In Two Weeks

With 2 weeks to explore the Riviera, you aren't as rushed as you might have been with only a week for Provence. With more breathing time, you can traverse the Côte d'Azur beginning in the west at St-Tropez, hitting the high spots as you eventually make your way to Menton in the east on the border with Italy. Highlights include not only St-Tropez, but the chic resort of Cannes, bustling Nice (the capital of the Riviera), and even elegant Monaco.

You can take in the best of the beaches, but you may want to save some time to explore a few of the world's best galleries and museums of contemporary art. The Riviera has both in abundance.

Days 1 & 2: St-Tropez, Gateway to the Riviera

Following in the footsteps of blonde goddess, actress Brigitte Bardot, you can arrive at the nearest rail station in St-Raphaël, making the rest of the journey to St-Tropez by boat or bus.

St-Tropez is all about beaches, the best of which include the Plage de la Bouillabaisse or Plage des Graniers. Following a day at the beach, drop into Café de Paris for a pre-dinner drink and a look at the locals, the most colorful set of characters on the Riviera. Enjoy a long, lingering dinner and take a stroll along the harborfront at night, inspecting the fleet of yachts from all over the world.

On Day 2, before heading for another day at the beach -- perhaps a different one this time -- inspect the Musée de l'Annonciade, the first of the modern art collections that opened on the Riviera in 1955. Do some boutique hopping before your descent on Plage de Tahiti, a favorite of exhibitionists. If you dare, wear next to nothing. Head to the harborfront in the center of town for your final night in St-Tropez.

Days 3 & 4: Cannes

On Day 3, drive east 86km (53 miles) along the coast to the Riviera's most fabled resort, chic, sophisticated Cannes, site of the famous International Film Festival. After checking into your hotel, take a long walk along the promenade de la Croisette to see what the excitement is all about. Find a waterfront restaurant for lunch and then head for the beach -- the best one is Plage de la Croisette, extending between Vieux Port (Old Port) and Port Canto.

On the morning of Day 4, take a ferryboat trip to Ile Ste-Marguerite, the most famous of the Lérins Islands where the mysterious "Man in the Iron Mask" was held prisoner. You can spend all morning exploring the island and have lunch here. You can also visit the second major island, Ile St-Honorat, with its Abbaye de St-Honorat, or else return to Cannes for another afternoon at the beach. If you're a gambler, you can patronize one of the resort's glittering casinos.

Day 5: Grasse, Mougins & Antibes

Leaving Cannes by rented car on the morning of Day 5, drive north 14km (9 miles) along N85 to Grasse, reached in only 20 minutes. This is the perfume capital of France, and you can visit its factories, or parfumerie in French. The best are Fragonard and Molinard. Instead of lunching in Grasse, head back 8km (5 miles) on the road to Cannes but stopping off in the village of Mougins, which was a favorite spot for Picasso. The main reason for coming here is to order lunch, as Mougins has some of the best restaurants on the Riviera.

Heading back to the coast, follow the route into Antibes where you can spend the night. Picasso also lived here, as evidenced by the array of paintings he left to the Musée Picasso, one of the greatest collections of his work.

After seeing the museum, drive along the chic Cap d'Antibes to see how the very rich live and have done so ever since F. Scott Fitzgerald dramatized the resort strip in his novel, Tender Is the Night. Overnight in Antibes and promenade along its port at night, finding a typical seafood bistro.

Day 6: Biot & St-Paul-de-Vence

Leaving Antibes in the morning, drive north 12km (7 1/2 miles) to the town of Biot, which is celebrated for its beautiful pottery. While here, you can also visit the Musée National Fernand-Léger, with the greatest collection of Léger's work in the world.

After a lunch in town, head northeast 10km (6 miles) for a night in the most famous hill town along the Riviera: St-Paul-de-Vence. After checking into your hotel, visit the Fondation Maeght, the most famous -- and the best -- gallery of modern art on the Riviera, and actually one of Europe's finest such museums. Spend the late afternoon or early evening wandering the town's cobblestone streets.

Days 7 & 8: Vence & Nice

On the morning of Day 7, drive 6km (4 miles) over to the neighboring hill town of Vence to see Chapelle du Rosaire, the chapel that Henri Matisse designed and decorated between 1947 and 1951. He viewed it as his masterpiece. After an hour's visit, drive southeast 40km (25 miles) to Nice for a 3-night visit, part of which will be devoted to excursions.

After checking into a hotel, stroll through Vieille Ville, the Old Town beginning at the foot of "the Rock." Enjoy a snack of socca, a round crepe made with chickpea flour that's sold steaming hot by street vendors.

Then head for the promenade des Anglais, the wide boulevard along the waterfront. You can spend at least an hour strolling, perhaps stopping at one of the grand cafes bordering the water for a Niçoise lunch. In the afternoon, head for one of the beaches. Back in the Old Town for dinner, visit a typical bistro.

On Day 8, try to hit some of the major sights just beyond Nice. These include the two most important museums: Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, one of the best modern art museums in the region, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the latter devoted to the masters of the Second Empire and the Belle Epoque era. For the remainder of the afternoon, head for the satellite village of Cimiez and try to visit the Musée Matisse, seeing works by the master himself. Return to Nice for the night, taking in an opera, some casino play, or live music at one of Vieille Ville's many bars.

