The Promenade des Anglais in Nice. All photo by John O’Boyle / The Empty Nest Explorers except where noted
Updated October 2026
This guide covers five French Riviera cities and towns we'd send a friend to. They are Nice, Eze, Monaco, Saint Paul de Vence and Antibes.
We saw four of the five ourselves. Monaco is the one that got away, and we explain why below.
We have found that the South of France is not only incredibly beautiful but also very easy to visit. Most of the towns along the French Riviera are connected by train and driving between them is easy too.
The area has a reputation for catering to the rich and famous, but you can have a great time even if you are neither rich nor famous.
A train line runs along the coastline, easily connecting towns between Marseille and Menton. Many of the towns are incredibly close; for example, Nice and Monaco are 20 minutes apart by train. It amazed us that you can reach so many famous towns on a short train ride.
The surprising thing about driving on the French Riviera is how easy it is to park. Even in ancient hill towns, modern parking decks are available.
Best time to visit the French Riviera
The best time to visit the French Riviera is spring or early fall.
April, May, and September give you good weather without the brutal summer crowds. Eze and Saint Paul de Vence in particular get very packed in July and August.
We visited in May, and the timing was just about perfect.
Two big events are worth planning around. The Cannes Film Festival runs in May, and the Monaco Grand Prix follows soon after. Check the dates before you book, since both bring big crowds. Monaco's car collection even closes for Grand Prix week.
Summer is the season for beach time, but the hill towns are at their most crowded. If July or August is your only option, get to Eze and Saint Paul de Vence early in the day.
Winter is much quieter, with a catch. Some places close for the season. The restaurants at Château de La Chèvre d'Or in Eze shut from late October until April.
Towns near Nice and how to get there
| Town | From Nice | Best Way to Get There | Time to Allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice | Your base | Stay here | 2+ days |
| Eze | ~30 min by bus | Bus 82 or 602 from Vauban station, not the train | Half day; arrive by 9am |
| Monaco | ~20 min by train | Train from Nice Ville station | Full day |
| Saint Paul de Vence | About 1 hr by train and bus, less by car | Train to Cagnes-sur-Mer, then bus 655. Or a rental car | Half to full day |
| Antibes | ~30 min by train | Train from Nice Ville station | Half day |
Our favorite French Riviera cities and towns (in no particular order)
Nice
We should start with Nice since it’s an outstanding spot for exploring the region.
Nice is also the easiest base for seeing other French Riviera cities. Staying in Nice allows you to take short train rides to Monaco, Menton, Antibes, and Cannes.
We enjoyed the city's metropolitan feel, with great restaurants and transit, but it's still small enough to move around easily.
Nice Old Town at night.
We especially enjoyed visiting La Colline du Château, the park overlooking the beach, and the Promenade des Anglais. All the scenic photos of the Nice beach are taken from this scenic overlook.
Besides the view, there is a cool waterfall and a scenic view of the port on the other side of the park.
Nice’s Old Town is fun to explore with countless restaurants.
You can read our full post here: Nice, France; a great base for visiting the French Riviera
We weren't sure exactly what to expect in Nice. We found great restaurants, a fun old town, and a waterfront promenade made for walking.
The short train rides to other towns and cities were a bonus.
Eze
The Le Jardin Exotique in Eze, France.
Eze is a remarkable hilltop medieval village 1,400 feet above the French Mediterranean.
This is the town where we splurged on accommodations and stayed at the 5-star Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or. Our Amex Platinum card benefits helped offset some of the crazy price tag.
While the cost was high, the experience was once in a lifetime. You can read more about the hotel in our post: Review of Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or in Eze, France
Tip: you can get the classic Eze experience for less by going for lunch. It's still pricey, but far cheaper than a night's stay.
Two hotels in the village have terraces overlooking the Mediterranean. At Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d'Or, Les Remparts serves lunch on a cliffside terrace. The hotel's garden café, Le Café du Jardin, is the more casual choice.
The other is Château Eza, which has a Michelin-starred restaurant. Lunch menus there start around 70 euros.
Both close for the winter, so check the dates and book ahead.
Debbie and I still think about sitting outside at Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d'Or with a drink, overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s like you are in a movie.
If you don’t stay overnight in Eze, my number 1 tip is to arrive as early as possible. Arriving by 9 am is essential; 8 am would be even better. Later in the day, the charming narrow stone streets become packed with visitors.
We have lots of tips about visiting Eze here: Eze, France; How to plan a memorable visit
If you're not driving, take the bus from Nice, not the train. Buses 82 and 602 leave from the Vauban station in Nice and take about 30 minutes.
The train leaves you along the beach, 1,400 feet below the town. If you are a serious hiker, you might enjoy the rugged Nietzsche Trail; if not, the bus will drop you right at the town entrance.
Monaco
Perhaps no other spot embodies the luxury of the region more than the Principality of Monaco. It's the second smallest country in the world and the most densely populated country in the world.
I did lots of research to plan our day trip from Nice. Unfortunately, no amount of planning can overcome the problems when a truck strikes a train overpass on the morning of your trip.
We found Nice train station a bit crowded and chaotic when we arrived. We quickly found out that all train service was suspended. We even had our tickets in hand for touring the Monaco Palace.
We were disappointed; Monaco is so famous, and we were going to miss it. When travel mishaps happen, we really try to make the best of it. So we spent the day exploring parts of Nice we didn’t expect to see.
Since I did all the research but couldn’t take advantage of it, I’m happy to share some tips here.
The Prince's Palace of Monaco is a must-see. You can purchase a tour on their website. Every day at 11:55 am changing of the guard ceremony takes place in front of the Prince’s Palace.
Monaco at night. Photo via Envanto
Monaco’s Old Town is located close to the Palace. One of the main places to visit in the beautiful Old Town is the Monaco Cathedral, where you can visit the grave of Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly).
