Itd be a busy itinerary, but the Luberon Valley has a high concentration of darling Provencal villages so you can see several in quick succession. Current Page: Essential travel tips and interactive map. You can lounge on the beach, sip fancy drinks inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, or dine on one of several restaurants on docks perched over the ocean. If youre only planning on visiting the city of Bordeaux, you may want to consider taking the fast train from Paris to Bordeaux and then from Bordeaux to Montpellier to speed things up, and then only rent a car in the southeast. French Riviera A hundred years ago, celebrities from London to Moscow flocked to the French Riviera to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home. Settle in at your hotel, then take a walk along the Promenade des Anglais up to Castle Hill (sleep in or near Nice), Day 2: All Day in Nice. Fill your South of France vacation to the brim with activities from our Provence itinerary 5 days. It is kind of the same with the Ferraris here, too. Wind up in Arles (sleep in Arles; big Saturday-morning market), Day 11: All Day in and near Arles. If youre looking for a guide to antique shops around Provence, our friend Vicky has a wonderful. If you are hungry, have lunch here before resuming your drive. We would like to end in aix-en-Provence and possibly Avignon. We had a great time in St. Tropez at Le Club 55. For small towns Id recommend the Luberon Valleytruly gorgeous and very typically Provencal. Street parking is available nearby, and everything you could hope to visit within the center of Aix-en-Provence is at your fingertips when staying at Les Quatre Dauphins. Spring brings increased sunshine and temperatures, and businesses start to wake back up after the long winter. Provence & French Riviera Itinerary Just a short drive from famous hot spots of Nice and Cannes, the dramatic Gorges du Verdon offer a scenic escape from coastal crowds. Start the morning with my guidebook's self-guided walk through Vieux Nice (take time to smell the fougasse and sample un caf); spend your afternoon at one or more of Nice's fine museums, then have dinner on the beach (sleep in or near Nice), Day 3: Coastal Route to Monaco. The information is easily discoverable. Mint in the town of Arles there is another amphitheater. End the hike with a relaxing walk on the beach or a dip in the water. This summer we went on an incredible three-week-long trip to Provence and the French Riviera. If you manage to time it right, on Thursdays Aix-en-Provence has three markets in town at once, so you can get the perfect experience all in one spot. If you get your timing right, you may be able to see the Monaco Grand Prix, Tour de France, or Cannes Film Festival. Take the train or bus to nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer, explore, and have lunch. In the afternoon, take my self-guided Avignon walks and enjoy dinner on one of the town's many atmospheric squares (sleep in Avignon), Day 9: Nmes and the Pont du Gard. After touring Arles, drive a half an hour to Les-Baux-de-Provence. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. But for details on what to do in each place, either get Rick Steves guide (thats what we used and it was awesome) or do more online searching. Make sure your outfit is suitable for walking around towns for hours this means comfortable shoes, such as. on a budget while still keeping themselves within walking distance of Nices best highlights. To help you get started, we've listed our top picks for where to go in Provence and the French Riviera, and our plan for your best two-week trip. Id also recommend looking into a boat trip around the Calanques! Take a boat trip or hike to the calanques, watch the ptanque balls fly, and end your day with a drive up Cap Canaille (sleep in Cassis), Day 14: Fly Away. Ventoux is a giant mountain that towers over this part of Provence. A few tips on driving in southern France: budget generously for gas and tolls, book your lodging each night with the parking situation in mind, and rent the smallest car you possibly can. , a gorgeous pink villa from the early 1900s. Drive to Cassis, stopping for lunch and a midday visit to Aix-en-Provence or Marseille, then set up in Cassis and watch the sun set from the old port while you savor a bouillabaisse dinner (sleep in Cassis), Day 13: All Day in Cassis. Avignon makes for an excellent base as well, as do the villages near the Alpilles (we adore Saint-Rmy-de-Provence), but the Luberon is the most classic option. Id recommend booking things with as flexible as cancellation policies as possible. The first two towns on your list in the Alpilles? Take a gourmet tour, a historical walking tour, or see Nice through the eyes of a local. Check into your hotel, take a quick nap if necessary, and then spend the late afternoon and early evening exploring Nice. We were thinking of flying in to Paris (assuming cheapest, easiest), only staying1-2 night there. I also dont want to do too much traveling and instead chill in a few cities and talk it all in! Thank you so much. Day 1: Get to Cassis and Explore For the first day of your French Riviera road trip, you'll be arriving in Cassis. If you also want to see Nice and the immediate surrounding area, youd want to move into different lodging for that. Spend your day sampling hill towns in the Luberon taste a village market, then drive over the hills to the valley of the Ctes du Rhne. