French Riviera & Provence Road Trip Itinerary – South of France

If you are planning a trip to France I highly recommend including the South of France in your itinerary. Spend a week exploring quaint villages, beautiful lavender fields and chilling in the luxurious French Riviera. My road trip itinerary is for one week but you could easily extend this to 10 or 14 days if you would like more time relaxing in the South East of France. In this article I will share my French Riviera & Provence Road Trip Itinerary.

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

You could also extend this trip by adding extra stops along the French Riviera to Antibes, Cannes and Saint Tropez.

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Day 1:  Arrive in Marseille

My friends and I chose to fly in and out of Marseille as the flights were cheaper and we wanted to start with the lavender fields in Provence. You could also do the same trip starting in Nice.

I used rentalcars.com to search different car rental companies and find the best deal.

As we arrived in quite late we went straight to our hotel near Aix en Provence. However if it’s your first time to Marseille I would recommend heading in to explore the city for at least a day. Make sure you walk around the Old Port of Marseille and check out the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde and Palais Longchamp. Find out the most instagrammable photo spots in Marseille.

If you spend more time in Marseille then I definitely recommend going hiking in the Parc National des Calanques just to the east of the city. These beautiful steep-cliffed inlets have incredible turquoise water, perfect for a swim after your hike!

Where to stay:
Marseille: Novotel Marseille Vieux Port or Residence le Canebiere
Aix-en-Provence: City Résidence Aix-en-Provence or Escale Oceania Aix-en-Provence

Day 2:  Aix-en-Provence, Roussillon, Gordes & Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

Start your day getting lost in the cute little streets of Aix-en Provence. Make sure to check out Cours Mirabeau, Paroisse Cathédrale Saint Sauveur Aix-en-Provence and Place d’Albertas.

After lunch drive for just over an hour to Roussillon, a super cute town that is home to the biggest ochre deposits in the world. The town is surrounded by countryside and magnificent red cliffs, and if you stroll around the maze of streets you will notice the beautiful ochre façades of the houses. You can park just outside the old town for €3. Make sure to stop at the super instagrammable town hall for a photo!

The next village along from Roussillon is Gordes, one of the most famous villages in Provence. Built on the foothills of the Monts of Vaucluse, facing the Luberon, Gordes is a super instagrammable hilltop village. The roads to get here are quite winding so it will take around 30-40 minutes to drive here from Roussillon (more than what Google Maps suggests).

Make sure to head to the viewpoint (labeled ‘point de vue sur la ville de Gordes’) and have a little walk around town. You should also visit the beautiful Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque just outside of Gordes. If you’re visiting in July you might also be lucky enough to see the lavender in bloom!

The final village to visit is Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, which might just be my favourite of the Provence villages. Set in a valley it has a number of cute colourful houses dotted alongside a river. If you follow the river upstream you’ll come across Vaucluse spring. A cave with fresh spring water that is a shocking turquoise colour. Go for a swim if you dare, but beware it is COLD!

Where to stay:
If you want to stay near your last stop of the day I would stay at Hotel Restaurant Carcarille, Hotel du Poète or Le Vieux Bistrot. If you wish to stay near the lavender fields for a couple of nights I would stay near Valensole or in Manosque (bigger town with more amenities): Les Terrasses de Valensole or L’Hôtel du Terreau Logis de France 

Day 3:  Plateau de Valensole and the Lavender Fields

Wake up for sunrise and enjoy the most beautiful lavender fields in Provence. You will find a number of lavender fields on the Plateau de Valensole, especially on the road between Manosque and Valensole.

Please note that Lavender is a summer flower that starts to bloom in Provence around mid June and is generally harvested from mid July to the beginning of August. However the exact dates differ from year to year depending on the weather. So if you come out of this season you will miss the lavender fields.

Spend the rest of the day exploring the nearby villages of Valensole, Riez and Greoux-les-Bains.

Where to stay:
If you wish to stay near the lavender fields for a couple of nights I would stay near Valensole or in Manosque (bigger town with more amenities): Les Terrasses de Valensole or L’Hôtel du Terreau Logis de France.

Day 4:  Les Gorges du Verdon

Depending on where you are staying on the Plateau de Valensole the drive will take you around 40 minutes to an hour to the Pont du Galetas which is where you can access the Verdon Gorge (or les Gorges du Verdon).

