5 Days on the French Riviera: An Itinerary
Five days is a good amount of time for a first trip to the French Riviera. Base yourself in Nice and you can see the old town, Monaco and the perched village of Èze, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes and the Lérins Islands, and Villefranche-sur-Mer and Menton, all without a car. The coastal train links most of these places in 10 to 40 minutes, and buses fill the gaps.
Why Base Yourself in Nice
Nice sits in the middle of the Côte d’Azur, roughly halfway between Cannes and the Italian border, which makes it the most practical base for day trips. Its advantages:
- Transport hub: the main station, Nice-Ville, has frequent regional trains east to Monaco and Menton and west to Antibes and Cannes. The airport is linked to the city center by tram.
- Choice of hotels at every budget, usually better value than Cannes or Monaco.
- A real city with markets, museums, beaches and restaurants, so your evenings are not limited to a resort.
The trade-offs are pebble beaches and crowds in high summer. If you prefer something quieter, Antibes or Villefranche-sur-Mer also work as bases, with fewer hotels. Our Nice travel guide covers neighborhoods and practical details.
5-Day French Riviera Itinerary at a Glance
| Day | Destinations | Getting there from Nice | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nice | Walk | Old Town, Cours Saleya market, Castle Hill, Promenade des Anglais |
| 2 | Monaco and Èze | Train (about 20–25 min) and bus | Prince’s Palace, Monte-Carlo, Èze village and exotic garden |
| 3 | Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence | Train (about 20 min); bus via Cagnes-sur-Mer | Picasso Museum, ramparts, Cap d’Antibes path, art village |
| 4 | Cannes and the Lérins Islands | Train (about 30–40 min) and ferry | La Croisette, Le Suquet, Sainte-Marguerite island |
| 5 | Villefranche-sur-Mer and Menton | Train (about 10 min and 35 min) | Bay of Villefranche, Cocteau chapel, Menton’s old town and gardens |
Travel times are approximate. Check current timetables on the SNCF Connect app, and note that bus line numbers on the Riviera are reorganized from time to time.
Day 1: Nice Old Town and Castle Hill
Begin in Vieux Nice, the old town, a maze of narrow lanes with ochre façades. The Cours Saleya market sells flowers, fruit and vegetables on most mornings (on Mondays it becomes an antiques market). Try socca, the crisp chickpea pancake that is Nice’s signature street food, and look into the Baroque Chapelle de la Miséricorde and the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate.
Then climb Castle Hill (Colline du Château), either by the stairs at the eastern end of the Quai des États-Unis or by the free lift. The park at the top has the best view over the Baie des Anges and the port. Walk down to Port Lympia on the other side, then back via Place Masséna and the Promenade du Paillon park.
Spend the late afternoon on the Promenade des Anglais, the seven-kilometer seafront walk, and swim from one of the public beaches. If you have extra energy, the Musée Matisse and the Musée National Marc Chagall are in the Cimiez district north of the center. For more ideas, see our things to do in Nice.
Day 2: Monaco and Èze
Take the train east to Monaco-Monte-Carlo station (about 20 to 25 minutes). Start on the Rock (Monaco-Ville), the old town, where the changing of the guard takes place in front of the Prince’s Palace every day at 11:55. Visit the cathedral where Princess Grace is buried and the Oceanographic Museum, perched on the cliff. In the afternoon, walk down past the port to the Place du Casino in Monte-Carlo. Our best things to do in Monaco lists more options.
From Monaco, take the bus up to Èze village (about 20 minutes), a medieval village clinging to a rocky peak 400 meters above the sea. Climb to the exotic garden at the top for one of the most spectacular views on the coast, then return to Nice by bus (around 30 minutes). Buses to Èze village are infrequent on Sundays and holidays, so check the timetable.
For a more active option, take the train to Èze-sur-Mer and hike up the Nietzsche Path to the village: allow over an hour of steep climbing, or do it downhill instead. Avoid the hottest part of the day in summer.
Day 3: Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Morning: Antibes
Antibes is about 20 minutes from Nice by train. Walk along the sea ramparts to the Château Grimaldi, home to the Picasso Museum (closed on Mondays), where Picasso worked in 1946. The covered Marché Provençal sells local produce and flowers in the mornings, and Port Vauban is lined with some of the largest yachts in the Mediterranean, overlooked by the star-shaped Fort Carré.
