South of France: 7 day family friendly Itinerary

As much as I will admit that I planned this trip to a T, I made sure it was as relaxed as possible. Mr E was driving so I didn’t want him to get too tired. The plan was to visit Provence; however we love the French Riviera too much not to visit. For this South of France: 7 day family friendly itinerary, we decided to mix it up.

The plan was to make our way down to the countryside and then make our way back up to Nice. If we were sticking to Provence, Marseille would have been the better option to fly into. However, we picked Nice so we could have the round journey back to the riviera.

The South of France is divided into 2 parts, Provence and Côte d’Azur. Depending on who you ask, some of the villages on the coast that look like the countryside are described as Provence. However, I believe that once you get to Cannes and make your way towards Menton, that’s all Côte d’Azur. Provence is more central south of France while Côte d’Azur is in the southeast. They all fall under Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

South of France: 7 day family friendly itinerary

Day 1

We flew from London Stansted to Nice Airport and picked up our hire car from Sixt; within the airport car park which was very convenient. Then drove 1 hour 30 minutes to Provence.

Our first stop was Aix en Provence to our 1st hotel of the trip, Le Pigonnet. It was well positioned near the centre and there was free parking. After we had relaxed and had a little nap, we drove to the centre for dinner. The Concierge at Le Pigonnet suggested Le Grillon which is where we stopped to eat. It was surprisingly cheap and we enjoyed the ambiance. Post dinner, it was back to the hotel to relax because day 2 was to be a full on day.

A full review on our hotel, Le Pigonnet can be found here.

Stops for Day 1:

Nice Airport
Le Pigonnet (hotel no 1) in Aix en Provence
Aix en Provence city centre

Day 2

I would love to say that we got up at dawn and headed out but we had a long lie in and left the hotel at noon. Our plan was to visit some of the Provençal storybook villages and that was what we did. First stop was Gordes, the picturesque fairytale town. We started off at the popular view point before wandering the village.

From Gordes, we drove to Roussillion, the ochre village. This one was so beautiful and we were mesmerised by the bright orange and red buildings. We also had drinks at a café in the city centre before we walked to the popular view point. We planned to stop at Bonnieux but we knew that we had only one more stop in us; so we headed to Lourmarin for dinner. Now, this one was my favourite of the 3 villages. To end our lovely day, dinner was at Café Gaby.

Day 2 was the only day it rained off and on during our trip. This meant that the villages were quite empty and we absolutely loved this.

Stops for Day 2:

Gordes
Roussillon
Lourmarin

Day 3

We were granted late check out from Le Pigonnet for 1 pm which allowed us have a lovely lie in. Then we drove 1 hour 30 mins back towards the coast to Mougins. This is where our 2nd hotel, Les Rosées was located. Once we checked in, we drove to the centre for a wander and to find some food. I also stopped at a fruits market for our toddler because we had run out of grapes.

Stops for Day 3:

Les Rosées (hotel no 2), Mougins
Mougins city centre

A full review of Les Rosées can be found here

Day 4

We started day 4 really early and first stop was the charming village of Eze. I knew it was one that gets quite busy with day trippers from Nice so I timed it perfectly. After spending a couple of hours walking the cobbled streets and enjoying some ice cream, we headed to the next stop.

Hello Monaco! I was very keen for my toddler’s 15th country to be an epic one so Monaco provided that for her. We arrived Monaco at about 1pm and we immediately found our way to Café de Paris. We had some lunch and drinks, had a bit of a wander and then it was time for our last stop. I had always wanted to visit Menton and with it being only 15 minutes from Monaco, it was a no-brainer.

Stops for Day 4:

Eze
Monaco
Menton

Day 5

After the intense day of exploring for Day 4, it was time to take things easier; as we had approached the last half of the trip. It was a very slow morning at Les Rosées and once we checked out, we drove 15 minutes to Cannes.

Cannes is somewhere we have always loved so we knew we had to check it out on this trip. It did not disappoint at all. Mr E actually said the day in Cannes was the highlight of his trip and I have to agree. Everything went so perfectly well. We found a decent car park that was a minute walk from the promenade and was also cheap. There was a play ground for bubba and we ended up in a lovely beach club for the yummiest lunch.

From Cannes, we drove to La Miette, Saint Paul de Vence which was our last cottage on out 7 day trip. We explored the lovely village and found a dinner spot.

Stops for Day 5:

Cannes
La Miette, Saint Paul de Vence (3rd accommodation)
Saint Paul de Vence centre

See my review of the most beautiful cottage in the south of France

Day 6

This is where things got much simpler. Our plan for day 6 was to attempt beach day in Villefranche-sur-mer or even Nice which was only 20 mins away. However, we had fallen in love with Saint Paul de Vence so decided to cancel all plans and stay put. I spent the morning exploring the sleepy village and enjoyed the historic sites without a bother. It was a very lazy day for us; and in the evening, we had dinner in one of the alfresco restaurants in the centre.

Stop for Day 6:

Saint Paul de Vence

Day 7

As this was our last day, we checked out early and made our way to Nice. Breakfast was at one of the cafés en route and by lunch time, we were boarding our flight home.

South of France: 7 day family friendly Itinerary

Our itinerary was quite relaxed and suited to those travelling with a baby or toddler. We also wanted to feel like we were on holiday and not have to drive long distances every day.

If you are looking to explore more in-depth, day 6 can be spend at Verdon Gorge. A few people asked if I went there and I know it is somewhere a lot of people want to visit. For some reason, it was not a must see for us.

Another possibility is a visit to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. This is the one I really would have liked to visit as it looked so pretty in photos. It has also been voted as one of the prettiest villages in France. It is near Verdon Gorge so could be the perfect 2 for 1 day trip from Nice. However, it was quite off our route and there was no need for us to extend our drive that way.

We stayed in 3 accommodations (2 hotels and 1 cottage) because we wanted to. For those who do not love a hotel hop, Nice is a lovely base for commuting into so many places. I have used the train from Nice to Cannes and Monaco; I have also used the boat from Nice’s port to St Tropez. Using the train is definitely the more convenient mode of transport if you are not driving.

Things to note before you visit South of France

There are a lot of tolls if you are driving around the south of France. I think this was one that surprised me the most. Everyday we drove out, we paid a toll fare, sometimes 2ce depending on how far we went. Driving from Nice to Provence on the 1st day was quite an interesting experience; the toll fee was £16 (I checked my statement for the £ conversion). This is something to keep in mind if driving.
If you really want to enjoy visiting as many villages as possible, driving is necessary. However, it is not a must as the train and bus services are actually quite good. Villages like Eze and Saint Paul de Vence are served by buses from Nice. So it is possible to village hop without a car; just more convenient to drive.
Plan at least a half day or full day trip to Monaco. As it is a separate country, but on the Côte d’Azur, it is an easy way to see a new country.
South of France is expensive. It is very possible to do it on a budget but it is definitely a higher price point than a lot of Europe. Monaco is of course even more expensive so this is something to note.
Car Parks are available even in the centre of busy places like Monte Carlo and Cannes. We were able to park a few minutes from the main centre and it was not as expensive as I had initially thought.

South of France: 7 day family friendly Itinerary - My Thoughts

This South of France 7 day itinerary is a guide based on our experience. As you can see, by day 6, we knew to just slow down and that is what we did. I love a plan but I also know when to ditch it. Once you have an idea of everywhere you’d like to see, plan around it with google maps. If visiting from middle of June to August, plan for the Lavender season in Provence in Valensole. We went in rose season and absolutely loved it.

Bisous, Bugo x