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Design My ItineraryFor most first visits without a car, we would start with Nice or Antibes: both sit on the coastal train line, so the rest of the Riviera stays within easy reach. Choose Villefranche or Èze for a quieter, more romantic stay, and Menton for a slower pace near the Italian border.
Use the interactive planner to compare your options. Estimates are editorial recommendations, not live availability or forecasts.
Both sit on the coastal train line, with plenty to do on the days you do not travel. Nice has more choice; Antibes feels smaller.
The sandier beaches are on the western side. Many of the best spots are private beach clubs: check what is included before you go.
Smaller places with beautiful views and calm evenings. Plan how you will move around, especially from Èze.
Gentler towns where one or two outings a day are enough. Menton also makes a simple day trip to Italy possible.
Best for: A first visit without a car
The region's largest city, with the airport, the main station and regional trains along the coast to Antibes, Cannes, Villefranche, Monaco and Menton. The Old Town, the markets, the museums and the Promenade des Anglais fill the days you stay put.
The beaches are pebbly. Choose the neighborhood deliberately: the Old Town is atmospheric but lively at night, and seafront hotels cost more.
Best for: Old town charm with sandier beaches
A walled old town, the Picasso Museum and the Cap d'Antibes coastal path, with sandier beaches around Juan-les-Pins. It sits on the coastal train line between Nice and Cannes.
Juan-les-Pins is busier and more nightlife-oriented in summer than old Antibes. Check which side of the cape your hotel is on.
Best for: Sandy beaches, shopping and a polished scene
The Croisette, sandy beaches and upscale shopping, with boats to the Lérins Islands in season. A good base for the western Riviera.
The film festival in May and major trade events can fill hotels and change prices. Check the event calendar before booking.
Best for: A quiet, beautiful bay close to Nice
A small harbor town on one of the coast's most beautiful bays, a few minutes by train from Nice, next to the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula and its villas and gardens.
Quieter in the evening and hilly, with fewer hotels and restaurants. Cruise-ship days can bring crowds to the harbor.
Best for: A slower pace near Italy
The last town before the Italian border, with gardens, a colorful old town and a gentler rhythm. Trains run easily to Monaco and across the border.
Further from the airport and from Cannes or Antibes, so less convenient for day trips to the western Riviera. The Lemon Festival in February draws large crowds.
Best for: A romantic stay with views
A medieval village perched above the sea, for a quiet, romantic stay with sweeping views and evenings after the day visitors have left.
Very limited accommodation and steep, stepped streets. You depend on buses, taxis or a car, so it works better for one or two nights than as a base for a week of day trips.
For a week or less, one well-chosen base on the train line is usually more relaxing than moving every two nights. For a longer stay, a split can work well: a few nights in Nice or Antibes for day trips, then a quieter finish in Villefranche, Èze or Menton. Count the time lost to packing, check-out and transfers before adding a third hotel.
Regional trains link the coastal towns from Cannes to the Italian border, which makes a car unnecessary for most town-to-town days. Parking in the old centers is limited and expensive. A car becomes useful for hill villages, inland Provence or a villa outside town, and even then it is often simpler to rent it for a day or two than for the whole stay.
Saint-Tropez lies well to the west and has no train station, and summer road traffic can make the drive long. If it matters to you, plan nights there rather than a day trip from Nice. The same logic applies to inland Provence: treat it as a separate stay, not an afternoon detour.
Several events can change prices and availability in a particular town: the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival in February, the Cannes Film Festival in May, and the Monaco Grand Prix, usually in late May or June. They can be a reason to go, or a reason to stay one town away. Confirm this year's dates on the official sites.
Chic Trip is based in Paris and plans tailored trips in France and Italy. Routes, partners and availability outside Paris are checked before confirmation. Planning fees and travel costs are quoted separately.
Explore tailored France tripsBoth work well without a car. Nice offers more restaurants, museums and hotel choice, and the airport is close. Antibes is smaller and calmer, with sandier beaches nearby at Juan-les-Pins. Choose Nice for variety, Antibes for a village feel.
Not for the coastal towns. Regional trains run from Cannes to the Italian border. A car helps for hill villages, inland Provence or a villa outside town, but parking in town centers is limited.
It is lovely for one or two romantic nights, but accommodation is very limited and getting around depends on buses, taxis or a car. For a longer stay with day trips, Nice or Villefranche below it is more practical.
Sources reviewed September 26, 2026. Month shortlists, base recommendations and trip-length estimates are editorial recommendations.
Nice Côte d'Azur Tourist Office: regional trains
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism: travel by train
Antibes Juan-les-Pins Tourist Office
Chic Trip is operated by WANDERCHIC TRAVEL, SASU, 50 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris. Travel operator registered with Atout France under number IM075260066. Financial guarantee: Groupama Assurance-Crédit & Caution, 8-10 rue d’Astorg, 75008 Paris. Professional liability insurance: Hiscox SA, 49 avenue de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris.
Stop stressing over your Paris vacation. Let our local experts design your custom itinerary with every price explained and approved upfront.
Design My Itinerary