Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera

By Rick Steves

By Steve Smith

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Now more than ever, you can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling through Provence and the French Riviera. Stroll breathtaking coastlines, explore Roman ruins, and soak up some sun in the South of France! Inside Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera you'll find:

Fully updated, comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Provence and the Riviera
Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
Top sights and hidden gems, from the Pont du Gard aqueduct and Impressionist masterpieces to warm stone villages and cozy wineries
How to connect with local culture: Relax at a waterfront café, dive into a bowl of bouillabaisse, and watch fishermen sail back to the harbor
Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
The best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a glass of Provençal wine
Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums
Detailed maps for exploring on the go
Over 500 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down
Complete coverage of Arles, Avignon, Orange and the Côtes du Rhône, Nice, Monaco, Antibes, the Inland Riviera, and more
Covid-related travel info and resources for a smooth trip

Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera.

Exploring more? Try Rick Steves France for comprehensive coverage, detailed itineraries, and essential information for planning a countrywide trip.

Welcome to Rick Steves’ Europe

Travel is intensified living—maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It’s recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever since—through my tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years, I’ve taught thousands of travelers how to best enjoy Europe’s blockbuster sights—and experience “Back Door” discoveries that most tourists miss.

Written with my talented co-author, Steve Smith, this book offers you a balanced mix of Provence and the Riviera’s lively cities and cozy towns, from happening Nice to the romantic hill towns of the Luberon. And it’s selective—rather than listing dozens of beach towns, we recommend only the best three.

Our self-guided museum tours and city walks give insight into Provence and the Riviera’s vibrant history and today’s living, breathing culture.

We advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of our money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit Provence and the Riviera to experience it—to become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging from the positive feedback we receive from readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacation—whether it’s your first trip or your 10th.

Bon voyage! Happy travels!

INTRODUCTION

Provence and the French Riviera at a Glance

Map: Provence & the French Riviera

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Planning

TRIP COSTS

SIGHTSEEING PRIORITIES

WHEN TO GO

Map: Top Destinations in Provence & the French Riviera

Before You Go

Travel Smart

Provence and the French Riviera are an intoxicating bouillabaisse of enjoyable cities, warm stone villages, Roman ruins, contemporary art, and breathtaking coastlines steaming with sunshine and stirred by the wind. There’s something about the play of light in this region, where natural and man-made beauty mingle to dazzle the senses and nourish the soul. It all adds up to une magnifique vacation.

Provence and the Riviera stretch along France’s southeast Mediterranean coast from the Camargue (south of Arles) to Monaco, and ramble north along the Rhône Valley into the Alps. The regions combined are about the same size as Massachusetts—you can take a train or drive from one end to the other in just three hours—yet they contain more sightseeing opportunities and let’s-live-here villages than anywhere else in France. Marseille and Nice, the country’s second- and fifth-largest cities, provide good transportation and an urban perspective to this otherwise laid-back region, where every day feels like Sunday.

In Provence, gnarled sycamores line the roads that twist their way through stone towns and between oceans of vineyards. France’s Riviera is about the sea and money—it’s populated by a yacht-happy crowd wondering where the next “scene” will be. Provence feels older and more español (with paella on menus and bullfights on Sundays), while the Riviera feels downright Italian—with fresh-Parmesan-topped pasta and red-orange, pastel-colored buildings. For every Roman ruin in Provence, there’s a modern-art museum in the Riviera. Provence is famous for its wines and wind, while the bikini and ravioli were conceived on the Riviera.

This book covers the predictable biggies, from jet-setting beach resorts to famous museums, but it also mixes in a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy. Along with the Pont du Gard, Nice, and Avignon, we’ll introduce you to our favorite villages and scenic walks. You’ll marvel at ancient monuments, take a canoe trip down the meandering Sorgue River, and settle into a shaded café on a made-for-movies square. Claim your favorite beach to call home, and at day’s end dive headfirst into a southern France sunset. You’ll enjoy tasty-yet-affordable wines while feasting on a healthy cuisine bursting with olives, tomatoes, and spices.

This book is selective, including only the most exciting sights and romantic villages. There are beaucoup de Provençal hill towns...but we cover only the most intriguing. And though there are scads of beach towns on the Riviera, we recommend our favorite three.

The best is, of course, only our opinion. But after spending more than half of our adult lives writing and lecturing about travel, guiding tours, and gaining an appreciation for all things French, we’ve developed a sixth sense for what touches the traveler’s imagination.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Better yet, it’s actually two tour guides in your pocket: The co-author of this book is Steve Smith. Steve, who has lived in France, now travels there annually (as he has since 1986) as a guide, a researcher, a homeowner, and a devout Francophile. He has restored an old farmhouse in Burgundy and today keeps one foot on each side of the Atlantic. Together, Steve and I keep this book up-to-date and accurate (though for simplicity, from this point “we” will shed our respective egos and become “I”).

