Day Trips in Southern France

Southern France is a large area, and many day trips are available. If you're staying at the beaches, you can take a day trip to areas where the mountains and gorges stand as monuments.

Avignon

A trip to Avignon near the River Rhone can be a great day trip from anywhere in Southern France. This is a large city where you can get almost anywhere by foot. Rue Joseph Vernet is the place to go for elegant restaurants and shops. Museum Calvet and Requien are here where you can explore history. Gothic architecture with carved facade and medieval artwork is found at Eglise St. Agricol and don’t forget to see the beautiful garden, Jardin Rocher des Doms that sits on an outcropping overlooking the city.

Nice and Cannes in the Alpes Maritimes

Another good place to visit is Nice and Cannes in the Alpes Maritimes. They're only an hour from the Mediterranean and worth the trip. Cannes is large with many beaches. Part of the city, on the western side, was built by the Romans but later was turned over to a group of monks. There are many good restaurants here. Nice has many museums and a busy nightlife. The museums have free admission on the first and third Sundays of every month, so that's a good time to go. Nice is the site of the annual Jazz festival.

Arles

If you love the artist Vincent van Gogh, you need to visit the town of Arles. This is where he lived and you may recognize some of the buildings from his paintings. This town has been somewhat untouched by commercialism and tourist trade. There are many monuments and museums that highlight crafts and customs specific to the era. There are also some ruins from the medieval times.

Eze

The town of Eze is on a hilltop above the sea, with winding narrow streets and steps. At the top of the hill is a cactus garden you can visit for a small entry free. There are lovely restaurants here and the view is incredible.

Monaco

In Monaco, you can tour the royal castle and gamble at the local casinos. Monaco is truly a cosmopolitan city with lots of traffic and activity. It's very different from the rest of Southern France, but it also has some high end restaurants and shops to spend your money in.

There are many places to go on day trips in the South of France. Visit all places of interest for a great vacation.