The south of France is filled with breathtaking nature reserves and picturesque little villages. For this 7-day Southern France road trip itinerary, we take you on a journey to some of France’s most beautiful spots. This European road trip will begin in Marseille. In this itinerary, you will find our favorite restaurants, camping stops, and overall activities to do at each stop.
This guest post was written by Veerle and Koen from RVTravelUps.
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Southern France Road Trip Itinerary Map
During this 7-day Southern France road trip we cover a distance of 524 kilometers. In total, we spent 5 hours and 52 minutes on the road. We start in Marseille where we will spend 2 days before driving to Avignon. From Avignon, we continue our Southern France road trip to Nîmes. After 2 days in Nîmes, we will drive to Carcassonne. Our last stop is the old town on a hill, Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Day 1 & 2 Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The city was originally founded by Greece in 600 B.C. Because of its strategic location, Marseille has always been an important trading point. Today, Marseille is home to France’s largest harbor. Because of its location, Marseille has a very pleasant climate, with high temperatures during the summer.
What to do in Marseille
We start our day at the old harbor, built in the 15 century, La Vieux-Port. Next to the harbor, you will find Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint Nicolas. These forts lay opposite one another and were built in 1660 upon the order of King Louis XIV. There is a great walk alongside the harbor that is completely car-free! From here we recommend visiting the MuCem museum. This is one of the world’s most popular museums and it opened its doors in 2013. The architecture of the building stands out from all other buildings. The museum is devoted to Mediterranean cultures and civilizations at its roots. It consists of 3 sites including Fort Saint Jean as a historical site. The museum’s collection includes over 350000 objects.
Tip: Book your MuCem museum skip-the-line entry ticket in advance to save time!
On the second day we will walk through the oldest part of the city, ‘’Le Panier’’. This neighborhood is often referred to as the heart of Marseille. Many creative minds have taken over this colorful part of the city and it’s full of art boutiques and many walls are covered in beautiful graffiti- art pieces. This is the ideal place to start the day with a cup of coffee on one of the many cozy terraces. Do not miss the church of Accoules and Lenche Square during your walk. Lenche Square dates back to the time of the Greeks. This district has many wonderful shops and little museums and we recommend taking your time wandering through this atmospheric part of Marseille. From Le Panier it is a nice walk to the Cathedral de la Major. This cathedral is 60 meters high and the inside is beautifully decorated with mosaics.
Where to camp in Marseille
Marseille has many campings in the area but most of them are not within walking distance of the city center. If you want to camp within biking distance we recommend you start this trip at Le Club House Marseille Camping. This is a restaurant with shower and toilet facilities that allows campers to stay the night for 20 euros per night. From here it is a 30-minute bike ride to the city center.
Where to eat in Marseille
As Marseille is a coastal city, we highly recommend visiting one of its beaches. Plage des Catalans is a nice sand beach within walking distance of the city. Here you can also enjoy some locally caught seafood in one of the many restaurants. Our restaurant recommendation would be La Delicatesse. From the Vieux Pont, it is a 30-minute walk. This is a small pub-like restaurant where they serve Mediterranean food. The price-to-quality ratio is very good and the staff was very friendly. During peak season, we do recommend making a reservation.
Day 3 Avignon
On the morning of the third day, we continue our Southern France road trip from Marseille to Avignon. This is a 30-minute drive, so not too long. Avignon is a beautiful old city in which the old city center is surrounded by fortress walls dating back to the 14th century.
What to do in Avignon
The old center has 7 entry gates. One of the highlights that you should absolutely not miss is Palais de Papes. This is the largest Gothic building in Europe. From 1309 several popes stayed at the palace during their exile. During the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, the palace served as a prison. Today, you can visit the palace and admire the severe size of this building. From the palace, you could also see the famous bridge of Avignon, Pont d’Avignon. You can enter the bridge for a small entry fee.
