French Riviera
The French Riviera, also known as the Côte d'Azur, is a dazzling stretch of coastline along the southeastern edge of France, renowned for its glamorous allure and Mediterranean charm. With its sun-drenched beaches, azure waters, and picturesque coastal towns, the Riviera captivates visitors with its timeless beauty. From the luxurious yachts of Monaco to the vibrant promenades of Nice and Cannes, the region exudes an air of sophistication and elegance. Explore charming cobblestone streets lined with pastel-colored buildings, sample exquisite cuisine at seaside bistros, or simply bask in the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. With its blend of culture, natural beauty, and cosmopolitan flair, the French Riviera promises an unforgettable escape for all types of travelers.
French Riviera Travel Video
7 Day Itinerary
There are so many different ways to do the French Riviera, it can seem overwhelming. With all the various towns and villages, and big metropolitan cities, you want to see as much as possible if you only have a week. We tried to split the trip into the west side of the Riviera for the first half (Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Provence countryside) and the east side of the Rivera for the second half (Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Eze, Menton). This itinerary has busy days, but gives a great guide to see the famous and most beautiful areas.
Overview
Day 1: Arrival in Nice, first night in Cannes
Day 2: Provence Countryside (Fayence, Tourtour, Verdon Gorge, Moustiers-Saint-Marie, Grasse)
Day 3: Saint-Tropez
Day 4: Antibes, Saint Paul de Vence, Villefranche-sur-Mer
Day 5: Eze, Monaco, Menton
Day 6: Nice Old Town, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
DAY 1: Arrival in Nice
We arrived on our international flight into Nice (NCE), with the mountains and towns of the Rivera stretching out in both directions on the approach. After grabbing our bags, we picked up a rental car and headed towards Cannes, our home for the first half of the trip. The Riviera covers about 100 miles of scenic coastline, with Nice and Cannes being in the middle but about 30 minutes apart from each other. We based out of Cannes for the first half of the trip to hit the west side (St. Tropez and Provence).
If you rent a rental car, you can see so much more of the area and use it to drive through the Provence country side. The driving is a little hectic as it the case anywhere in Europe, so make sure you are comfortable. Our hotel in Cannes had a parking garage that was easy to get in and out of, which made this a no brainer decision.
We stayed along the La Croisette promenade in the main tourist part of Cannes, which allowed us to walk along the water to the beach clubs and also the restaurants/shops in the area. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, and we stayed at the Hotel Barriere Le Gray d'Albion for a mid-tier hotel that had plenty of amenities. It also is adjacent to the much more expensive Hotel Barriere Le Majestic, which is its sister restaurant. The benefit here was that we could access all those hotel's amenities, without paying the higher price tag. They also have their own beach club you can access across the Promenade on the beach.
The hotels are also right across the street from the Cannes Walk of Fame and Convention Center where the Cannes Film Festival takes place every year.
We arrived in mid-afternoon, so we grabbed lunch in the main square next to the hotel, and spent some time walking along the Promenade to get our bearings. We also stopped in the hotel's beach club for some drinks on the sand. For dinner, we headed to the Rue Saint-Antoine, a winding pedestrian street that is lined with restaurants and cocktail bars. If you walk to the top of the street, you can get to a great view point right below the big Cannes equivalent of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, at the top of the hill overlooking the harbor.
There are many restaurants on this street, so choose one that looks good to you and you won't go wrong. We had some pasta and wine at Al Brunello and it was a perfect first dinner for the trip.
DAY 2: Provence Countryside
For our first day, we wanted to explore the Provence countryside and had looked at several towns that looked interesting. After getting coffee and pastries at a shop a short distance from the hotel (Copenhagen Coffee Labs), we headed out of town towards Fayence. Fayence is an old medieval town situated high on a hill with views of the surrounding countryside. To be honest, there wasn't much here other than a quick view point and a small square with a couple restaurants.
Continuing on through the French countryside, the roads are windy and take you through some incredible scenery. We really enjoyed just riding by different towns and seeing the countryside. The next town we stopped at was Tourtour. Tourtour is also on a hilltop, but we liked it much more than Fayence. The main square is under a canopy of Plane Trees that numerous outdoor restaurants have seating under. We spent time walking through the small winding streets and having lunch at one of the restaurants in the square. You can also have lunch at Restaurant La Farigoulette on their back patio which is a vine covered area looking out over the countryside.
