10 Days in France: Paris to the French Riviera
This route pairs the two halves of France most first-time visitors want: a proper stretch of time in Paris, followed by a shift in pace on the Mediterranean coast. Ten days is enough to avoid rushing either half, though it works as a 7-day trip too by cutting one Paris day and one Riviera day.
Day-by-Day Plan
Day 1: Arrive Paris. Settle in centrally, Paris's own guide points to the Marais or Saint-Germain for a walkable first stay. Keep the evening easy after travel.
Day 2: The Louvre and รle de la Citรฉ. The Louvre alone can fill a day; pair a shorter visit with Notre-Dame's exterior and Sainte-Chapelle nearby. Save the Musรฉe d'Orsay for a separate day rather than stacking two major museums together.
Day 3: Eiffel Tower and the Seine. Book timed entry in advance if climbing the tower; otherwise view it from Trocadรฉro, which is free and arguably the better photo angle. Spend the afternoon walking the river toward Saint-Germain.
Day 4: Montmartre, then Musรฉe d'Orsay. Arrive at Montmartre and Sacrรฉ-Cลur early, before tour groups fill the streets. Spend the afternoon at the Musรฉe d'Orsay for Impressionist works.
Day 5: Day trip to Versailles. Roughly 30-40 minutes from central Paris by RER. The Palace and the Trianon estate are both closed on Mondays, though the gardens stay open daily; confirm current hours for each part before planning your visit.
Day 6: Travel day to the French Riviera. A direct TGV runs from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice Ville with no change of trains; the fastest services take around 5 hours 40 minutes, and slower ones closer to 6-7 hours. A short domestic flight to Nice (around 1.5 hours including airport time) still saves more of the day if you'd rather not spend it on the train; check current SNCF Connect and flight schedules before booking either way.
Day 7: Nice. Walk the Promenade des Anglais and the old town (Vieux Nice). This is a good day to slow down after the travel day.
Day 8: รze and Monaco. Both are reachable from Nice by regional train or bus along the coast: a scenic, frequent route, though exact schedules should be checked locally rather than assumed in advance.
Day 9: Cannes or Antibes. Either makes an easy half-day or full-day trip by regional train from Nice; pick based on whether you prefer a livelier town (Cannes) or a quieter old-town/market feel (Antibes).
Day 10: Departure from Nice. Nice Cรดte d'Azur Airport has direct connections to many European hubs, which is part of why flying this leg is often simpler than the train.
Before You Go
- Check your passport is valid for at least the standard Schengen-area minimum beyond your planned departure date, and confirm current entry requirements for your nationality before booking; these can change and should be verified with an official source, not assumed from this guide.
- Paris and the Riviera call for different packing: layered city clothing for Paris, plus swimwear and lighter clothing for the coast. See the Packing Checklist tool to build a list for both.
- Use the Trip Budget Calculator to estimate a combined city-and-coast budget, and the Currency Converter if you're budgeting from outside the eurozone.
- Museum and palace opening days vary and some close entirely one day a week (the Louvre closes Tuesdays, the Musรฉe d'Orsay closes Mondays); plan around this rather than assuming daily access.
Featured on This Route
Sources & Last Reviewed
This itinerary draws on FANOUSS's own France, Paris, and French Riviera guides for local detail. Before booking, verify current train timetables directly with SNCF Connect, flight schedules with the airline or Nice Airport's own site, and museum/palace opening hours with their official websites; all of these change and none should be treated as fixed by this guide alone.
Facts last reviewed: September 2026.