Let me start by saying, I LOVE the South of France.
Actually, I LOVE France in general!
But if you’re on the lookout for a summer road trip that oozes epic views and fun vibes, then a trip to the south of France should be high on your bucket list.
This is actually one of Bradley's favourite road trip drives in all of the world (that’s a pretty big statement!)
Anyway, I’m going to take you through an epic South of France Road Trip Itinerary, complete with places to eat, and places to stay.
So let’s get started!
The great thing about this part of France is that it’s not overly large, so you can make it as long or as short as you want!
Personally, I would stay opt for a week or 10 days if you want to go into full holiday mode!
But you could easily spend just a few days.
Before I get into a day by day suggestion, I’m quickly going to overview the places I’m going to mention in this itinerary, just so you can start to get excited ;)
Oh and this south of France itinerary doesn’t just include beaches and beach vibes, we’re also including lavender fields and adorable French towns!
Oppède – a quiet Luberon hill village where ivy‑clad stone houses huddle beneath ruined château walls.
Gordes – gravity‑defying limestone tiers cascading down a cliff, anchored by a Renaissance château and sweeping valley views.
Saint‑Rémy‑de‑Provence – Van Gogh’s onetime refuge, all plane‑tree boulevards, Roman ruins and Wednesday produce markets.
Roussillon – a patchwork of ochre‑pigmented facades set against crimson cliffs and fragrant pine forest.
Bonnieux – twin‑church skyline, narrow lanes and panoramic vineyards that roll towards Mont Ventoux.
Valensole – the postcard plateau where purple lavender rows meet honey stalls and distant Alpine peaks.
Sainte‑Croix‑du‑Verdon – terracotta roofs stacked above turquoise lake waters at the gateway to the Verdon Gorge.
Marseille – France’s oldest port: gritty, grand and forever alive with bouillabaisse steam and sea‑salt air.
Toulon – naval harbour city mixing Provençal markets with an unmistakable military backbone.
Saint‑Tropez – once a sleepy fishing port, now a yacht‑lined stage for pastel facades and late‑night café culture.
Cannes – film‑festival glitz, palm‑edged Croisette and sandy bays looking out to the Îles de Lérins.
Nice – belle‑époque architecture, pebble beaches and a seven‑kilometre Promenade des Anglais backed by gelato stalls.
Monaco – pocket‑sized principality of super‑yachts, cliff‑edge gardens and a hairpin Grand Prix track.
Menton – lemon‑scented border town where Italianate pastel houses slope to a calm, azure shoreline.
Full disclosure, we were already in France for a larger 6 week trip, so I didn’t need to rent a car, but my recommendation is to fly into Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport and drop back at Nice airport.
This may not be possible depending on where you’re coming from. So other options include Marsellie.
Opt for Rental Cars or Discover Cars to begin your share for car rental in France, OR go straight to my guide.
If you’re wondering how much car rental is in the South of France, it’s around €30‑€55 a day for a basic manual hatchback in low‑to‑mid season, and €60‑€90 a day in high summer—before you add insurance extras, fuel and tolls.
So in the interest of convenience, I’m going to start this itinerary in Marseille as it’s pretty international.
Assuming you’ve landed in the morning, or at lunch time.
Let’s start your day by exploring Marseille. If you want, you could skip here altogether, and just grab your rental and go, but if you want to spend an hour or so having a look, then these are some of the best spots to see in Marseille.
Vieux Port stroll (30 min) – Start at the Métro Vieux‑Port exit, cross under Norman Foster’s mirrored pavilion, watch fishermen auction the morning catch on the quay and grab a quick espresso at a harbourside bar. You’re standing where the city began 2,600 years ago, with Fort Saint‑Jean and the basilica perched above letting you read the whole skyline at a glance.
MuCEM & Fort Saint‑Jean bridge loop (60 min) – Walk five minutes to the latticed MuCEM cube, take the free exterior ramps up to the roof, then follow the airy footbridge straight into 17th‑century Fort Saint‑Jean. Views back to the harbour and out to the Château d’If cover every shade of Mediterranean blue; no ticket needed unless you enter the museum galleries.
Notre‑Dame‑de‑la‑Garde lookout (45 min visit, 15 min bus each way) – Hop on bus 60 at the Old Port for the ten‑minute haul to Marseille’s hill‑top guardian. From the basilica terrace the entire city, the Frioul islands and the first inlets of the Calanques lie in one panoramic sweep. Duck inside to glance at the vaulted ceiling hung with model boats, then ride the bus back down to the port in time to catch your onward train or ferry.
You could opt to spend the night here (depending on your flight) or head to the next spot.
