One Week French Riviera Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
Updated: Aug 25
I've now taken three separate trips to the South of France: two focused on the French Riviera and another exploring farther west around Montpellier, Marseille, and Cassis.
Each trip gave me a very different feel for the region, and looking back, I definitely have a better sense of what I would prioritize for a first visit.
If I were planning my first South of France trip all over again, I would keep it focused on the classic French Riviera and do Nice, Èze, Cannes, Monaco, and Saint-Tropez.
It gives you a little bit of everything people usually picture when they think of this part of France: beautiful Mediterranean views, colorful old towns, beaches, luxury shopping, yachts, beach clubs, and some of the prettiest coastal scenery I have ever seen.
And most importantly, it is actually manageable in one week without spending your entire vacation checking in and out of hotels.
My ideal route would be:
4 nights in Nice
1 night in Cannes
2 nights in Saint-Tropez
While you are based in Nice, I would combine a day trip to Èze and Monaco.
And yes, technically Monaco is not France. It is its own country. But if you are already staying in Nice, I would absolutely include it.
One Week French Riviera Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1: Arrive in Nice + explore Old Nice
Day 2: Nice
Day 3: Èze + Monaco day trip
Day 4: Nice + beach or optional nearby exploring
Day 5: Travel to Cannes + spend the night
Day 6: Travel to Saint-Tropez
Day 7: Saint-Tropez
Day 8: Depart
I think this is a really good balance for a first trip.
You have Nice as your main base, which saves you from constantly moving hotels, and then you finish the trip with two destinations that feel more glamorous and vacation-like.
My Hotel Picks at a Glance
Nice
⭐ Le Negresco — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Hotel Palais Saleya — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Hotel de France — Click here for rates & availability.
Cannes
⭐ Hotel Martinez by Hyatt — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Regent Carlton Cannes — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Best Western Premier Le Patio des Artistes Wellness Jacuzzi — Click here for rates & availability.
Saint-Tropez
⭐ Hotel Byblos — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Hotel La Mandarine — Click here for rates & availability.
⭐ Hotel Les Palmiers — Click here for rates & availability.
The reasoning for these picks are explained later.
First: Should You Fly Into Nice or Start in Paris?
If the French Riviera is the main purpose of your trip, my answer is pretty simple:
Fly into Nice if you can.
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is extremely convenient for this itinerary. It currently has direct service to multiple U.S. cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, although some routes are seasonal.
You also do not need to rent a car as soon as you arrive. Tram Line 2 connects both airport terminals with central Nice and Port Lympia in less than 30 minutes.
Should You Start in Paris Instead?
I would only start in Paris if you actually want to visit Paris.
Do not fly into Paris just because it feels like the default place to begin a France trip.
Paris and the Riviera are nowhere near each other.
The fastest direct trains from Paris to Nice take around 5 hours and 40 minutes, so once you account for getting to the station, waiting for the train, and traveling, you are using a pretty large portion of a vacation day.
If you have 10 to 14 days and want to combine Paris with the South of France, absolutely.
But for a seven-night French Riviera trip, I would fly directly into Nice or connect through another European airport and land in Nice. Even if you start in Paris, I recommend booking a short flight from Paris to Nice. That's what I did for one of my trips and it definitely saved me some time.
Do You Need a Rental Car for the French Riviera?
For this itinerary? Not for the first half.
Nice, Cannes, Èze, and Monaco are surprisingly easy to visit using trains, buses, and your own two feet.
In fact, I would probably rather not have a car while staying in Nice.
Parking can be expensive, traffic gets annoying, and you really do not need one to visit most places along this stretch of coastline. Trains along the Cannes–Nice–Monaco–Menton corridor run about every 15 minutes on weekdays during much of the day.
The only part of this itinerary where transportation gets slightly more complicated is Saint-Tropez, because there is no train station in Saint-Tropez itself.
I will get into the easiest options for that later.
Day 1: Arrive in Nice
Welcome to the French Riviera.
Do not make your first day overly ambitious, especially if you just got off an overnight flight. Check into your hotel, shower, change, and start exploring.
Nice is one of my favorite places to use as a base because it feels like an actual city while still giving you the Mediterranean vacation experience.
