Itinerary: 14 days in the south of france

I spent two wonderful weeks exploring the south of France with my mom last summer (2024) and I am so excited to share our itinerary with you. We were able to combine exploring the Riviera with driving around Provence on this trip while still being able to relax and take in our suroundings. While I wish I could move to Provence for a whole summer (at least!), two weeks gave us enough time to visit costal villages and cities, to go on hikes and kayaking, to frolic in lavender fields and swim in the Mediterranean sea. We couldn't have planned it better!

before we start

First, you have to know that most of this itinerary could be switched around according to what we felt like doing that day and the weather. We slept in Nice the first five nights and took the train or the bus everywhere so days 2-5 could be switched around on the spot since there were no advance reservations required for any of it. Days 10 and 11 and days 12 and 13 could also have been interchanged as they were in the same region.

Second, we planned our trip to fall on the last week of June and the first week of July because we wanted to be in the middle of lavender season and before the peak tourist season. The weather was perfect for visiting except for our first four days in the Riviera which were unseasonably cold and rainy. It wasn't particularly hot, so we didn't spend a lot of time swimming in the sea or at the beach, but we were mainly hoping to visit the towns so, for us, it was perfect. Most importantly, there were no crowds anywhere so we could explore the towns at our leisure.

Day 1 - arrive in Nice

Being from Canada, most of my trips to Europe start with a red-eye and, while I try to stay awake as long as I can to fight jetlag, I also never plan anything on the first day. Flights can be delayed, luggage can be lost (remember that first day in Athens in 2023 when we spent the whole day shopping?), you never know!

We spent that first day slowly getting to our accommodation (the tramway takes you right from the Nice airport to the city center), and exploring the neighborhood. We grabbed some food for the next few days, went to the beach, had dinner and went to bed pretty early.

We rented an appartment near the Alsace-Lorraine tramway station which was great. We were a 5-minute walk to the beach, a 10-minute walk to the train station and about a 20-minute walk from the neighborhood of old Nice. For these first few days, we didn't rent a car as we never needed one. Most places we visited, having a car would have been a hindrance as parking spaces are not common nor cheap.

Day 2 - Monaco

On day 2, we took the train early in the morning to Monaco. 20 minutes later we were already in this new country and arriving at the station. We spent the whole day walking around and exploring. For more information, check out my article on Monaco here.

Day 3 - Eze

We spent day 3 exploring the town of Eze. We took the train to Eze-sur-mer, and then the bus to Eze. I would recommend leaving for Eze very early. There are not nearly enough buses and they won't let you on unless there is a seat available. We had to wait for a second bus an hour later, and even then we barely got on thanks to two very nice ladies that we met while waiting for the bus. You would also have the option to take an Uber from the train station as it is a short drive to the town of Eze.

Expect a lot of walking on cobblestone streets in the old town of Eze. Confortable shoes are a must, but the town is so pretty. Not only are the streets and shops so cute, but the view on the ocean and surrounding moutains is astonishing. You have to climb to the botanical garden, all the way at the top, for the most beautiful view on the surrounding landscapes, waterfalls, statues, flowers, etc.

Day 4 - Nice

While Nice was our homebase for most of our stay on the French Riviera, it is also totally worth exploring on its own. The old town is gorgeous, the markets are so fun and the food is incredible. We also climbed to the castle for a beautiful view on the city and beach on one side, and the harbour on the other.

You would need at least a full day to visit Nice, but I was glad to have part of our first day and a few evenings, plus this full day, because there was so much to see and I loved the atmosphere of Nice. There are flowers everywhere, the architecture is beautiful, you can walk basically everywhere, I really enjoyed this city.

Day 5 - Menton

I can't say if Menton was my favorite in all the towns we visited on the Riviera because it was the sunniest day or because the town in itself is great, but I really enjoyed visiting Menton. The town is completely painted in shades of yellow and orange that contrast with the sea and climbs all the way to the top of the mountain. The beach is beautiful, the view is mindblowing, the lemon granitas are delicious, there are many terrasses where you can sip a cool drink in the shade, the staircase to the church in the middle of the town is beautiful and blends in so well with the houses, it's just a perfect vibe all around! You really can't go wrong with visiting Menton! Plus, it's also reachable by train from Nice in just under an hour!

day 6 - St-Tropez

On the morning of day 6, we took the tramway back to the airport to get our rental car and drove to Ste-Maxime, the town located right accross the bay from St-Tropez. We dropped our luggage at the hotel, parked the car in a public parking in Ste-Maxime and took the ferry to St-Tropez. 

