French Riviera Itinerary: How to Spend 6 Days in the South of France!
As you begin to do research on the perfect French Riviera itinerary, you will start to notice that the options are truly endless. The hardest part is narrowing down what you can see while there! So, here is a great way to spend 6 days in the South of France!
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French Riviera Itinerary Summary
As great as Nice is, I highly recommend getting out and seeing other parts of the French Riviera as well!
If you choose to visit several places along the coastline, I also recommend immediately heading to one end of the French Riviera (the furthest west we went was Antibes), then go the furthest east (Menton), and lastly make your way back toward Nice so you are there for your outbound flight!
Saint Tropez is considered the unofficial “end” to the French Riviera, but I don’t recommend going that far west AND trying to go all the way to the French/Italian boarder; don’t stretch yourself too thin!
French Riviera itinerary Summary:
- Antibes
- Day Trip to Ile Saint Honorat (Stay in Antibes)
- Menton
- Monaco
- Nice & Villefranc-Sur-Mer
- Day Trip to Saint Paul-de-Vence (Stay in Nice)
P.S We visited the South of France due to finding round trip flights to Nice for about $550 from Little Rock, Arkansas (which is great for an international flight for us!). So, this turned out to be quite an affordable trip for us!
Day 1: Antibes
The first city on this French Riviera itinerary is Antibes! Antibes is a beautiful city west of Nice known for its old town enclosed in a 16th century wall and its star-shaped fort.
It also has quite the impressive display of yachts! From the old town, you get a beautiful backdrop of the mountains behind as you overlook some of the French Riviera’s nicest beaches! It has it all!
Morning
Start your morning at the Antibes harbor and walk on the walls on the east side of Antibes! Here, you will get incredible views of the beach, yachts anchored in the ocean and harbor and the old town.
One of the best views of Antibes is from Fort Carré! However, it has inconvenient hours, if we are being honest. It doesn’t open until 10am and then closes at 6pm in July and August and 5pm all the other months of the year.
- Therefore, I recommend heading to Fort Carré as soon as it opens so you don’t have to rush to the far east of Antibes in the middle of the day
- FYI:
- If you want to take a GUIDED tour of Fort Carré, the earliest tour is at 11am
- To get to Fort Carré from the harbor, it is either about a 35 minute walk from the harbor or 22 minute walk from the train station, therefore your quickest option is to get a taxi or a bolt!
- Price to Visit: 5 euros
If you aren’t a morning person, you can opt to begin your day at the fort and THEN head to the walls and harbor afterward, but you will be minimizing your hours to explore Antibes.
Afternoon/Evening
After you take in all the views at Fort Carré and the harbor, I recommend stopping by the Plage de la Gravette beach before continuing into Antibes old town!
- This is a nice, sandy beach in Antibes (which can be hard to come by in the South of France; many are pebbly beaches!)
From Plage de la Gravette beach, you will head back toward the harbor and go underneath the arches of the wall at Rue Abernon to get into antibes old town.
Head down Rue Abernon then take a left on Rpe des Saleurs that turns into Promenade Amiral de Grasse, the street that runs atop Antibes’ beautiful wall. Here you will get ALL the views of Antibes beaches, ocean views and old town.
You can take this walk all the way to Plage du Ponteil, another public beach in Antibes that gives you a view of Antibes old town and the mountains in the background!
After visiting Plage du Ponteil, head back toward the old town of Antibes where you will have all the options for dinner!
- There are a lot of restaurant options near the Marché Provençal (Provencal Market) as well as Boulevard de Aguillon located along the east wall of Antibes
What to do in Antibes: Beaches, Forts and More!
Day 2: Day Trip to île Saint Honorat & Antibes
There are two islands off the coast of Cannes, and Saint Honorat island is the smallest of the two. It is about a sixth the size of the sister island, Saint Marguerite, making it more walkable and more easily explored in a day trip without a car!
Ile Saint Honorat was a unique stop on our French Riviera itinerary.
- It is known for its monastery and Lérins Abbey where 21 monks currently reside.
- There has been a monastic community on the island since the 5th century (around the year 410) and the chapels and ruins on the island date back to the 10th and 11th centuries!
Morning
Head to Cannes to catch an early ferry to île Saint Honorat!
