Explore the Riviera by region
Regions worth building a Riviera trip around, from Nice and the west coast Cannes and Antibes to the perched villages of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Grasse, Monaco, the alpine hinterland and day trips further afield.
Must-visit areas
The regions every first-time visitor should build a trip around — Nice in the centre, and the eastern Riviera corniches to Monaco a little further on.
Antibes and Juan-les-Pins
Antibes and Juan-les-Pins: ramparts, the Picasso museum, Fort Carré and sandy beaches on the Riviera west of Nice, with honest travel times.
Cannes: the Croisette, the Suquet and the Lérins Islands
Cannes beyond the red carpet: the Croisette, the Suquet old town, Forville market and a short boat ride to the Lérins Islands.
Èze
Èze as a half-day trip from Nice: the Jardin exotique, the steep chemin de Nietzsche, and when the village empties out.
Grasse: the perfume capital of the French Riviera
Grasse guide: Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard perfume houses, factory tours vs paid workshops, the perfumery museum, and when to visit.
Monaco and Monte-Carlo
Monaco from Nice by train in 20-25 minutes: Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo, the Casino, the Palace and what a day there actually costs.
Nice: the base for the whole Riviera
Nice guide: Vieux-Nice, Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, Cimiez and the Promenade des Anglais - honest advice for using Nice as your Riviera base.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Saint-Paul-de-Vence's ramparts, art galleries and Fondation Maeght, plus how to see the village before the tour buses fill it.
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat: a corniche stop between Nice and Èze
Villefranche's deep harbour, Cocteau's chapel and the Villa Ephrussi gardens on Cap Ferrat, a coastal stop on the Basse Corniche between Nice and Èze.
More to explore
Areas for a second trip or a longer first one — Cannes and the Îles de Lérins for the coast, and Grasse for a day out among the perfumeries.
Eastern Riviera: Villefranche, Èze, Monaco and Menton
The corniches east of Nice: Villefranche, Cap-Ferrat, Èze, Monaco and Menton, with honest travel times and the Monaco confusions sorted out.
The Estérel: red cliffs and the Corniche d'Or
The Estérel's red volcanic cliffs along the Corniche d'Or, between Mandelieu and Saint-Raphaël, by car or e-bike, with honest travel times.
Italian Riviera: Sanremo and Dolceacqua
A day trip from Nice into Italy: Ventimiglia's Friday market, Sanremo, and the medieval village of Dolceacqua, about an hour by train.
Lérins Islands: Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat from Cannes
How to visit the Lérins Islands from Cannes: Sainte-Marguerite's Fort Royal and pinewoods versus Saint-Honorat's working abbey.
Menton
Menton guide: lemon gardens, Basilique Saint-Michel, Musée Jean Cocteau and a quieter alternative to Monaco and Èze, 40 minutes from Nice by train.
Mercantour and the Nice hinterland
The Mercantour National Park, the Vésubie and Roya valleys, and the Vallée des Merveilles rock carvings — a full day trip from Nice, not an afternoon.
Perched villages behind the Riviera: Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence and Grasse
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Grasse and Mougins: honest travel times from Nice, opening hours, and when the crowds hit.
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez from Nice: honest distances, the old port, the citadel, Pampelonne beach, and when the road actually gets bad.
Saint-Tropez and the Estérel: a full day away from Nice
Saint-Tropez, Port Grimaud and the Estérel's red cliffs from Nice: real distances, honest timing and what a full day away actually looks like.
The Gorges du Verdon: a full day trip from Nice
One of Europe's largest canyons, about 2h30-3h from Nice: Lake Sainte-Croix, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Castellane and the Valensole lavender.
Western Riviera: Cannes, the Lérins Islands and Antibes
Cannes, the Lérins Islands, Antibes and Juan-les-Pins: real sand, honest boat times from Nice, and what each stop actually offers.
Good to know about destinations across the French Riviera
The French Riviera is a compact but dramatically varied stretch of coast, and getting a feel for its geography before you go makes the difference between a scattered week and a trip that actually flows. This guide from Nice Spirit breaks the region into six areas, each shaped by the mix of sea, corniche roads and hinterland that cuts it into distinct zones. Nice itself centers on the Old Town, where the Cours Saleya market and the facades of Vieux-Nice sit a short tram ride from Nice Côte d'Azur airport.
The Eastern Riviera is the run of corniches toward Italy, home to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the perched village of Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo, and Menton on the last stretch before the border. The Western Riviera stretches from Cannes and La Croisette, past the Îles de Lérins, into Antibes and Juan-les-Pins. Inland, the Perched Villages each have their own character: Saint-Paul-de-Vence, reached by a road thick with galleries, home to the Fondation Maeght; Vence, centred on Matisse's Chapelle du Rosaire; and Grasse, the perfume capital, with its Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard houses.
The Alpine hinterland, running up toward the Mercantour, has no coast road at all in its higher valleys and is best reached with a full day set aside. Finally, the day-trip area around Saint-Tropez, the Esterel and the gorges du Verdon lies well beyond Nice itself. Because road access and travel time vary so much between these areas, this section links each one to what it actually offers, so you can match your time and mobility to the right part of the coast rather than trying to see all of it at once.
Frequently asked questions about destinations across the French Riviera
What are the main areas to choose between on the French Riviera?
The coast splits into Nice itself, the Eastern Riviera toward Italy, the Western Riviera around Cannes, the perched villages inland, the alpine hinterland, and day trips further afield like Saint-Tropez and the Verdon. Each has a different character, from seafront promenades to villages you can only reach by a winding road.
Which area has the best weather for a beach stay?
The Eastern Riviera, around Villefranche-sur-Mer, Èze and Monaco, runs along the corniches toward Italy and is generally busier with cruise and day-trip traffic. The Western Riviera, around Cannes and Antibes, faces more open coast and has more sandy beaches.
Can I drive to the Vallée des Merveilles?
There's no road into the Vallée des Merveilles: it's reached on foot from the Mercantour, and in some areas only with an approved guide, to see the Bronze Age rock engravings. This makes it a different kind of trip from Èze or Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which you can drive to directly.
Where do flights into the French Riviera land?
Almost all international flights use Nice Côte d'Azur airport (NCE), a few kilometres west of central Nice. Monaco has no airport of its own: visitors arrive via Nice, by train, bus, car or helicopter to the Fontvieille heliport.
What's the difference between the East and West coasts?
The West is the leeward side, drier and sunnier, and home to most of the island's main beach towns. The East faces the wind directly and gets significantly more rain, giving it a greener, more lush landscape around towns like Saint-André, Saint-Benoît and Sainte-Rose.
Boat cruises to Monaco, Cannes and the Îles de Lérins
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