These are some of my favourite spots in the South of France, and they are only an hour from Marseille. It doesn’t take long to get between the towns, so if you were in a rush, you could absolutely do them in one day BUT, they’re full of charm, so I suggest you pick one of them to stay overnight in, and take your time to soak up the ambience.
Explore Oppède‑le‑Vieux on foot – leave the newer plain‑level hamlet behind, walk the stony lane that winds up through thyme bushes and abandoned terraces, and you land in a near‑silent cluster of medieval façades that feels frozen mid‑century. Probably one of my favourite spots in all of France.
Short vineyard loop on the Calavon cycle path – if you have bikes, the former railway line running south of the village is shaded and gently graded; picnic spots every kilometre or so.
Take in the postcard view before you enter – the D2 pull‑out just east of town is the shot that ends up on every Provence calendar: dry‑stone houses poured down a cliff, Monts de Vaucluse behind.
Wander the calades up to the Château de Gordes – this Renaissance‑era block dominates the crest; inside, rotating art exhibitions replace the usual armour displays and the roof terrace gives a different angle on the valley.
Sentier des Ocres (Ochre Trail) – two colour‑coded loops (30 or 50 minutes) snake through old quarries where the cliffs glow rust, saffron, and vermilion against pines. A small entry fee keeps the walkways maintained; shoes you don’t mind staining are advisable.
Village lanes in matching hues – the ochre dust ends up in the plaster, so every façade echoes the cliffs. Climb to the orientation table by the church for a 360‑degree panorama over cedar forest and the distant Lure mountain.
Climb the 86 stone steps to the Église Haute for a quiet, wind‑brushed lookout over terraced rooftops, vineyards and Mont Ventoux in the distance.
Walk the Cedar Forest trail just beyond the village—a flat two‑kilometre loop under 150‑year‑old Atlas cedars that smells of resin and serves shade when the rest of the Luberon bakes.
There are a bunch of really cute bakeries and restaurants throughout, and there’s a bunch of places that do good ice cream!
These are some of the ones we visited. Le Chanut in Oppede and L'Ocrier in Roussillon, which were a bit overpriced but the icecream was good.
Airelles – La Bastide de Gordes – 16th‑century cliff‑top palace in Gordes with valley‑wide terraces and a rock‑hewn Sisley spa.
Le Jardin d’Ivana – Stone farmhouse B&B in Oppède where a vineyard‑view pool and home‑made jam breakfasts keep things quietly Provençal.
“Maison Océ” Airbnb – Two‑bedroom ochre cottage between Roussillon and Bonnieux, modern‑rustic interiors and a private plunge pool for sunset dips.
Now it’s time to enter one of the best parts of the road trip….the Lavender fields!
Yes, they are seasonal, but the area is still beautiful to visit year round, BUT, if you want to visit the Lavender fields, and the sunflower fields then this is what you need to know.
The Valensole Plateau sits at a relatively low altitude (around 500 m), so its lavender wakes earlier than fields in higher parts of Provence; flowers usually open in the last ten days of June and peak colour runs from about 25 June to 10 July — the fortnight when rows turn a dense, almost electric purple and perfume hangs in the heat.
From mid‑July farmers begin cutting for distillation, starting with the sun‑exposed plains around Valensole village and moving outward; by the last week of July most large parcels are stripped bare, though a few late‑harvest plots linger into early August if spring was cool.
If you want blooms and manageable crowds, aim for the window between 28 June and 7 July: sunrise (06:00‑08:00) or golden hour (19:30‑21:00) delivers soft light, emptier field edges and gentler temperatures for photographs.
Visit a little later—around 14 July—and you’ll trade some colour for the bonus of sunflowers flowering beside the remaining lavender, plus Valensole’s annual Lavender Festival (20 July 2025) with stills demonstrations and honey stalls.
Weather can shuffle the season a week either side; prolonged spring rain pushes peak bloom to early July, while a hot, dry May can bring colour forward. If your trip is locked for late July and you arrive to harvested rows, drive an hour north‑east to the higher Pays de Sault where altitude delays cutting until around 15 August.
I’d personally spend the evening of your day 3 here, and enjoy the light of the evening, and the fewer crowds, then again, spend the evening somewhere in the area there.
This is SUCH a beautiful part of France, and you can view the Gorge from above, or you can swim in it below. Kayak rental is SUPER popular here. So popular in the summer that it was sold out for the entire day when we visited, which was annoying on my part as I wish I had pre-arranged one, or at least arrived earlier.
If you have your own, you can pop it in the water yourself, or paddleboard, or if you don’t have anything, don’t worry, you can simply swim! Which is what Bradley did!
