Planning a 10-day trip to Southern France (Provence + French Riviera). Rough itinerary below. Open to any suggestions! will appreciate any input!

Main questions:

1. Dont really have any plan at Day 9. Should I add one more day in Provence? Or any of the Riviera itinerary is too tight so I can move?

2. Am I changing hotels too many times? The Day 1 hotel is kinda unnecessary, but I really like the castle hotel and we want to do a wine tour so want to avoid driving that day. Also want to experience waking up in each town.

3. Any day that is too tight? Try not to hustle but have a relaxing time

4. Any date I should avoid the places I plan to visit due to store operating times?





Day 1 (Wednesday) : Paris to Avignon (arrive at 2pm), check into hotel (20m away from the town), wine tour near chateau du pape, dinner at hotel

Stay: 20m from Avignon

Day 2 (Thursday) : Tour Avignon in the morning (Palais des papes, Pont Saint Benezet); Drive to Gordes after lunch, check in to hotel and tour the town, maybe hit Foutaine de Vaucluse, dinner in Gordes

Stay: Gordes

Day 3 (Friday) : Tour Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque in the morning; Then drive to Lourmarin (check in to hotel); Drive to Roussilon; Drive back to Lourmarin and tour the town and have dinner

Stay: Lourmarin

Day 4 (Saturday) : Drive the Aix-en-Provence (saturday market, some mesuem tour), dinner in Aix, drive back to Lourmarin

Stay: Lourmarin

Day 5 (Sunday): Drive to Valensole for lavander, Drive to Moustier sainte marie (check in to hotel and tour the town a bit), Drive to Verdon Gorge (kayak and hike a bit)

Stay: Moustier sainte marie

Day 6 (Monday): Drive to Antibes (check in to hotel, tour the town, hike, beach), afternoon drive to Saint paul de vance (maybe dinner)

Stay: Antibes

Day 7 (Tuesday) : Drive to Nice (tour the old town), Drive to Villefranche-sur-Mer

Stay: Nice

Day 8 (Wednesday): Drive to Menton, Maybe Monaco (prob not going), Drive to Eze and have dinner

Stay: Nice

Day 9 (Thursday): not sure how to plan - probably hang around Saint Jean cap Ferrat

Stay: Nice

Day 10 (Friday): chill in the morning in Nice, and go to airport around noon

Absent information about your interests, I find it difficult to comment on this itinerary … except to say that it is fast-paced. And maybe that’s what you want!

1. It depends on what YOU want to see and experience, and IMO, none of us can answer for you.

2. Your call. Most people want at least 3 nights in a place. I’m willing to change hotels twice every 3 nights on average – but I’m an outlier. Pros and cons….

3. I wouldn’t call your plan relaxing. Again, though, it depends on what you want to see and experience. See specific notes below.

4. Sorry, I have no idea.

If you proceed with this itinerary, I’m sure you’ll see some wonderful things, but I’m not sure it will be as satisfying as it looks on paper. Here are some specific comments:

Day 1: Will you have jet lag? Will you cross time zones to reach Avignon? If so, please note that you will not be safe to drive – safe for you or for ANYONE else on (or near) the roads – for at least 36 hours after a transatlantic flight. Use this day to roam around Avignon. Visit the city’s main sites the next day. On day 3, pick up your car.

Driving after dinners: Shall we assume that you don’t drink – not even wine? Driving on strange roads after dark when you’ve had some wine can be quite dangerous.

Trying to see Antibes and St. Paul de Vance on the same day seems exceptionally ambitious to me.

Nice has much more than its Old Town. Part of one day to see this city would give you only a very cursory experience.

There’s no reason whatsoever to drive from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer: public transportation is easy and convenient. FWIW, I found Vilelfranche-sur-Mer of exceedlingly limited interest; in contrast, the nearby Villa Ephrussi and Villa Kerylos are, IMO, extraordinary. Together, they easily merit a full day.

Again, no need to drive to Menton or Eze – having a car in the vicinity of Nice is likely to be much more of a hassle than using public transportation. Easily reached by public transportation.

If you don’t have one, I strongly recommend that you get a copy of the Michelin Green guides to Provence and the French Riviera. And FWIW, you might find some useful information in my trip report:
A stellar month in southeastern France

Sorry to be so critical.

Hi there - Thank you so much and really appreciate the feedback.

