Key facts
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur at a glance
Areas and places
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
May, June, September and October: bearable heat, busy markets and room in the villages. Lavender flowers from mid-June to mid-July. In July and August the coast and the Verdon fill up and there is a risk of massifs closing because of fire. In winter the Côte d'Azur stays mild and the Écrins are for skiing.
How you travel
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur your way
The ways of travelling that suit Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingCar-freeOn footBy bikeBy motorbike
Nearby
Near Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
43.84° N · 5.98° E
Provence
44.70° N · 8.03° E
Piedmont
By carBy plane
45.61° N · 7.36° E
Aosta Valley
By carBy campervanCampingBackpackingOn foot
45.87° N · 5.32° E
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingBackpackingCar-freeLuxuryOn footBy bikeBy motorbike
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go to the lavender early
First thing there is good light and almost nobody in the fields. Take your photos from the path: the fields belong to farmers and you don't walk into the rows.
- 2Check the massif access map
In summer, check every afternoon whether the Calanques and the coastal massifs open the next day. For the Sugiton calanque, on the busiest days you must book, free of charge, on the park's website.
- 3Do the Côte d'Azur by train
Parking in Nice, Villefranche or Monaco is expensive and difficult. The coast train stops at all of them and is cheap.
- 4Ask which day the market is
Every village in Provence has its market morning. Organise your route to coincide with one or two.
The bloom runs from mid-June to mid-July, and after that the fields are harvested. If you can only go in August, go for the Verdon, the coast or the mountains.
Which area should you choose?
The region joins three different trips: the Provence of lavender fields, markets and stone villages, the Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Monaco, and the southern Alps, with peaks of over 4,000 metres. Each area needs its own time. Choose the one that draws you most and add, at most, a second.
- Inland Provence, if you come for the lavender and the villages. The Valensole plateau is the one in the photos, with lavandin in flower between mid-June and mid-July. The Luberon has Gordes and Roussillon, and Avignon, Arles and Aix-en-Provence are the cities. It is car country, with a market every morning in a different village.
- The Gorges du Verdon, less than an hour from Valensole, for a limestone canyon of about 25 km and up to 700 metres deep. The Route des Crêtes by car, the Blanc-Martel trail on foot and kayaking on Lac de Sainte-Croix. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is the prettiest base.
- The Côte d'Azur, if you want sea and to travel without a car. Nice is the base: the Promenade des Anglais, the old town and the Cours Saleya market, and a train along the coast to Villefranche, Monaco or Antibes. Èze is one bus ride away.
- The Écrins National Park, for high mountains: glaciers, mountain huts, Lac de Lauvitel and La Meije seen from La Grave. It is another climate and another trip, closer to Grenoble than to the sea.
- Marseille and the Calanques, for a big city and white-rock coves between Marseille and Cassis, in a national park. In summer some have limited access or are closed because of fire risk.
With five days, combine the Luberon and Valensole with the Verdon. With a week, add two or three days of Côte d'Azur at the end.
How do you get there from Spain?
By car, via La Jonquera and the A9 and A7 motorways, which are toll roads: from the border to Avignon it is about three hours and to Nice about five and a half. It is the most practical way if you are going to inland Provence or the Verdon.
By train, Renfe's AVE from Madrid to Marseille stops at Zaragoza, Barcelona, Tarragona, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. You reach the centre of Provence without driving; from there, hire a car for the villages.
By plane, Nice has direct flights from Madrid with Iberia and easyJet and from Barcelona, and seasonal routes to Palma, Seville or Alicante. Marseille is the other gateway, better for Provence.
How do you get around?
On the Côte d'Azur, by train: the regional line runs along the coast from Cannes to Monaco and Menton, with stops every few minutes of travel. In Nice, the tram links the airport with the centre. Outside the coast, a car. The villages of the Luberon, the lavender and the Verdon have no useful public transport, and the Route des Crêtes can only be done by road.
The roads of the Verdon and the Alps are narrow and winding. Work out the day in hours, not kilometres, and in summer set off early: from midday there are motorhomes, cyclists and stopped cars at every viewpoint.
When to go and what does it cost?
May, June, September and October are the good months: bearable heat and room in the villages. If you come for the lavender, go between mid-June and mid-July, although the exact date depends on the year. In July and August the coast and the Verdon fill up, the heat bears down and from 1 June to 30 September the prefecture can close the Calanques and other massifs because of fire risk: every afternoon it decides whether they open the next day. In winter the Côte d'Azur is quiet and mild, and the Écrins are for skiing.
It is one of the most expensive regions in France. The Côte d'Azur, Gordes and the Luberon in summer are the priciest; inland Var, the Alps of Haute-Provence and the Écrins, much less. Sleeping in a lesser-known village, twenty minutes from the famous ones, changes the budget.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
When does the lavender flower?
From mid-June to mid-July, with the best moment normally in July. The date changes every year with the weather.
Are Provence and the Côte d'Azur the same thing?
No, although they are in the same region. Provence is the inland area of lavender, villages and markets; the Côte d'Azur is the strip of coast between Cannes and Monaco.
Can I get there by train from Spain?
Yes. Renfe's AVE from Madrid to Marseille stops at Barcelona, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. You continue to Nice by train from Marseille.
Do I need a car?
For the Côte d'Azur, no: the train runs along the whole coast. For inland Provence, the lavender and the Verdon, yes.
How many days do I need?
Four or five for Provence and the Verdon, three for Nice and the coast. With a week you can do both.
Do I have to book to visit the Calanques?
For the Sugiton calanque, yes, on the busiest summer days: booking is free and made on the national park's website. In summer, also check every afternoon whether the massifs open the next day.