You have the beach right there, but you also have restaurants, shopping, nightlife, markets, and a beautiful Old Town.
Spend Your First Afternoon in Vieux Nice
Start with Vieux Nice, or Old Nice. This is the colorful part of the city filled with narrow streets, little restaurants, cafes, gelato shops, markets, and pastel buildings.
I would honestly just wander. This is not somewhere you need a minute-by-minute itinerary.
Walk through the streets, stop when something looks good, grab a drink, and let yourself settle into vacation mode.
Then walk toward the water.
Walk the Promenade des Anglais
The Promenade des Anglais runs for roughly seven kilometers along the Mediterranean and is one of the most recognizable parts of Nice. You will see people biking, walking, running, sitting by the water, and basically doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing on your first evening in the South of France.
End the night with dinner somewhere in or near Old Nice.
And then go to sleep.
You have a full week ahead of you.
Day 2: Spend a Full Day in Nice
I would dedicate your first full day completely to Nice. There is enough here that I would not immediately start taking day trips, and I actually think this is a good day to be a little flexible.
You can either wake up early and start your morning with a swim, or sleep in and save the beach for later.
Option 1: Wake Up Early for a Sunrise Swim
If you can convince yourself to get out of bed early enough, I really recommend heading down to the beach for sunrise and taking a swim.
Was waking up that early a pain? Absolutely.
Was it worth it? Also absolutely.
The water was this incredibly clear, crystal blue color in the morning, and the whole beach felt so peaceful before the promenade and shoreline filled up for the day. Getting into the Mediterranean first thing in the morning was also a very effective way to wake myself up. Any lingering sleepiness disappeared pretty much the second I got in the water.
It ended up being one of those simple moments from the trip that I remember really clearly.
So if you are willing to sacrifice a little sleep, grab your swimsuit, head down before the city fully wakes up, and start the day in the Mediterranean.
Afterward, grab breakfast and make your way into Old Nice.
Wander Through Cours Saleya
Spend part of the morning walking through the famous Cours Saleya market.
Depending on the day, you will find flowers, produce, food, antiques, and plenty of places nearby to stop for coffee or lunch.
Here are the current market hours:
Flower Market: 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday; 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday; 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday and holidays
Fruit & Vegetable Market: 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every day except Monday
Antiques Market: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, excluding certain holidays
From there, wander through the smaller streets of Vieux Nice. This is one of those neighborhoods where I would not rush. Browse the shops, stop for gelato, and just see where you end up.
Head Up to Castle Hill
If you started the day with a sunrise swim, I would save Castle Hill, or Colline du Château, for later in the morning or early afternoon.
From the top, you get one of the classic views over Nice, with the Promenade des Anglais, the bright blue Mediterranean, and the red rooftops of Old Nice below you.
It is one of my favorite viewpoints in the city and a really good way to see how everything fits together.
Spend the Afternoon Exploring More of Nice
Since you already went swimming in the morning, I would use the afternoon to see a little more of the city.
Walk toward the Port of Nice, browse the shops, grab a drink at a cafe, or spend some time around Avenue Jean Médecin if you want to shop.
You also do not need to fill every second of the afternoon. One of my favorite parts of being in Nice is just walking around, stopping when something looks good, and not feeling like every hour needs its own attraction.
Option 2: Sleep In and Save the Beach for the Afternoon
If getting up for sunrise sounds absolutely miserable, you can easily flip the day around.
Sleep in, grab breakfast, visit Cours Saleya and Old Nice, and head up to Castle Hill in the morning.
Then spend the afternoon at the beach.
Nice's beaches are rocky, so I highly recommend bringing water shoes. You can sit on one of the public beaches for free, or book a chair at a private beach club if you want something a little more comfortable.
Either option works. I just would not try to do a sunrise swim and dedicate your entire afternoon to the beach unless you really want a full beach day.
Evening: Dinner and Drinks
Whichever version of the day you choose, I would head back to the hotel in the late afternoon, shower, and get ready for the night.
Spend the evening having a long dinner and drinks around Old Nice or the port. Nice has a really fun atmosphere at night, and after a full day of walking around, this is exactly when I would slow things down.
