Colin & Angela
Just the two of us

The French Riviera in 5 Days: Antibes, Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Saint-Tropez

Five days on the Côte d'Azur with friends: swimming off the rocks in Antibes, cocktails in Cannes, Nice's promenade and coves, a Monaco beach club and the coast road at sunset, and a long beach club lunch in Saint-Tropez.

France & Monaco · Sep 1 – 6, 2026 · by Angela

A turquoise cove below cliffs in Nice

In September 2026, Colin and I spent five days on the French Riviera with friends while Andi stayed home. We swam every day, ate long lunches, and drove the coast road at sunset.

Route
Nice base → Antibes and Cannes → Nice → Monaco → Saint-Tropez
How long
5 days
Who came
Colin, me and friends (Andi stayed home)
Best for
Beach clubs, swimming and a long weekend of good food

Antibes and Cannes

Our first full day started in Antibes, swimming off the rocks in a little cove with impossibly clear water, then lunch with friends at a beach club with pink umbrellas. In the evening we drove over to Cannes for cocktails at a café and a sunset by the water.

Beach cove in Antibes with a rocky headland, pines and blue sea
Antibes coves
Friends taking a selfie around a lunch table under umbrellas at a beach clubColin and Angela smiling at a cafe table with drinks, palm trees and a white building behindAngela in a floral dress posing by the water under a pink sunset sky in Cannes

Nice

Nice was brunch, a pebble beach, a hidden turquoise cove under the cliffs, and golden hour on the Promenade des Anglais with friends.

Colin and Angela standing at a seaside railing at sunset
Golden hour in Nice
Overhead view of a brunch spread with pancakes, eggs in skillets and drinksColin and Angela taking a selfie on a pebble beach with the sea behindWhite belle-époque building with a dome against a blue sky

Monaco

In Monaco we spent the day at a beach club with navy-striped umbrellas, swam together, wandered the belle-époque buildings around the casino, and drove the coast road back at sunset, which might be the most beautiful drive in Europe.

Spritz and beer on a table at a beach club with striped umbrellas and the sea behind
Beach club afternoons
The coast road at sunset.
Colin and Angela swimming together in clear blue seaOrnate belle-époque building with domes and balconies at dusk in MonacoColin in a white shirt holding a drink outdoors at night in Monaco

Saint-Tropez

We ended with a full day in Saint-Tropez at Maurice à la Plage: yellow-striped loungers, a long lunch table with friends that turned into an afternoon party, and the sea right there.

Friends at a long wooden lunch table under trees at a beach club
Long lunches at Maurice à la Plage
Colin and Angela smiling in a selfie at a beach clubLegs on a yellow-and-white striped lounger with beach umbrellas and sea aheadColin in an open shirt standing among beach loungers and umbrellas

French Riviera tips

  • Base yourself in Nice. Trains and short drives get you to Antibes, Cannes and Monaco easily.
  • Reserve beach clubs ahead in summer and early September, especially in Saint-Tropez.
  • Rent a car for Saint-Tropez. It’s not on the train line.
  • Early September is perfect. The water is still warm, and the August crowds are gone.

More France

We were in Paris with Andi earlier that summer. Read London and Paris with a 4-month-old.

More family trip guides