Day 9: Grande Corniche & Moyenne Corniche

On Day 9, while still based in Nice, head out for the grandest drive in the south of France, the Grande Corniche built by Napoleon in 1806. The trip of 32km (20 miles) takes about 3 hours of straight driving, although many motorists stop for a series of grand views, stretching the trip out to at least 5 hours.

From Nice, head east along avenue des Diables-Bleus. From points along the way, you can look down 450m (1,400 ft.) to Monaco. Highlights along the drive are panoramic views at Vistaëro -- it's signposted -- which lies 300m (1,000 ft.) above the sea. Another grand view can be seen at Eze Belvedere. The highest point along the Grande Corniche is Trophée des Alps, a rock formation at 450m (1,500 ft.).

You can have lunch in Menton before returning to Nice along the Moyenne Corniche or Middle Corniche, stretching 31km (19 miles). This superhighway, built "between the wars," also runs from Nice to Menton and goes in and out of tunnels cut through mountains. Panoramic views, including some of Monaco, are possible to enjoy at many points along this grand highway. Return to Nice for the night.

Day 10: Villefranche-sur-Mer & St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

To save money because of its affordable hotels, you can still use Nice as your home base as you set out to see such highlights along the Riviera as Villefranche and St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on Day 10. You can arrive at Villefranche after a 6km (4-mile) drive east of Nice. Walk its vaulted rue Obscure and visit its 14th-century Romanesque Chapelle St-Pierre with frescoes painted by Jean Cocteau.

By late morning after an hour or two in Villefranche, you can drive over to posh St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a 15km (9-mile) promontory that lies 10km (6 miles) east of Nice.

Here you will find one of the Côte d'Azur's most legendary villas, today the home of the art-stuffed Musée Ile-de-France. Budget 2 hours for a visit and get in some beach time, perhaps at Plage de Paloma, before returning to Nice for the night.

Day 11: Exploring the Gorges du Loup

Again, with Nice as your hotel base, set out on Day 11 to see some of the most dramatic scenery in the mountains above the Côte d'Azur by visiting Gorges du Loup. You can take a 13km (8-mile) drive filled with dramatic scenery such as waterfalls, rock spurs, and decaying castles.

For lunch, aim for the town of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, which lies 29km (18 miles) west of Nice. You can spend the afternoon here wandering its ancient streets and exploring more crafts studios than any other town its size in Provence. The best of these are showcased along the Grand'Rue. Return to Nice in the afternoon, hopefully in time for the beach. Overnight in Nice before checking out the following day to head east.

Days 12 & 13: Beaulieu, Eze & Monaco

Leave Nice on Day 12, heading east along the Lower Corniche or Corniche Inférieure. First stop: the posh resort of Beaulieu at a distance of only 10km (6 miles) east of Nice. The town opens onto the tranquil Baie des Fourmis, and you can walk its Boulevard Alsace-Lorraine lined with gardens. The seafront promenade is another idyllic place to stroll. The highlight of your visit will be Villa Kérylos, a replica of an ancient Greek residence filled with art.

After a visit, continue along the coast to the village of Eze, lying 11km (7 miles) northeast of Nice. Here you can have lunch and explore the medieval core of this old town, which is filled with shops, artisan studios, and art galleries. Visit the Jardin d'Eze, which features cacti and offers panoramic views of the eastern Riviera.

After a visit, continue east to the principality of Monaco, for a stopover of 2 nights. The location is 18km (11 miles) east of Nice. After checking into a hotel, head for Le Café de Paris, the heart of local life. Perhaps you'll have dinner here.

On Day 13, set out to explore the attractions of this principality, perhaps witnessing the changing of the guard and visiting Les Grands Appartements du Palais, where Prince Albert rules the Monégasques. Allow 45 minutes or so to see Jardin Exotique, filled with exotic plants. The other most visited attraction is the Musée Océanographique de Monaco whose name says it all. If time remains, take in Prince Rainier III's Collection des Voitures Anciennes (old automobiles). Spend yet another night in the principality, walking its seafront promenades before dinner.

Day 14: Roquebrune, Cap-Martin & Menton

On Day 14, your final day on the Riviera, continue along the Lower Corniche until you come to the twin attractions of Roquebrune and Cap-Martin. Roquebrune is a hill village that you can explore in 1 1/2 hours. Stroll its covered streets, which are filled with crafts studios, art galleries, and souvenir shops. The most evocative street is rue Moncollet, dating from the 10th century. Head for a stopover at Cap-Martin, which lies 2km (1 1/2 miles) west of Roquebrune. After lunch, take one of the great walks along the Riviera, a 3-hour trek along a coastal path, Sentier Touristique.

After that, make your way to Menton for the night, a distance of 8km (5 miles) east of Monaco. After checking into a hotel, wander its old fishing town, selecting a local bistro.

The following morning, drive back to Nice (26km/16 miles), the transportation hub of the Riviera.