France 3-Day Itinerary: French Riviera

If you’re taking a 10-day vacation to Paris, there is perhaps no greater 3-day side trip than to the French Riviera – the “other France.” At once nothing like France and yet quintessentially French, the Côte d’Azur is a user-friendly region that gives any vacation to France a certain jet-setting vibe. And, it’s a great place to escape to in the chillier months. It’s also one of the most fun places I’ve ever been to, hands-down.
Nice should be your base for a French Riviera itinerary. The super-fast TGV from Paris takes you there, and it’s always a stop on the local trains that zip up and down the coast. To help you plan your Nice base, check out these helpful links:

As for day trips, you’re only limited by your desires. You could spend a day on a rented chaise longue, having people bring you cocktails and even a nice pot of moules-frites; there is spectacular hiking along the cliffs of the coast; spend a day hopping from one beach town to the next, or head inland hilltop towns; skip over to Italy for lunch, and Monaco for dinner! Here are some excellent articles to give you ideas:

Just a note here: There are direct flights between Nice and New York’s JFK airport, so keep that in mind if you want to do an “open-jaw” ticket flying into Paris and out of Nice – that way, you won’t have to schlep back up to Paris to leave.