After visiting this area, it’s time to drive down towards the coast and make your way to Toulon, where we start the coastal section of this South of France road trip.
It’ll take you around 2 hours to get to Toulon.
I’d personally start the day in Toulon, have a walk around, grab some lunch, and then make it to St Tropez closer to the evening for dinner and sunset drinks. St Tropez is a famous spot, you associate it with rich yachts and designer shops, and it has both those things.
I actually really liked it, it had a lot of charm, and food wasn’t madly overpriced if you were sensible!
Ride the Téléphérique du Faron at opening time – the six‑minute cable car floats straight over pine ridges to Mont Faron’s 584‑metre summit; clear mornings show the full naval harbour curve and the Îles d’Hyères beyond.
Walk the Cours Lafayette market – every morning except Monday hundreds of stalls line the palm‑shaded avenue; try a slice of cade (wood‑oven chickpea crêpe) and pick up a pocket of Provençal olives for later.
Tour the Musée National de la Marine – Toulon is still France’s main Mediterranean base; the museum unpacks 400 years of maritime history with ship models and a sobering corner on the 1942 scuttling of the fleet.
Climb the Citadelle ramparts – the 17th‑century fort holds a small maritime museum, but the real draw is the 360‑degree view across the gulf to Sainte‑Maxime and inland over umbrella‑pine hills.
Spend an afternoon on Plage de Pampelonne – five kilometres of pale sand 15 minutes south of town; hire a sun‑lounger at Club 55 if you want the classic scene or carry your own towel to the public stretch at Patch.
Walk the Sentier du Littoral to Cap Taillat – start at Escalet, follow the way‑marked path along rock ledges and quiet coves; bring water and snorkel gear, the sea here is usually glass‑clear and uncrowded outside July–August.
Weirdly enough, and totally unplanned, Brad and I ended up visiting Cannes during the Cannes film festival (well, on the last day!).
But it’s a pretty cool place to visit, and has a beautiful stretch of beach. A good thing to note right now is that if you’re parking, park outside the town itself on that big long stretch of street, and walk in (it’s about 20-30 mins- depending on where you park).
We spent a morning and afternoon in Cannes, and grabbed some crepes for lunch, which were delicious, I really wish I noted the name of the place we went. It was a little random creperie, small but wonderful…..you’ll just have to discover your own ;)
After Cannes we made the drive to Nice.
This whole stretch of coast is a thing to do in itself. The views on the drive are STUNNING!
Once you get to Nice, grab a sunset dinner, then explore the next day! I’ve given myself an extra day in Nice as there are a bunch of nice beaches here to just relax and enjoy the sunshine.
Stroll La Croisette before the beach umbrellas open – a quiet early‑morning walk lets you take in the palm‑lined promenade, belle‑époque façades of the Carlton and Martinez, and light shimmering off the bay before luxury retail wakes up.
Browse Cours Saleya Flower & Produce Market – every morning except Monday (when antiques replace fruit stalls), rows of mimosa blossoms, candied fruit and Niçoise olives fill the old‑town square; grab a rectangle of Socca hot off the griddle.
Walk the Promenade des Anglais to Castle Hill – a gentle seaside stroll leads to the free lift (or 300 steps) up to Parc du Château; the waterfall viewpoint and sweeping bay panorama explain every postcard you’ve seen.
Dip into the Musée Matisse in Cimiez – housed in a 17th‑century Genoese villa, the collection traces Matisse’s colour experiments from early sketches to late‑life cut‑outs; the Roman amphitheatre ruins next door are a bonus five‑minute detour.
Take the tram to the Port for aperitif hour – pastel‑painted façades glow as evening sets in; order a verre of crisp rosé at a quayside bar and watch small fishing boats slot in beside glossy super‑yachts.
Yes, it’s not part of France and it's its own territory to visit, but it’s on the South of France strip, so naturally it’s included, and you can’t go along this stretch of land and not stop in Monaco!
Monaco is truly one of those places that lives up to the lavish expectations. There’s a full area that’s just casinos, rich cars and designer shops, but what I didn’t expect was the charm of the old town area of Monaco. It’s got cobblestone streets and a lot of great ice cream shops!
But Monaco IS expensive.
However, we decided to do something different and cheaper for dinner.
We grabbed a few takeaway slices of pizza and a couple of cans of soda, and headed to the water to sit and enjoy the sunset!
Who says you can’t have a romantic dinner in Monaco on a budget? ;)
We didn’t stay overnight in Monaco, simply because you were not allowed to in a campervan (and that’s what we had!), so we had to leave, but you could splash out and spend the day night here. If I return I’d stay overnight, 100%!