- The train ride from Antibes is only about 13 minutes and runs every 10-15 minutes and it’ll only take about 20 minutes to get to the ferry port and get your ticket
- The ferry ride is about 25 minutes from Cannes to Ile Saint Honorat
- You can walk the entirety of Île Saint Honorat in about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half.
- We took the 11am ferry to the island and then caught the 1:30pm ferry back to Cannes and arrived back in Cannes by 2pm.
Everything you Need to Know about a Day Trip to Île Saint Honorat!
Afternoon/Evening
In the afternoon, you have a couple of options.
- If you are feeling Cannes, you can stay and explore the city a little more. It is home to high-end shopping and some beautiful beaches
- Or, what I recommend, is head back to Antibes and then take the bus to Cap de Antibes
Cap de Antibes is a small peninsula just west of Antibes, home to some of Antibes clearest, blue water and known for its luxury houses and hotels.
- It is over an hour walk from old town Antibes! So, you will take bus 2 from Antibes to Cap de Antibes, which is about a 30 minute bus ride.
- Spend your time visiting Millionaires Bay, the famous Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc (a beautiful 5 star hotel), Villa Aujourd’hui (famous villa built for Audrey Chadwick in 1938), then Plage des Ondes, a beautiful beach on the west side of the peninsula.
Day 3: Menton
Train from Antibes to Menton. Menton was one of our favorite cities on our French Riviera itinerary; the vibrant colors are unmatched!
The train is a straight shot about an hour down the coast of France, so I recommend catching an early train to maximize your time in Menton!
I recommend staying in the old town of Menton as this is the most beautiful part of Menton, and if you only have a day in Menton, this can help with maximizing your time.
- If you want a specific recommendation, we stayed at Hotel Narev, which has since been renovated and now called Hotel Gabriel. It is now a stylish boutique hotel, but it was one of the more affordable options plus would allow luggage storage since we got to Menton well before check-in. They also had REALLY friendly staff!
- If you stay here, you can take the main Menton station and it is about a 13 minute straight walk from the station.
- However, you can also take Menton Garavan station (one stop from the main Menton station).
- From here, you can walk down the picturesque ocean-front sidewalk to the hotel and get an amazing view of the old town of Menton as you walk in!
- It is about a 22 minute walk from the Menton Garavan Station
- However, you can also take Menton Garavan station (one stop from the main Menton station).
Morning
Once you get your bags dropped off, begin your day by climbing to the Cimetière du Vieux Château. I know, I want you to visit a cemetery?
- But this is a cemetery with what has to be the world’s best view! It is perched high ABOVE Menton and looks down upon Menton, the harbor, the coastline and the French/Italian border!
- I do recommend visiting the cemetery and THEN stepping outside the cemetery to the Point de vue du Port lookout/observation deck that is just outside the gates of the cemetery to take your photos.
- It feels more respectful to take photos here, but the view is just as good and probably more clear.
Be aware: If you put the cemetery into your Google maps, it can get confused based upon where you are starting. From Hotel Narev (Hotel Gabriel) it led us down several dead end streets and we just began asking locals and navigating the map on our own (without GPS).
After you visit the cemetery, descend toward the Basilique Saint-Michel Archange de Menton.
- This basilica is located in the old town of Menton and from here you can explore the beauty of the old town!
- From the basilica you can head down to Rue de Bréa, a picturesque walk and then head to the Escaliers (THE steps in Menton). I do recommend taking in the view from the TOP as well as the bottom.
Afternoon/Evening
After you visit the basilica and stairs, descend down toward Plage de Sablettes, the main beach in front of Menton’s harbor.
- Here, you will get a good view of the stairs and the colorful old town from the beach
From the beach you can get to two great viewpoints from the water:
- Vue Panoramique de Menton (Literally the Menton Viewpoint) is located on a little jetty by the harbor
- The second viewpoint is located on the wall that runs on the south side of the harbor
- To get there, you will climb the stairs by Musée Jean Cocteau – Le Bastion and then walk out toward Phare de Menton (lighthouse)
P.S If you are a market person, Menton has a great market with good food options for lunch.
After taking in the views at the beach and harbor, continue down Promenade de Soleil toward the Menton Casino. Here you will get the beachfront views of the newer portion of Menton.
After seeing the casino, go see what is called the Hotel de Ville, which is actually Menton’s city hall! It is a beautiful building and in this area you can find several restaurant options for dinner.
