French Riviera towns

Why one night each in Nice and Monaco? Instead of changing hotels twice,stay in Nice both nights and take the train to Monaco. Don't know about Eze but enjoyed Vence, St-Paul de Vence, Antibes.

Eze would be low on my list of Cote d'Azur towns - especially in season when it is hopelessly overrun by tourists and tour buses IME - i guess the reason to come here is for the fab views - the town i found so-so and rather plastic - for real perfume factory tours head to Grasse, quite close to and a short train ride from Cannes - and Grasse is a really old-world Provencal regional town. I would put Antibes (again right next door to Cannes), St Paul, St-Paul-de-Vence, Nice and Menton, for starters way ahead of Eze on my list but that's only my take after having toured this area several times. And if you do not have a car - the coastal trains and inland buses run frequently and make it easy to get around sans car.

I happen to like Eze. The drive along the corniche to reach it is spectacular. And, while tourists certainly flock to it, they also flock inland to Vence, St-Paul de Vence and Grasse. we all have our preferences, but Menton reminds me of a Daytona Beach, Florida. Great weather, but lots of high-rise concrete hotels and other accommodations.

Enjoy the coast.

Hi; Along with St Paul-de-Vence and Cannes our opinion is we LOVE Eze. Do what HappyTrvir suggests and stay two days in Nice. St Paul-de-vence is also very impressive. Richard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88ze

If it were me, and it isn't, I would base myself in Nice for all 4 nights and drive to Monaco and Eze in one (easy) day-trip. Then visit Grasse and St-Paul-de-Vence (also touristy like Eze but more charming) on another day, and forget Cannes (just like Nice but smaller and not as interesting IMO). Don't forget to walk around Nice's Old Town and the Cours de Saleya flower market. The Matisse Museum in Nice is well worth a visit, and if your like Chagall, his museum is nearby.

My vote also goes to staying in Nice, where there is much to see and do. Eze is fine for the view but not easy to get to without a car, and I think St-Paul-de-Vence is more interesting as a perched village. Nearby Vence has a lovely old area, as well as the Matisse Chapel.

What are your interests?

That is really one hotel--it is all so close.

There are buses from Nice to Eze.

Another daytrip from Nice, easily accomplished by bus, is a combination of Villefranche, the delightfully Belle Epoque Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild with its extensive gardens, and Cap Ferrat-St. John. Then there's the Villa Kerylos and the little Train des Pignes north into the mountains and ....

Well, lots to do from Nice with very good public transportation options.

The best thing i liked about Eze was taking a train to the Eze-sur-Mer train station and then doing a very energetic hike up Philosopher's (Philosophers' ?) Path that apparently Nietzsche regularly trekked along up to Eze - lots of steps as i remember so unless training for a triathalong take the bus right to the perched village of Eze - it is a neat hike however, thru desert-like environs IMO

Re Eze - perhaps because i went there in August, when the whole Riviera IME is a complete zoo that may have negatively influenced my out take on Eze - it was elbow to elbow but still this did not ruin the fantastic views.

So i think outside of August it may be the gem several folks above say it is - timing is everything they say

Nice is best hub - use busses for going east to Eze, Monaco or menton or train to Cannes.
Bus 82 to Eze (ligne d'azur) or bus 112 (Tam bus) then possible to take the walk down via the footpath through the mountains to Eze sur mer (the views are ...) then you have the option of taking the very frequent bus 100 (Tam bus cg06) either on to Monaco/Menton or back to Nice.
All these busses start from the main bus stn (gare routier) in Nice, every trip costs one euro, bus 112 and 82 start from the same quay in the stn.
Bus 200 to Cannes is also frequent and not a bad ride but not as scenic as bus 100.

http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6

http://www.cg06.fr/fr/servir-les-habitants/deplacements/transport-collectifs-tam/lignes-et-horaires/lignes-et-horaires/
Re the mountain footpath - apparently the residents of Eze sur mer used this path to retreat from sea raiders up to the fortified village.

I second Villefranche for a stroll and diiner or lunch in one of the restaurants along the quai. Also go see the Cocteau chapel. I've used Villefranche as a hub and loved it: quieter than Nice. But I've always had a rental car.

I just spent 4 nights in the French Riviera and based myself in Nice - all of the places you are visiting are a very easy commute from Nice. Monaco is about a 15-20 minute train ride, Cannes is about 45 min by train from Nice. Trains and buses run very frequently and are very convenient. Of course you could rent a car and drive around this area as well, but we didn't want to deal with the hassle of navigating and parking.

Regardless of where you decide to base yourself, here were our favorite spots:

- Villefranche sur Mer - lovely little town, fun to explore, beautiful view of the bay, one of my favorites
- Eze - on a clear day, the view is spectacular and the botanical garden up at the top is wonderful
- St Paul de Vence - lovely, windy streets, hilltop village, lots of galleries
- Antibes - enjoyed wandering around the Old Town here, also has the Picasso Museum
- Nice - the market on Cours Saleya is cool, also great restaurant here called Cave de L'Origine - reasonable, great wine, great food, traditional French place
- Monaco - was fun to hit the Casino, even if you're not into gambling, it's beautiful inside and completely different than the "Vegas" experience - very upscale area of course, fun to wander around the port

I visited Cannes, but for some reason, was not a big fan...

I found that the French Riviera is best suited for wandering around the quaint streets, taking in the scenery, visiting small shops and enjoying great restaurants/wine - and if you're a beach person, it has this too (although if I am hitting the beach, I'd rather go to the Caribbean or another area - the beaches here are rocky)...In my opinion, the French Riviera does not have as many "must see" sights...Nice has a Matisse and Chegal museum as well, but I didn't go there.

These are some suggestions for 4-5 days in this area - there is much more that we wanted to see (Cap Ferrat, Menton, Ventimiglia/Italy, Biot, etc.), but in 4 days, the areas that I mentioned above are all we could accomplish - and even then, still require some energy to start early and stay out late to see them all!

Whatever you do, you will enjoy yourself! It is a beautiful area...Have fun!