This book is organized by destinations. Each is a mini vacation on its own, filled with exciting sights, strollable neighborhoods, affordable places to stay, and memorable places to eat. The content consists of two obvious parts: Provence and the Riviera (although almost everything covered in this book is officially considered part of the “Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region” by the French government). The Provence half highlights Arles, Nîmes, and Avignon, and their day-trip destinations; the photogenic hill towns of the Côtes du Rhône and Luberon; and the coastal towns of Marseille and Cassis, and nearby Aix-en-Provence. On the high-rolling French Riviera, I cover the waterfront destinations of Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Cap Ferrat, Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, and St-Tropez—plus the best of the inland hill towns and the truly grand Grand Canyon du Verdon.

Provence & the French Riviera Almanac

Official Name: Provence and the French Riviera are part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA), one of 13 administrative regions of France.

Capital: Marseille is the region’s capital city.

Regional Population: Over 4.9 million.

Main Cities: Marseille (855,000), Nice (344,000), Aix-en-Provence (140,000), Avignon (90,000), Antibes (75,000), Cannes (73,000), Arles (52,000), St-Tropez (5,600).

Language: French is the official language. More than 1.5 million people in the south of France speak one of two lesser-known dialects: Occitan, and specifically in the Provence region, Provençal (both dialects are closely related to Catalan, a dialect of Spanish).

Geography: Located in the southeast of France, the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region spans over 71 miles of Mediterranean coastline, from Marseille and Toulon in the west, to Monaco and the Italian border in the east, where the Alps stretch to the north.

Climate: The Hautes-Alpes and Rhône-Alpes shield the region from severe weather and give Provence and the Riviera the highest average temperatures in France. Locals enjoy more than 300 days of sun per year, but experience more storms than other parts of France.

Economy: The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region is the third wealthiest in France and annually contributes nearly $158 billion (7%) to France’s GDP. Tourism and service industries account for 80 percent of jobs, but the region is also a leading center for agriculture, biotechnology, and microelectronics.

Agriculture: Provence is known for its herbs (such as oregano, thyme, and rosemary), vegetables, and olive oil, and the region produces nearly two-thirds of France’s olives. These ingredients, combined with elements of French, Spanish, and Italian cooking, make Provence’s cuisine fresh, colorful, and flavorful.

Crafts: In the 17th century, Marseille began manufacturing expensive and colorful printed linens called “Indiennes,” inspired by fabrics imported from India. Though most traditional textile factories are closed today, Provence still produces cotton fabrics (scarves, shawls) using original “Indienne” techniques and featuring the local cicada (cigale) in their designs.

Tourism: The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region welcomes over 34 million tourists every year. Celebrities and wealthy Brits have vacationed on the French Riviera since the 19th century (giving the Promenade des Anglais in Nice its name). Nowadays, the Riviera attracts more than just celebrities: More than 5 million tourists visit every summer, with Nice at the center of the tourist commotion.

Famous Residents: The rich and famous have homes throughout Provence and the Riviera, including actors Brigitte Bardot, Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt; musicians Bono, Elton John, Tina Turner, Bill Wyman, and Rod Stewart; and billionaire Bill Gates.

The introductions to Provence and The French Riviera acquaint you with the history, cuisine, and wine of the places you’ll be visiting, and give practical advice on what to see, how to get around, and lots more. Don’t overlook the valuable tips in these chapters.

In the destination chapters, you’ll find these sections:

Planning Your Time suggests a schedule for how to best to use your limited time.

Orientation has specifics on public transportation, helpful hints, local tour options, easy-to-read maps, and tourist information.

Sights describes the top attractions and includes their cost and hours.

Self-Guided Walks and Tours help you explore these fascinating towns and sights: Avignon, Nîmes, Arles, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Les Baux, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Roussillon, Nice (Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, and the Chagall Museum), Monaco, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Cannes. Self-guided driving tours let you explore the Côtes du Rhône wine road, the Grand Canyon du Verdon, and inland hill towns of the Riviera with the knowledge of a local.

Sleeping describes my favorite hotels, from good-value deals to cushy splurges.

Eating serves up a buffet of options, from inexpensive cafés to fancy restaurants.

Connections outlines your options for traveling to destinations by train and bus, plus route tips for drivers.

The book also includes detailed chapters on these key topics:

Traveling with Children offers general tips and destination-specific advice on finding kid-friendly sights, hotels, and restaurants. Kids have greatly enriched my travels, and I hope the same will be true for you.