If you have time, follow the Sentier du Littoral around the tip of Cap d’Antibes, a rocky coastal path of about two hours. It closes in rough seas. Beach lovers can continue to the sandy beaches of Juan-les-Pins; see our best beaches in Antibes.
Afternoon: Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a fortified hilltop village of galleries and cobbled lanes, long associated with artists. Visit the Fondation Maeght, one of France’s best modern art museums, just outside the village, and Marc Chagall’s grave in the small cemetery. Without a car, take the train or bus to Cagnes-sur-Mer and change to the regional bus to Vence, which stops below the village; allow about an hour from Nice. Combining Antibes and Saint-Paul by public transport is easiest if you return to Cagnes in between, or take a taxi between them (about 20 to 30 minutes).
Day 4: Cannes and the Lérins Islands
The train to Cannes takes 30 to 40 minutes. Walk La Croisette, the seafront boulevard of palace hotels and the Palais des Festivals, where the film festival is held each May. Climb through Le Suquet, the old quarter, for views over the bay, and look into the Marché Forville, the covered food market, open most mornings. Our things to do in Cannes covers more.
From the old port, ferries cross to the Lérins Islands in about 15 to 20 minutes. Sainte-Marguerite has pine forests, swimming coves and the Fort Royal, where the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned. Saint-Honorat, smaller and quieter, belongs to a community of monks who make wine and run a separate ferry. Take a picnic and a swimsuit; there are few facilities on the islands.
Day 5: Villefranche-sur-Mer and Menton
Villefranche-sur-Mer is less than 10 minutes from Nice by train and has one of the most beautiful natural harbors on the coast. Wander the old town and the vaulted Rue Obscure, see the Chapelle Saint-Pierre decorated by Jean Cocteau, and swim from the small beach next to the station. With extra time, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens on nearby Cap Ferrat are worth a detour.
Continue to Menton, about 30 minutes further east, the last French town before Italy. Its old town rises in shades of yellow and orange to the Basilica of Saint-Michel. Menton has a mild climate, lemon groves and fine gardens, a Jean Cocteau museum, and a famous Lemon Festival in February. Take the train back to Nice in the evening.
Getting Around Without a Car
- Trains: regional TER trains run along the coast between Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Villefranche, Monaco and Menton, often several times an hour at peak times. Buy tickets on the SNCF Connect app or at station machines; trains can be very crowded on summer weekends.
- Buses: the Nice area network (Lignes d’Azur) and the regional Zou! buses serve Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and other places away from the railway. Fares are low, but service is less frequent on Sundays.
- Tram: Nice’s tram line 2 links the airport with the city center and the port.
- Monaco: the principality is steep; use its public lifts and escalators between levels.
- A car is only worth renting if you want to explore inland villages such as Gourdon or Tourrettes-sur-Loup, or go on to Provence. Coastal traffic and parking are difficult in summer.
Our best day trips from Nice has more destinations you can reach by public transport.
When to Go
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| April–June | Warm, sunny and green; sea still cool until June. Prices rise during the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. |
| July–August | Hot and lively, sea at its warmest, crowded beaches and trains, highest prices; book early. |
| September–October | Warm sea, thinner crowds, many travelers’ favorite season. |
| November–March | Mild, sunny days but too cool for most swimmers; quieter, cheaper, with the Nice Carnival and Menton Lemon Festival in February. Some beach clubs close. |
Expect the Riviera to be pricier than most of France, especially in summer; our article on whether the French Riviera is expensive has budgeting tips. For beach planning, see the best beaches on the French Riviera.
Practical Tips
- Visit Monaco and Èze on a weekday if you can; weekends and cruise-ship days are busy.
- Bring water shoes for Nice’s pebble beaches.
- Start day trips early in summer to beat the heat and the crowds on the trains.
- Carry ID in Monaco; there are no border checks, but the casino requires it.
- Pickpockets work on crowded trains and the Nice seafront; keep bags closed.
Summary
With Nice as your base, five days on the French Riviera can include Nice’s old town and Castle Hill, Monaco and Èze, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes and the Lérins Islands, and Villefranche and Menton, all reachable by train and bus. Go in late spring or early autumn for the best balance of weather and crowds. To continue your trip, see our one week in Provence road trip or fit the coast into a longer 10 days in France itinerary. For more ideas, read our guide to things to do on the French Riviera.