Do you think it's my French riveria itnerary too ambitous? If so, I have an nearly empty day that I can allocate maybe to Saint paul de Vance.

That said, do you think my provence itinerary is too tight? I tried to plan it easily. We will spend 5 days in paris before Avignon so assume no jetlag after arriving provence. Also, I am trying to find restaurants near our hotels for dinner.

Thanks again!

I have no comment on the things you want to see and do since we all have different interests. I usually use the Michelin green book for guidance. Agree on not driving if you are coming directly to France from overseas. I do not like to change hotels any more than necessary because it usually wastes time to move and it is so much work to research places to stay to fit my budget and wants. You may however just like exploring hotels. I too do not like to drive far in the dark in a foreign country. It is why I usually stay near a small town so we can walk to dinner. I would just find one lodging central to your area of interests and just stay there for your time in that area. We used St Remy. You also do not need a car in Nice as public transportation is good. Parking is also a pain in Nice

Yes on both counts ... but again, you haven't told us your interests, so there's really no way to tell whether ANY of your plans are well paced.

Good!

Drink driving laws in France are pretty strict

I see you are 20 minutes away from the Palace, that is either... across the city (walking) or in another town (driving). I'd recommend the former. It keeps you out in the fresh air and sunlight which will hold off microsleeps and get your clock adjusted faster while also reducing the risk of hurting someone.

Hmmm ... I had assumed 20 m meant 20 miles. Perhaps the OP can clarify?

Does your hotel in Nice even have parking? In general you only need a car for smaller villages off the transit routes.

Parking if you can find it won't be cheap. I'm not sure when but you also risk getting stuck in traffic jams.

Check in time for a lot of rural hotels is after 4pm, so I don’t think it’s likely you’ll be able to check in and *then* do a wine tour / hike / kayak etc.

I’d plan on having your day’s adventure first, then head to your overnight town, check-in, and then stay put in that town

It’s 20minutes away. But I think the hotel is very close to chateau du papa or has its own winery tour. so I think we can avoid the driving after wine. That’s also why I chose to stay here.

thank you for the suggestions.

i think I’m trying to hit a reasonable amount of town but I also want to spend enough time to experience the local life.

i also care about food. There are couple restaurants I want to visit. So that’s also why I chose to stay in Gordes to avoid driving back too late.

Depending on when you are visiting and how the weather has been, your best spot for lavender may or may not be Valensole. Here is a rough guide to timing, with suggested routes as well:
https://routes-lavande.com/en/
Take local advice on where to drive on the day you’ve allocated, stay flexible, and enjoy yourselves.
I personally would not change hotels between Lourmarin and Gordes. The fewer check-ins and -outs the better. Also, better to avoid parking in popular spots with visible luggage in the car.
Which museum were you intending in Aix? Note that fewer Cézannes are on display at the Granet this summer as they prepare a major exhibit.

A couple of thoughts for your plan.

If you don't already have plans for the wine tasting near CNDP I highly recommend Olivier Hickman of Wine Uncovered. https://www.wine-uncovered.com/the-tours/ We went with him twice in summer 2022. He was very accomodating our experience level and preferences which were different each of the two tours with different friends.

For parking in Avignon if you have your car there we found it easiest to park in the underground garage Palais du Pape with the approach from the river side boulevard near there. https://maps.app.goo.gl/U4ruhwy8vcxowaTt9

Obviously you are trying to cover a lot of phenomenal territory in 10 days. The good news is that you can't go wrong. The places you are going are wonderful, and so are the places you are skipping. The area is so rich in amazing sights. There are many fantastic places to discover that would barely be mentioned in a guidebook.

Just so you know, the Cote d'Azur (what you call the French Riviera) is a micro-region of Provence. It is not separate, even though it is popular enough to warrant its own guidebooks.

Your itinerary is awesome, so you don't have to change a thing if you don't want to. There is better hiking and kayaking in Provence than the Gorge du Verdon. For that you should consider les Calanques. But I am not sure how seasonal the kayaking is. Also, it is not on your present trajectory. However, since you are going to devote an entire day to this activity, you might want to consider it. The view of the gorge from above might be considered thrilling to some, but not from below. It actually looks like a lot of other places in Provence perhaps less dramatic than many. Although it is indeed a big gorge, Verdon is not nearly the most scenic.

