Southern France
November 23 - November 30, 2022 (8D7N): While I’ve visited France many times, I have not had the pleasure of venturing out of Paris. If this is your first time visiting Paris, please refer to my Paris itinerary from 2012. During this trip, we refreshed ourselves with a walking tour and some exciting (and time-consuming) shopping experiences in Paris before embarking on a train ride to Nice. Once we arrived in Nice, we picked up a rental car and traveled east to Monaco before touring Southern France and visiting the Rhone Valley. We then returned the rental in Lyon before hopping on the SNCF back to Paris.
*Highly recommended food & hotel
Day 1 (Nice):
Evening arrival at Nice Ville Railway Station from Paris Lyon Railway Station (a 6-hr train ride turned into 7.5hrs due to delays)
Check-in @ Best Westen Lakmi Nice*
Shop @ Chanel Nice (tons of options here without the need to wait in line)
Walk along the boardwalk of Plage de Carras down to Casino Du Palais De La Mediterranee
Muy Mucho (cute store)
Dinner @ Maido* (delicious French/Japanese meal)
Drinks @ Le Comptoir Central Electrique*
Day 2 (Nice):
Breakfast @ hotel (decent breakfast selections with freshly squeezed OJ)
11 AM - 1:30 PM: Free Nice Walking Tour Around Nice Old Town and Castle Hill:
Maison Auer (one of the oldest chocolate shops in Nice)
Enjoy some free sparkling/flat water at the refilling station
Drinks & late lunch @ Foam (nice view of the port)
Take the tram back to Nice downtown
Shop @ Nicetoile, Ferret, Galeries Lafayette & Fnac
Dinner @ Acciardo
Day 3 (Monaco/Eze/Aix-en-Provence):
Breakfast @ hotel
Hertz rental car @ Nice Ville Railway Station
See Monaco itinerary
Walk around Eze Village (a beautiful village with lots of surprises)
Check-in @ Maison-M-AIX*
Dinner @ La Petite Ferme* (delicious steak)
Day 4 (Marseille/Cassis/Aix-en-Provence):
Breakfast @ hotel
11AM - 1PM: Marseille Free Walking Tour - Le Panier (park @ Parking Effia Cassis Mimosas):
Wine @ the rooftop garden
Museum (free admission; suggested duration: 0.5-1 hr)
Coffee & catch the sunset @ Le France
Dinner @ Niro* (reservations needed)
Day 5 (L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue/Avignon/Arles):
Breakfast @ hotel
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (park @ aire de jeux du portalet - free)
La Maison Rouge* (with live jazz at the market)
Avignon:
Arles:
Dinner @ Inari* (a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant; reservations needed)
Day 6 (Pont du Gard/Vienne/Lyon):
Breakfast @ hotel
Pont du Gard (suggested duration: 1.5-2 hrs; 8 AM- midnight; 9€ parking)
Vienne:
Lyon:
Check-in @ Hotel Silky by HappyCulture*
Return car rental @ Lyon Part Dieu
Dinner @ Le comptoir Chabert (a unique dining experience)
Day 7 (Lyon/Paris):
Coffee/tea @ hotel
10 AM-noon: Highlights and Hidden Gems of Lyon:
Lunch @ Chez Grand-Mere
SNCF @ Lyon Part-Dieu Railway Station (~ 2 hrs to Paris)
Check-in @ Hotel Hor
Dinner @ Bombay Palace & Le Bistrot Lorrain
Day 8
Morning flight to JFK (priority pass lounge - Air France Lounge)
Other points of interest & food
Nice:
Lunch @ Chez Thérésa
Dinner @ La Route du Miam (reservations needed)
Dine @ La maison de Marie, La Merenda, Chez Acchiardo, Chez Palmyre
Ice cream @ Fenocchio
Hiking @ Tête de Chien
Visit St. Paul de Vence & have lunch @ La Colombe d'Or Hotel and Restaurant
During the summer, visit Cannes, Antibes, and Saint-Tropez.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (one of the most beautiful villages in France)
Marseille: Cosquer Méditerranée
Visit other regions such as Nîmes, Les Baux-de-Provence
Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole (Psychiatric asylum where Vincent van Gogh painted as a self-admitted patient from 1889 to 1890)
Avignon:
Lyon:
Tips:
Purchase your train tickets via SNCF as early as possible for the greatest savings. You can also download the app to track your tickets easily.
A rental car makes it easy to visit various towns/cities in Southern France.
If you are looking to purchase some Chanel bags during your time in France, skip the boutiques in Paris and make appointments at Nice and Monaco instead.
Dinner reservations are a must, even in November. If you can’t secure reservations beforehand, showing up before 6:30 PM or after 9 PM would give you the best chance.
Lyon is the foodie’s heaven!! Enjoy some Michelin restaurants while visiting.