Watch the daily 11:55 a.m. Changing of the Guard at the Prince’s Palace – arrive ten minutes early on the Palace Square for the drum‑beat ceremony, then wander the cliff‑top lanes of Monaco‑Ville for Mediterranean views framed by pink façades.
Lap the Formula 1 street circuit on foot – begin at the start/finish line outside Café de Paris, follow red‑and‑white kerbs past the harbour chicane and Eau Rouge‑steep Fairmont hairpin, and finish with a selfie in the tunnel where engines howl each May.
Spend an hour in the Oceanographic Museum – perched on a sheer cliff, Cousteau’s former HQ houses lagoon tanks of sharks and seahorses below Art‑Nouveau ceilings; the rooftop terrace shows off both Monaco’s skyline and the open sea.
Sip an aperitif in the Casino Square gardens – tuxes and designer dresses queue for Salle Europe while vintage Bentleys idle outside; take a seat at Café de Paris, order a chilled rosé, and watch Monaco’s high‑gloss theatre roll by.
Menton is your final stop on this South of France road trip itinerary! And it’s a wonderful last stop. It’s actually quite a colourful place and full of charm, and I’d say less touristy than a lot of other South of France hot spots!
Wander the Old Town lanes up to Basilique Saint‑Michel – ochre and butter‑yellow facades climb like theatre scenery; reach the parvis for a mosaic‑tiled terrace framing the harbour and Italian coast in one sweep.
Smell & taste your way through the Jardin du Val Rahmeh – a humid micro‑climate lets banana, avocado and rare citrus trees thrive; the greenhouse of blue nymphaea lilies feels closer to the tropics than the Riviera.
Swim off Plage des Sablettes then dine on pan bagnat – sheltered by the breakwater, the bay stays glass‑calm; grab the Niçoise sandwich (anchovy, olive, tomato) from A Braijade on the promenade for an easy seaside lunch.
Time a visit for Fête du Citron (mid‑Feb to early March) – giant sculptures made of 150 000 lemons and oranges parade the seafront, night‑time garden illuminations glow in Biovès Park, and every shop sells something laced with Menton’s sharp‑sweet citrus.
Hotel Napoleon – low‑key four‑star on Garavan Bay; sea‑view rooms look straight at the Italian border, small pool for late‑afternoon cool‑downs.
La Dolce Vita Hotel – 19th‑century villa four minutes from Plage des Sablettes; lemon‑tree garden and high ceilings painted in gentle Riviera pastels.
Airbnb “Citrus Loft” – renovated stone‑walled loft in the Old Town lanes; Juliette balcony, exposed beams and a two‑minute walk to the beach and gelato kiosk.
It’s the final day, and time for you to return your car! Make the drive back to Nice (or the whole way back to your starting point, wherever you picked it up from!)
As you can see from the driving distances on this road trip, it’s entirely possible to do it quicker, or slower if you want to spend a few days at a time in one location.
Brad and I tend to move quite quickly! But if I was treating this as a full on relaxing holiday, then 10 days is a great amount of time to just relax and take in the sights with plenty of slow evenings for dinner and slower starting mornings. No rush, just soaking up that South of France atmosphere!
For most travellers the South of France feels best in the shoulder months—late April through June and mid‑September into mid‑October.
Daytime temperatures sit in the low‑ to mid‑20s °C, sea water has warmed enough for a swim by early June, restaurant terraces are open but you can still find parking in coastal villages, and hotel rates remain 15‑30 % lower than peak‑summer quotes.
Lavender peaks on the Valensole plateau from the last week of June into the first week of July, while vineyard foliage turns copper and gold across Provence in late September.
July and August bring unfailingly hot sunshine (28–34 °C), festival buzz and warmest sea temperatures, but also dense crowds, heavier traffic on the A7 and A8 motorways, and the highest accommodation prices of the year; book six months ahead if those are your only travel windows and aim for early starts to sidestep midday lines.
Winter (December‑February) is mild on the coast—Nice often tops 12 °C at noon—and the light can be clear and soft; you trade beach swims for quiet promenades, Christmas markets and off‑season hotel bargains, though many rural restaurants shut for holidays. March can feel in‑between: almond blossom appears, but mistral winds still sweep the Rhône valley.
In short, go in May–June for green hills, long daylight and early lavender, or in September–early October for warm sea, grape harvest mood and softer prices—and keep a light jacket handy for the odd evening mistral year‑round.
So there you have it, my South of France Road trip itinerary!
Any questions or comments just drop them below!
Love,
Cazzy
Would you like some more French travel inspiration? Then here are a few of my other France articles.
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