Another highlight in Avignon is Les Halles d’Avignons, an indoor food market. Here you can enjoy some local beverages and drink a glass of wine. The Basilique Saint Pierre is a church you cannot miss when visiting Avignon. The inside of this church is beautifully decorated with gold and the altar is very special. Definitely worth a visit!
Avignon also has several museums that offer a great collection. Musée Requien has 3 collections, a botanical collection, a zoology collection, and a geology collection. For art lovers, we recommend Musee Angladon. This small museum has a wonderful collection of stunning paintings and art pieces.
Where to camp in Avignon
For camping with an RV in Avignon, we recommend either staying at Camping du Pont d’Avignon or Aire de Camping-Car Pont d’Avignon. Both campsites are within walking distance of the city center. We will spend one day in Avignon but there is much to see so we do recommend starting your day early.
Where to eat in Avignon
As for dinner options, Le Goût du Jour would be our recommendation. This restaurant serves modern French food. This restaurant is quite pricey. For a cheaper but great other option, D’ici Et D’Ailleurs will be a great choice. A bit more simple food but very tasty and lots of choice.
Day 4 & 5 Nîmes
On our Southern France road trip from Avignon towards Nîmes, we recommend a quick stop at the Pont du Gard. This is a Roman aqueduct from the first century AD. A stunning piece of history that withstood the test of time and truly is an impressive piece to behold. In Nîmes, we will spend two days. There is much to see and explore and it would be a shame to rush through this beautiful city. Nîmes is one of the best-kept ancient Roman cities in Europe. It offers many breathtaking ruins but also greatly kept and maintained Roman buildings.
Roman Festival
If you have the opportunity to visit the city during the Roman festival, we can highly recommend this. For an entire week, with its peak during the weekend, the entire city is transformed into an open-air museum for history lovers. Little markets, performances of gladiator fights, presentations of ancient weapon-wielding, and much more to see and do. The city is flooded with people dressed up as characters from ancient times and it truly feels like you’re walking on the film set of Alexander the Great. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a great performance takes place in the arena of Nîmes.
This Roman arena was built in 50 A.C and it was inspired by the Colosseum in Rome. It can accommodate over 24000 people and it is almost completely intact. Tickets for this event spanned from 15 Euros per person up to 100 euros for VIP tickets. We recommend the cheapest ones though as these spots offer a beautiful overview of the event. The duration of the performance was about 3 hours. The performance includes up to 200+ actors from all over the world, 10 horses, a wolf, a giant eagle, and beautifully made decor. The actors were dressed up in fantastic costumes and the show was simply amazing.
What else to do in Nimes
If you are not able to visit during the Roman festival, no worries cause the city is still worth the visit. Nîmes has many cozy streets and beautiful squares. For the first day, we start at the Roman arena of Nîmes. The arena is open year-round to visit.
After the Nîmes arena, it is a 15-minute walk to Maison Caree. The Roman temple is another highlight. The temple was built in 10 B.C. in honor of Gaius and Lucius. During the 4th century, it was reformed and served the purpose of a church. Since then the temple has been used for many purposes. Nowadays it is a tourist attraction and houses a small museum. The temple was beautifully restored and is one of the best-kept temples from Roman times.
About a 15-minute walk from the temple is Jardins de La Fontaine. This city park is worth a visit. In the park, you will find multiple Roman ruins. The temple of Diane is at the edge of the park and you can freely walk through the ruins of this once magnificent building. During day one we would recommend spending time at these 3 highlights and enjoying the amazing cozy streets of this city. The streets are filled with local shops and many nice restaurants. We spent the good part of the afternoon wandering around the streets of Nîmes.
Nîmes is also home to the Museum of Romanity. This museum opened in 2018 and you could easily spend the day here. The museum houses many well-kept Roman artifacts and tells the story of the Roman times specific to the region. After this museum, we recommend visiting the indoor food market of Nîmes, Les Halles de Nîmes. Here you could buy some delicious local products.
