Spend three nights in Paris, then two each in Strasbourg, Lyon and Nice, discovering four cities through their art, streets and food.
Begin with Paris’s art collections and hillside streets, travel east to the waterways of Alsace, then continue through Lyon to Nice. This ten-day journey gives each city a different purpose: two full Paris days for a museum and Montmartre, Strasbourg for a close look at French and German architectural traditions, Lyon for Renaissance courtyards and regional cooking, and Nice for the old town beside the sea. The overnight sequence is three nights in Paris, two in Strasbourg, two in Lyon and two in Nice. You leave Nice on day ten. Trains connect all four central stations, so there is no reason to hire a car for this urban holiday. May, June and September suit the walking and outdoor meals; plan the Riviera stay around culture and the coast, with swimming as an optional extra. Strasbourg is an eastward detour from the simpler Paris–Lyon–Nice line, but its half-timbered houses, imperial avenues and Alsatian dishes reward the extra train journey.
The Louvre’s palace galleries and the streets of Montmartre show different sides of the capital. Ancient sculpture and European paintings fill one day; another follows the hill associated with artists, the Sacré-Cœur forecourt and the cafés around Abbesses.
Petite France’s waterfront houses once served a working district of millers and tanners. Across the city, the broad streets of the Neustadt reflect the period of German imperial rule. Seeing both gives Strasbourg’s pretty façades a historical context.
A Lyonnais bouchon introduces dishes such as pike quenelles and herb-seasoned fresh cheese. At the Mediterranean end of the journey, Nice’s chickpea-flour socca makes a much simpler snack. The change of ingredients is another way to experience the journey south.
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StartBooker answer
Stay three nights in Paris and two each in Strasbourg, Lyon and Nice, leaving from Nice on day ten. That gives you five full city days and three intercity rail journeys. Paris covers the Louvre and Montmartre; Strasbourg adds Alsatian canals and imperial architecture; Lyon brings Renaissance streets and regional cooking; Nice finishes with the old town and Mediterranean waterfront. The route suits a first urban holiday without a car.
Explore tours, attractions and local experiences in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nice along this route through France.
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1
Museums, the Seine and distinct quarters
The Marais suits evenings in the historic centre; the Gare de l’Est area makes the Strasbourg departure simpler. Choose the first for neighbourhood walks or the second for convenient train access, using the Métro for the museum and Montmartre.
Read the Paris guide →
2
Grande Île, Petite France and European identity
Petite France and the western Grande Île put the canal walk near your room. The station area is more convenient with bags and still close to the island’s western edge; the cathedral quarter suits evenings around the historic centre.
Read the Strasbourg guide →
3
Two rivers, old lanes and food traditions
Choose the Presqu’île around Bellecour for restaurants and the bridges to Vieux Lyon. Part-Dieu suits early train departures, with a modern station district rather than the old quarter’s atmosphere. Both work for the two-night stay.
Read the Lyon guide →
4
Mediterranean promenades and coast rail options
The Jean Médecin area balances Nice-Ville station, the old town and tram access to the airport. Vieux Nice is more atmospheric for the full sightseeing day, while the Promenade des Anglais puts the waterfront ahead of station convenience.
Read the Nice guide →Days two, three, five, seven and nine are full city days. The three hotel changes fall on days four, six and eight.
Use the first afternoon for an outdoor introduction to central Paris after reaching your accommodation. On Île Saint-Louis, follow the quays past town houses, then cross Pont Saint-Louis towards Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame’s exterior. The islands make an easy first walk because the river provides a clear route and the two banks offer different views. Continue towards Pont Neuf if you have energy, or settle for dinner near your hotel after a late arrival. This day has no timed admission: the museum visit comes after a night’s sleep. Look at the contrast between the island streets and the broader riverbanks as the light changes. The next two days give you time to explore both a major collection and a different neighbourhood.
Base: Paris
Dedicate the morning to the Louvre, where a former royal palace houses collections ranging from Egyptian antiquities to European painting. Choose a few rooms or works before entering: the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Egyptian galleries make one possible focus, while painting lovers can build a different route. About three hours is a useful planning allowance for a first visit. Afterwards, walk through the palace courtyards into the Tuileries Garden, a pleasant place to pause outdoors after the galleries. The Louvre closes on Tuesdays, so exchange days two and three when necessary; your three Paris nights allow that adjustment.