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Roam the old city streets, explore the castle ruins, and go shopping here. You can drive to the top in your car but for avid cyclists, cycling to the top of Mont Ventoux is quite an accomplishment. Hello All, Hope to get some help on itinerary on Cote d'azur from 9th to End of Sep (18 nights). Pacsafe We cant recommend our Pacsafe enough: this travel safe is affordable, sturdy, easy to pack, and will help keep your valuables safe in your hotel room (not that you should need to worry much about theft in France, but its better to be safe than sorry!). Each season brings with it a reason to visit the south of France! I will be in Paris then want to go to the South. To read about our experience at the Cannes Film Festival, read Joining the Paparazzi during the Cannes Film Festivaland find out how you can visit the Cannes Film Festival for free. Terms of Service | Privacy, See our tips on timing a trip to Provence and the Riviera. Even as European road trip veterans of sorts, we still got too excited when planning our most recent trip to France and booked ourselves into an itinerary that moved around too muchand we paid for it in exhaustion. (For travelers who happen to be visiting in the offseason, look up Mentons February lemon festival!). Provence and the French Riviera in particular are so treasure-filled that you may barely do more than skim the surface in a week. Ohand definitely grab a cup of coffee at the cafe just outside the town walls. Artists' enclaves, vast pine forests, and architectural gems: discover the Cte d'Azur you don't know with Moon French Riviera. Between Nice and Monaco are the three corniches, winding roads along the mountainous coastline. Do you have any suggestions for some cant miss day trips from Lyon? PARIS: For the top experiences in the city, read our article Best Things to Do in Paris. The sun-drenched regions are blessed with charming towns, diverse natural beauty, vibrant markets, and endless Mediterranean coastline. From Les Baux, drive 10km (7 miles) north . If the weather's good, bring your swimsuit and float on your back for views of the 2,000-year-old aqueduct (sleep in Avignon), Day 10: The Camargue. You can easily take a train from Paris to Nice, Marseille, Avignon, or Aix-en-Provence, but be sure to account for that cost and travel time when planning your southern France itinerary! I wish I could offer some 2020 specific advice, but everything has been developing and changing so quickly that its hard to predict from one day to the next! France sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate both. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, Im working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA. I am just starting my research and I was so happy to come across your blog. Several questions. Day 4: Scenic drive from Cannes to St.-Tropez. As much as I love visiting a city, its the countryside where I feel most at home and at ease with life. Driving in Provence is fairly simpleGPS directions work well, and you park outside the historic centers so you dont have to worry about driving on tiny roads. From Saint-Remy, drive a half an hour north back to Avignon. Of course, if all you want to do with the final days of your south of France vacation is lay on Nices famous beach, we certainly cant blame you for that! Weve stayed in Saint-Rmy-de-Provence and Lourmarin and absolutely loved our experiences in both. Visit the colorful markets along the Cours Saleya in Nice's Old Town. , it took so much longer in fact, that we arrived after they allowed the last visitors to enter. It is a land of luxury, with yachts dotting the shorelines, fancy hotels in every city, and epic parties you read about in magazines. Your email address will not be published. The best option is to fly into Nice or Marseille and pick up a rental car . Mainly wanted to see cute small towns & pretty scenery, not into the big cities for this trip. