Key stops: Beaune · Lyon · Avignon · Aix-en-Provence
Open this route in the plannerParis to Nice Road Trip: A 7-Day Route Through Burgundy and Provence
A Paris to Nice road trip is best driven over seven days: two nights in Burgundy, one in Lyon, two around Avignon and the Luberon, one in Aix-en-Provence, and a final morning down to the Riviera. The route covers roughly 950 to 1,000 kilometres, and only the first day asks for more than three hours behind the wheel. The direct autoroute does Paris to Nice in about nine hours. Drive this version when you want vineyards, Roman towns and hilltop villages on the way, not just a beach at the end.
Cover: Gordes in the Luberon, the highlight of Day 5. Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Paris to Nice road trip at a glance
| Day | Route | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris to Beaune | ~315 km | ~3 hr 15 min |
| 2 | Route des Grands Crus loop | ~60 km | ~1 hr 30 min |
| 3 | Beaune to Lyon | ~160 km | ~1 hr 45 min |
| 4 | Lyon to Avignon | ~230 km | ~2 hr 30 min |
| 5 | Luberon villages loop (Gordes, Sénanque, Roussillon) | ~90 km | ~2 hr |
| 6 | Avignon area to Aix-en-Provence | ~85 km | ~1 hr 15 min |
| 7 | Aix-en-Provence to Nice | ~175 km | ~2 hr |
Times are estimates for normal traffic. Summer Saturdays on the A6 and A7 are among the busiest driving days in France, so avoid starting or finishing on one in July and August. You can open this exact itinerary in the Tripvora road trip planner, compare it with other Community Routes, or move the nights around your own dates.
Is seven days enough for Paris to Nice by car?
Yes, and it is the length we would recommend. Five days is possible, but you lose the vineyard day and the Luberon loop, and those are the two days that make this drive better than a flight. With ten days, add a night in the Gorges du Verdon between Aix and Nice instead of rushing the coast.
Our honest take: resist the temptation to add the Côte d'Azur towns, Marseille and the Camargue on top. Each one is a full day. A trip with one good thing per day feels longer and calmer than a trip with three rushed ones. Our 7-day road trip guide and our article on how many hours to drive per day explain why.
Day 1: Paris to Beaune
Pick up your rental car at a station or airport outside the Périphérique ring road, such as Orly or Marne-la-Vallée. Driving into central Paris to collect a car costs you an hour of traffic before you have left. Take the A6 south, the main motorway toward Lyon.
Beaune is a compact wine town inside a ring of old ramparts. Park outside the walls, walk in, and visit the Hospices de Beaune, the 15th-century hospital with the glazed, patterned roof. Book dinner ahead in summer; the good tables fill up early.
Day 2: The Route des Grands Crus
This is a slow day on purpose. The Route des Grands Crus runs through the vineyard villages between Dijon and Santenay, with famous names such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Pommard and Meursault on the road signs.
- Plan two tastings, not five. Many domaines need a booking, and one of you is driving.
- Clos de Vougeot is a good non-drinker stop: a historic winery building you can visit.
- Lunch in a village, not in Beaune, for a quieter table.
Sleep a second night in Beaune so you never pack the car on a wine day.
Day 3: Beaune to Lyon
The drive south is under two hours on the A6. Lyon is France's food capital, and the evening is the point of the day: eat in a bouchon, a traditional Lyonnais restaurant, in Vieux Lyon. Walk or take the funicular up to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière for the view over the city.
Low-emission zone warning: central Lyon and Greater Paris have low-emission zones (ZFE). Check whether your car needs a Crit'Air sticker and order it only from the official government site, certificat-air.gouv.fr. Rental cars registered in France usually have one already; ask at the desk.
Day 4: Lyon to Avignon
Follow the A7 down the Rhône valley. The landscape changes on this drive: around Montélimar you start to see cypress trees, tiled roofs and the first lavender fields. Leave Lyon after the morning rush.
In Avignon, visit the Palais des Papes and walk out to the famous broken bridge, the Pont Saint-Bénézet. Stay inside or near the city walls, or in a village like L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue if you prefer a quieter base for tomorrow.
Day 5: Gordes, Sénanque and Roussillon
This is the Provence day most people picture. Keep it to three stops:
- Gordes in the morning, before the tour buses. The classic view is from the road just below the village as you drive in.
- Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Sénanque, a working abbey in a small valley north of Gordes. The lavender in front of it usually flowers from mid-June to mid-July.
- Roussillon in the late afternoon, when the ochre cliffs glow red. Walk the short Sentier des Ocres trail.
The roads here are narrow and slow, so the short distance still takes most of the day. Return to your Avignon-area base for the night.
Day 6: Avignon to Aix-en-Provence
A short, easy drive. Aix-en-Provence is a city of fountains, plane trees and the Cours Mirabeau boulevard. If you arrive on a market morning (Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday are the biggest), park outside the centre and walk in.
Paul Cézanne lived and worked here. His studio, the Atelier de Cézanne, is a short walk from the old town; check opening times before you go.
Day 7: Aix-en-Provence to Nice
Take the A8 east toward the Riviera. It is a toll motorway with views of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire as you leave Aix. If you have time, leave the motorway near Fréjus and take the slower coastal road for the last stretch.
Return the car at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, then take the tram into the city. Parking in Nice's old town is difficult and expensive, and you do not need a car to enjoy the Promenade des Anglais.
How much are tolls from Paris to Nice?
Most of this route uses toll motorways (A6, A7 and A8). Prices change every year and depend on your exact exits, so we do not quote a fixed number here. Use the official toll simulators on the motorway operators' websites (APRR for the A6, Vinci Autoroutes for the A7 and A8) before you leave. You can pay at toll booths by card. An electronic toll badge lets you use the faster télépéage lanes.
What does a Paris to Nice road trip cost?
Fuel is the cost most people underestimate. For about 1,000 km in a car using 7 litres per 100 km, you need around 70 litres of fuel. Multiply that by the current French pump price on the day you go. Add tolls, parking, and a one-way rental fee: dropping a car in Nice that you picked up in Paris often costs extra, so compare it before you book.
The Tripvora planner calculates the fuel cost for each day from your car and your local fuel price, and our road trip cost calculator guide shows how to budget the rest.
Plan this route in Tripvora
This whole itinerary is ready to open in Tripvora. Every day and stop is already on the map, with the distance and driving time between each one. Change the nights, add a stop or remove one, then export each day to Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze.
Open the Paris to Nice route in the planner
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Paris to Nice?
The direct motorway route is about 930 km and takes around nine hours without stops. This seven-day version is roughly 950 to 1,000 km, because of the vineyard and Luberon loops.
What is the best time of year for a Paris to Nice road trip?
Late May to June and September are the best months. The weather is warm, the vineyards and villages are open, and the roads are quieter than in July and August. Go between mid-June and mid-July if seeing lavender is important to you.
Do I need a Crit'Air sticker?
You need one to drive in active low-emission zones, which include Greater Paris and central Lyon. Order it only from the official site, certificat-air.gouv.fr. French rental cars usually already have one.
Should I drive Paris to Nice or take the train?
Take the TGV if you only want Nice; it is about six hours. Drive if you want Burgundy, Lyon and Provence along the way. Most of this route's best places, like Gordes and the vineyard villages, are hard to reach without a car.