Another attraction we planned to visit was the Prince of Monaco's car collection. Tickets are around 15 euros for adults, and the collection has nearly 100 cars.
Perhaps Monaco's most famous building is the Monte Carlo Casino. Even if you aren't a high roller, you can visit. Entry is around 19 euros.
Mornings are set aside for visitors, and the gaming tables and slot machines open at 2 pm.
Bring your passport. The casino doesn't accept a driver's license as ID.
| HOTELS | Booking.com Lots of search options. The customer reviews are very helpful. | Link ↗ |
| ACTIVITIES | Viator A wide variety of tours, food experiences and historical guides. | Link ↗ |
| AIRFARE | FareDrop Alerts for cheap flights customized by your home airport. | Link ↗ |
| PHONE | Airalo Easy to use eSIM for data and calls in every country. | Link ↗ |
| TRAIN TRAVEL | Trainline We book all our trains here. Easy to use and comprehensive listings. | Link ↗ |
Saint Paul de Vence
The beautiful streets of Saint Paul de Vence.
Perhaps our favorite town in the South of France is Saint Paul de Vence.
It is one of the oldest medieval towns and one of the busiest in the South of France.
You can take a bus from Nice but we chose to drive and used the modern parking garage right outside the walls of the city.
There is a wide variety of reasonably priced accommodations ranging from a few hotels in the city to bed-and-breakfast-style country houses (many with pools) within walking distance of the town.
We ate dinner on the patio of Le Tilleul and felt like we were eating in an Impressionist painting.
Our post, Visiting Saint Paul de Vence: the oldest medieval town in the South of France, will give you full details on how to plan a wonderful visit.
Antibes
The sandy beaches of Antibes.
We visited Antibes without any expectations on our drive from Saint Paul de Vence to Marseille and were pleasantly surprised.
We have walked through many markets in visits to Europe and this one is the perfect blend of a real market for locals and fun items for visitors. We visited on a Sunday and the market was vibrant.
Antibes features sandy beaches, unlike the pebble beaches in the area, a major plus.
We grabbed a sandwich and ate lunch on a bench at the harbor, looking at the boats. And wow, if you are interested in boats, this is the place to be. In addition to scores of regular boats, the harbor is home to many super yachts. It even features a heliport so the uber-rich can easily get to their mammoth yacht.
You can walk atop the old city wall for an even better view of the harbor.
While other cities, like Saint Paul de Vence, are more laid-back, Antibes is vibrant and sophisticated, with a busy market and harbor.
Antibes is definitely worth a few-hour visit. You can read our full post about visiting Antibes, Visiting Antibes, France in one day.
You can search for a great place to stay in the French Riviera here.
Other French Riviera towns to consider
We haven't made it to these four yet, but they come up on almost every list. Here is what we'd want you to know before going.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
This is the closest town to Nice, about 7 minutes by train. It sits on one of the deepest bays in the Mediterranean. The 16th-century citadel overlooks the water and holds several small museums. The Saint-Pierre chapel was decorated inside by Jean Cocteau. Rue Obscure, a vaulted lane in the old town, is the other well-known sight.
Menton
Menton is the last French town before Italy, about 35 minutes by train from Nice. It is known for lemons and gardens. The Lemon Festival fills the town in February and into March. The old town dates to the 13th century and runs downhill to the port.
Cannes
Cannes is about 30 to 35 minutes from Nice by train, in the other direction. La Croisette is the famous seaside promenade, about two miles long. Le Suquet is the old quarter on the hill, with views over the bay. The Lérins Islands are a 15-minute boat ride from the old port.
The Cannes Film Festival takes over the town every May, so check the dates first.
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez takes more planning because it has no train station. The closest one is Saint-Raphaël, and you continue by bus or taxi. By car it is about an hour and a half from the Nice airport. Boats also run from Nice between May and September and take around two and a half hours.
Cassis
Further west, we did get to Cassis. It is a small fishing port about 40 minutes east of Marseille. It is also the gateway to the cliffs of Calanques National Park. We wrote a full post on it: Cassis, France: Gateway to the Calanques and One of Provence's Prettiest Harbors
Restaurants along the harbor in Cassis, France.
I hope you have as great a time as we did in the French Riviera.
French Riviera Frequently Asked Questions
What cities are in the French Riviera?
Nice is the biggest and the one most people start with. Cannes, Antibes and Menton are the other well-known ones along the coast, and Monaco sits in the middle as its own tiny country. Eze and Saint Paul de Vence are small hill towns.
Is Nice part of the French Riviera?
Yes. Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera and has the region's main airport.
Is Marseille part of the French Riviera?
Usually no. There is no official border, but most people end the Riviera well east of Marseille, around Saint-Tropez or Toulon. We drove to Marseille on the same trip and it is worth a visit.
Which town is best to stay in on the French Riviera?
We'd pick Nice. The coastal train runs right through it, so Monaco and Antibes are each a short ride away. It also has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants.
What towns or cities are near Nice?
Eze is about 30 minutes by bus and Monaco is about 20 minutes by train. Antibes is about 30 minutes by train. Saint Paul de Vence takes about an hour by train and bus.
About the Authors
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John and Debbie O'Boyle are the team behind The Empty Nest Explorers. John is a professional photographer whose work has been published by The New York Times, NBC News, and Getty Images. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, has been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, and has received two New York Emmy nominations. Debbie is a writer and photographer with 30+ years of experience, formerly with The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Together, they create in-depth travel guides for couples and empty-nest travelers who want to make the most of every destination. |
Sunrise in Eze, France.
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We have found that the South of France is not only incredibly beautiful but also very easy to visit. Most of the towns along the French Riviera are connected by train and driving between them is easy too.