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission. See something you love? We are in mid 30's, love to go to the beach, hike, learn about history and art. Sure, the Luberon Valley also has stunning fields, and theyre definitely worth seeingbut in Valensole, be ready to pull your car over nearly constantly, because every field seems to be more gorgeous than the last. Here is our Provence and French Riviera Itinerary from a couple of summers ago when we went on a road trip in Southern France. While we were in the French Riviera, we saw so many yachts we almost get used to it. Les Baux-de-Provence, often considered one of the most beautiful villages in France, and Saint-Rmy-de-Provence, the former home of Van Gogh and a bit of an artistic enclave. We have about 2 weeks. Do you have any questions about this French Riviera itinerary? We didnt have a whole lot of money at the time and basically just walked around Monaco and drove the Grand Prix course in our rental car (we just lucked out with our timing that we were here when they were setting up the racecourse). Bring a small pack of tissues, toss them in your day bag, and you wont have to worry about it. If you fly into Nice, consider completing this south of France itinerary in the opposite order that Ive written it. (For travelers who happen to be visiting in the offseason, look up. For those who join me in striving for a thoughtful, beautiful life. This is one of the most famous luxury hotels in France and has built up quite the storied history (and held a number of famous guests) since it opened in 1913and its also a whimsical and wonderful place to stay today. Les Baux is a medieval town on a hillside overlooking Provence. Could to suggest some of the villages to visit? 11 Days. Once in the city, it was almost impossible to get around by car. French Riviera & Provence Road Trip Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Marseille Day 2: Aix-en-Provence, Roussillon, Gordes & Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Day 3: Plateau de Valensole and the Lavender Fields Day 4: Gorges du Verdon Day 5: Menton Day 6: Monaco Day 7: Eze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Nice Day 8: Nice 25 different ways to spend one week in Europe. pending a lot more time along the French Riviera, especially if youre visiting during the high season. They are easy to drive and give travelers a much different perspective of the French Riviera than from the shoreline. Follow my guidebook's Avignon walks this afternoon and enjoy dinner on one of Avignon's many atmospheric squares (sleep in Avignon), Day 7: Day Trip to Nmes and Pont du Gard. Going back and forth to markets, preparing our own french al fresco spreads, and exploring different villages with a home to come back to truly made the trip a special one. was in Apt, the largest town in the Luberon region. We explored the most stunning villages, tasted the recipes of some of the finest restaurants, including ones topping the Michelin star list, perused the local markets for goods to bring back home, and took countless pictures of the brightly colored surroundings that inspired us. Be sure to visit the town of Bonnieux for some of the best views over the valley, Gordes for its impressive location built into a hilltop, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse for its lovely spring and river, Roussillon for its majestic red cliff, and Goult for its understated and quiet beauty. Day 1: Arrive in Nice Day 2: Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Day 3: Monaco Day 4: Antibes and Cannes Day 5: Drive to Marseille Day 6: Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon Day 7: Mont Ventoux, Rhone wine region Day 8: Explore Provence Paris, Provence & the French Riviera - 10 Days View Map This itinerary covers a boggling number of must-see places and unique excursions for an authentic taste of French life. The wonderful thing about coming to Provence in June is that it isnt unbearably hot just yet (a nice mix of 75-90 degree weather) and the days are long. We use and recommend Safety Wing for trips to the south of France. From Le Dortoir, youll be able to reach all of Nices highlights on foot, and its fabulous customer service ratings mean that youll be able to ask for advice on just about anywhere you want to go! Overview Itinerary Hotels Tours Map As a silver lining, if the lavender is gone some of the crowds will disperse also. There is so much to see, and this can be overwhelming, so come with an idea of what you would like to purchase. Yes, that would absolutely be possible, and in fact is a great way to see the area. Id give Sicily a week minimumwith that timeline, you can cover the east coast (Taormina, Siracusa, etc.) I am interested in going to the South of France but would like to stay in a house or villa that we would use as home base, but do day trips to various areas. You know those hotels that look nice online but really blow you away in person? Why go to Arles? Renting a car would be ideal because that would make it easier to get around. Some will be about food, and others will be French flea markets/brocantes that focus on textiles, clothing, or antiques. Visiting hilltop towns in the Luberon area is something not to be missed. We hope that our Provence and French Riviera Travel Itinerary serves as an inspirational guide to your own French road trip. Im wearing a dress I bought at one of the lovely boutiques there. Day 3: Village-hopping road trip. Both towns are absolutely lovely, but in our biased opinion, we do think that Saint-Rmy-de-Provence is, e do recognize that the views from Les Baux-de-Provence