From Avignon's medieval walls to Nice's Riviera seafront, this 10-day self-drive route connects Provence's Roman history, lavender countryside, the spectacular Gorges du Verdon canyon, and the Mediterranean coast.
Few drives in Europe match Provence for variety. Within 400 kilometres you move from a walled papal city to Roman ruins, into a canyon larger than anything else in Europe, through Cézanne's fountain-filled market town, past a white-wine fishing port, and out onto the French Riviera. This Provence road trip itinerary takes 10 days and follows a natural one-way line from Avignon in the north-west to Nice in the south-east. All driving legs are under three hours. The route suits anyone with a car and a mid-range budget.
Total driving is around 390 kilometres, spread across six legs. The autoroute (A8, A51, A54) handles most of the fast sections; you leave it for the smaller roads when they are worth it, particularly around the Gorges du Verdon and the Calanques. May and June give warm weather without the August crowds. The lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau bloom from late June through mid-July. September is quieter still, with sea temperatures warm enough for swimming.
Rent a car in Avignon (or at Marseille Provence Airport, 30 minutes away by shuttle) and drop it in Nice at the end.
Avignon is a compact, well-preserved medieval city surrounded by intact 14th-century ramparts. Two nights gives you time to cover the main sights without rushing. Start with the Palais des Papes: the palace held the papacy for 70 years in the 14th century and is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Book timed entry online and arrive at opening to beat the school groups. The Pont d'Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet) takes under an hour to walk; the ticket includes an audio guide explaining why only four of the original 22 arches remain.
On the second morning, visit Les Halles covered market (open until 1pm daily, closed Mondays). Pick up tapenade, lavender honey, and regional cheese before walking the ramparts at dusk for views over the Rhône.
Arles is 35 kilometres south of Avignon, around 40 minutes on the A54. Alternatively, take the slower D35 via Saint-Rémy for the Alpilles limestone scenery.
The Roman arena (Amphithéâtre d'Arles), built in 90 AD, seats 20,000 and still hosts summer events. Arrive before 9am to walk it in relative quiet. Les Alyscamps, just outside the old walls, is a Roman necropolis that Van Gogh and Gauguin both painted during their time in the city in 1888. The avenue of sarcophagi and the ruined chapel at the end rewards an hour on foot.
For an optional afternoon detour, the Camargue wetlands begin 25 kilometres south of Arles. The D36 south to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer passes flamingo colonies and herds of white Camargue horses in a flat, reedy landscape unlike anything else in Provence.
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From Arles, drive east to Manosque then north on the D952 to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, roughly 165 kilometres and two hours. If lavender is in bloom, the Valensole Plateau is directly on your route between Manosque and Moustiers. Pull off on the D8 between Valensole and Riez for open-field photography without tour buses. Peak bloom runs from late June to mid-July.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is one of France's officially designated most beautiful villages, clinging to a cliff above a mountain stream with a gilded star suspended 227 metres above the gorge on an iron chain. Walk up through the village lanes to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir in under 30 minutes for views across the valley.
Day 5 in the Gorges du Verdon: Spend a full day in the canyon. The Corniche Sublime (D71) runs along the south rim for 23 kilometres with views into the gorge, which drops 700 metres to the turquoise Verdon river below. Drive it anticlockwise from Moustiers for better morning light. At the western end, Lac de Sainte-Croix is where the gorge opens into a large turquoise reservoir. Hire kayaks from the lakeshore and spend two to three hours on the water, paddling into the gorge entrance from below.
From Moustiers, take the D952 south to the A51 into Aix-en-Provence, about 90 kilometres and 90 minutes.
Aix is compact enough to cover on foot in a single afternoon and evening. The Cours Mirabeau is the city's main boulevard, lined with 17th-century mansions and plane trees that close into a canopy in summer. Walk it from south to north to reach Place de la Rotonde, where the Saturday morning market spreads across several streets. The Atelier Cézanne, on Avenue Paul Cézanne north of the centre, is the studio where the artist worked from 1902 until his death in 1906; it has been preserved exactly as he left it.
Cassis is 30 kilometres from Aix via the A51 and A50, around 35 minutes. Leave the car at the Port-Miou car park on the edge of the village and walk ten minutes to the port.
The Calanques national park begins at Cassis's doorstep. A 45-minute boat trip from the port takes you into the three main inlets (Port-Miou, Port-Pin, and En-Vau) and lets you see the 400-metre limestone cliffs from the water. From mid-July to mid-August, hikers need a timed permit to enter the Calanques on foot, booked via calanques-parcnational.fr. The local white wine, Cassis AOC, is best tried at a quayside restaurant with grilled fish.
From Cassis to Nice is around 195 kilometres via the A8; allow two and a half hours. Return the hire car at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport if you are flying out, or drop it at a city centre agency.
Nice rewards two nights. Spend the first afternoon in Vieux-Nice, the baroque old quarter behind the waterfront. Socca (chickpea flatbread) from a stall on Rue du Marché and pan bagnat (a pressed Niçois sandwich) from the morning market at Cours Saleya are the definitive street food of the city. Walk east along the seafront to Castle Hill (Colline du Château) for the panoramic view across the Baie des Anges.
On day nine, take day trips by public transport. The hilltop village of Èze is 30 minutes by bus; Monaco is 45 minutes by train from Nice Ville station and worth at least half a day.
Car hire: Book early for summer travel. A compact car handles all the roads on this route comfortably. Major agencies serve both Avignon TGV station and Nice Airport.
Tolls: Budget around €15 to €25 in autoroute tolls for the full route. The main cost is the A8 motorway between Aix-en-Provence and Nice.
Accommodation: Mid-range hotels in the region typically run €80 to €150 per night for two. Budget higher in Nice and Avignon during July and August; book two to three months ahead for summer.
Best season: May, June, and September offer warm weather with fewer crowds. Late June to mid-July adds the Valensole lavender spectacle. July and August are busy everywhere, and Moustiers, Cassis, and the Gorges du Verdon fill up quickly.
Language: Basic French is appreciated. English is widely understood in hotels and tourist areas across the region.
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A 10-day drive through the heart of Provence, from Avignon's medieval walls and Roman Arles to the spectacular Gorges du Verdon canyon, Cézanne's Aix-en-Provence, the limestone calanques at Cassis, and Nice's sun-drenched Riviera seafront.
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