So your Day 2 can look like either:
Option 1: Sunrise swim → Cours Saleya + Old Nice → Castle Hill → port/shopping → dinner and drinks
Option 2: Sleep in → Cours Saleya + Old Nice → Castle Hill → beach afternoon → dinner and drinks
Either way, I would keep Day 2 relatively relaxed. The goal is to actually enjoy Nice rather than turn your first full day into a checklist.
My tip: If there is a restaurant or beach club in Nice that you really want to visit, make a reservation ahead of time, especially during the summer. I would not plan every single meal because part of the fun is wandering through Old Nice and finding somewhere that looks good, but I would definitely book your must-try dinner spots in advance.
Day 3: Èze + Monaco Day Trip
Yes, I would combine Èze and Monaco into one day.
They are close enough geographically that it makes much more sense than using two separate days, especially when you only have one week.
My preference would be:
Nice → Èze in the morning → Monaco in the afternoon and evening → Nice
Morning: Take the Bus to Èze Village
This is one transportation detail that is important:
Do not blindly take the train to “Èze” if your goal is the medieval hilltop village.
The train stops at Èze-sur-Mer, which is down by the coast.
The medieval village you have seen in photos sits way up on the hill.
Instead, take a bus directly from Nice to Èze Village. Bus 82 currently runs from Nice Vauban directly to the hilltop village. There is also the regional 602 route, which can be useful if you are continuing onward toward Monaco.
Explore Èze
Èze is tiny. And absolutely beautiful.
Walk through the medieval streets, browse the boutiques, and slowly make your way toward the top.
Your main destination should be the Jardin Exotique d’Èze. The garden sits at the very top of the village, about 429 meters above the Mediterranean.
Honestly, this alone is reason enough to visit Èze. I genuinely think it is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. The view is ridiculous.
You are standing above this tiny medieval village with the Mediterranean stretching out beneath you, surrounded by cacti and succulents.
Take your time here.
I also recommend stopping for a drink at Château Eza. It was definitely the highlight of my entire trip. We were able to walk-in. However, it filled up quickly afterwards. I recommend making a reservation.
Afternoon: Continue to Monaco
From Èze, continue toward Monaco.
Depending on the schedule when you visit, you can use regional buses toward Monaco. If you prefer, another option is to head down to Èze-sur-Mer and take the TER train from there.
Once you arrive in Monaco, everything changes.
You go from this tiny medieval French village to yachts, exotic cars, casinos, luxury stores, and some of the most expensive real estate on earth.
And remember: You just entered another country. Monaco is an independent sovereign state, not part of France. BRING YOUR PASSPORT.
What to Do in Monaco
For a first visit, I would prioritize:
Casino de Monte-Carlo
Monte Carlo
Port Hercule
Monaco-Ville
Prince’s Palace area
Walking around and staring at yachts you cannot afford
Another thing you could do, which I absolutely loved — rent a classic car for a short tour. This was one of the unexpected highlights of our Monaco day trip.
It was such a fun way to see the city, and honestly, it made the whole experience feel even more glamorous and ridiculous in the best way. Driving around Monaco in a vintage car with the coastline, yachts, and Monte Carlo around us ended up being one of my favorite memories from the trip.
If you see a classic car tour that fits your schedule, I would absolutely consider doing it.
And Be Prepared for a Lot of Cameras Around the Casino One thing that really caught me off guard was how many people were standing around Casino Square taking photos and videos of the cars and people arriving.
When we pulled up near the Casino de Monte-Carlo, there were a ton of people taking photos of us. I cannot promise this happens to everyone, but that was definitely our experience.
So if you arrive in a flashy, unusual, or classic car, just know there is a very real possibility that you are accidentally going to become part of someone else's Monaco photo album. Honestly, it just added to the whole Monte Carlo experience.
Afterwards, have dinner or drinks in Monaco if you want, then take the train back to Nice.
The direct TER between Monaco and Nice is extremely convenient, with current journey times around 22 to 24 minutes.
My Tip for Èze + Monaco: Start early.
Do not leave Nice at noon and expect to leisurely see both places.
I would aim to be in Èze in the morning, spend around three hours there, then head to Monaco for the rest of the day.
Another very important tip: check the last train back to Nice before you start your evening.
