Printable itinerary
De Paris à la Côte d'Azur
Paris and Versailles, Lyon for food, Provence for villages and Roman sites, and the Riviera from Nice to Monaco.
Day 1 is your arrival day, so keep it gentle. Then mix the big sights (book them ahead) with neighborhood wandering, a market morning, a Seine walk at dusk and long café stops.
Arrive at CDG or Orly. Take the RER B, a flat-fare taxi or a pre-booked transfer into town; see our Paris transport guide.
The Hall of Mirrors, the gardens and Marie Antoinette's estate. Go early, and avoid Mondays when the palace is closed.
About 40 minutes by RER C or by train from Saint-Lazare or Montparnasse.
Monet's house and water-lily garden, open from spring to fall.
Train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon (about 45 minutes), then the shuttle.
France's food capital: bouchon lunches, Les Halles Paul Bocuse, Vieux Lyon's hidden passageways and the view from Fourvière.
Getting there: about 2 hr by TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon
The Palais des Papes, Roman Arles, the Pont du Gard and the hill villages of Gordes and Roussillon.
Getting there: about 1 hr 10 min by TGV from Lyon to Avignon
The hill villages need a car; without one, base in Avignon and use day tours and buses.
Lavender usually blooms from late June to mid-July.
Old Nice and the Promenade, the coastal villages of Villefranche and Èze, Monaco, and the art museums of the hills.
Getting there: about 3 hr by train or 2 hr 45 min by car from Avignon to Nice
Fly home from Nice (seasonal nonstops to the New York area), or take the TGV back to Paris, about 5 hr 45 min, the day before your flight.
Prices and rules were checked in October 2026 and change often. Confirm tickets, hours and entry rules on official sites before you travel. €1 ≈ $1.12.
Useful numbers
112 any emergency, from any phone · 15 medical · 17 police · 18 fire
US Embassy Paris +33 1 43 12 22 22, also the after-hours emergency line
Notes
Prices and rules were checked in October 2026 and change often. Confirm tickets, hours and entry rules on official sites before you travel. €1 ≈ $1.12.