With 3 days on the French Riviera, the biggest mistake is trying to cover Monaco, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Antibes, Èze, Menton and Nice in one sprint. A better first trip uses Nice as the transport hub and builds two focused day trips around it.
This itinerary keeps the route rail-friendly: one full day in Nice, one eastern day for Èze/Menton or Monaco, and one western day for Antibes with an optional extension. It gives you Mediterranean variety without spending half the trip changing trains.
Quick planning summary
- Base: Nice for the simplest first visit.
- Day 1: Nice old town, market, seafront and museum/viewpoint.
- Day 2: Èze + Menton, or Monaco + Menton if you prefer urban sights.
- Day 3: Antibes + Cap d’Antibes or Cannes.
- Do not add Saint-Tropez unless it is the main purpose of the trip.
Day 1 — Nice
Start on the Promenade des Anglais, cross into Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya, then climb or take the lift toward Castle Hill for the bay view. Keep the afternoon flexible for the Matisse Museum, Chagall Museum, Port Lympia or simply more time in the old town.
Nice deserves a real day because it is not just a sleeping base. The food, markets and neighbourhood rhythm explain the Riviera better than a sequence of day-trip platforms.
Day 2 — Èze and Menton
Travel east early. Èze is small but steep, so visit before the middle of the day if possible. Continue to Menton for lunch, the old town and seafront, then return by train.
If Monaco matters more than Èze, substitute it rather than adding it. Three destinations in one day turns the trip into transfers and queues.
Day 3 — Antibes and the western coast
Antibes combines a walkable old town, Picasso Museum, market and beach access. If you want a longer outdoor section, continue toward Cap d’Antibes; if urban glamour interests you more, use Cannes as the second stop.
The western day is the place to decide what type of Riviera you prefer: historic port, sandy beach, art museum or Croisette energy.
Where to stay for three days
Stay near Nice-Ville, Jean Médecin or the edge of the old town if you want easy rail day trips. The Carré d’Or is useful for the seafront; the port is attractive but adds time to some station journeys.
For only three nights, moving hotel is rarely worth it. One base makes early starts and evening meals much easier.
How to use trains and buses
Regional trains are the backbone of this itinerary. Buy the correct ticket and check current service information. For hill villages such as Èze village, the station is below the settlement, so you still need a bus, taxi or a steep walk.
Official Nice Côte d’Azur information lists more than 140 bus routes in the metropolitan network, but regional journeys beyond it require separate planning.
What to skip
Skip Saint-Tropez, inland perfume country and the Estérel on this short trip unless one is the reason you came. You can always build a second Riviera trip around Cannes, Saint-Raphaël and the Var coast.
The goal of three days is a clear first impression, not geographic completeness.
The route works because you stay on one transport spine
Three days is too short for a hotel change. Base yourself in central Nice, ideally between the old town and a station you can reach easily on foot or by tram. The railway along the coast then gives you a simple east–west structure: Menton and Monaco to the east, Antibes and Cannes to the west. You avoid wasting the first and last hour of every day collecting a car, finding parking or repacking luggage.
This also makes the itinerary resilient. If the weather is poor in Èze, you can substitute Monaco or spend longer in Menton. If the western coast looks windy, you can give Antibes more time and skip the exposed walk. The plan is a framework, not three compulsory lists.
How to choose the eastern day: Èze, Monaco or Menton
Do not try to give all three equal weight. Èze is the atmospheric hill-village choice, Monaco is the dense urban-and-harbour choice, and Menton is the slower old-town-and-seafront choice. Pair two according to your interests. Èze plus Menton creates the most varied day, while Monaco plus Menton is easier for travellers who prefer straightforward transport and less climbing.
If you include Èze, distinguish the medieval village on the hill from the station by the sea when planning transport. The transfer between them is part of the day. Start early, travel light and avoid scheduling a fixed late lunch immediately after a tight connection.
How to make the western day feel different
Antibes should not be treated as a mini-Cannes. Its old town, ramparts, market streets and Picasso connection give it a more compact, lived-in feel, while Cap d’Antibes adds a coastal landscape if conditions are good. For three days, Antibes is usually the stronger first choice because it combines culture, food and sea without requiring much local transport.
