French Riviera, Provence, Tour de Mont Blanc, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence

France Travel Guide

France delivered everything we dreamed of - from the legendary Tour du Mont Blanc through three countries to the glamorous beaches of the French Riviera and the lavender-scented villages of Provence. The combination of world-class hiking, incredible food, and stunning landscapes made France an unforgettable highlight of our European adventure.

Top Highlights in France

Completing the epic 130km Tour du Mont Blanc with 7,261m elevation gain

Swimming in the crystal-clear calanques from Cassis to En Vau

Discovering the lavender fields of Bonnieux in full bloom

Watching flamingos in Camargue National Park

Exploring the ochre cliffs and markets of Roussillon

Enjoying rosé wine tastings in Provence with Domain de Terre Blanc

Essential Travel Tips for France

Book TMB refuges well in advance - Refuge Nant Borrant was gorgeous

Crampons needed for the last bit of TMB - lots of snow even in June

Champex is a lovely town - perfect for swimming and fondue

Re-do the same Calanques walk from Port Miou to D'en Vau - save parking spot!

Lavender vs levendar - real lavender is less consistently colored but better quality

Cassis is cooler than Nice - prefer it for the authentic port atmosphere

Suggested France Itineraries

Tour du Mont Blanc Epic

5 Days

Day 1: Les Houches to Nant Borrant

Morning: Bus to Belleville lift at 8am - almost first lift but there was a line
Day: 19km of up then down, legs feeling fatigued but smashed it
Evening: Refuge Nant Borrant - gorgeous mountain views, huge servings with greens!

Day 2: Nant Borrant to Elisabetta (Italy)

Morning: Woke to fog and cowbells - Day 2 was rough with lots of snow
Day: Much more technical than expected, ice crossings, passed to Italy
Evening: Refuge Elisabetta - got there in time for dinner, risotto entree

Day 3: Courmayeur to Bonatti

Morning: Courmayeur is lovely - much bigger than expected
Afternoon: Bus to Refuge Bonatti, beer and stretching overlooking Mont Blanc
Evening: Tried polenta for dinner (didn't love it), wine in the sun

Day 4: Bonatti to Switzerland

Morning: Easiest day so far - lovely walk down valley and back up
Day: Cross Col to enter Switzerland, beautiful border crossing
Evening: Refuge de la Chère - Swiss hospitality

Day 5: Champex Lake & Fondue

Morning: Deforestation detour (straight up - rude!)
Afternoon: Burger in Champex (expensive 45 CHF), swim in lake
Evening: Classic Swiss fondue dinner, asked for spinach after seeing Americans

French Riviera Glamour

3 Days

Day 1: Nice Exploration

Morning: Walk to old town, try pissaladière (caramelized onion bread)
Afternoon: Specialties Niçoises - socca and farcis (stuffed veggies)
Evening: Train to Beaulieu-sur-mer for JP's party with French friends

Day 2: Eze Village

Morning: Bus to top of Eze (packed by stop 2 - poor Instagram people!)
Afternoon: Nietzsche Path walk down to beach with bread, cheese and meat
Evening: Swim and baguettes before getting chased off by wasps

Day 3: Antibes to Cannes

Morning: Coffee by beach in Antibes - café frappé is the new favorite
Afternoon: Swim at Bay of Millionaires, Cannes was too busy to park
Evening: Château d'Escalans for rosé tasting, dinner in Aix-en-Provence

Provence Lavender & Villages

4 Days

Day 1: Cassis Calanques

Morning: Early start to Cassis, re-do calanques walk from 5 years ago
Afternoon: Walk Port Miou to D'en Vau - water was freezing but beautiful
Evening: Beer at Le Pastis, dinner at Alibaba Lebanese

Day 2: Aix-en-Provence

Morning: Pain au chocolat (very dense & bready), walk around fountains
Afternoon: Café du Temps for noisette, really chilled day
Evening: Empanadas for something small (wasn't great)

Day 3: Luberon Villages

Morning: Lourmarin for coffee - really digging the noisette
Afternoon: Lavender fields at Bonnieux, Roussillon markets and ochre walk
Evening: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue markets, Lumières exhibition Vermeer to Van Gogh

Day 4: Camargue & Arles

Morning: Camargue National Park - saw lots of flamingos!
Afternoon: Arles Van Gogh walk in the heat, North African treats
Evening: Domain de Terre Blanc winery with lavender sleep spray purchase