Shopping has suggestions for this region’s best souvenirs and bargains. My longtime friendships with shopkeepers, local guides, and vintners have contributed greatly to the savvy shopping advice.

France: Past & Present gives you a quick overview of the country’s history and current political issues.

The Practicalities chapter near the end of this book is a traveler’s tool kit, with my best advice about money, sightseeing, sleeping, eating, staying connected, and transportation (trains, buses, car rentals, driving, and flights).

The appendix has the nuts-and-bolts: useful phone numbers and websites, a holiday and festival list, recommended books and films, a climate chart, a handy packing checklist, and French survival phrases.

Throughout this book, you’ll find money- and time-saving tips for sightseeing, transportation, and more. Some businesses—especially hotels and walking tour companies—offer special discounts to my readers, indicated in their listings.

Browse through this book, choose your favorite destinations, and link them up. Then have a très bon voyage! Traveling like a temporary local, you’ll get the absolute most out of every mile, minute, and dollar. As you visit places I know and love, I’m happy that you’ll be meeting some of my favorite French people.

Planning

This section will help you get started planning your trip—with advice on trip costs, when to go, and what you should know before you take off.

TRIP COSTS

Five components make up your trip costs: airfare to Europe, transportation in Europe, room and board, sightseeing and entertainment, and shopping and miscellany.

The Language Barrier and That French Attitude

You’ve probably heard that the French are “cold and refuse to speak English.” This preconception is left over from the days of Charles de Gaulle—and is especially untrue in the laid-back south. In these lands kissed by the sun and sea, you’ll find your hosts more jovial and easygoing (like their Italian neighbors) than in the more serious north. Still, be reasonable in your expectations: French waiters are paid to be efficient, not chatty.

My best advice? Slow down. Hurried, impatient travelers who skip the subtle pleasures of people-watching from a sun-dappled café often misinterpret French attitudes. With five weeks of paid vacation and 35-hour workweeks, your hosts can’t fathom why anyone would rush through their time off. By slowing your pace and making an effort to understand French culture, you’re likely to have a richer experience.

The French take great pride in their customs and cling to a sense of their own cultural superiority. Polite and formal, the French respect the fine points of culture and tradition. Here, strolling down the street with a big grin and saying hello to strangers is a sign of senility, not friendliness (seriously). Recognize sincerity and look for kindness.

Communication difficulties are exaggerated. To hurdle the language barrier, start with the French survival phrases in this book (see the appendix). In transactions, a small notepad and pen minimize misunderstandings; have vendors write down the price. Keep a French/English dictionary or translation app handy.

Though many French people speak English—especially those in the tourist trade, and in big cities—you’ll get better treatment if you use French pleasantries. Learn these five phrases: bonjour (good day), pardon (pardon me), s’il vous plaît (please), merci (thank you), and au revoir (good-bye). Begin every encounter with “Bonjour (or S’il vous plaît), madame (or monsieur),” and end every encounter with “Au revoir, madame (or monsieur).” When spelling out your name, you’ll find that most letters are pronounced very differently in French: a is pronounced “ah,” e is pronounced “eh,” and i is pronounced “ee.” To avoid confusion, say “a, Anne,” “e, euro,” and “i, Isabelle.”

When you do endeavor to speak French, you may be politely corrected—c’est normal (to be expected). The French are linguistic perfectionists—they take their language (and other languages) seriously. Often they speak more English than they let on. This isn’t a tourist-baiting tactic, but timidity on their part about speaking another language less than fluently. To ask a French person to speak English, say, “Bonjour, madame (or monsieur). Parlez-vous anglais?” They may say “non,” but as you continue you’ll probably find they speak more English than you speak French.

For more tips, consider the Rick Steves French Phrase Book (available at www.ricksteves.com).

Provence and the French Riviera at a Glance

Provence

▲▲▲Arles Once-important Roman outpost, now a bustling town famous for its market days, ancient amphitheater, and as a site that inspired Vincent van Gogh.

▲▲Near Arles Several compelling sights: the cliff-topping castle ruins at Les Baux; St-Rémy with Roman ruins and a mental hospital that treated Van Gogh; and the Camargue—a nature lover’s refuge, with flamingos, bulls, and white horses.

▲Avignon Fourteenth-century residence of the popes, today a youthful city with atmospheric cafés, lively squares and pedestrian areas, and a famous broken bridge.

▲▲▲Near Avignon Three worthy destinations, including the stunning Pont du Gard aqueduct; thriving Nîmes, with world-class Roman monuments; and pedestrian-friendly Uzès, a refreshing break from power monuments and busy cities.