Driving further into Provence, we wanted to visit the town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie before heading back towards Cannes. The road to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie takes you over a bridge at the mouth of the Verdon Gorge. This Gorge stretches for 15 miles and reaches heights of over 2,000 feet. There's a kayak rental shop below the bridge that you can stop at and paddle under the bridge into the gorge for some great pictures.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is one of the more unique towns we visited in the area, and really in all of Europe. It is built into the side of a cliff, and has a waterfall towering over the village with a stream running right through the village. There's also a church perched high over the town with a long staircase you can hike up to the top. Make sure to have your camera out for this village! Spend time meandering the streets and visiting all the boutiques and workshops, and be sure to get some lavender.
As you head back to Cannes, you can make an easy stopover at Grasse without going out of the way. Grasse is known as the Perfume Capital of the World. The town is larger and built on a hillside overlooking Cannes with the Mediterranean in the distance. In the Old Town area, all the streets are covered with hundreds of pink umbrellas suspended overhead which is really unique to see.
Back in Cannes, we walked along the harbor waterfront and found an amazing pasta restaurant with outdoor seating. We had a great view of the huge yachts lined up and finished the night with heavy helpings of pasta and wine.
DAY 3: Saint-Tropez
Our second full day ended up being one of our favorites. We woke up and immediately headed towards St. Tropez to try and beat as much of the early morning rush as possible. The road to St. Tropez is known to back up with traffic with all the tourists who visit for the day. The main traffic starts just as you pass through Port Grimaud, about 5 miles from St. Tropez along the D98A. A trick we read about, which worked out well, was to head south from Port Grimaud instead of continuing the shortest route to St. Tropez. We took the long road through the hills and made a stop in the hilltop town of Ramatuelle. We loved the little town and spent time walking the picturesque streets looking out over the countryside. There are plenty of good looking restaurants in town if you need a early lunch.
Leave Ramatuelle and continue down the D61 towards D93 and then take that back north into St. Tropez. You'll enter from the south, which is a much less traveled road and lets you skip any traffic that’s backing up from those coming straight from Port Grimaud. There are various parking garages you'll see signs for that show how much capacity is remaining. Your best bet is to find one that is still open, or find street parking which you'll have to pay for as well. We tried to park at either the Lices or Foch garages, which are close to old town but seem to be less busy.
St. Tropez lives up to the hype as being the epitome of the glitz and glamour that is associated with the French Riviera. It truly is a playground for the rich and famous, with all the yachts anchored in the harbor. The Old Town is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets lined with pastel-colored houses, boutiques, and art galleries. The heart of the Old Town is the Place des Lices, a bustling square where locals and visitors gather to sip coffee at sidewalk cafes and browse the weekly market for fresh produce and artisanal goods. There are so many high end boutiques from all the most famous brands around the world which line the old streets.
We spent time exploring and had lunch at La Pesquiere et Le Mazagran, a seafood restaurant overlooking the water at the end of one of the busy shopping/dining streets. There's a good view back at town if you walk out on the pier that you can see from the restaurant and it's also a good place to take a dip in the water. After stopping at various boutiques and sipping wine in different restaurants, we wanted to go spend the rest of the afternoon on a beach. The most popoular beach club in the area is Le Club 55. It's only 10 minutes south of St. Tropez and right on the water with a nice sandy beach and lounge chairs plus a restaurant/bar. For something more quiet and secluded, head further south to Plage de l'Escalet. Right before you go down the hill to the water, stop at the general store on your left and buy a bottle of wine to pack in your bag and take to the beach as opposed to spending more on the food trucks selling the same at the car park.
There's a trail as you walk to the beach after parking that takes you to the right, up and around the bend. If you walk about 10 minutes, you'll come to a much more secluded area with big boulders and even nicer sand. This is definitely a bit of a hidden gem only locals probably know about. The water is so blue and clear in this area.