Base: Paris
Spend the second full Paris day in Montmartre. Begin near Place Saint-Pierre and ascend by the funicular or the steps to the Sacré-Cœur forecourt for the view over the city. Continue around Place du Tertre, where portrait artists still work, then follow the smaller streets towards Rue des Saules and descend towards Abbesses. The hill was a home and meeting place for painters including Picasso, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec; its steep streets and surviving village character make that history easier to imagine than a quick photograph from below. Stop in a café and browse the neighbourhood shops around Abbesses before returning to the centre. This is a hilly day even with the funicular, so shorten the descent if needed. Return to your Paris accommodation for the third and final night.
Base: Paris
Travel from Paris Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg, then go to your accommodation before beginning the afternoon in the Grande Île. The historic centre is enclosed by the River Ill, with the cathedral rising above its streets. Walk to the cathedral square to see the pink sandstone and intricate Gothic façade, then continue around Place du Château and the exterior of Palais Rohan. The eighteenth-century palace introduces a different, more classical city from the half-timbered lanes you will explore tomorrow. The squares and nearby riverbanks make a compact arrival walk. For dinner, try a tarte flambée: its thin base is traditionally topped with cream, onions and bacon. Two nights here leave a full day for both the canal district and a later chapter of Strasbourg’s history.
Base: Strasbourg
Begin in Petite France around Place Benjamin Zix and Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes. The wide roofs and open lofts of the old tanners’ houses once helped dry animal skins; the canals belonged to a working quarter, not a purpose-built romantic backdrop. Continue towards the Ponts Couverts and the Vauban Dam for the view across the waterways. After lunch, cross towards the Neustadt around Place de la République, then walk to the twin-spired Saint-Paul church by the Ill. This district grew during German rule after the annexation of Alsace, and its monumental streets contrast with the older island. Plan to see Saint-Paul from outside, since the interior opens intermittently. End in a winstub, a traditional Alsatian restaurant, where choucroute brings sauerkraut with meat or fish to the table.
Base: Strasbourg
Choose a morning train from Strasbourg to Lyon Part-Dieu and make the accommodation your first stop on arrival. The afternoon walk begins on Place Bellecour, in the central Presqu’île between the Rhône and Saône. Follow the streets north towards Place des Terreaux, taking a riverbank detour to understand the peninsula’s setting. These public squares, shops and cafés give the arrival afternoon a different texture from Strasbourg’s canal lanes. Save Vieux Lyon for the next day, when you can approach it together with the hill above. For dinner, look for a bouchon serving Lyonnais specialities. A quenelle is a light dumpling, often made with pike and baked in sauce; it is a good introduction to a culinary tradition that also makes generous use of charcuterie and offal.
Base: Lyon
Take funicular F2 from Vieux-Lyon station to Fourvière for the basilica and the panorama across Lyon. Individual entry to the basilica and crypt is free. Return to the Saint-Jean quarter below to explore the Renaissance streets, then join a guided walk if you want to understand the traboules: passages through buildings that open into courtyards, galleries and staircases. Their entrances are part of a residential neighbourhood, so the guided option is more rewarding than trying every doorway. The old town’s compact scale leaves time for a relaxed lunch and a return to the Saône bank. Another local taste is cervelle de canut, fresh cheese with herbs, garlic and shallots, often eaten with bread or potatoes. The name recalls Lyon’s silk workers, linking the city’s food and working history.
Base: Lyon
The Lyon–Nice journey occupies much of day eight, so choose a service that arrives with time to reach your room comfortably. After check-in, walk from Place Masséna towards the waterfront. The red façades and patterned paving of the square give way to a broad view of the Baie des Anges, with the Promenade des Anglais following the bay’s curve. This is a pebble shore: a waterfront walk is the simplest first encounter, without needing swimming plans after a long train ride. Keep the old town’s detailed visit for tomorrow and enjoy an evening meal nearby. If your train arrives late, begin with dinner and see the promenade the next morning. You have the following day entirely in Nice.
