you use de to indicate being from, coming from or returning from a city.
ATTENTION:
With city names containing a definite article (e.g. La Rochelle / Le Havre), you will use à La or de La for feminine nouns, and the contracted forms au or du for masculine nouns:
Il revient de LondresHe's coming back from London.
Je suis de La RochelleI'm from La Rochelle
On va à La Nouvelle-Orléans la semaine prochaine.We're going to New Orleans next week.
Mon oncle vient du Havre.My uncle comes from Le Havre.