When we finished our wine and got slightly sunburned, we decided to find a dinner spot at a winery before heading back to Cannes. Randomly, we drove by the winery called Fondugues Pradugues. This was our favorite impromptu find of the trip and recommend going there if you do nothing else. As you pull off the road, you drive under a beautiful canopy of Mediterranean cypress into their parking lot. They have a food truck selling appetizers and wine out front with picnic tables and bocce ball courts overlooking the vines. Around back, their restaurant Le Chai, was one of the best we've eaten at. The building is brand new and as you walk inside, the entire back wall is massive sliding glass doors and windows that look out on the back gravel patio with views over their vineyard. We had gotten there with the restaurant having only been open a few weeks and were some of the only ones there. The setting was perfect and the chef would walk by our table and cut off varoius herbs and plants from the garden and use those with the meals. Really can't emphasize how awesome this place is enough. After dinner, we had more wine in the front area before heading home for the night.
DAY 4: Antibes, Saint Paul de Vence, Villefranche-sur-Mer
With the first half of the trip ending, we would be spending the second half on the western part of the Riviera, basing out of the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Villefranche-sur-Mer is a quaint hillside town right on the water across from Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. We liked staying here because you’re out of the hustle and bustle of Nice, but only a 15 minute drive or train ride into the Old Town. You can also easily take a taxi or ride the train west and access all the other towns on the west side of the Riviera really easily.
Since public transportation on the west side of the Riviera is so good and the towns are much closer together, we decided to return the rental car for this portion of the trip. Before doing that though, we still had the day to utilize it for going to towns between Cannes and Nice.
After checking out of our hotel, we headed east out of Cannes along the water and took the long way to our next stop of Antibes. Antibes is only about a 20 minute drive away, and you should take the route that keeps you driving along the water for a more scenic route. As you get further out of Cannes, the road starts to the bend to the right as it heads out along the Cap D'Antibes. This is a peninsula that sticks out on the south side from Antibes and is home to the Bay of Billionaires where you're guaranteed to see some amazing yachts. One famous 5 star hotel is the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which you can drive by the front gates as you explore the area. As you cross over to the east side of the peninsula, you can drive north along the water straight into Antibes with great views out towards Nice.
There are parking garages in Antibes, but we ended up just driving the outskirts of Old Town until we found street parking. Since it was still early, we wanted a coffee so we stopped in La Torref De Fersen. These guys know how to make coffee and definitely worth a stop. We wandered just south of this coffee spot and took a left on the Rue de La Republique which takes you into the main town square. From here, explore all the little side streets and see the town at your own pace. There's a good farmers market a few blocks east towards the water where you can sample some local fruits and cheeses. A good view you have to hit is to walk out to the city walls along the water and look back towards the main Cathedral (linked on the right). Before moving on, we had lunch at a great spot called Le Café Brun where we had the special of the day, octopus.
On the hills back inland and high above Antibes is the medieval village of Saint Paul de Vence. It's a 30 minute drive up the winding roads to this village, but its worth making a stop before dropping the car in Nice. When we arrived, the parking lots just outside of the town were full, but we found street parking (link at the right), which seemed like there would not ever be a shortage of places to park.
Saint Paul de Vence is a picturesque town with cobblestone streets and boutiques, perched high on the hilltop with amazing views. The main part of town can only be navigated by walking, which adds to the old medieval feel. There is also a wall around the entire city which you can climb up to and walk the ramparts. There are so many vines of ivy covering all the buildings so every turn you make is another view you'll want to stop and take a picture. We spent a while just casually walking the streets and along the city walls, before having a drink overlooking the hills and surrounding area. A good spot to get a drink is the patio at the La Colombe d'Or Hotel right at the entrance of the town.
We left Saint Paul de Vence and dropped the rental car at Nice airport, then took an Uber through Nice to our Airbnb for the next three nights in Villefranche-sur-Mer. Since we didn't have a car anymore, we elected to stay in the most central location possible to be right in town, and also close to the train station. Despite having to hike several flights of stairs, we had a great apartment on the top floor and could even see the water a few floors below us in the bay.
For dinner, we went to Les Garcons which was situated in a small courtyard in the middle of town. As night fell, we walked along the water and had night cap at the Achill's Rooftop Bar.
DAY 5: Eze, Monaco, and Menton
This was our longest and most active day, but we made it efficient to see most of the remaining areas on this side of the Riviera. For breakfast, there was a really good bakery and coffee shop below our Airbnb that we ate at every morning while here. To start, we headed up again into the hills to the hilltop town of Eze. Eze is literally built over the top of a hilltop and has some of the most dramatic views in the entire area. This must have been one of the safest medieval towns, as the rock cliffs up to the village walls are essentially vertical for hundreds of feet.
