First visit to France - 14 Day Itinerary Advice?

I think you have a great breakdown of the days. There online itinerary suggestions for Paris and Nice. You don’t say what makes you interested in each spot so it’s hard to suggest a specific itinerary. Here are two sample ones from a pretty know travel writer and a travel blogger: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/paris-itinerary (scroll down to “Paris in Five to Seven Days Without going In-Seine”) and https://sporadictravels.com/four-days-itinerary-in-nice-france/.

I would take a look at what days your planning on being in Paris, as July is when the Tour de France ends. Maybe you want to see that or maybe you want to stay away from that. J

I agree..good breakdown of time and you will see a lot of different things among the 3 locations you've chosen.

For Paris 7 nights is wonderful for a first visit. Honestly, here's what I do for my trips to Paris. I get a paper calendar for the month. Then add notes for the museum closure days if you are planning to see any of those. Then start with a list of various sights you want to see and things you want to do and plug them in. Jean, the person who runs our local RS meet up uses a calendar and post-it notes with particular activities that she can move around until it feels right, lol.

For Paris I have a running list of things of interest for myself. I would have the girls go thru a Paris guide book and see what's interesting to them.

Do you have any idea of what you might want to see in Paris? Any museums or churches?

Cluny Museum with the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicorn

Maybe a cooking class to make macaron or croissant?

Food tour in the Marais?

Chocolate tour? (Paris Walks sometimes has a chocolate tour)

Up to the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe for the view?

Walking down some of the streets with high end shopping?

What are your girls interested in?

editing to add: Have you watched Midnight in Paris with them? IF they are fans you can go to the steps where Gil was picked up in the time traveling taxi....

Thank you for the replies! I was initially thinking of just 2 days in Avignon, but I'm concerned it wouldn't be enough time and think four days is likely enough in Nice, rather than 5, if we stay 3 nights in Avignon.

My daughters and I are interested in seeing the main sights in Paris and doing a day trip to Versailles. We love the arts and architecture. My youngest daughter is a foodie and loves to cook. My eldest daughter and I both enjoy shopping, even if it just means browsing at some of the high end shops. Both of my daughters dance, my eldest at a high level.

We will avoid the Tour de France during our stay, but the Festival will be on during our stay in Avignon. We are hoping to watch some of the performances and hope that being there during such a busy time will be enjoyable. We also hope to do some side trips out of Avignon to see more of Provence while there, likely to Arles and possibly to see the Pont du Gard. Arles seems easily accessible by train from Avignon, but we may need to consider a guide for other side trips given my hesitation to drive there. Two days doesn't feel like enough time, given we would travel in one day from Paris by train and depart for Nice by train on the last day.

We will be in Nice on Bastille Day, which will likely be busy but again, hopefully a once in a life time enjoyable experience. We hope to do side trips to Monacco, VilleFranche-sur-Mer, possibly Cap Ferret, Eze and Antibes.

We would love to do a food tour and cooking class, so any suggestions on where to do those and with who would be appreciated.

Thanks for the extra information!

For your Paris itinerary I'd start with where to put Versailles. It's closed on Mondays. I'd also plan to spend the whole day here so you can see some of the gardens and walk out to the Queen's Hamlet - Marie Antoinette's fantasy farm, lol. You may get back to Paris in mid-afternoon but I'd not plan anything and just see how much energy you've got. BTW, pro-tip from my RS tour guide...after you get off the train in Versailles, go to the McDonalds across the street. Each buys a drink and then you get the secret code so you can use the toilet, lol.

Depending on where you are staying, if you are interested in Art Nouveau, there are some really cool buildings near the Eiffel Tower! The architect was Jules Lavirotte. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Lavirotte

I'd definitely recommend the Orsay Museum and the Orangerie unless you want to see the older paintings and sculpture that are in the Louvre (Mona Lisa, The Winged Victory, Rembrandt, Vermeer, The Code of Hammurabi etc). I love the Louvre but it might not be my first pick for teens. The Orsay and Orangerie (Monet's huge waterlily canvases installed 2 circular rooms) are easier to interpret.

As mentioned before, The Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages - cool stuff and the Unicorn tapestries.

Would you be interested in going to the Palais Garnier? It's the Paris Opera house where both opera and ballet are performed. The ceiling is by Marc Chagall.

https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier

I'm not a shopper but there is are a number of Repetto boutiques dotted around. My SIL's great niece who is a dancer was dying to go and I think wound up with some new tights or something. She was thrilled.

Hi Catherine, I’m the person Pam mentioned who uses the homemade Post-it notes calendar. ; ) Anyway, I took a croissant pastry class with La Cuisine in the vicinity of the Notre Dame area. I really enjoyed the chef’s attention to detail and that it was a small group of people around the work table, each making them. I’ve made them quite a bit at home since that time, with good results. They also have eclair, macaron, baguette, etc. classes.

https://lacuisineparis.com

This trip report includes Nice and the food tour that I highly recommend. We have been to the Avignon area and did a couple of day trips to the activities you described. Personally, I would give Nice your extra day; there’s so much to do in that area!

Have a great time!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/our-combined-solo-couple-vacation-in-france-2019

If you are going to be in Avignon during the music festival, please lock down your accommodations and your train tickets as soon as possible. You may want to sign up for SNCF's notification of when tickets go on sale by going to https://www.sncf-connect.com/ and trying to book tickets and then signing up for an email notification for when the tickets go on sale. Usually tickets go on sale 90 days ahead of the travel dates but tickets to Avignon for summer travel may and often do get put up for sale way more than 90 days ahead of the travel date and if wait until 90 days before the date of travel, you find sold out trains.

La Cuisine Paris is highly regarded for cooking classes. Paris by Mouth is a good resource for places to eat by arrondisement.