I learned this the hard way. When we did our day trip to Monaco, we stayed later than planned and completely missed the last train back to Nice. Finding another way back was surprisingly difficult, and we eventually managed to get a cab, but it was really expensive.
So if you plan to stay in Monaco for dinner or drinks, look up the return train schedule that morning and set yourself a reminder for the last departure. Do not assume trains run late into the night.
Current schedules vary by day. For example, SNCF currently shows the last Monaco to Nice departure around 11:19 p.m. on August 25, 2026, while some weekend schedules include later service after midnight, so definitely check the exact date of your trip rather than relying on a general time.
Monaco is extremely easy to visit from Nice until you miss the train. Then it becomes a much more expensive adventure
Day 4: One More Full Day in Nice
This is intentional. I would not schedule another major day trip. Having a fourth night in Nice gives you breathing room. Use this day for whatever you did not get to yet.
You could:
Go back to the beach
Shop
Explore the port
Eat your way through Old Nice
Book a beach club
Take a boat trip
Visit Villefranche sur Mer
Spend half the day doing absolutely nothing
And if the weather was bad during one of your earlier days, this also gives you some flexibility to move things around.
This is why I like four nights in Nice instead of trying to split those nights between four different towns.
Day 5: Nice → Cannes
Today, check out of Nice and head to Cannes.
This transfer is extremely easy by train. There are frequent direct trains between Nice and Cannes, with the fastest journeys currently taking around 28 minutes and the average trip taking around 36 minutes.
This is one reason I would not rent a car just for this part of the trip. Take the train. Bring your suitcase.
Check into your Cannes hotel.
And immediately notice that the vibe feels different. Nice feels like a real Mediterranean city. Cannes feels much more like: “Should I be wearing something nicer?”
Walk La Croisette
Start with La Croisette.
This is the famous waterfront boulevard lined with luxury hotels, designer stores, restaurants, and sandy beaches.
Compared with Nice's rocky beaches, Cannes gives you those much softer sandy beaches people often picture when they imagine a Riviera vacation.
See the Palais des Festivals
You have to at least walk past the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival takes place. Take the obligatory photo. Pretend you are famous. Move on.
Explore Le Suquet
Then walk into Le Suquet, the oldest part of Cannes. This gives you a totally different side of the city with steep streets, historic buildings, restaurants, and views over the harbor.
Book a Beach Club
If you are going to splurge on a beach club somewhere during this itinerary, Cannes is a great place to do it.
Spend the afternoon sitting by the water with something cold to drink.
Then actually stay overnight.
You absolutely can visit Cannes as a day trip from Nice, but I like giving it one night because you get to experience the city after the day-trip crowds leave and you do not have to watch the clock for the last train home.
Another reason I think Cannes is worth spending the night in is the nightlife.
The city definitely does not shut down once the beach clubs close. You have rooftop bars, cocktail bars, beach venues that get much livelier after sunset, and clubs where you can stay out late. The Croisette in particular changes at night, with people dressed up for dinner, drinks, and going out.
If you want something more relaxed, start with drinks around the Old Port or Le Suquet. If you want more of a party, head toward the Croisette or one of Cannes’ bigger clubs.
This is also why I personally like giving Cannes one night instead of treating it as another quick day trip from Nice. Spend the afternoon at the beach, go back to the hotel to get ready, have a nice dinner, and then actually experience Cannes after dark.
Day 6: Cannes → Saint-Tropez
This is where the trip becomes slightly more complicated transportation-wise.
Saint-Tropez does not have a train station. But that does not mean you need to rent a car for the entire trip.
Option 1: Take a Boat
This is my favorite option when schedules line up because arriving in Saint-Tropez by water feels much more fun than sitting in traffic.
Trans Côte d’Azur operates seasonal boats between Cannes and Saint-Tropez. In summer 2026, the published Cannes service departed at 10:15 a.m. and reached Saint-Tropez around 11:30 a.m., although the standard excursion ticket is designed as a same-day return, so you would need to confirm whether the operator allows the itinerary or luggage arrangement you need for an overnight stay.
I personally did this option.
Important: Boat schedules are seasonal and weather dependent, so I would always verify this when you are actually booking your trip.
Option 2: Train + Boat
Another popular strategy is to take a train west toward Saint-Raphaël, then connect by boat across the gulf toward Saint-Tropez when seasonal ferry service is operating.
