If you’re planning a trip to the South of France, one of the hardest parts is figuring out which towns along the French Riviera are actually worth squeezing into your itinerary.

There are so many beautiful places packed along the Côte d’Azur that it is very easy to turn your vacation into one long race from train station to train station.

After spending 10 days exploring the French Riviera, I can confidently say you do not need to see everything.

Some towns are perfect for wandering for a few hours, others deserve an entire day, and a few make such a good home base that you’ll probably find yourself coming back to them again and again.

From the colorful streets of Menton to the beaches of Antibes and the hilltop views in Èze, these are the best towns on the French Riviera that I would actually prioritize on a South of France trip.

Quick Deets: Visiting the Best Towns in the French Riviera

• What is the best home base in the French Riviera?
  • Nice. It is centrally located, easy to reach by train and gives you the most flexibility for day trips along the French Riviera.
• What is the best way to get around the French Riviera?
  • For most towns along the French Riviera, the train is the easiest option. A car is more helpful for Saint-Tropez, smaller beaches and places that are not directly along the train line.
• How many towns should you visit in one day?
  • Usually one, or two if they are very close together and easy to pair.
• How long should you spend in each town?
  • Most towns need anywhere from a few hours to a full day. You definitely do not need to stay overnight everywhere. Saint-Tropez is one of the places I would give more time to, especially if you want to explore town and spend an afternoon at a beach club.
• What towns are easiest to pair together?
  • Èze + Monaco and Villefranche-sur-Mer + Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are two of the easiest combinations.
• How many towns should you visit on a French Riviera trip?
  • I would plan for around four to five towns on a 5-day trip, six on a 7-day trip and seven or eight on a 10-day trip.
• Do you need a car on the French Riviera?
  • No, not for most of the French Riviera. But if Saint-Tropez is a priority, I would strongly consider renting one for that portion of the trip.
• What is the best time to visit the French Riviera?
  • Late spring through early fall is the easiest time for warm weather, beach days and longer daylight hours.

How Many Towns Should You Visit on the French Riviera?

The biggest thing I learned on this trip is that you really do not need to see every town.

The French Riviera looks small on a map, which makes it incredibly tempting to cram multiple stops into every day. But some of our favorite days were actually the simplest ones: explore one town in the morning, have a long lunch and spend the afternoon at the beach.

For most days, I would plan around one main town and only add a second if the two are close together and easy to pair.

A good rule of thumb is:

• 5-day trip: 3–4 towns
• 7-day trip: Around 5 towns
• 10-day trip: 6–7 towns

You can absolutely see more than that, but I do not think you need to. Places like Èze + Monaco work really well together, while towns like Saint-Tropez deserve more breathing room.

If you have a longer trip, I would use the extra time for beaches, long lunches and slower afternoons instead of automatically adding more stops. That is really what made the French Riviera feel special for us.

Do You Need a Car On the French Riviera?

Not necessarily.

One of the best things about traveling along the French Riviera is how well connected many of the towns are.

Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Menton, Cannes and Antibes are all relatively easy to visit without renting a car.

That said, having a car gives you more flexibility if you want to explore Saint-Tropez, smaller beaches or places that are harder to reach by train.

My biggest advice would be not to rent a car just because you feel like you are supposed to. If most of your itinerary is concentrated along the train line, public transportation can actually be easier than dealing with traffic and parking.

The 8 Best Towns On the French Riviera

1. Nice

BEST FOR: First-time visitors, restaurants, nightlife and using as a home base
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: At least two days, ideally longer if you are basing yourself here
DON’T MISS: Old Nice, Cours Saleya and the Promenade des Anglais

If this is your first trip to the French Riviera, Nice is probably the easiest place to start.

It has the beaches, the beautiful architecture, the Old Town, great restaurants and enough going on that you can easily spend a few days here without feeling bored. It also makes a really convenient home base for exploring the smaller towns along the coast.

We stayed in Nice for the majority of our trip and used it as our jumping-off point for day trips, which worked really well.

Spend some time wandering through Old Nice, walk along the Promenade des Anglais, stop at the Cours Saleya market and leave plenty of time to just sit outside somewhere with a glass of wine.

Nice definitely feels more like a city than some of the smaller towns on this list, but that is part of what makes it such a great base. You get plenty to do at night while still being close to some of the prettiest villages on the Riviera.

2. Villefranche-sur-Mer & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

BEST FOR: Scenic coastal views, beaches and a slower Riviera day
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Half a day to a full day
DON’T MISS: The views around Villefranche-sur-Mer and the beaches of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

3. Èze

BEST FOR: Views and medieval village vibes
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Around three to four hours
DON’T MISS: Walking through the hilltop village and stopping somewhere with a view

Èze is one of the most unique towns on the French Riviera and absolutely deserves a spot on your itinerary.

Unlike most of the towns on this list, Èze sits high above the Mediterranean instead of directly on the water. The medieval village is filled with tiny stone alleyways, little shops, restaurants and some seriously incredible views over the coast.

It is also one of the more popular stops in the area, so I would try to get here earlier in the day if you can.

This is another place where you really do not need an overly structured itinerary. Give yourself a few hours to wander through the village, stop for a drink or lunch and take in the views.

Èze pairs really well with Monaco since they are so close to each other.

4. Menton

BEST FOR: Colorful streets, photos and a more relaxed atmosphere
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Half a day
DON’T MISS: The Old Town and waterfront views

Menton might have been one of the biggest surprises of our trip.

Sitting right near the Italian border, the town feels a little different from the rest of the French Riviera. The buildings are colorful, the streets are charming and the whole place has this slightly slower, more relaxed feel to it.

It is also ridiculously photogenic.