Add Cannes only if the film-festival identity, Croisette or shopping genuinely interests you. Otherwise, use the extra time for the coast around Antibes, a long lunch or an earlier return to Nice. The itinerary improves when the western day has breathing room rather than another name ticked off.
Train tactics that save time
Buy or validate the correct ticket before boarding and check the departure board rather than relying on an itinerary saved days earlier. On busy days, take the first practical train rather than waiting for a “perfect” departure. Stations at Nice, Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes are central enough that rail travel usually beats driving for this short itinerary.
Keep a small margin before the final train of an evening and avoid planning the trip around the last possible connection. A delay matters much more at 23:00 than at 18:00. If your accommodation is not near the station, factor the final walk or tram into the day rather than thinking only about rail time.
Where meals fit without breaking the itinerary
Use food as part of the route rather than as an interruption. In Nice, a market-area lunch or a casual Niçoise speciality works naturally with the old town. On the eastern day, Menton is a good place for a slower meal because the old town and seafront are close together. In Antibes, lunch near the centre lets you decide afterwards whether you still want Cap d’Antibes or prefer to stay in town.
Avoid crossing a city solely for a restaurant during a three-day trip unless it is a destination in itself. One memorable dinner near your base is more useful than three reservations that force you to leave places just as you start enjoying them.
A bad-weather version of the three days
If rain or strong wind arrives, keep Nice as the anchor. Its museums, churches, covered or semi-covered food experiences and dense historic centre give you more options than a purely beach-focused stop. Shift the clearest window to the day that includes Èze or a coastal walk. Antibes can still work in mixed weather because its centre is compact, while Monaco offers several indoor attractions if the eastern coast is wet.
The key is to move whole half-days, not individual sights. Trying to preserve the original order minute by minute creates needless backtracking. Check the forecast each evening and decide which of the next day’s two anchors deserves the best weather window.
If you arrive late or leave early
Protect the two full day-trip days and compress Nice rather than sacrificing both sides of the coast. A late arrival can still include an evening walk through Vieux Nice and the seafront. An early departure on day four means you should keep the final night in Nice rather than moving west. For only three days, airport and station logistics are part of the itinerary, so staying somewhere beautiful but awkwardly connected can cost more time than it adds in atmosphere.
Three small decisions that make the itinerary much easier
Pack for day trips rather than for hotel changes: a refillable bottle, sun protection, a light layer, and shoes that can handle old-town paving and slopes. Keep beach equipment minimal unless swimming is a priority that day. Travelling light matters on the eastern route because steps, station platforms and the climb around Èze can make a large bag surprisingly annoying. If you are visiting in summer, leave the busiest sightseeing hours for lunch or the train and use the cooler morning for climbs and exposed viewpoints.
Choose your dinner area before you leave Nice in the morning, not a specific restaurant unless it really matters. Knowing that you will eat around Vieux Nice, the port or near your hotel removes the pressure to rush back for a reservation. On the final day, keep purchases and luggage close to your base rather than carrying them to Antibes. Small logistical choices like these are what allow a three-day trip to feel relaxed rather than compressed.
Finally, give yourself permission to drop the optional stop. If Menton is beautiful and you want another hour, skip Monaco. If Antibes is working, skip Cannes. The Riviera is easy to revisit because the main towns are connected; your first trip should optimise enjoyment, not completeness.
Plan the three days around one base
For a first three-day trip, make Nice your main base rather than changing hotels. The French Riviera overview helps you decide what to prioritise, while the accommodation guide compares the trade-offs between coastal towns. If you have a whole week, the seven-day route is a better fit than forcing every stop into this short itinerary.
Official information
Check current TER timetables and planned works before travelling between Nice, Antibes and Menton; the easiest day trips depend on your exact departure and return stations. You can also consult the official tourism website for local updates.
Final thoughts
Three days are enough to enjoy the coast without pretending to see it all. Give Nice a proper first day, then choose the eastbound journey to Menton and one westbound stop such as Antibes. Avoid adding Saint-Tropez simply because it looks close on a map: the extra transfer would take time away from the places that make this short itinerary work.
Tours & activities
Last updated: 21 October 2026