This avoids a lot of the road traffic around Saint-Tropez.
Option 3: Private Transfer or Rental Car
If there are several of you traveling together, this is where a private transfer starts making more sense.
You could also rent a car just for the last portion of the trip. I would much rather rent a car for Cannes → Saint-Tropez and your departure than pay to park one in Nice for four days while barely using it.
Why I Would Not Rely on Driving Times in Summer
Traffic around Saint-Tropez can be brutal. A route that looks simple on Google Maps can become significantly longer during peak summer weekends.
So build in extra time.
Do not schedule a 12:00 lunch reservation in Saint-Tropez when your navigation says you will arrive at 11:45. You are asking for stress.
Spend Your First Afternoon in Saint-Tropez
Once you arrive, check into your hotel and slow down. You have two nights here.
Walk around the Old Port and stare at the yachts.
Then wander through the streets behind the harbor.
People sometimes picture Saint-Tropez as nothing but beach clubs and rich people, but the actual village is really pretty.
There are pastel buildings, narrow little streets, boutiques, restaurants, and the Place des Lices.
If you arrive on a Tuesday or Saturday, try to catch the Provençal market at Place des Lices.
Then get dressed for dinner.
Saint-Tropez is one of the places where I think it is fun to lean into the whole experience.
Day 7: Saint-Tropez + Pampelonne Beach
This is your French Riviera fantasy day.
Do not schedule six attractions.
Go to the beach. More specifically, head toward Pampelonne Beach, just outside Saint-Tropez in Ramatuelle.
This is where many of the famous Saint-Tropez beach clubs are located.
Depending on your style and budget, you can book somewhere more relaxed or go all in on one of the famous party beach clubs.
Either way, I would make a reservation in advance during summer.
Spend Most of the Day at the Beach
Have lunch. Order rosé. Swim. People watch. Stay longer than you originally planned.
This is exactly why I would give Saint-Tropez two nights rather than squeezing it into a day trip.
You could technically visit from Nice or Cannes for the day. Seasonal excursion boats do exactly that. But from Nice, for example, the current summer excursion leaves at 9:00 a.m., arrives around 11:30, and departs Saint-Tropez again at 4:30 p.m.
That is enough to see Saint-Tropez. It is not enough to actually experience Saint-Tropez.
I would rather unpack, go to the beach club without watching the clock, have dinner in town, go out if I feel like it, and wake up there the next morning.
Day 8: Leave Saint-Tropez
How you leave depends heavily on where you are flying home from.
This is something I would think about before booking your flights.
If you book a round trip in and out of Nice, you will need to travel back toward Nice Airport.
Depending on the season, you could use a combination of boat, train, bus, private transfer, or rental car.
If your larger France trip continues west toward Marseille or Provence, Saint-Tropez can also make a natural transition in that direction.
My Transportation Strategy for This Entire Trip
If I were personally planning this itinerary, I would do:
Nice Airport → Nice: tram or taxi
Around Nice: walk + tram
Nice → Èze: bus directly to Èze Village
Èze → Monaco: regional bus, or connect through Èze-sur-Mer depending on schedule
Monaco → Nice: TER train
Nice → Cannes: TER train
Cannes → Saint-Tropez: seasonal boat if practical, otherwise transfer/train + boat
Saint-Tropez: walk + taxi/local transport
Saint-Tropez → airport: private transfer, rental car, or boat/train combination depending on flight time
The biggest thing I would not do is rent a car at Nice Airport on Day 1 and keep it for the entire week.
For this particular route, it is mostly unnecessary.
Where to Stay in Nice?
Because you are spending four nights in Nice, location matters here more than anywhere else on this itinerary. For a first trip, I would stay somewhere near the Promenade des Anglais, Old Nice, or Carré d’Or so you can walk to restaurants, the beach, shopping, and many of the main sights.
These are my hotel picks:
⭐ Le Negresco — Click here for rates & availability.
If you want the iconic Nice hotel experience, this is it.
Le Negresco is basically a landmark on the Promenade des Anglais, with its famous pink dome, elaborate interiors, huge art collection, and location directly across from the Mediterranean. It is definitely a splurge, but this is the hotel I would look at for a special occasion or if you want your hotel to feel like part of the French Riviera experience rather than simply somewhere to sleep.