themselves are top-notch, hether you want to go for a hike or simply take a boat tour past the beautiful calanques, visiting this stunning part of the French coastline is a must, he Valensole Plateau is the iconic home to those never-ending lavender fields pictured on tourism brochures around the world, Though Ive noted you can see the major sites of the area in one day here, like in the Alpilles, photographers and/or outdoor enthusiasts will probably want to spend at least a couple of days here if at all possible, I cant resist adding a day here to this suggested, Come here for a delightful combination of all the things that makes the south of France so charming. This afternoon, join your Tour Director on a walk through the outdoor markets in Nice. The hotel is known for its impeccable location, and you cant go wrong staying here on your south of France trip! Where would you suggest for us to base and in how many locations? estinations mentioned toward the end of the trip like Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Paul-de-Vence are located along the Cte dAzuraka the French Rivierain the eastern part of the region. . We also have guides to the towns on the Alsace Wine Route and how to spend one perfect day in Colmar. Tim and I are hoping to revisit this area a year from now to give our content a massive update. Take a bus north to Vence and St-Paul-de-Vence; stop for a stroll and visit the Fondation Maeght and/or Matisse's Chapel of the Rosary or link Vence with Grasse by bus, skipping St-Paul-de-Vence to save time (sleep in Vence, or back in Nice), Day 5: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Check rates & book your stay at Les Quatre Dauphins! Nice is fantasticwe highly recommend visiting Eze and Vence when in the area as well. I will be part of a group of 8 women, arriving in Paris in October for one week. you could ever want. Arrive early to explore this medieval village and its evocative ruins, as large groups of tourists can soon overrun the place. From Avignon, drive one hour east to the beautiful town of Roussillon in the Luberon Valley. Take a train to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue via Marseille or Nice (best to arrive on a Saturday or Wednesday, and awaken the next morning for market day); wander and explore the town, and consider a canoe ride down the crystal-clear Sorgue River (sleep in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue), Day 6: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Avignon. Second question, it sounds like we may miss the lavender fields in bloom! Free shipping for many products! , and we enjoyed an incredible lunch there. If you still have not visited the Palais des Papes or Pont DAvignon, see them in the morning. I do have a question for you. The Cannes Film Festival is held for 10 days in mid-May every year. Provence, anyway, other than an endless collection of photos of blooming lavender fields? very similar to the one of Nimes. Cheers, Julie. Hoping to visit southern France and find yourself overwhelmed with village names and potential places to visit? Prime location, great customer service, and cafes just outside of the hotel. FRENCH RIVIERA: We also have information on driving the Monaco Grand Prix Course, visiting Vence, the Cannes Film Festival, touring the Provencal wine region, and how to cycle up Mont Ventoux. Southern France's Provence and French Riviera are favorites of both the French and international visitors. Spend the afternoon or evening in almost-neighboring Monaco (sleep in or near Nice), Day 4: Inland Riviera. Is it scary driving the roads? We were in the French Riviera and Provence in May, had great weather, and were able to visit the Cannes Film Festival and drive the Monaco Grand Prix race course. drive), in a medieval village called Cagnes-sur-Mer. This 10-day French vacation takes you to Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice to sample French food and wine and enjoy its cultural delights. Make your way from the seaside in Provence to the rolling hills of Tuscany, taking in some of France and Italy's most striking vistas as you go. The traffic getting into and out of St. Tropez was a nightmare. What would a 3 day tour of Provence look like? Personally, if I were renting a villa Id look somewhere in the Luberon Valley, so near villages like Gordes or Bonnieux. If you want to stay in only a handful of locations and have a more leisurely trip, though, you probably dont need a car. The best months to travel here are April and May and September and October. Its quintessential Provence, made from stone, with French blue shutters and roses climbing. I cant personally vouch for any of the companies that pop up in those results, though. 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Your hotel, take a quick nap if necessary, and you wont have to worry about it looking... And shop the links provence and french riviera itinerary we saw so many yachts we almost used...
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