Base: Nice
Begin at Cours Saleya, whose produce market normally runs Tuesday to Sunday, then follow the lanes of Vieux Nice. Try freshly cooked socca, the thin local pancake made from chickpea flour, water and olive oil. It is served hot in pieces, making an easy lunch stop between the market and the old-town lanes. In the afternoon, choose Palais Lascaris on Rue Droite for its Baroque staircase, decorated interiors and collection of historic musical instruments. About an hour suits this compact museum. It closes on Tuesdays, when Castle Hill’s park and views make a clear alternative; on other days, choose the palace or the hill according to your interests. Finish back at the waterfront for the contrast between the close old-town streets and the open sea. This is the last overnight stop of the ten-day journey.
Base: Nice
The nine hotel nights are complete, so day ten is your departure day. With a morning flight, leave the accommodation and go directly to the airport. With a later departure, a final waterfront walk can fit before check-out; the route does not assume unconfirmed luggage storage or another night in Nice. Tram line 2 connects Jean Médecin with both airport terminals, with the airport describing the central ride as under thirty minutes. Add walking, waiting and the airline’s required arrival margin to that journey. For an onward train, use the station printed on the ticket: Nice-Ville is the central station used by this itinerary’s arrival leg.
Base: Nice
Journey times below are approximate station-to-station estimates. Allow extra time to reach the platforms and your accommodation.
3 transfers
Paris Strasbourg
Use Paris Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg. Some direct services are slower than this range; the actual station pair and arrival time matter when choosing your ticket. The high-speed service requires a reserved seat.
Strasbourg Lyon
Look for a direct train to Lyon Part-Dieu. SNCF also shows connecting journeys, including options that change stations in Paris; those are a different transfer from remaining on one train. Compare the full itinerary rather than just the price.
Lyon Nice
Search Lyon Part-Dieu to Nice-Ville. Direct trains and connecting options both appear; choose the one that fits your arrival afternoon and reserve the selected high-speed service. This is the longest rail leg of the trip.
Plan about €3,000–5,150 (≈ US$3,360–5,770) for two adults sharing a double room in May–June or September, outside major events. These are editorial allowances, not quoted bookings; international travel, insurance and shopping are excluded.
Booking tips
Follow the four bases from Paris east to Strasbourg, then southwest to Lyon and south to Nice. The map shows their geography; train details are in the transfer cards.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg adds Alsatian half-timbered streets, canal-side working history and the German imperial architecture of the Neustadt. Those experiences differ from both Paris and Lyon. The price is an extra eastward journey and hotel change. Keep it if that cultural contrast interests you; for more Paris museums or a longer Riviera stay, remove the two Strasbourg nights and redistribute them rather than adding more stops.
Two Nice nights provide one full day, day nine. A coastal excursion would replace the suggested Nice sightseeing, or require a third night and an eleventh day. Departure day ten belongs to your flight or onward train. This route gives Nice itself the time; if another coastal town is your main interest, change the full-day plan before booking rather than assuming both visits fit.
Exchange the two full Paris days: explore Montmartre on Tuesday and visit the Louvre on the other day. Three Paris nights give you that flexibility without changing the rail sequence. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are also museum closure dates, so a winter holiday needs a calendar check before you fix the Paris visit. The day-by-day plan is a sequence of experiences rather than a promise that every institution opens daily.
The museums, historic streets and regional cooking still provide reasons to travel, but the Nice finish becomes a cultural visit rather than a beach stay. Short daylight makes an early train arrival more useful. Strasbourg’s two nights remain for the city itself; Christmas-market travel is a different seasonal purpose with its own dates and accommodation demand, rather than the May–June or September scenario used for this budget.
No. Montmartre is hilly even though its funicular avoids one ascent, and the old quarters include paving and steps. Fourvière has funicular access and an accessible basilica entrance, but Palais Lascaris is listed as unsuitable for wheelchair access. Choose accommodation near useful transport and reduce the walking segments to your needs; do not treat a car-free itinerary as a guarantee of step-free access.
Yes. Reverse the order and preserve two nights each in Nice, Lyon and Strasbourg, followed by three in Paris. The city experiences remain usable, but the train services and Louvre day must match the new dates. Finishing in Paris can be better for an international connection. A return to Paris after completing the written route would add another long transfer rather than fitting invisibly into the existing ten days.
Reviewed by StartBooker
Last reviewed 2026-10-23
Updated
How this itinerary was checked: The train sequence, named visits and food descriptions were checked against transport operators, museums and tourism authorities. The budget separates editorial allowances from published tariffs and uses a dated exchange rate.
22 references reviewed
Photos provided by Pexels.
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