Top Reasons to Go

Monaco, Toy Kingdom: Yes, Virginia, you can afford to visit Monte Carlo—that is, if you avoid its casinos and head for its tropical gardens.

Picasso and Company: Because artists have long loved the Côte d'Azur, it's blessed with superb art museums, including the Fondation Maeght in St-Paul and the Musée Picasso in Antibes.

Èze, Island in the Sky: The most perfectly perched of the coast's villages perchés, Èze has some of the most breathtaking views this side of a NASA space capsule.

St-Tropez à Go-Go: Brave the world's most outlandish fishing port in high summer and soak up the scene. Just don't forget the fake tan lotion.

Nice, Queen of the Riviera: With its bonbon-color palaces, blue Baie des Anges, time-stained Old Town, and Musée Matisse, this is one of France's most colorful cities.