Packing for the French Riviera and Weekend Travel in Europe

October in the French Riviera

When you think of the French Riviera, what comes to mind? Yachts, the Côte D’Azur, and great weather of course, right?! The weather stays sunny for 330 days of the year and the lowest that the temperature will get is about 55 degrees. You won’t be needing any heavy winter coats or big sweaters except if you are wanting to travel to places where it gets a bit colder. I actually bought a big warm coat from Nordstrom over the summer and ended up returning it right before arriving in Nice. I don’t regret it, you’re in paradise!

October in LondonBetween September and October it’s beach weather in the Riviera, so bring lots of bathing suits, sunscreen, and your camera of course. Absolutely beautiful! Once November and December come around it’s still absolutely gorgeous on the French Riviera, but it starts to get rainy, so be sure to bring your umbrella and a light rain jacket! Otherwise, when it’s not raining, it’s a great day to go watch the sunset on the beach in Nice or to go for a jog along the water in old town Antibes!

Heavier Clothes for Traveling

When it comes to visiting other countries such as Prague or Florence, be sure to bring your sweaters and coats along. When November hits, so does the cold in these big cities! I only brought a few sweaters and a Patagonia to layer with, but ended up buying a cheap coat at Zara for only $30! Clothing at Zara is a lot cheaper in Europe and comes in handy! It’s better to buy a cheap coat in Europe rather than to stuff your suitcase too much! 

You will definitely want to be as fashionable as the Europeans!

And Lastly...

Remember the closets are very small, because French people would rather keep a small closet of elegant clothes than store tons of things they won’t always wear. Be sure to pick out your favorite clothes and leave the “maybes” behind!


Madison Rettew

Madison Rettew is the Fall 2019 CEA Content Creator in French Riviera, France, and is currently studying at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.