⭐ Hotel Palais Saleya — Click here for rates & availability.
If being right in Old Nice is your priority, I really like this option.
You are near Cours Saleya, restaurants, bars, the beach, and basically everything you would want to walk to at night. The rooms are also more apartment-style, with additional space and kitchen facilities, so this is a good alternative for travelers who might otherwise look for a VRBO. The tradeoff is that being this central can mean some street noise.
⭐ Hotel de France — Click here for rates & availability.
For something more affordable without sacrificing location, I would look at Hotel de France.
It is a smaller boutique-style hotel in Carré d’Or, just a short walk from the Promenade des Anglais and the beach. You can also walk into Old Nice, so you are still extremely well positioned without paying full Riviera palace prices.
Where to Stay in Cannes?
Since you are only staying in Cannes for one night, I would prioritize location. This is not where I would save $50 by staying 25 minutes outside the center.
Stay near La Croisette, Rue d’Antibes, or the Palais des Festivals, drop your bags, and enjoy your one night.
These are my hotel picks:
⭐ Hotel Martinez by Hyatt — Click here for rates & availability.
This is probably my first pick if you want the classic Cannes experience.
Hôtel Martinez is right on La Croisette and gives you the whole Riviera package: Art Deco glamour, a private beach club, pool, restaurants, and an address that immediately feels very Cannes. It was also awarded France's official Palace distinction in 2026.
⭐ Regent Carlton Cannes — Click here for rates & availability.
The Carlton is another icon.
It sits right on La Croisette in one of the most recognizable buildings in Cannes and combines that old-school Riviera glamour with a major renovation that gave it updated rooms, a pool, and a revamped beach club.
⭐ Best Western Premier Le Patio des Artistes Wellness Jacuzzi — Click here for rates & availability.
This is the hotel I actually stayed at in Cannes, and I thought it was a really good option if you want to be central without paying full luxury hotel prices on the Croisette.
The location worked really well for us. You are close to Rue d’Antibes, La Croisette, restaurants, shopping, and the beach, so it is easy to walk around Cannes without constantly needing transportation.
If you want a comfortable, well-located option that is usually more reasonable than the major five-star hotels along La Croisette, I think this is a really solid choice.
Where to Stay in Saint-Tropez
This is where I would be the most intentional about your hotel.
You have two nights, Saint-Tropez is not particularly easy to get around during peak summer traffic, and part of the reason you are staying overnight is to actually enjoy the town after the day trippers leave.
You basically have two choices:
Stay in or near the village for restaurants, shopping, and nightlife.
Or stay closer to the beach for more of a resort experience.
⭐ Hotel Byblos — Click here for rates & availability.
If you want to be in the middle of Saint-Tropez, I think Byblos is incredibly hard to beat.
It is right in town, has that colorful Saint-Tropez village feel, a pool, restaurants, spa, and one particularly important feature if nightlife is part of the plan: Les Caves du Roy is essentially part of the Byblos world.
You can walk around town during the day, come back to the hotel, get ready, have dinner, and go out without worrying as much about transportation.
⭐ Hotel La Mandarine — Click here for rates & availability.
If you want a quieter, more resort-like stay without going all the way up to Cheval Blanc pricing, I would look at Hôtel La Mandarine.
It is just outside the center of Saint-Tropez, surrounded by greenery, with a heated pool, gardens, terraces, and a more relaxed feel than staying directly in the middle of town.
You are still close enough to get into Saint-Tropez quickly, but it feels a little more removed from the crowds.
I especially like this option if you want your hotel to feel like part of the vacation, but you still plan to spend plenty of time in town and at Pampelonne Beach.
⭐ Hotel Les Palmiers — Click here for rates & availability.
Saint-Tropez is not exactly known for budget hotels, but if you want to stay right in town without spending Byblos or Cheval Blanc prices, I would look at Hôtel Les Palmiers.
The biggest selling point is the location. It is directly across from Place des Lices and only a short walk from the Old Port, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. That means you can still walk almost everywhere, which I think is especially important in Saint-Tropez because traffic can be such a pain during the summer.
