Bonjour! Welcome to the French Riviera, a place dotted with spectacular places at every step. Medieval villages, historic towns, vibrant cities, scenic landscapes… It’s all here, all along the coastal area extending from Menton to somewhere near Marseille. If you’re planning your first, or next, French Riviera trip and wondering what are the places you simply can’t miss, you’re in a good place! Keep reading and discover the most popular destinations, the best of the best of the French Riviera that can’t be missed.
So far we’ve lived on the French Riviera for more than 1 year, in a few different towns. During that time we visited quite a large part of this beautiful area of France and got to know it pretty well. And many of the places mentioned in the post we’ve visited even more than once… That’s how much we like them! Hope you’ll too!
This website uses affiliate links thanks to which we may earn a commission for purchases you made at no additional cost to you. If you like the content, consider using those links to support us. Thank you!
How to move around during a French Riviera trip?
The fastest way of getting to all mentioned places is by car, either yours or rented. If you don’t travel with your own car, you can easily rent one through the Rental Cars website.
All of the places from this post are also accessible by public transport, by trains or buses. You can search for the connections that might interest you on the rome2rio.com or sncf-connect.com website. For great train ticket deals visit Trainline.
If you don’t want to put too much effort into planning, you can always take advantage of the guided tours and let someone else take care of all the details. For a wide selection and well-reviewed tour options be sure to visit GetYourGuide or Viator.
Where to stay during a French Riviera trip?
It’s actually quite a hard question to answer as it depends on which places you wish to visit and how you are planning to move around the French Riviera.
If you prefer to stay in one place and slowly discover the area during day trips, we’d recommend staying in Nice or Antibes.
Things will be a little bit easier if you plan to move from one place to another as you can stay in all the spots you’d like. To find great accommodation visit Booking, Airbnb, or Hostelworld.
French Riviera trip – Places you can’t miss
Nice
Nice is a fabulous town on the French Riviera that probably needs no introduction. Relaxed vibe, compelling turquoise waters, colorful old town, splendid architecture, striking views, delicious food… Nice has all of these and more! This town is full of interesting places to discover and a huge number of various activities. For sure it will keep you entertained for hours, no matter what kind of traveler you are. Nice holds a special place in our hearts and even after 10+ visits, we can’t get enough of it!
Learn more: What To See In Nice, France?
Saint Paul de Vence
Saint Paul de Vence is a well-preserved medieval village that seems to be frozen in time. Since the 1920s’ it has been a strong magnet for countless artists and art lovers like Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso. Nowadays, Saint Paul de Vence is a fairy-tale place where you’ll find delightful winding streets, cozy squares, hidden corners, tall stone houses, small art galleries, craft shops, and great views… No wonder it became one of the most popular travel destinations on the French Riviera!
Learn more: Saint Paul de Vence, France – Things To Do In Artist’s Village
Menton
Menton is one of the most colorful seaside towns in Cote d’Azur that will fill you with positive energy, good food, and… lots of lemons! Whether you want to explore a picturesque old town, relax on a beach, admire breathtaking views, eat tasty food, or take part in a unique Lemon Festival – you’ll find it all in Menton. Chances are high that this town will enchant you from the first steps! Believe us, it’s a must-see place to visit on Cote d’Azur.
Learn more: What To Do In Menton, France?
Antibes
Antibes is a picturesque town that perfectly blends old-world charm, luxury, wealth, and natural beauty. The pleasant old town located within ramparts, interesting museums, luxurious villas and superyachts, magnificent beaches, and coastal trails with striking views attract thousands of travelers each year. No wonder many felt, and still fall, for its captivating charm! Whether you are an art enthusiast, a history geek, or a nature lover – there’s something for you in Antibes.
Learn more: 15+ Things To Do In Antibes, France
Discover more amazing places on Cote d'Azur:
Eze
Eze is one of the most authentic and well-preserved villages on Cote d’Azur that offers a fascinating insight into how life might have looked hundreds of years ago. It’s an enchanting place where you’ll find narrow winding streets filled with typical medieval architecture, tall stone houses, and unforgettable views over the coast from its Exotic Garden. It’s not without reason that Eze became one of the most popular places to visit on Cote d’Azur.
Learn more: 10 Things To Do In Medieval Village Of Eze, France
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is one of the most radiant places on Cote d’Azur that will fill you with positive vibes and good energy. It’s pretty, colorful, captivating, and it’s a real delight to explore. Whether you want to explore charming old town streets and historic sites or just relax on the beaches in a scenic setting – you’ll find it all in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Learn more: 8 Things To Do In Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France
Explore local attractions
Monaco
Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country set alongside the glamorous French Riviera. It’s a fascinating place to visit on Cote d’Azur where the level of luxury and wealth is beyond comparison. If you wish to indulge in a sophisticated lifestyle for a moment – this is the perfect place. Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Michelin restaurants, high-end shopping, super yachts, fast cars… All of that makes Monaco a world-renowned destination.
Learn more: Day Trip To Monaco – 10+ Things To Do
Cannes
Cannes is the world capital of cinema where glitz and glam reign. It’s a picturesque town that perfectly blends old-world charm, luxury, and natural beauty. Iconic film festival, colorful historic old town, magnificent sandy beaches with turquoise waters, striking views, fancy shopping, posh parties… All of that makes Cannes one of the most popular places on Cote d’Azur that attracts thousands of people each year.
Learn more: One Day In Cannes, France – 10+ Things To Do
Saint Tropez
Saint Tropez is one of the most emblematic towns in Cote d’Azur made famous by movies with Brigitte Bardot. Once a small fishing village, now a world-renowned travel destination loved by celebrities and tourists alike. The pastel-colored old town, luxurious yachts, iconic beaches, coastal walks, striking views, fancy shopping, vivid nightlife… Saint Tropez perfectly blends luxury, natural beauty, and old-world charm and without a doubt is one of the best places to visit on Cote d’Azur.
Learn more: 10+ Things To Do In St Tropez, France
Grasse
Grasse is an interesting town in the South of France where everything revolves around scents and perfumes. World-renowned perfumeries, perfume museums, perfume-making workshops, flower fields, streets dotted with shops selling… perfumes. It’s not without reason that Grasse is widely known as the perfume capital of the world! Add to that mixture a charming old town and great views of the surroundings and you’ll get a perfect blend that travelers can’t resist.
Learn more: 10+ Things To Do In Grasse, The Perfume Capital Of The World
French Riviera trip – Summing up & our opinion
Here you have it, the most popular places on the French Riviera that attract thousands of travelers each year. We think it’s quite a nice cheat sheet for your first trip to this area. One thing is for sure – you definitely won’t be bored during your French Riviera trip. You have plenty to see ahead of you. And… this is just the tip of the iceberg of all the magnificent places in the area! For more inspirations check out our post with 20+ best places to visit on Cote d’Azur.
As we’ve already mentioned at the beginning, so far we’ve spent over 1 year on Cote d’Azur living in various towns and areas. The whole region quickly became our favorite in France and it just keeps drawing us back…
During our first stay we visited all the mentioned places, beside Saint Tropez. But we caught up soon after! Some of them we’ve even visited a couple of times until now. Especially Nice and Menton hold a special place in our hearts and even after 10+ visits, we can’t get enough of them! But we’ve also visited places like Eze, Saint Paul de Vence, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Cannes more than once.
Book now: The Best of the French Riviera Small group Guided Tour from Nice
