Itinerary · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Road Trip in Provence: 7 Days from Avignon to Nice
A road trip from Avignon to Nice, through the Roman theatre of Orange, the arenas of Arles, Cézanne's studio in Aix and the Toulon naval harbour, all the way to the Riviera — designed for one town a day behind the wheel.
7 days · 12 stops · Road trip
Overview
Numbers follow the order of the route, day by day — the dashed line is indicative, not a precise driving route.
Day 1
Avignon, in the shadow of the Papal Palace
First tank of the trip heads to the Papal Palace, the largest Gothic palace of the 14th century and the heart of a UNESCO-listed historic centre — then, a short walk away, the private collection of couturier Jacques Doucet, gathered in a townhouse in old Avignon.
UNESCO Papal PalaceHeritage · Avignon
Centre historique d'Avignon : Palais des papes, ensemble épiscopal et Pont d'Avignon
Located in Avignon in the Vaucluse department of southeastern France, this ensemble of medieval monuments represents a significant chapter in European…
Private collectionMuseum · Avignon
Musée Angladon - Collection Jacques Doucet
Le Musée Angladon, situé à Avignon en Vaucluse, présente la collection d'art constituée par Jacques Doucet, pionnier de la haute couture française. Installé…
Day 2
Orange, an intact Roman theatre
A half-hour drive north to see one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the western world, stage wall included, and the triumphal arch that once guarded the ancient city's northern entrance — both monuments fit into a single morning before heading back south.
Day 3
Arles, on Van Gogh's roads
A Roman amphitheatre, the Baths of Constantine and the Saint-Trophime cathedral make up a town centre listed as World Heritage since 1981 — followed by the Fondation Vincent van Gogh, which sets the painter's work, made after he settled here in 1888, against contemporary art.
Roman antiquityHeritage · Arles
Arles, monuments romains et romans
Located in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in southern France, Arles preserves an exceptional ensemble of Roman and Romanesque…
In Van Gogh's footstepsMuseum · Arles
Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles
La Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles est un musée d'art consacré à l'œuvre et à l'héritage de Vincent van Gogh, implanté dans la ville provençale où l'artiste a…
Day 4
Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne country
The Musée Granet and its five centuries of painting, from 14th-century Italy to Cézanne's Provençal canvases — then the climb up to the Atelier des Lauves, on the hill where the painter worked until his death, left as it was with his equipment and models.
Five centuries of paintingMuseum · Aix-en-Provence
Musée Granet
The Granet Museum is a museum located in Aix-en-Provence, in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur. Its collections cover French, Nordic and Italian painting from the…
Cézanne's last studioMuseum · Aix-en-Provence
Atelier des Lauves
L'Atelier des Lauves est le dernier atelier de travail du peintre Paul Cézanne, situé sur la colline des Lauves à Aix-en-Provence. Ce petit pavillon conserve…
Day 5
Marseille, 26 centuries by the water
Built on the archaeological site of the ancient port, the Marseille History Museum traces 26 centuries of France's oldest city, free of charge — the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts, housed in the left wing of the Palais Longchamp since 1869.
26 centuries of historyMuseum · Marseille
Musée d'histoire de la Ville de Marseille
The Marseille History Museum is a site museum that was completely renovated in 2013, located near the Old Port. Built on the archaeological site of the Ancient…
Palais LongchampMuseum · Marseille
Musée des Beaux Arts de Marseille
The Museum of Fine Arts in Marseille is one of the fifteen first museums created in France by the Consulate in 1801. Located since 1869 in the left wing of the…
Day 6
Toulon, a naval harbour stopover
A quieter day in the Toulon harbour, at the national Naval Museum, which traces more than four centuries of French naval history a stone's throw from the docks — a breather before the final stretch to the Côte d'Azur.
Day 7
Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Nice, journey's end on the Riviera
The final stop is the Fondation Maeght, the first French institution entirely dedicated to modern art, perched above Saint-Paul-de-Vence — then Nice, its winter-resort town centre listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2021, journey's end.
Icon of modern artMuseum · Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Fondation Maeght
The Maeght Foundation is a contemporary art museum located in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, in the Alpes-Maritimes. Founded as the first independent French institution…
Historic villaMuseum · Nice
Villa Masséna, musée d'art et d'histoire
The Masséna Museum, located in Nice in a historic villa, is a museum registered as part of the national heritage since 2002. It combines history and art,…
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