Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, France

About Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region is a region. Location: France. Population: 5,170,312.

From Wikipedia

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), sometimes known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the mainland. The main prefecture and largest city is Marseille, France's second largest city proper after Paris and the 2nd largest urban area when combined with Aix-en-Provence with over 1.9 million residents.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built: 1970
Area: 31,400 km²
Official website: maregionsud.fr

Source: Wikidata

Photos of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

Einaz80 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Plage du Prado Alpha du centaure · CC BY 2.0
Île Verte Alexander Freitas · CC BY-SA 4.0
Île Pomègues Agris Robs · CC BY-SA 3.0
Planier Island Matieu Sokolovic · Public domain

Travel notes for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

From Wikivoyage

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) is the most popular holiday region in the south of France. It covers a large area from the Mediterranean Sea in the south up to the French Alps in the north and extends west to east along the coast from the river Rhône all the way to the Italian border. Its identity as a geographical region being a legacy of the Roman Empire, the Provence includes the French Riviera and is famous for its sunny weather, colourful countryside, long-standing traditions and local language (Provençal). The region's favourable climate makes the variety of available local produce second to none. Flowers, fruits and vegetables all grow in abundance, the sea's fish and shellfish stocks are rich and all this without forgetting those two most Provençal of industries: wine-making and perfumery.

Perhaps best known for the many fashionable resorts along the Côte d'Azur, the Provence's other main attractions include the Old Port of Marseille, the ancient cities of Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, as well as a plethora of sun-baked villages and mountaintop towns. So why not follow in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh and see for yourself why Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is such a special and inspirational destination?

Understand+

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur covers all the original territory of Provence, together with what used to be the Italian-controlled County of Nice. The term "Provence" comes from the fact that this area - "Transalpine Gaul" - was the first part of what is now France to become a Roman province; it was from here that Julius Caesar launched his famous conquest of Gaul. The region's identity is associated closely with its history and culture. Although a bit stereotyped now (those lavender fields and hill villages that plaster postcards and guidebooks), contemporary Provençal life is rooted in a long heritage of lively regional culture and language.

This is a vast and beautiful region, and merits a long trip, not just a few days or a week. To truly appreciate this region, you must be the type of traveller who likes food, wine and local crafts. It is recommended that you plan your own itinerary, and make it flexible enough so you can linger at an outdoor café or appreciate a historic sight when the moment takes you. There is a joie de vivre attitude throughout the region which is contagious, especially after a picnic of cheese and sausage bought direct from local farmers, and two glasses of a good rosé.

Climate:

The low-lying parts of this region have a Mediterranean climate, so are generally dry and warm for most of the year, with more rain and wind over the usually brief winters. Summers here are hot and long, and the number of sunshine hours is very high all year round. The higher zones stretching up into the Alps have a mountain climate which, though still dry in summer, can be quite cool. This southernmost part of the Alps is the sunniest in the range, though winter snow is still common.

Read:

Get in+

By plane:

The two major airports for the region are Nice-Côte d'Azur and Marseille-Provence. Most transatlantic flights to France land at Paris Charles de Gaulle, from where it is possible to travel to the Provence either by catching a connecting flight, using a high speed train, or hiring a car and driving.

1 Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE IATA). France's third busiest airport after the two in Paris welcomes flights from pretty much every major European airport and a handful of places further afield, such as Beirut (summer only), Doha, Dubai, Montreal Trudeau (summer only), New York JFK and Newark (summer only) and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion. (updated Dec 2017)

2 Marseille Provence Airport (MRS IATA). Has year round services from such European cities as Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin Schönefeld, Brussels Capital, Frankfurt, London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted), Istanbul IST, Madrid Barajas, Paris (Charles de Gaulle and Orly), Rome Fiumicino and Stockholm Arlanda. There are also year-round flights from cities in Francophone Africa such as Agadir, Algiers, Constantine, Dakar, Oran and Tunis.

3 Toulon-Hyères Airport (TLN IATA). The only year-round flights arrive from Brest, Charleroi, Paris Orly and CDG. There are summer connections from Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Southampton.

4 Avignon Provence Airport (AVN IATA). The only scheduled flights here go to Antwerp in the high season only. (updated Jul 2023)

By train:

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Places bordering Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

Piedmont
Liguria
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Population of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region over time

Population of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region over time
2012		4,935,576
2013		4,953,675
2014		4,983,438
2015		5,007,977
2017		5,030,890
2018		5,052,832
2019		5,081,101
2020		5,098,666
2021		5,127,840
2022		5,170,312
2023		5,218,960

Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.

Climate of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: May–June, September.

This month · November

Outside the best season

Day 13° · Night 4° · Rain 80 mm

Hottest month: July (day 29°)
Coldest month: January (night 1°)
Wettest month: October (100 mm)
Driest month: July (34 mm)

10° 1°

11° 1°

14° 3°

16° 5°

21° 9°

25° 12°

29° 15°

24° 12°

19° 8°

13° 4°

10° 1°

Jan

67

Feb

56

Mar

57

Apr

72

May

67

Jun

55

Jul

34

Aug

58

Sep

70

Oct

100

Nov

80

Dec

71

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table

Climate of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high (°C)	10°	11°	14°	16°	21°	25°	29°	29°	24°	19°	13°	10°
Average low (°C)	1°	1°	3°	5°	9°	12°	15°	15°	12°	8°	4°	1°
Precipitation (mm)	67	56	57	72	67	55	34	58	70	100	80	71

Other places to visit in this season: May June September

How to get to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

The nearest airport is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), 88 km to the southwest as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Aix-en-Provence, 67 km to the southwest.