▲▲▲Orange and the Côtes du Rhône Starring Orange’s remarkably intact Roman theater, plus the sunny Côtes du Rhône wine road, cozy villages, and fields of lavender, anchored by charming Vaison-la-Romaine.

▲▲Hill Towns of the Luberon Boasting crumbled castles, ocher canyons, and meditative abbeys; the sturdy market town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; and delightful rock-top villages like Roussillon, Lacoste, and Ménerbes.

▲▲Marseille and Nearby Photogenic port of Marseille with a gritty charm; the beach town of Cassis, home of the calanques (Mediterranean fjords); and inland, the genteel city of Aix-en-Provence.

The French Riviera

▲▲▲Nice The Riviera’s metropolis, with a sun-drenched promenade, a delightful French-Italian old city, and museums dedicated to Chagall and Matisse.

▲▲▲East of Nice Small, Italianate beach town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, ritzy but woodsy Cap Ferrat, and little cliff-topping Eze-le-Village—linked by the panoramic roads known as the Three Corniches.

▲▲Monaco Tiny independent principality, known for its Grand Prix car race and classy casino.

▲Antibes and Nearby The Riviera’s west: laid-back Antibes, with a medieval old town and Picasso Museum; glamorous Cannes, with sandy beaches and movie stars; and the luxurious port town of St-Tropez.

▲▲Inland Riviera Perfectly perched hill towns of Vence and St-Paul-de-Vence (France’s most-visited village), the perfume capital of Grasse, and the spectacular Grand Canyon du Verdon.

Airfare to Europe: Nice is the handiest airport for Provence and the Riviera (Marseille is a good second choice). A basic round-trip flight from the US to Nice or Paris can cost, on average, about $1,000-2,000 total, depending on where you fly from and when (cheaper in winter). Smaller budget airlines may provide bargain service from Paris and other European cities to places such as Marseille, Toulouse, Avignon, and Montpellier (see “Flights” on here for details). If your trip covers a wide area, consider saving time and money in Europe by flying into one city and out of another—for instance, into Nice and out of Paris. Overall, Kayak.com is the best place to start searching for flights on a combination of mainstream and budget carriers.

Transportation in Europe: Allow $30 per day per person for public transportation (trains, buses, and taxis). If you’ll be renting a car, allow at least $250 per week, not including tolls, gas, and supplemental insurance. If you need the car for three weeks or more, leasing can save you money on insurance and taxes. A short flight can be cheaper than the train (check www.skyscanner.com for intra-European flights).

Room and Board: You can thrive in Provence and the Riviera on $140 a day per person for room and board. This allows an average of $12 for breakfast, $18 for lunch, $40 for dinner with drinks, and $70 for lodging (based on two people splitting the cost of a $140 double room). Students and tightwads can enjoy Provence and the Riviera for as little as $60 a day ($30 per bed, $30 for meals and snacks).

Sightseeing and Entertainment: Figure about $10 per major sight ($9-10 for Arles’ Roman Arena or Nice’s Chagall Museum, $13 for Avignon’s Palace of the Popes), around $6 for minor ones (e.g., climbing church towers), $30 for guided walks, and $40-70 for splurge experiences (such as bullfights or concerts). An overall average of $25 a day works for most people. Don’t skimp here. After all, this category is the driving force behind your trip—you came to sightsee, enjoy, and experience this wonderfully French region.

Shopping and Miscellany: Figure $4 per ice-cream cone, café au lait, or soft drink. Shopping can vary in cost from nearly nothing to a small fortune. Good budget travelers find that this category has little to do with assembling a trip full of lifelong memories.

SIGHTSEEING PRIORITIES

So much to see, so little time. How to choose? Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are my recommended priorities:

6 days:	Arles and day trips to Pont du Gard and Les Baux, a night in a Côtes du Rhône village, and Nice with a day trip to Monaco
9 days, add:	A second night in a Côtes du Rhône village with a day trip to Avignon en route, and two nights in Cassis
12 days, add:	Luberon, Grand Canyon du Verdon, and one more night in Nice with a day trip to Antibes
14 days, add:	Two nights in Aix-en-Provence and side-trips to Nîmes, Marseille, and the Camargue

This includes nearly everything on the map on here. If you don’t have time to see it all, prioritize according to your interests. The “Provence and the Riviera at a Glance” sidebar can help you decide where to go (here). For a day-by-day itinerary of a two-week trip, see this chapter’s two recommended routes (by car, and by train and bus).