The reason we decided to stay in Ste-Maxime is the price. While we did want to visit St-Tropez, it wasn't worth spending around 250 euros for one night just to walk around the town for half a day. And while it is fun and worth a visit, there isn't much to do that you won't find elsewhere in the Riviera for half the price.

We spent the full afternoon exploring St-Tropez, walking around the harbour to look at the yachts that we will never be able to afford, having some gelato and taking pictures. It was definitely fun, but I didn't regret our decision and I was ready to leave by the end of the day.

day 7 - beach day and road to marseilles

The next day, we drove to the beach of Pampelonne to spend a relaxing day by the ocean. We left mid-afternoon to drive to Marseille. While our AirBnb near the train station was great and perfectly located, finding a place to park was a hassle in Marseille and I didn't love the city. It was dirty and, while I didn't feel "unsafe" per se, I didn't feel at ease either. I was glad we were only staying for two nights. We had dinner by the harbour and walked around to the Mucem museum and Le Panier neighborhood which were both nice, but we didn't stick around when it started getting dark.

day 8 - calanques

Our main reason for going to Marseille was to visit the Calanques and that was one of the highlights of our trip. We left Marseille very early to drive to the parking lot by Belvedère de Port Miou. It did fill up after we arrived, even on a cloudy week day, so I wouldn't arrive later then 10 AM. We walked to Calanque de Port Pin and went swimming for a while before walking to Calanques d'En Vau for lunch. In mid-afternoon, we walked all the way back to the car and drove back to Marseille.

Hiking the Calanques is perfectly doable, but it is definitely not easy. I had running shoes, which were fine, but to be honest I would have loved my hiking boots. Definitely don't attempt it in flip flops! The rocks are often covered with sand and it is slippery, you also have to hike all the way up the cliff and then all the way back down to the water on the other side with no shade. Bring food and multiple bottles of water. I am not the fittest person, but I am used to walking and hiking long distances and I was fine. There were people running past us, but we also saw a lot of people struggling on the climb back up from Calanques d'En Vau. Since there is no other way out, make sure you can make it back up.

day 9 - marseilles and camargue

On day 9, we spent one last morning exploring the parts of Marseille we hadn't seen yet, like the Palais Longchamp and Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. We then drove to the Salines de Camargue. The pink lakes were totally worth the detour and we couldn't believe the colour was natural. There were also sunflower fields everywhere on the road to the lakes so it was a very nice afternoon. We then drove to our AirBnb in Cavaillon, ready to start exploring Provence the next day.

day 10 - avignon and fontaine de vaucluse

We started day 10 early to drive to Avignon and spent the morning exploring the old town. We walked around the gardens and fortifications, then visited the Maison des papes and the bridge before having a small lunch on a terrasse. We then drove to Fontaine de Vaucluse for the afternoon to walk around the village and take pictures of the springs. We drove back to Cavaillon for dinner. For more information on the towns we visited in Provence, click here.

day 11 - Gordes and roussillon

On day 11, we basically replicated day 10. We spent the morning exploring Gordes and then the afternoon visiting Roussillon. Both villages were beautiful and so worth a visit. We then drove to Valensole where we would be staying for the last few days of our trip.

Day 12 - valensole and lavender fields

You can't go to Provence and not spend a full day checking out every lavender field you come across. We also visited the villages of Valensole, Riez and Manosque. We really took our time exploring the region and enjoying the scenery.

day 13 - gorges du verdon

We spent the entire day exploring Gorges du Verdon by hiking, driving, kayaking and there was so much to say about this whole day that I wrote a whole article just about that. You can find it here.

day 14 - road back to nice and beach day

On day 14, we had to drive back to Nice as our flight was leaving early the next day. We took our time driving through the mountains as the road was very narrow and consisted mostly of switchbacks up and down mountains. We then spent the afternoon at the beach for one last swim on this beautiful trip.

I have to say, I really loved this trip and how diverse and complete it felt. We saw so many things, but I didn't feel rushed or like we only saw the surface. There are so many things in this region that we didn't have time for, but I am so satisfied of what we did see and do. Renting a car to visit Provence was a great idea as we got the opportunity to stop anywhere we wanted on the road and didn't waste any time on public transportation. Honeslty, I wouldn't change anything of this whole trip!

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