Go kayaking or pedalo-ing up the Verdon Gorge, admiring the bright turquoise water and sheer cliffs. For more information check out my Top Tips for Visiting the Gorges du Verdon.

From here you want to drive for around 3 hours to the French Riveria town of Menton. As this is quite a long drive you might want to consider stopping in Grasse on the way. A town just north of Cannes that is known for its long-established perfume industry.

Spend the evening in Menton, walking round the colourful streets and soaking up the relaxed atmosphere of the French Riviera.

Where to stay: I stayed at the Hotel Pavillon which was the best value for money and within walking distance of the main town.

Day 5:  Menton

Spend your first full day on the Cote d’Azur enjoying Menton’s iconic Plage des Sablettes. The beautiful Azure water laps in front of colourful orange and yellow houses, it’s the perfect Instagram spot!

TOP TIP – Head to the Quai Impératrice Eugénie for the best photo spot (below).

Make sure to get lost walking around the cute narrow streets of Menton, don’t miss La Rue Piétonne and Les Marches, and check out the Rampe Saint-Michel and Rue Lépante (pictured below) for more photo opportunities.

Where to stay: I stayed at the Hotel Pavillon which was the best value for money and within walking distance of the main town.

Day 6:  Monaco

Just a 20 minute drive away from Menton is Monaco, a sovereign city-state, country, and microstate on the French Riviera. The tiny city-state is famous for its lavish wealth, casinos, and glamorous events such as the Monaco Yacht Show and the Monaco Grand Prix.

Top things to do in Monaco:
– Have a drink overlooking the Port Hercule
– Take a chance at the Casino Monte-Carlo
– Head up to Avenue de la Porte Neuve for the best view of Monaco and the surrounding mountains.
– Check out the unique architecture of the Cathedral de Monaco
– Enjoy the view of Port de Fontvieille from the ‘Vue Panoramique sur Monaco – Fontvielle’
– Admire all the pastel-coloured buildings.

Where to stay: Accommodation in Monaco can be very expensive so I would recommend looking in the surrounding area. I stayed at the Riviera Marriott in Cap d’Ail, just to the west of Monaco. I loved the modern boho interior and our room had a sea view over the harbour which was the perfect site to wake up too.

Day 7:  Eze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Nice

Just 30 minutes down the road from Monaco is Nice, the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department. Even though it’s a short drive I recommend making a couple of stops in the beautiful nearby towns of Eze and Villefranche-sur-mer.

Eze is a beautiful medieval town on a hill in-between Monaco and Nice. There are lots of cute streets to get lost in and an amazing view over the Mediterranean to admire. Make sure to check out the pastel coloured church and exotic garden.

The next stop to make is Villefranche-sur-mer, one of the prettiest towns in France! Similar to Menton the houses are super ciolourful and you also have lots of flowers everywhere! Make sue to walk down Rue Baron des Brès and head to the viewpoint on Boulevard Napolean III, the most instagrammable spots in Villefranche-sur-mer.

If you have time you should also drive to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to check out the beautiful Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild. The Villa Ephrussi was built during the Belle Epoque in the early 1900s, and features 9 themed gardens.  You can visit the house and gardens for €15 (€10 if you’re under 26).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yHpZNoALX/

Where to stay in Nice: I stayed at the AC Hotel Nice by Marriott which is right by the sea. They have nice spacious rooms and a super cool rooftop bar (Farago on the roof) with a swimming pool!

Day 8:  Nice

Sitting on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges, Nice is a great place to enjoy the sun whilst also having plenty of things to do.

Top things to see/do in Nice:
– Visit the place Masséna and place Giuseppe Garibaldi
– Stroll around Old Nice (make sure you go to Place Rossetti and Rue Rossetti)
– Try some local food at Chez Rene Socca
– Walk along the Promenade des Anglais and chill on the beach
– Check out the beautiful Russian Orthodox Cathedral
– Climb up Nice Castle Hill
– Visit the local museums

If you’ve booked return flights from Marseille then it’s time to head back.

I hope you enjoy your road trip around Provence and the French Riviera, and fall in love with the South of France as much as I did! This road trip itinerary is for one week but you could also extend it to 10 or 14 days depending on how long you want to spend in each place.

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