From Roman Ruins to Billionaire Playgrounds: Day Tripping Through the French Riviera

Words and photos by Olivia Declerq, ASA's Fall 2026 Journalism Grant recipient. Olivia is taking over our blog this semester. Check in weekly to follow the ups and downs of her study abroad experience as she navigates life in Aix-en-Provence, France, and beyond.

As I get settled into my new home in Aix-en-Provence, I’ve begun exploring the French Riviera, and so far it’s a perfect place for day trips, sunbathing, and historical monuments. Here are a few of the day trips you can take from Aix!

ARLES & SAINT-MARIES-DE-LA-MER. The first day trip from Aix is to Arles and Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer. In this Camargue region, there’s a swampy atmosphere that truly contrasts the metropolitan feel of Aix. Just outside the more well-known city of Arles is a small bull-fighting village called Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer. It is here that bulls run through the streets on Sundays and the seafood is fresh from the Mediterranean Sea.

During this trip, about an hour and a half from Aix, we climbed to the top of the local cathedral, built in the year 1170. The city is the legendary location where the Christian Bible “Maries,” Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobe, and Mary Salome arrived in France, along with Lazarus and Martha. In addition to the cathedral, we spend most of our time here swimming in the beautiful waters of the Med.

AVIGNON. The second day trip from Aix, also about an hour by bus, is the small town of Avignon. Also rich with history, the icon of this smaller town is the Palais des Papes, an enormous palace built in the early 1300s to accommodate the seven French Catholic Popes who made their home here instead of the Vatican from 1309 to 1377.

There’s also a Roman bridge that is built halfway across the Rhône after being damaged by years of weathering. The bridge gives a wonderful view of the palace, the river, and the city of Avignon. For art fans, there are also several art museums with free entry that display works of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Pablo Picasso.

MONACO. The next weekend, I branched out a bit further and hopped on a bus headed for the country of Monaco! Monaco is a small micro-state with only around 38,000 permanent residents… And it’s the “playground of billionaires.” For a chic day of expensive indulgence, the changing of the guard, and yachts galore, Monaco is a fun experiment for people watching.

Our bus also made a stop in the small medieval mountaintop town of Eze, where we took a tour of a Fragonard factory. Fragonard is one of the most famous perfume companies in the world, but they’re also exclusive to France, so it was interesting to hear from the family-oriented company that chose local quality over global wealth.

MARSEILLE & LES CALANQUES DE CASSIS. Finally, we finished out the weekend with a trip to Marseille and Les Calanques de Cassis. If you’re in the French Riviera, this is a must-see trip! Les Calanques are a beautiful, wild, and rugged terrain stretching from the 9th arrondissement of Marseille to the east towards Cassis.

We took the bus through Marseille before arriving at our kayaking tour guide’s center. Once we got all suited up, we drove out to Les Calanques for three hours of kayaking in the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean.

I hope these inspire you to consider studying abroad in Aix, and if you’re already excited for the program, plan a day trip to these locations!

Thanks, Olivia!