France is a country built for road trips. From the grand boulevards of Paris to the sun-bleached coastline of the Côte d’Azur, a week behind the wheel takes you through some of the most varied and beautiful landscapes in Europe. This itinerary covers the classic route south — the one seasoned travellers return to again and again — because it simply works.
Photo: Unsplash
This 7-day France road trip itinerary takes you from Paris through the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, across to Provence, and finishes on the French Riviera in Nice. The total driving distance is roughly 1,200 kilometres, spread across manageable daily legs so you actually enjoy the places rather than just passing through them.
Before you set off, a word on planning your trip to France: our Planning Hub covers everything from car hire tips to toll costs and travel insurance.
Before You Go: Practical Essentials
Hiring a Car
Book through a comparison site like Rentalcars.com or directly with Europcar or Sixt. Collect from Paris CDG or Orly — city-centre pick-ups attract congestion charges. An automatic gearbox costs more in France; if you can drive manual, you will save €15–20 per day. Make sure your rental includes unlimited mileage for a trip of this length.
Tolls and Motorways
French autoroutes are tolled, and they are not cheap. Budget roughly €120–150 in tolls for this entire route if you stick to the motorways. You can avoid tolls by selecting “no tolls” in your GPS, but it will add hours to each leg. A good compromise is to take the autoroute for long stretches and the national roads (routes nationales) for shorter scenic sections. Most toll booths accept contactless cards; carrying a few euros in coins is sensible as a backup.
Fuel Costs
Diesel remains cheaper than petrol in France. For a mid-size car, budget €150–200 for fuel over the week. Supermarket petrol stations (Carrefour, Leclerc, Intermarché) are consistently cheaper than autoroute service stations — sometimes by 15–20 centimes per litre. Fill up at supermarkets whenever possible.
Best Time to Go
May to June and September to October are ideal. July and August bring crowds, higher prices, and serious heat in the south. The lavender in Provence peaks from mid-June to early August — if that matters to you, late June is the sweet spot before the summer rush fully arrives.
Days 1–2: Paris
Day 1: Arrival and the Left Bank
If you are flying in, collect your hire car but do not drive into central Paris — park at your hotel or a peripheral car park and use the Métro. Paris driving is stressful, parking is expensive, and you simply do not need a car here.
Spend your first day on the Left Bank. Walk from the Jardin du Luxembourg through Saint-Germain-des-Prés, cross to Île de la Cité to see Notre-Dame (exterior — restoration continues), and stroll along the Seine. Have dinner in the Marais — Rue des Rosiers is lined with excellent falafel and bistros.
Day 2: Montmartre, Museums, and Evening Departure Prep
Start early at Sacré-Cœur for the view over the city before the crowds thicken. Montmartre rewards aimless wandering — the backstreets behind Place du Tertre are far more interesting than the tourist square itself.
Afternoon: choose one major museum. The Musée d’Orsay is manageable in 2–3 hours and less overwhelming than the Louvre. Book timed entry online to skip the queue.
Pack up after dinner. Tomorrow morning you head south, and an early start makes all the difference.
Day 3: Paris to the Loire Valley
Distance: 190 km via A10 • Driving time: 2 hours • Tolls: ~€15
Leave Paris by 9am to beat the périphérique traffic. The A10 south is straightforward, and within two hours you are in château country.
What to See
You cannot see every Loire château in a day, so pick two. Chambord is the showstopper — the double-helix staircase alone justifies the visit. Pair it with Chenonceau, which spans the River Cher and is arguably the most photogenic château in all of France. The drive between the two takes about 50 minutes through quiet countryside.
For lunch, stop in Amboise. This small town on the Loire has excellent bakeries and a compact old quarter. The château here is worth a quick visit too — Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years in the Clos Lucé manor just up the hill.
Where to Stay
Tours is the practical base — affordable hotels, good restaurants, and easy motorway access for the next morning. If you want something quieter, book a chambre d’hôte (B&B) in Amboise itself.
Day 4: Loire Valley to Bordeaux
Distance: 340 km via A10 • Driving time: 3.5 hours • Tolls: ~€30
This is the longest single driving day on the itinerary. Leave by 9am and you will arrive in Bordeaux comfortably by lunchtime.
The Drive
The A10 runs south through flat Poitou-Charentes farmland — not the most scenic stretch, but fast and easy. Break the journey at Poitiers (1.5 hours from Tours) for a coffee. The old town has a remarkable Romanesque church, Notre-Dame la Grande, if you want to stretch your legs properly.
Bordeaux Afternoon and Evening
Bordeaux has transformed over the past decade. The riverfront along the Garonne is now pedestrianised, the limestone buildings are scrubbed clean, and the food scene rivals Lyon.
Walk along the Miroir d’Eau (Water Mirror) on the quayside — particularly magical at sunset. Explore the Chartrons district for antique shops and wine bars. For dinner, book a table at a bistrot in the Saint-Pierre quarter; this is where locals eat.
If you are a wine enthusiast, the Cité du Vin museum is genuinely excellent and takes 2–3 hours. Your ticket includes a glass of wine in the panoramic tasting room on the top floor.
Day 5: Bordeaux to Avignon (Provence)
Distance: 570 km via A62/A9 • Driving time: 5.5 hours • Tolls: ~€45
This is a long transfer day. There is no avoiding it — getting from the Atlantic coast to Provence requires commitment. The reward is two full days in one of the most beautiful parts of France.