The hotel itself is much simpler than the luxury resorts on this list, and some rooms are more traditional and dated, but that is the tradeoff for getting a much more affordable rate in such a central location. It also has a garden and outdoor bar area, which gives it a little more charm than a basic budget hotel.
When Is the Best Time to Visit the French Riviera?
If you want beach weather, beach clubs, nightlife, and the full French Riviera
atmosphere, summer is obviously the most exciting time to go.
But it is also: Hot, Expensive, and Crowded.
Personally, I think late May, June, and September can be really good sweet spots.
You still have warm weather and plenty happening, but you may avoid some of the absolute peak July and August chaos.
If Saint-Tropez beach clubs are a major reason for your trip, just make sure the specific places you want to visit are open during your dates.
Is Èze and Monaco in One Day Too Much?
No.
I actually think they are perfect to combine. Èze does not need a full day unless you want a long lunch, hike the Nietzsche Path, or spend time at Èze-sur-Mer.
For most first-time visitors, I think roughly three to four hours in Èze Village is plenty.
Then head to Monaco.
The contrast between the two is also part of what makes the day so fun.
In the morning, you are wandering through a tiny medieval village sitting hundreds of meters above the Mediterranean. A few hours later, you are standing outside the Monte Carlo Casino watching Ferraris drive past.
Very French Riviera. Well, technically half French Riviera and half Monaco.
Why I Recommend Four Nights in Nice
Four nights might initially sound like too much when you only have seven nights total.
I actually think it is exactly right.
You are not spending four full days only in Nice.
Nice becomes your base.
You get: Arrival day, A full Nice day, Èze + Monaco day, and Another relaxed Nice day.
You only unpack once during that entire section of the trip.
Then you move on. That makes the itinerary feel dramatically less exhausting.
Why I Would Stay One Night in Cannes
Cannes is the easiest place on this itinerary to cut if you want fewer hotel changes.
You could absolutely stay all five nights in Nice and visit Cannes as a day trip.
But if this is your first French Riviera trip, I like giving Cannes one night.
It gives you a reason to dress up, go out for dinner, walk along La Croisette at night or go out clubbing. You actually experience the city rather than showing up for four hours and leaving.
If you hate changing hotels, though? Stay in Nice. Take the 30-ish-minute train to Cannes.
Why I Recommend Two Nights in Saint-Tropez
Because Saint-Tropez is annoying enough to reach that I think you should actually enjoy it once you get there.
Do not travel all the way there, take a photo of the harbor, eat lunch, and immediately start figuring out how to leave.
Stay. Do the beach club. Go shopping. Have dnner. Go out.
Spend the next morning walking around town.
Two nights lets Saint-Tropez feel like the vacation at the end of your vacation. And I think that is the perfect way to end this itinerary.
My Ideal One Week French Riviera Itinerary
So if I were planning your first trip, this would be my final answer:
Nights 1–4: Nice
Day 1: Arrive + Old Nice + Promenade des Anglais
Day 2: Nice sightseeing + beach
Day 3: Èze + Monaco
Day 4: Relaxed Nice day
Night 5: Cannes
Day 5: Train to Cannes + La Croisette + Le Suquet + beach club + dinner
Nights 6–7: Saint-Tropez
Day 6: Travel to Saint-Tropez + explore town + dinner
Day 7: Pampelonne Beach + beach club + final night in Saint-Tropez
Then head home or continue your trip on Day 8.
For a first trip, I think this gives you exactly what most people are imagining when they say they want to go to the South of France:
Beautiful Mediterranean water.
Tiny stone villages.
Nice hotels.
Beach clubs.
Shopping.
Yachts.
Wine.
Long dinners.
And just enough moving around that you feel like you saw the Riviera without needing a vacation to recover from your vacation.
Ready to Plan Your French Riviera Trip?
Trying to figure out where to stay, which beach clubs to book, how to get between cities, or whether you should add another stop?
Ryan and I are travel advisors, and we can help you turn all of those saved South of France photos into a trip that actually makes sense. Whether you need help choosing and booking your hotels, finding experiences, arranging transportation, or planning your entire French Riviera itinerary, we would love to take the research and logistics off your plate.
Reach out to us about our travel planning and booking services to start planning your South of France trip.
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