What to do in Menton: Everything you Need to See!
Day 4: Monaco
Yes, I know, Monaco is not in France. However, if you are this close to Monaco, I think it is worth adding to your French Riviera itinerary. We opted to stay one night here (for less than we though we could), but you can also choose to stay in Menton or Nice for an extra night and do a day trip.
However, I recommend staying at least one night so you can have more time exploring!
Need an Affordable Hotel in Monaco?
We stayed at Hôtel de France and paid $145 for a night in September 2024. The location was GREAT, the room was clean and it was great for us!
P.S. If you come out of the train station at Gare de Monaco, you will get one of the best views of Monaco at the bridge!
However, you will be coming in at the TOP of Monaco, so if you opt to walk to your hotel you may have several stairs and hills to descend unless you go find the public lift!
Morning
Monaco is a very walkable country (crazy!), but be aware it is also very hilly. So lace up your comfy shoes and get ready to see Monaco in a day!
Begin your day by visiting the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and the west side of Monaco. You can watch the changing of the guard, but it is just your typical changing of the guard; nothing special.
However, the view up to the palace and at the top of the hill are some of the best in Monaco! The observation deck is called “Palace terrace” or Terrasse du Palais, so don’t miss it.
From the viewpoint, spend the rest of the morning visiting what is considered “Monaco City” on the west side of Monaco.
- Head back to the palace and then walk to the Cathedral de Monaco.
- From the cathedral, visit another epic viewpoint called Point de vue Port de Fontvieille
- From this viewpoint you can continue down Avenue Saint-Martin to get all the ocean views until you come to another viewpoint at the “frame.”
- Continue down Avenue de la Prte Neuve where you will run into another epic viewpoint literally called “Vue panoramique sur Monaco“
Afternoon/Evening
From the panoramic viewpoint, go back down the hill and head toward the harbor (you don’t have to go all the way back to the palace the way you came up)! Here you will find some of Monaco’s (and the worlds!) finest yachts docked next to the famous Monaco Yacht Club.
Make your way to the Monte Carlo casino! A trip to Monaco is not complete without a trip to the famous casino.
- From the harbour, there will be signs pointing to the Monte Carlo casino. It can be kind of confusing because part of it goes into a tunnel before coming out near the casino. However, there will be plenty of people and signs to get you to where you need to go.
After seeing the famous harbor and Monte Carlo Casino, a great spot to end your day is near Plage de Larvotto (Larvottto Beach). There are several restaurants and bars to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and grab some food while watching the ocean views.
Day 5: Nice & Villefranc-Sur-Mer
Get up nice and early in Monaco and catch a train to Nice! Nice is worth adding to your French Riviera itinerary, as you are likely flying in/out of Nice anyway. I just don’t recommend spending ALL of your time here.
- The train ride is only about 30 minutes from Monaco to Nice.
FYI: If you had to descend the giant hill to your hotel, the train station has another entrance that doesn’t require you to have to climb the hill and stairs. Your GPS should take you this easier direction (ours did anyway)
Spend most your day exploring Nice and then save the late afternoon/evening for a quick jaunt to Villefranc-Sur-Mer!
Morning
There are about a gazillion hotels in Nice, so I don’t know where you are starting from. However, the easiest way to see the best parts of Nice efficiently will be to head east and start near Nice’s harbor.
From the harbor, you can continue down Quai Lunel road (M6098) that runs along the harbor.
- On this route, you will pass by Monument aux Morts de Rauba-Capeù and make your way to the “I Love Nice” sign.
- This area will have some of the best views of Nice’s Côte d’Azur!
From this viewpoint, head into the old town of Nice! Some highlights in the old town of Nice are:
- Nice Cathedral and Place Rosetti, a beautiful square with shops and restaurants
- Cours Saleya– a beautiful flower market that is open every day except Monday (when they have an antique/flea market)
- Palace de Justice and the Tour de l’Horoge square
- We stumbled upon an INCREDIBLE clothes and jewelry flea market at the Tour de l’Horoge square
- Fontaine du Soleil and Place Masséna– Two very recognizable landmarks for Nice. At Place Masséna you will find several restaurants and shops.
P.S. If you like markets, there is another open-air market at Place Garibaldi on the third Saturday of the month. This is on the northeast side of the old town, just above the port of Nice and worth visiting if its open!
