How to See the French Riviera: The Perfect Day Trip from Nice
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The French Riviera is one of my favorite places that I’ve been to! There are tons of towns to see, gorgeous beaches to soak up the sun on, and some truly amazing cuisine. When visiting the French Riviera, it’s important to have an anchor point or home base to save not only time, but money. When I visited in 2016, I chose the perfect hotel in Nice as my home base and then ventured out from there. It really allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture and way of life in Nice, find our favorite bakery which we ended up visiting almost every morning, and gave us the opportunity to explore our surroundings in a less stressful way since we didn’t have to worry about packing and moving to a new hotel in a new town every few days. Regardless of where you decide to stay in the French Riviera, one thing you have to do, especially if it’s your first time in the region, is book a full-day tour. This was one of our favorite things we did on our trip! With so many amazing and beautiful towns on the French Riviera like Cannes, Monaco, and Saint Tropez, this day tour is the best way to see them all in a budget-friendly way.
Full-Day French Riviera Tour from Nice
The full day tour we booked departs from Nice and lasts anywhere from 9-10 hours in total. One great thing about this tour is that they give you the option to book a small group tour which consists of no more than 10-12 people or you can book a private tour, and they even pick you up and drop you off right at your hotel so it’s super convenient. You’ll visit six beautiful towns in this tour including historical Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Antibes, Saint Paul de Vence, and Cannes. After being picked up at your hotel, you’ll start your tour by visiting the town of Eze which is about a 20 minute drive from Nice. This medieval village has small, narrow streets and the buildings are made of stone. Here, you can roam the streets with your guide who will tell you about the villages history and then give you some time to browse around in some of the shops. You’ll also get a free tour at the Fragonard perfumery which is an iconic French perfume company that also has a perfumery and museum in Paris and is what inspired us to take our own custom perfume-making class during this trip.
Your second stop of the day will be one of the most iconic, Monaco. I learned so much during this part of the tour like that Monaco is still considered its’ own country and you have to stop to present your passport and paperwork to enter by car, but don’t worry, the tour operators handle all of this so you don’t have to. While in Monaco, we watched the changing of the guards at the palace after walking around for about 15-20 minutes. This is also where you’ll grab lunch for the day so be sure to look up some places the day prior. You probably won’t have enough time for a sit-down meal here, but there are a few sandwich shops near the palace that have great options. After we all wrapped up lunch, we headed to Monte Carlo which is in Monaco, and drove by the trendy Casino de Monte Carlo and even had the opportunity to drive along the Formula One track which was set up for the popular race taking place a week or two later. We really wanted to go inside the Monte Carlo Casino, so we ended up taking the train from Nice to Monte Carlo one evening and had dinner there and then went to the casino afterward.
As you leave Monaco, your group will head South and visit Antibes which is a stunning nautical town that is now the biggest marina in Europe. Here, you’ll walk along the water and watch some of the biggest yachts you’ll ever see pull into and out of port. Next up is another medieval village, Saint Paul De Vence. This walled town is inland just 15 minutes from the sea and is full of shops, restaurants, and great views! Lastly, you’ll make your way further South to Cannes which was another favorite stop of mine. Cannes is basically the Hollywood of France and it brings in all of the major stars every year for the Cannes Film Festival. During your time in Cannes, you can walk along the promenade, pop in shops, and even see the red carpet for the film festival (it was actually more orange when I was there!). It’s a really cool thing to see that most people don’t usually get the chance to see. After Cannes, your group will start the journey back to Nice to drop everyone off at their hotels.
Other French Riviera Day Trips
Although this tour doesn’t cover all of the towns scattered along the French Riviera, it does cover a decent amount of them and leaves you ample time to fit the others into your schedules. Saint Tropez is located further South and we visited via train and bus, but you can find tours that take you there. Below are a few other tours that are worth doing while visiting the French Riviera.
Saint-Tropez and Port Grimaud Tour from Nice: This full day tour leaves from Nice and takes you to the seaside town of Sainte Maxime where you’ll then take a boat down to Saint Tropez. On the way back to Nice, you’ll make a stop at Port Grimaud which is France’s version of Venice, Italy.
Nice Coastline Boat Cruise: This 2.5 hour boat cruise is a great option to incorporate into your day exploring Nice and offers a different way to take in the French Riviera. The boat takes you from Nice to Monaco pointing out sites along the way!
Saint-Raphaël Boat Excursion: This 2.5 hour leaves from the Santa Lucia Port in Saint-Raphaël. If you’re coming from Nice, you’ll want to take the train 4 stops to Saint-Raphaël which is about an hour away. This tour takes you to volcanic coves off the coast of the French Riviera and even lets you snorkel nearby. This is a tour I would’ve done if I had visited in the Summer months as it was still a bit chilly in early May.
Full-Day Catamaran Cruise from Cannes: This full day tour leaves from Cannes which if you’re coming from Nice, you can take the same train as mentioned above to the Cannes train station stop. This catamaran tour will take you out to the Bay of Cannes where you’ll stop at Pointe Croisette and the Lérins Islands with the option to snorkel. Lunch is included!
Happy travels!
- Tess
Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