Making the Drive Bearable
Leave early. The route follows the A62 to Toulouse, then the A61 and A9 east towards the Mediterranean before cutting north to Avignon. Stop for lunch in Carcassonne (3 hours from Bordeaux). The medieval walled city is spectacular from the outside — walk across the Pont Vieux for the classic view. The tourist restaurants inside the walls are overpriced; eat in the Bastide (lower town) instead.
Alternatively, break the journey at Narbonne — a lovely small city with a covered market (Les Halles) that makes for excellent picnic shopping.
Arriving in Avignon
Avignon’s old town sits within its famous medieval walls. Park outside the walls (free or cheap) and walk in. The Palais des Papes dominates the skyline and is worth seeing, though the interior is largely bare stone — the audio guide helps enormously. Walk onto the Pont d’Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet) for the obligatory photo, then find a table on Place de l’Horloge for a pastis as the sun goes down.
Day 6: Provence Day
Distance: Variable (50–120 km loop) • Driving time: 1–2 hours total • Tolls: None (local roads)
This is the day you will remember most. No motorways, no long transfers — just the back roads of Provence.
The Luberon Loop
From Avignon, drive east into the Luberon. This chain of hilltop villages is everything you imagine when you think of Provence: honey-stone houses, shuttered windows, lavender-lined lanes, and weekly markets piled with olives, cheese, and rosé.
A suggested route: Gordes (the postcard village, perched on a cliff) → Sénanque Abbey (the famous lavender-field abbey, 10 minutes from Gordes) → Roussillon (ochre-red cliffs, completely unlike anywhere else in Provence) → Lourmarin (quieter, excellent lunch spot).
Lavender Fields
If you are visiting between mid-June and early August, the lavender plateau around Valensole (about 90 minutes east of Avignon) is extraordinary. Rows of purple stretch to every horizon. Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and fewer coach groups.
Markets
Provence runs on its markets. Key days: Tuesday in Gordes, Thursday in Roussillon, Friday in Lourmarin, Saturday in Apt (the largest). Plan your loop around whichever market is running.
Day 7: Provence to Nice (French Riviera)
Distance: 290 km via A7/A8 • Driving time: 3 hours • Tolls: ~€25
Your final day on the road takes you from Provence to the Mediterranean coast.
The Route to Nice
Take the A7 south from Avignon to Aix-en-Provence (45 minutes), then the A8 east along the coast to Nice (2 hours). If you have time, stop in Aix-en-Provence for a morning coffee on the Cours Mirabeau — the most elegant boulevard in the south of France. The Cézanne studio (Atelier Cézanne) is a 15-minute walk uphill from the centre.
Nice
Drop the car at your hotel — you will not need it in Nice. Walk the Promenade des Anglais along the seafront, then climb Castle Hill (Colline du Château) for the panoramic view over the Bai des Anges. The old town (Vieux Nice) is a maze of narrow streets, baroque churches, and restaurants. The Cours Saleya flower and food market runs every morning except Monday.
For your final dinner in France, eat Niçois: socca (chickpea pancake), salade niçoise (the real thing, with raw vegetables and no lettuce), and a glass of Bellet rosé from the vineyards just behind the city.
Budget Summary
Here is a realistic breakdown for two people sharing costs, based on mid-range travel:
- Car hire: €350–500 for 7 days (book early for better rates)
- Fuel: €150–200
- Tolls: €120–150
- Accommodation: €600–1,000 (mix of hotels and B&Bs)
- Food and drink: €500–700 (eating well but not extravagantly)
- Attractions and entry fees: €80–120
- Total for two: €1,800–2,670
You can reduce this significantly by staying in gîtes or Airbnbs, picnicking for lunch (buy from markets — far better value than restaurants), and skipping some of the paid château entries.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Drive on the right. This sounds obvious until you pull out of a quiet car park on autopilot. Roundabouts catch people out — give way to traffic already on the roundabout (the old priorité à droite rule on roundabouts was abolished years ago).
- Carry a hi-vis vest and warning triangle — both are legally required in every vehicle in France.
- Speed cameras are everywhere. Limits are 130 km/h on autoroutes (110 in rain), 80 on national roads, 50 in towns. Fines arrive at your hire company and get charged to your card.
- Shops and attractions close between 12pm and 2pm in smaller towns. This is not a suggestion — it is a fact of French life. Plan accordingly.
- Book accommodation in advance for Provence and the Riviera in summer. The rest of the route is generally fine with a day or two’s notice.
- Learn five French phrases. Bonjour, s’il vous plaît, merci, parlez-vous anglais, and l’addition s’il vous plaît will cover most situations and earn goodwill.
Getting Home
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has direct flights to most major US and European cities. Drop your hire car at the airport (most rental companies have desks in Terminal 2) and you are done. Alternatively, if you want to extend, the Italian border is just 30 minutes east — but that is another itinerary entirely.
For more help planning your trip, visit our France Planning Hub, where we cover visas, travel insurance, packing lists, and the best time to visit each region.
This 7-day itinerary is a starting point. Some travellers prefer to swap Bordeaux for the Dordogne, others want more time in Provence. The beauty of a road trip is that you can adjust as you go. But this route — Paris to the Riviera, with the best of France in between — is the one we keep coming back to.
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