Afternoon/Evening
After seeing Nice’s harbor and old town, I recommend heading to Villafranc-Sur-Mer. It reminds me of a smaller, but more French, version of Menton with its colorful architecture.
- The train ride from Nice to Villefranc-Sur-Mer is only about 14 minutes with an 8 minute walk to the main town.
Villefranc-Sur-Mer is quite a small village, so you don’t have to allot of time here. When you arrive, head to the Musées de la Citadelle. I don’t recommend going in, but here you will get great views of Villefranc-Sur-Mer!
After taking in the views from up here, you can head back down to the main square where you will see the colorful Chapelle Saint-Pierre “Cocteau” as well as the famous “Welcome Hotel.”
From here, head up to the Église Saint-Michel, another beautiful and colorful chapel found in Villefranc-Sur-Mer.
Be sure to take Rue de May, one of Villefranc-Sur-Mer’s most colorful (and step-filled!) streets!
While you are here, don’t miss the Rue Obscure! This is a hidden, medieval street that was built in the 14th century to aid in military operations in the middle ages.
Villefranc-Sur-Mer has some great higher-end restaurants if you want to splurge a little (as well as reasonably priced restaurants), or you can head back to Nice for dinner!
- Trains run through the night or you can opt to take a taxi or rideshare (like Uber) back to Nice from Villefranc-Sur-Mer
Day 6: Day Trip to Saint Paul de Vence & Nice
We added Saint Paul de Vence to our French Riviera itinerary because we got a little yacht harbored-out (literally harbors with yachts in every French Riviera town 🙃).
Saint Paul de Vence is a small, French village located northwest of Nice, up in the mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes region! It is one the oldest medieval towns in the South of France, making it a unique place and a great change of scenery!
To get from Nice to Saint Paul de Vence you will:
- Take the train to Cagnes-Sur-Mer (about 15 minutes)
- Take bus 655 (18 stops, about 27 minutes)
We went to the ticket office to buy bust tickets and they just had us download the Zou App. So save yourself some time and just download the app and buy your tickets in advance. Train tickets can be booked through SNCF or Omio apps
Morning
Try to catch an early train to Saint Paul de Vence. This will maximize your time in Saint Paul de Vence and your time in Nice when you get back!
You will arrive via bus just down the road from the main entrance to Saint Paul de Vence. It is small, so it easily walkable in 2-3 hours.
The town is a nicely shaped oval, surrounded by a wall. Circumnavigate the town and get the views of the mountains below from the walls, but be sure to explore the streets inside the town as well!
Inside the town you will find art galleries, shops, restaurants, wine shops from local wineries, and beautiful architecture.
I recommend walking down the hill to catch the bus from the lower bus stop so you can get a great view of the town from below. We didn’t realize you could do this and hopped on the bus up near the entrance and missed out on good views at the bottom.
Everything you need to know about a day trip to Saint Paul de Vence!
Afternoon/Evening
I would plan to spend at least 2-3 hours IN Saint Paul de Vence, plus travel time. So plan for no less than 5 hours to travel and see Saint Paul de Vence. Realistically, if you catch a 10am train from Nice, you will probably get back to Nice around 3 or 4pm.
Once you get back to Nice, I recommend ending your journey at one of Nice’s beaches, watching the airplanes fly in!
- If you haven’t yet visited the famous Le Negresco hotel you can head there from the train station and then continue to one of the many beaches down the Nice coast.
Also, we missed the Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice, a Russian Orthodox cathedral that has very unique, Russian architecture. It is close to Nice’s main train station, so if you would like to see it, you should head there as soon as you get back into Nice and then head back toward Nice’s city center.
French Riviera Itinerary: What to Do with an Extra Day
We ran out of time to visit Èze, which I have heard is very beautiful. So, with another day, you could easily visit Èze and Villefranc-Sur-Mer in a day. This will give you more time to explore Nice as well.
Alternate Itinerary with 7 days in the French Riviera:
- Days:
- 5: Nice
- 6: Villefranc-Sur-Mer and Eze
- 7: Saint Paul de Vence and Nice
Final Thoughts on Our French Riviera Itinerary
The French Riviera is FULL of amazing towns and places and it REALLY is hard narrowing down where to go and what to see. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip and the places we visited and think you will too!
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