Where to camp in Nîmes
If you are traveling by RV we recommend spending the night at the camperspot Chemin de Russan. It costs 20 euros per night which includes electricity. You camp in the backyard of a nice French gentleman. There are no toilets or shower facilities. From this spot, it is about a 30-minute walk into the city center. This is the only camping spot within walking distance of the city.
Where to eat in Nîmes
For dinner, we recommend dining at Palosanto. this restaurant is located in the center of the city and the food is amazing. The staff was very friendly and they had a surprising but delicious menu. Another great option is Le Questel. We recommend ordering some great tapas here. A wonderful place in a bit more quiet part of town in Nîmes.
Day 6 Carcassonne
Next, we drove from Nîmes to Carcassonne. If you are driving an RV, this will take about 3 hours. The road is along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. If you start your day early you will have plenty of time to enjoy several lovely stops along this road.
What to do in Carcassonne
After a night in Carcassonne, we start the day exploring this old city. Carcassonne might sound familiar as a popular board game was based in this city. The city truly looks like a fairytale. Carcassonne dates back to the 8th century B.C. It is surrounded by castle walls and lies upon a hill. The village is essentially a fortress and is nowadays filled with museums, restaurants, and little souvenir shops. Carcassonne is very touristy so be prepared for large crowds.
For a day in Carcassonne, we recommend you start the day at the Pont Vieux. This bridge crosses the Aude River. On the bridge, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the old town. From there it is a 15-minute walk to the old entry of the inner wall of Carcassonne. In the old center, you will find a tourism office where you will receive more detailed information about the town. When you visit the old town, please also visit the beautiful Basilique Saint-Nazaire. This Basilique has very nice stained glass windows.
After the church, we recommend a visit to the castle. On the edge of the town lies this beautifully restored castle. For 11 euros per person, you can enter the castle and walk on the castle walls that offer a great view over the valley surrounding Carcassonne. We recommend this as the castle is the most important part of the town and it tells the story of Carcassonne’s history.
Where to camp in Carcasonne
If you are traveling by RV we recommend staying at Aire Camping-Car Carcassonne. It is next to Camping de la Cite and is within walking distance of the town center. The camping car stop is 15 euros per night and does not include electricity. If you require electricity we recommend the campsite next door.
Where to eat in Carcassonne
In Carcassonne, there are many great dinner options. Our top pick would be Agapé Carcassonne. This restaurant was recommended to us and for good reason. It is owned by a young couple who are very friendly. Everything we had was amazing.
Day 7 Cordes-sur-Ciel
After a night in Carcassonne, we drove to Cordes-sur-Ciel, our last stop on this road trip. This relatively small village is such a gem in Tarn. A beautiful village on top of a hill.
What to do in Cordes-sur-Ciel
Cordes-sur-Ciel is known for its many ateliers and artsy shops. You can easily spend a full day here enjoying the stunning views from the village and wandering through the narrow streets of Cordes-sur-Ciel. The town was built in 1222. This village is well preserved and it feels much like going back in time. When in Cordes you might find a product called “Pastel”. This is a flower that grows in the area and the flower is used to make perfume. Pastel is used in many popular brand perfumes like Chanel and it smells delicious. Please keep in mind though that this village might not be worth a visit if you have difficulty walking as it consists of steep cobblestone roads.
A great stop in Cordes-sur-Ciel is the Musee Les Arts du sucre et du chocolat. An absolute gem of a museum. Here you can enjoy all kinds of fairy tales like sculptures, entirely made of sugar. Close to this museum lies an old medieval market hall. Nowadays it is occupied by many cozy terraces. Enjoy a glass of wine here and enjoy the lovely atmosphere of this old town on a hill.
Where to camp in Cordes-sur-Ciel
Surrounding Cordes-sur-Ciel are several great camping options. If you travel by RV and want to stay within walking distance of the old town, we recommend parking your RV at Parking des Tuileries.
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