WHEN TO GO

With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, Provence and the Riviera enjoy France’s sunniest weather. Spring and fall are best, with generally comfortable weather—though crowds can be a problem, particularly during holiday weekends and major events (May is worst). April can be damp, and any month can be windy. Don’t be fooled by sunny forecasts in shoulder season (April and October)—if the wind is blowing it can be chilly.

Summer means festivals, lavender (late June through July), sunflowers, steamy weather, long hours at sights, and longer lines of cars along the Riviera. Europeans vacation in July and August, jamming the Riviera, the Gorges du Verdon, and Ardèche (worst from mid-July through mid-Aug), but leaving the rest of this region relatively calm. Though many French businesses close in August, the traveler hardly notices.

September brings the grape harvest, when small wineries are off-limits to taste-seeking travelers (for information on wine tasting, see here). Late fall delivers beautiful foliage and a return to tranquility.

Winter travel is OK in Nice, Aix-en-Provence, and Avignon, but you’ll find smaller cities and villages buttoned up tight. Sights and tourist-information offices keep shorter hours, and some tourist activities (such as English-language castle tours) vanish altogether.

Thanks to Provence’s temperate climate, fields of flowers greet the traveler much of the year:

May: Wild red poppies (coquelicots) sprout.

June: Lavender begins to bloom in the lower hills of Provence, generally during the last week of the month.

July: Lavender is in full swing in Provence, and sunflowers are awakening. If you can find adjacent fields with lavender and sunflowers, celebrate! Cities, towns, and villages everywhere overflow with carefully tended flowers.

August-September: Sunflowers flourish.

October: In the latter half of the month, the countryside glistens with fall colors (most trees are deciduous). Vineyards go for the gold.

Before You Go

You’ll have a smoother trip if you tackle a few things ahead of time. For more information on these topics, see the Practicalities chapter (and www.ricksteves.com, which has helpful travel tips and talks).

Genre:

"The country's foremost expert in European travel for Americans."—Forbes
"Steves is an absolute master at unlocking the hidden gems of the world's greatest cities, towns, and monuments."—USA Today
“Every country-specific travel guidebook from the Rick Steves publishing empire can be counted upon for clear organization, specificity and timeliness."—Society of American Travel Writers
"Pick the best accommodations and restaurants from Rick Steves…and a traveler searching for good values will seldom go wrong or be blindsided."—NBC News
"His guidebooks are approachable, silly, and even subtly provocative in their insistence that Americans show respect for the people and places they are visiting and not the other way around."—The New Yorker
"Travel, to Steves, is not some frivolous luxury—it is an engine for improving humankind, for connecting people and removing their prejudices, for knocking distant cultures together to make unlikely sparks of joy and insight. Given that millions of people have encountered the work of Steves over the last 40 years, on TV or online or in his guidebooks, and that they have carried those lessons to untold other millions of people, it is fair to say that his life’s work has had a real effect on the collective life of our planet."—The New York Times Magazine
"[Rick Steves] laces his guides with short and vivid histories and a scholar's appreciation for Renaissance art yet knows the best place to start an early tapas crawl in Madrid if you have kids. His clear, hand-drawn maps are Pentagon-worthy; his hints about how to go directly to the best stuff at the Uffizi, avoid the crowds at Versailles and save money everywhere are guilt-free."—TIME Magazine
"Steves is a walking, talking European encyclopedia who yearns to inspire Americans to venture 'beyond Orlando.'"—Forbes
“…he’s become the unofficial guide for entire generations of North American travelers, beloved for his earnest attitude and dad jeans."—Outside Magazine
"His books offer the equivalent of a bus tour without the bus, with boiled-down itineraries and step-by-step instructions on where to go and how to get there, but adding a dash of humor and an element of choice that his travelers find empowering."—The New York Times
"His penchant for creating meaningful experiences for travelers to Europe is as passionate as his inclination for making ethical choices his guiding light."—Forbes
"[Rick Steves'] neighborhood walks are always fun and informative. His museum guides, complete with commentary about historic sculpture and storied artworks are wonderful and add another dimension to sometimes stodgy, hard-to-comprehend museums."—NBC News

On Sale: Nov 8, 2022
Page Count: 576 pages
Publisher: Rick Steves
ISBN-13: 9781641714778

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Rick Steves

About the Author

Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 30,000 travelers to Europe annually. He does all of this with the help of more than 100 well-traveled staff members at Rick Steves’ Europe in Edmonds, WA (near Seattle). When not on the road, Rick is active in his church and with advocacy groups focused on economic and social justice, drug policy reform, and ending hunger. To recharge, Rick plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spends time with his son Andy and daughter Jackie. Find out more about Rick at http://www.ricksteves.com and on Facebook.

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