10 days in France: itinerary

Ten days buys you two bases done properly, or three done badly. France rewards depth: Paris alone holds four full days of museums, markets and neighbourhood walks, and the TGV then puts Provence or the Riviera within a half-day of the capital. The route below keeps every transfer on the main north–south rail line, so you never need a car.

The shape that works: 4 nights in Paris, 3 in Avignon, 3 in Nice, and an open-jaw ticket home from Nice. That is two hotel changes in ten days, both on the same rail line. If you would rather stay in one region, swap Avignon and Nice for the Loire Valley or Alsace and keep the same rhythm.

Check the day's timetable before you commit: not every Paris–Avignon or Avignon–Nice departure is direct, and some services require a change at Marseille. Skip the temptation to add Normandy, the Loire and Provence to the same ten days. Each addition costs you most of a day in transit and a morning packing.

The line runs Paris → Avignon → Nice by TGV or TER, with day trips fanning out from each base. Avignon is the base for Arles, the Pont du Gard and the Luberon villages; Nice is the base for Monaco, Èze, Antibes and Menton. Fly into Paris (CDG or Orly) and out of Nice Côte d'Azur, so you never backtrack. Connections and journey times below are 2026 estimates — check the day's timetable before booking.

Days 1–4, Paris. Land, drop bags and walk your own neighbourhood rather than chasing a monument on day one. Give the Louvre or Orsay a half-day each, not both in one day. Versailles is a full day from the city; go early and pre-book a timed entry. Keep one evening free for the Seine and one for Montmartre.

Days 5–7, Avignon. Take a morning TGV and you are in Provence by lunch. The papal palace and the old town fill an afternoon. Use the next two days for Arles and the Pont du Gard, then a Luberon village or market — markets run on set weekdays, so check before you plan the day around one. Public transport to the Pont du Gard and the Luberon villages is limited; check timetables, and consider a one-day car hire if the buses do not line up.

Days 8–10, Nice. The train to Nice runs along the coast and is worth a window seat; a change at Marseille may be needed, so check the schedule. The old town, the Promenade des Anglais and the market take a day. Spend day 9 on Monaco and Èze by TER. On day 10, keep it local in Nice or take a short hop to Antibes only if your flight is in the evening — for a morning flight, move to Nice airport the night before.

Trains do all the work on this route. Paris to Avignon is a TGV of roughly 2 h 40; Avignon to Nice is about 3 h 30, and a change at Marseille may be needed — check schedules before booking. Book TGV seats as soon as your dates are fixed: tickets open around four months ahead and the cheapest fares sell first. A rail pass only pays off if you are moving most days, which this route is not.

Within each base, use the Métro in Paris, walk Avignon, and take the TER along the Riviera — Monaco, Èze and Menton are all short hops from Nice. A car is only worth it for one day in the Luberon or the Pont du Gard, where public transport is thin; hire it for the day rather than the whole trip. Allow a buffer before any international flight, especially in strike-prone months.

In Paris, stay inside the city near a Métro line rather than out by the airport; the 1st–6th and 10th–11th arrondissements put you within a walk of most of the plan. In Avignon, the walled centre is small enough that anywhere inside is fine, and it keeps you near the station for day trips. In Nice, choose the old town or the Carrefour Masséna area for the market and the sea, or the port side for cheaper rooms.

Book Avignon early if you are travelling in July, when the theatre festival fills the city, and book the Riviera early for August. Two bases means two bookings, not four — that is the point of the route.

For one person, ten days on this route runs about €1,300–2,200 in 2026 estimates, excluding flights to and from France. That covers mid-range hotels or good hostels, train tickets booked ahead, two meals a day plus coffee and wine, and entry to the main sights. Paris is the expensive leg; Avignon and Nice are cheaper for food and rooms outside July and August. Treat every figure below as a 2026 estimate and check current fares and rates before you book.

Swap Provence for the Loire: Paris 4 nights, Tours or Amboise 3, then back to Paris for the flight. Swap the Riviera for Alsace: Paris 4, Strasbourg 3, Colmar 3, home from Strasbourg. Both keep the two-base rule and stay on the main rail lines — check connections for each leg.

If you have more time, the 14-day version adds Normandy and Lyon to the same spine. If you have less, the 7-day version drops the Riviera and keeps Paris and the Loire. Neither is a downgrade — they are the same trip with the edges trimmed.