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There is no honest universal price for a week on the French Riviera. Accommodation in August and November, a public beach and a club by the Carlton, or a picnic and dinner by the sea produce completely different totals. A better method is to calculate five lines: travel, accommodation, local transport, food, and paid activities.
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French cuisine changes noticeably from one region to another. Burgundy cooks beef in red wine, Provence makes bouillabaisse, and Brittany serves buckwheat galettes. This guide brings together traditional French dishes to help you decide what to order and where to look for local specialties.
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You can see Monaco's main sights in one day, but it will be a busy walk from the old town to Monte Carlo. With two days, add the coast and a contemporary-art museum. Give the third day to Fontvieille, while a fourth allows time for the Exotic Garden, cave, and a relaxed evening without racing through a checklist.
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Cannes is not a city where I would fill four days with walks around the center. One full day is enough for Palais des Festivals, Le Suquet, the Old Port, and the Croisette. Give the second to the Lérins Islands, the third to quieter beaches and Croix des Gardes, and the fourth to the red Esterel cliffs. This plan shows several sides of Cannes without stretching one promenade across an entire holiday.
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It is easy to imagine Saint-Tropez as nothing but yachts and very expensive holidays. Prices are high, especially in July and August, but the port, La Ponche, citadel, and public part of Pampelonne Beach are accessible without a large budget. Do not confuse the town with its beach clubs, and decide in advance what is worth paying for.
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Nice is a practical base for exploring the French Riviera without changing hotels every few days. Regional trains run along the coast in both directions, putting Monaco, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Menton, Antibes, and Cannes within easy reach.
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On a map, the attractions look extremely close. In reality, once you add wandering through the Old Town, climbing viewpoints, taking photographs, visiting a market, stopping for lunch, and walking the entire waterfront because it looks beautiful, the steps accumulate very quickly.The walking times below are therefore realistic estimates between attractions, not sightseeing times. A ten-minute walk can easily become twenty minutes when you stop for photographs—which, in Nice, you probably will.
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