While in Roussillon, do try to descend into the ochre quarry. Roussillon is the subject of Village in the Vaucluse, a book by Laurence Wylie. Many people have made their pilgrimage to Roussillon because of it. If you are a reader, you should consider it. Someone recommended it to me before I went, and it was a gift that has lasted me for 40 years.

Thank you. The reason why I want to check in to hotel first is that I hear you shouldnt have any luggage in your rental car. Hear glasses of cars are now allowed to be covered. Will it be safe if we leave the luggage in the truck?

Most decent hotels will let you leave your luggage with them even if the room isn’t ready.

The South of France holds many happy holiday memories for us including several road trips we did into Spain and from Italy but also from our bases in Grimaud (near St Tropez) and Villefranche sur Mer.

The Gorges du Verdon is stunning - certainly well worth exploring some of it from the river itself below the cliff walls but also driving the Route des Cretes.That said, I think the best views from the latter drive are at the start of the route at La Palud.The tiny village of Rougon also offers one or two places to eat with a spectacular view.

We stayed in Moustiers and have visited twice - yes, it is VERY busy but quite exquisite.The walk up to the chapel is wonderful.

Nice has terrific art museums which are well worth a explore if of interest - so there is much more to the city than the old town.The views over the coast from Castle Hill are also a must see, to me.

I'm very biased towards Villefranche sur Mer as a base.Much quieter than Nice of course but just the pastel coloured little port town itself, coffee in the morning by the water and great train connections to Monaco, Menton etc if you don't want to face the hassle of parking in these places(though we often have!) Certainly driving one of the Corniches is a great part of any trip.

You can also easily walk from Villeranche sur Mer to lovely Beaulieu (for Villa Kerylos - don't miss) and also to Villa Ephrussi on Cap Ferrat and on to St Jean itself.From that beautiful little port there is a flat and easy walking route round the coast which is glorious, even if you only go so far - the Sentier Littoral.

Eze - one of my all time favourite restaurants anywhere, for location and food, is Chateau Eza. They do an excellent value, fine dining lunch sitting out on their gorgeous shaded terrace overlooking the coast - St Jean Cap Ferrat etc.Glorious experience but book well ahead.Eze village itself is beautiful but VERY busy and touristy though still worth a look.The view of it on its crag from afar is stunning.

https://www.chateaueza.com

I also rate the view over Monaco from its small, compact old town (where the Grimaldi Palace is) and a stroll through its pristine, beautiful streets.

Also consider heading a short way inland to see the tiny, stunning perched village of Peillon.Not a huge amount to see once in the utterly quiet little streets, just the silence of the mountains all around and the chime of the church bell from the top of the village.The view of Peillon itself as you approach is a wow.

This illustrates perfectly the idea that there are so many places that go unpromoted which are gems. For my part, Les Grottes de Cales and Vieux Vernegues are spots I have returned to that will not appear, save for a brief mention, in any guidebook.

There are those people who have looked at the Eiffel Tower, the Arche de Triomphe, and perhaps walked into Notre Dame for 3 minutes, and they say they've been to Paris, they've checked the boxes. These folks are tourists, not travellers. Not our style. We've been to France 7 times and still have an "unseen and must do" list.

Your itinerary is well picked, but very rushed. Driving in Nice is a nightmare, but the drive from Antibes to St. P de V is lovely. Dinner or lunch up there at La Colombe d'Or exquisite in an old and originally styled auberge, art from those who painted and stayed there free. Make reservations ASAP online. BUT agree with most Fodorites above in saying too much too quickly overall. From Nice, I'd take the train to Eze (as parking there is next to impossible) and same for Monaco. Driving the upmost corniche is fun, but only if parking venues are identified-- use trains when possible.

On Day 8, driving from Nice to Menton you will have three main choices of routes at different altitudes:
The highest is the Grande Corniche, the middle is the Moyenne Corniche and the lowest that runs along the coast is the Basse Corniche. I have driven them all and the Moyenne is my favorite. The village of Éze is on the Moyenne. Between Éze and Menton is the village of La Turbie, the site of what remains of the Trophy of the Alps (Trophée d'Auguste), erected around 6-7 BC by Caesar Augustus to celebrate the Roman victory over the alpine tribes.
You will be visiting a beautiful part of the country and I look forward to your trip report when you return.

https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com...e-3-corniches/
https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com...ophy-augustus/