Taking a taxi/Uber was really easy and only took about 15 minutes, costing about the same. This is one of the most popular towns, so there will be crowds but it quickly becomes apparent why. The village is stacked on top of itself with narrow winding cobblestone roads that are only walkable. Jasmine and Ivy cover most walls of buildings, making the air smell sweet and florally. Something that shouldn't be missed is to pay a few Euros to walk through the botanical garden at the top and center of the city. The garden showcases a diverse collection of plants from around the world while highlighting those that are local to the region.
Have a drink and/or lunch at either Chateau Eze or Le Chevre d'Or. These are both hotel bars on the edges of the village with some of the best patios you'll ever find. The views down the coast are incredible and you'll want to sit here for hours admiring the view.
Another quick Uber/Taxi will get you down into Monaco. We had ours drop us off at the Monte Carlo casino, which was a great starting point to explore the city. Monaco is a city-state which is synonymous with the opulence and glamour of the French Riviera. Home to the famous F1 race and Monte Carlo casino, it is a playground for the rich and famous, but also has a historical side. The city is built over only two square kilometers, squeezed between the water and the steep cliffs. There mix of modern skyscrapers and old historic buildings makes it one of the most unique places.
We peeked in the casino, but unless you have proper attire you won't be able to access the casino. As you walk down the gradual hill from the casino towards the main harbor, you may be able to recognize the road you're on is part of the F1 track. We walked down to the main starting area of the track and went out on the pier to get a closer look at the massive yachts parked there. Above the harbor is the Monaco old town. The hike up is a little steep, but this is the best view of the city. The old streets are so different up here from the rest of the city so you get a feel of both modern and antiquity.
For the final stop of the day, we wanted to go to the most western town on the Riviera; Menton. There is a law that Uber's and taxi's can take you into Monaco, but not out of it. The train is easy to navigate and quickly takes you to any towns in the area for a minimal cost.
Menton was a little sleepier than we were expecting, but is a good change from the high activity felt in Monaco. It's the last town on the Riviera and right on the border with Italy. Menton is full of colorful buildings in its old town stacked on top of each other overlooking the water. We walked the streets and along the beach before heading back to the train station and riding it back to Villefranche-sur-Mer.
After showering from all the walking we did today (over 20,000 steps), we walked down to a small wine bar by the Airbnb. The place is called La Grande Cave, and its situated on both sides of one of the stairwell alleys leading down to the water. The owner helps you pick a drink from their wine list and it's a great spot to just sit and look down the street at the water. We then went down to a dinner reservation we had at Olivula which is in the strip of restaurants right along the water at the base of town.
DAY 6: Nice Old Town and Saint Jean Cap Ferrat
Our focus had been to see the smaller towns, so we had yet to spend anytime in Nice. This morning, we took a quick taxi into the Old Town of Nice and spent the morning exploring the winding streets. There is also a great farmers market at Marche Aux Fleurs which we spent a lot of time at. We took some of the snacks we picked up here out to the main promenade overlooking the beach and sat in the sun enjoying people watching.
Above the promenade and Old Town is the Colline du Château, a historic hilltop park with views of Nice and beaches in each direction. The climb up is fairly easy and worth the view. You can also spend more time walking around the top of the park through the towering trees and see some of the historic old buildings.
With how much walking we did the day before, we wanted to use today as a beach day and spend time relaxing. We took an Uber from Nice out to a small beach on Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, the peninsula just across the harbor from Villefranche-sur-Mer. This area is home to many vacation homes for the rich and famous, and we had researched a fairly hidden beach called Plage Paloma. There's a restaurant there and small beach club, but there's also a public area with less people than other beaches. Be sure to bring a non-glass container for any drinks you want to enjoy, as there are not any bodegas that we passed near the beach.
We spent most of the afternoon lounging by the water and taking the occasional dip in the crystal clear blue waters. The beach itself is a little rocky, but with a towel down you can't tell. The view from the beach looks back at the dramatic mainland and you can see Eze in the distance perched on the hill high above the water. For a late afternoon bite, we walked a short distance to the main part of town before calling an Uber back to the Airbnb. If you have the time, there's a great coastal walk along the edge of the peninsula that would be worth doing.
That night, we went back to the wine bar for one more drink, then had dinner along the edge of the harbor for our last night in the Riviera.
