Provence or the French Riviera?

Many people think Provence and the French Riviera are the same place. In fact, they are two very different worlds: on one side lavender, vineyards and stone villages on the hills, on the other the sea, beaches and world-famous resorts. Answer 7 questions and I will tell you which region suits you better, when to go and where to stay.

Find out where to spend your vacation

The tool needs JavaScript. Below you will find a comparison of both regions and a month-by-month table.

What is the difference between Provence and the French Riviera?

Both lie in the same part of France, in the administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. For a traveler, though, they are two different destinations.

The French Riviera (Côte d’Azur) is a narrow strip of coast from around Saint-Tropez to Menton and the Italian border. Here you will find Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Menton and the principality of Monaco, and just above the sea medieval villages such as Èze and Saint-Paul de Vence.

Provence, as most travelers understand it, is the land west and north of the Riviera: Avignon of the popes, Roman Arles, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, the villages of the Luberon such as Gordes, the lavender fields and the Verdon Gorge.

	Provence	French Riviera
Landscape	lavender fields, vineyards, olive groves, hilltop villages	the sea, a rocky coast, beaches, mountains right behind the towns
Main towns	Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille	Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, Menton
Feel of the trip	slow and rural, markets and vineyards	elegant and cosmopolitan, museums of great artists
The sea	the Calanques and Cassis near Marseille	along the whole coast
Getting around	best by car	by train and bus, no car needed
Flying in	Marseille, or the TGV from Paris to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence (under 3 hours)	Nice, with nonstop flights from New York (most of them seasonal)

On the map below, the purple points are in Provence and the blue ones on the French Riviera. Tap a point to see more about the place.

List of places (20)

Provence

1. Avignon
2. Arles
3. Aix-en-Provence
4. Marseille
5. Cassis
6. Gordes
7. Valensole (lavender fields)
8. Roussillon
9. Orange
10. Verdon Gorge
11. Camargue

French Riviera

1. Nice
2. Cannes
3. Antibes
4. Monaco
5. Menton
6. Saint-Tropez
7. Èze
8. Saint-Paul de Vence
9. Grasse

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When to go? Provence and the French Riviera month by month

Month	Provence	French Riviera
January	quiet, many places in the countryside closed, the mistral often blows	a mild winter, a good time for towns and museums, the Monte-Carlo Rally
February	as in January	the Nice Carnival, the Menton Lemon Festival, mimosa in bloom
March	the season slowly wakes up	spring, the Paris–Nice cycling race
April	a good time for towns and hiking, the Easter Feria in Arles (in March or April)	warm, but the sea is still cold, the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament
May	green and calm, one of the best months for sightseeing	the Cannes Film Festival, the first swims for the brave
June	lavender blooms from mid-June	the sea warms up, the Monaco Grand Prix
July	lavender, harvested from mid-July, the Avignon Festival, heat and crowds	the peak season, jazz festivals and fireworks, crowds and high prices
August	heat and crowds, lavender only higher up, around Sault	the warmest sea (about 77 °F, 25 °C) and the most visitors
September	the grape harvest, warm and fewer people	a warm sea, fewer people, the Monaco Yacht Show
October	the end of the grape harvest, fall colors, calm	still warm, the Voiles de Saint-Tropez regattas
November	quiet, some places closed	the Nice–Cannes Marathon, Monaco’s National Day
December	Christmas markets and the santon fair in Marseille	Christmas markets in Nice and Monaco

The most visitors and the highest prices come between July 14 and August 15. From June to September, access to the Calanques and the forests depends on the fire risk. You will find all the events with their dates in the calendar of events on the French Riviera.

Provence and the French Riviera without a car

On the French Riviera you don’t need a car. Trains run along the coast between Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Menton, and buses go up to the hilltop villages such as Èze and Saint-Paul de Vence. Nice is the most convenient base: see public transport in Nice and where to stay on the French Riviera.

In Provence without a car you will mostly see the towns. Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille are linked by trains and buses. Buses to the Luberon villages, the lavender fields and the Verdon Gorge are rare or don’t run at all, so the easiest options are to rent a car or join a day tour.

Can you combine both regions?

Yes, if you have about a week or more. From Nice to Aix-en-Provence it is about 2 hours on the highway, and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau are also about 2 hours away. It is best to split your stay between two bases: for example, a few days in Nice and a few in Avignon, Aix-en-Provence or the Luberon.

You can also see the lavender while staying on the French Riviera: by car on a day trip, or without one on an organized day tour from Nice. For more ideas, read what to do on the French Riviera and when and where lavender blooms in Provence.