The best views are from the waterfront looking back toward the colorful buildings stacked along the hillside, especially later in the day when the light starts to soften.

Menton felt less flashy than Cannes or Saint-Tropez, which I actually really liked. It is a great option if you want something beautiful without quite as much of the scene.

5. Antibes

BEST FOR: Beaches, Old Town and a balanced day trip
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Half a day to a full day
DON’T MISS: Old Antibes, the marina and some beach time

Antibes is one of the best towns in the South of France if you want a little bit of everything.

You get a beautiful Old Town, a marina filled with massive yachts, local markets and some of the nicest beaches we visited on the trip.

The Old Town is easy to wander in the morning before heading toward the water for the rest of the day. That became one of my favorite ways to structure our days in the South of France: explore a town in the morning and then spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing.

If you have more time, you can also explore around Cap d’Antibes, where you will find even more beautiful coastline.

Antibes feels polished without feeling overly flashy, and I think it is one of the easiest towns to work into almost any French Riviera itinerary.

6. Cannes

BEST FOR: Shopping, beach clubs and classic Riviera glamour
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Half a day to a full day
DON’T MISS: La Croisette, shopping and the beachfront

Cannes definitely has a different energy from the smaller towns along the coast.

It is glossier, busier and much more centered around shopping, hotels, restaurants and beach clubs. If you want that classic glamorous French Riviera experience, this is where you will find it.

Spend some time walking along La Croisette, browse the shops and then head to the beach for the afternoon.

Cannes is also a great stop if you want to work some luxury shopping into your trip. There are plenty of designer stores clustered around the center of town, making it easy to shop for a bit before heading down to the water.

In the summer months, most Saturday’s host a huge firework celebration. It’s one of the largest celebrations behind Brazil, so definitely worth looking into the scheudle before you go. You can find more info HERE.

I would not necessarily devote multiple days to Cannes unless you really love this kind of atmosphere, but it is absolutely worth seeing.

8. Cap d’Ail

BEST FOR: Coastal walks, swimming and a quieter beach day
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: Half a day
DON’T MISS: The coastal path and Mala Beach

Cap d’Ail is one of the best towns on the French Riviera if you want something that feels a little less about sightseeing and a little more about the coastline itself.

The highlight for us was the coastal walk toward Mala Beach. The path hugs the water and gives you those dramatic Riviera views the entire way, with rocky cliffs, little coves and bright blue water basically everywhere you look.

Then you end up at Mala Beach, which makes the whole thing feel like the perfect mix of exploring and relaxing.

This is a great stop if you want a break from wandering through another Old Town and would rather spend a few hours walking, swimming and enjoying the coast.

It also pairs really well with Monaco if you want to combine both in one day.

8. Saint-Tropez

BEST FOR: Beach clubs, shopping and people watching
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED: At least one full day, ideally two if you want beach club time
DON’T MISS: The harbor, Old Town and a beach club afternoon

Saint-Tropez is one of those places that is just as much about the atmosphere as it is about the town itself.

The center is beautiful, with pastel buildings, narrow streets and the famous harbor, but a huge part of the Saint-Tropez experience happens outside of town at the beach clubs around Pampelonne.

We spent a few days in the Saint-Tropez area, which I would recommend if you want to experience more than just the harbor.

You can spend the morning wandering through town and shopping, then head to one of the beach clubs for a long lunch that slowly turns into your entire afternoon.

This is definitely one of the pricier and more scene-y stops on the Riviera, but if you are looking for that glamorous South of France experience, Saint-Tropez delivers.

Bonus: Monaco

Technically Monaco is its own country, so I am not counting it as one of the best towns on the French Riviera — but if you are already visiting the French Riviera, it is incredibly easy to add to your itinerary.

I would pair Monaco with Èze.

Spend the morning wandering around Èze and then head into Monaco later in the day. You can see Monte Carlo, walk around the harbor and get a taste of the city without necessarily dedicating an entire day to it.

It is flashy, polished and completely different from the little seaside villages nearby, which makes it a fun contrast.

Which French Riviera Towns Should You Prioritize?

If this is your first trip to the French Riviera, I would not try to visit every town just because If this is your first trip to the French Riviera, I would not try to visit every town just because you can.

If I were narrowing it down, I would prioritize:

• Nice: For your home base and the best overall mix of everything.
• Èze: For the views and medieval hilltop village.
• Antibes: For the mix of Old Town, beaches and the beautiful coastline around Cap d’Antibes.
• Saint-Tropez: For beach clubs, shopping and the full glamorous French Riviera experience.
• Cap d’Ail: For a quieter coastal day, the walk along the water and Mala Beach.

If you have more time, I would add Menton for something quieter and more colorful, Cannes for shopping and another easy coastal day trip, and Villefranche-sur-Mer + Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat when you want a slower day centered around the water.

The biggest thing I learned on this trip is that you really do not need to see everything. Pick the towns that match the kind of trip you want and give yourself enough time to actually enjoy them.

Is the French Riviera Worth Visiting?

It’s SO worth it.

What I loved most about the French Riviera was how different each town felt even though they were all relatively close together. You can spend one day wandering through a medieval hilltop village, the next swimming below colorful waterfront buildings and another sitting at a beach club in Saint-Tropez.

If I were planning the trip again, I would still choose a mix of towns rather than trying to see everything. Pick the places that actually fit the kind of trip you want, give yourself time to wander and leave plenty of room for long lunches and afternoons at the beach.

Some of our favorite moments happened when we had nowhere else we needed to be — and that is exactly how I think the French Riviera is meant to be experienced.

And if Nice is your home base, my 3 Days in Nice Itinerary pulls together exactly how I’d spend a few days there.