A cry for advice on the Cote de Azur!!
 

Message: Hello, my wife and I are planning to be on the Cote de Azur in early August. I know that is the craziest time to be there, but this was our only time for a vacation, so what can you do?? Anyway, I am looking for a couple of towns to stay in that would give us a fun perspective.

We love food, wine, markets, and beaches. We do not have a lot of money and this is out first time there. I was thinking about staying a few nights in Antibes and a few in Monaco. I thought this would be a good combination of smaller village and beach with a bit of glitz and glamour.

Any suggestions? I would appreciate any tips regarding towns to stay in, or hotels reccomended. We are adventurous and love finding that "off the beaten path" place that we all know exists.

Any information you can provide will be much appreciated.

Cheers

The Côte d'Azur (note spelling) is a great place to be. As you know, in early August it will be flooded with other tourists, including the French themselves, but still fun.

If you want to conserve your funds, don't even think about Monaco: it's very expensive. Antibes isn't exactly cheap, either--you will do much better in Nice, which has a good range of hotel prices and more options for where to stay. You can choose from the beach area (Promenade des Anglais), Old Nice, central Nice, the outskirts...all over the place. At the Cours Saléya on the edge of Vieux Nice is a famous open-air market. Smaller markets take place in many of the surrounding towns and villages.

If you want to be near a good beach (one with sand rather than pebbles) you should look at Juan-les-Pins, which has a few hotels that are affordable.

I'm afraid you won't find many off-the-beaten-path spots on the Côte d'Azur--most of the area is very well known. But you might pick up a copy of the Ulysses Guide to Provence for some ideas.

You might also look at Menton, which is both resort city and a residential one, with actually a pretty cute "old town" area, plus it's only a few minutes from Monaco. Definitely lower-key than some of the other coastal towns, with more affordable accommodations, an excellent beach and promenade, close to Italy...what could be bad?

Some excellent suggestions so far. Yes, avoid Monaco and Antibes as places to stay--very expensive. Another suggestion I would add would be Villefrance sur mer, which is very close to Nice, but has a great fort and is smaller.

I agree with Underhill, Monaco is very expensive and if you still want to visit do so by train from Nice. It's a quick and easy trip.
I'd opt for Nice for part of the time as there is so much to do there. Per your post: you'll find good food,wine,typical European markets as well as several excellent museums. Nice will also offer a variety of budget hotels. The beach is rocky, but a lot of people seem to manage.

For those "off the beaten path" places, check out some of the guide books. Trips via coach can take you a number of smaller villages and renting a car is a good idea if you're not intimadated by the driving.

wmdenton

I visited the Cote d'Azur last December (2003) and again in January (2004) for long weekends. I have not got around to posting my trip reports yet. I have attached links to my photos (you will probably have to "copy & paste", rather than access them directly from here). If, for some reason, you can't access them, please send me a note ([email protected]) and I will forward an invitation.

In December, I stayed in St. Paul de Vence at the Hotel St. Paul:
http://karenbrown.com/franceinns/det...sso?RecID=9769

In January, I stayed in Menton, at the Hotel Aiglon:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aiglon/tout-hot-ang.htm

Neither are budget properties, but I will dig up some of the websites I found and I am sure you can find something that will meet your budget.

Like Gadyloo, I think you should consider staying in Menton, for various reasons, including the fact that it is apparently cooler in summer than other places along the coast (can't confirm this, but I did read it in one of the guides). It is close to the Italian boarder, so it also gives you the opportunity to explore the Italian Riviera on day trips.

St. Paul was wonderful in December, but I have it on good authority that it might be a nightmare to stay there in the height of the tourist season.

Will you rent a car or explore by train/bus? I would recommend a car, as it will allow you to stay in smaller towns and be able to make the most of your time exploring (try http://www.autoeurope.com/index.cfm? for approximate rates).

I'll post more later. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Regards .. Ger


Road to Menton:
www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=e6u...1&y=al9vg8

Menton:
www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=e6u...=1&y=q8ssw

St. Paul:
www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=e6u...&y=-uflx2t

Nice:
www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=e6u...0&y=o6hyq8

Eze:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=1

Sospel:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Road to Saorge:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Saorge:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=1

Grimaud:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Le Grand Freinet:
&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3FshowSlide%3Dt rue&Ux=0">www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

The Coast:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Vence:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Tourettes:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

Gourdon:
www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhoto...Dtrue&Ux=0

wmdenton:

I just tried the photo links and they do not work. Let me know if you want me to send you links via e-mail.

regards ...Ger

On my trips to the Cote D'Azur we stayed in Cannes and found it a great location from which to tour from St.Tropez to Monaco. Was there in July, October and June. Twice we stayed at the Hotel Splendid; found it to be reasonably priced, with spacious AC'd rooms, friendly staff and location, location, location. 5 min from the Film Festival building and the Croisette. Here's the web site:www.splendid-hotel-cannes.fr

Although some people will tell you that Cannes is too pricy it doesn't have to be. Hotel Splendid rooms have a small kitchenette in many of the rooms and there is the Marche Forville about 5 min away. When they quote a price inquire if it includes breakfast because that was 16 euros pp/day but after 2 weeks of continental breakfasts it was nice to have fruit, eggs, etc and sit on the beautiful terrace while eating. On an earlier trip there we bought fruit juice and went to a nearby pattiserie and enjoyed breakfast at the table in our room.

Each time I had a rental car and the hotel had a deal with parking nearby. But the train station is 10 min walk and the Cote d'Azur buses the same. Trains and buses go constantly along the coast. The hotel also directed us to an agency 2 blocks away and we took a bus tour to Monaco. I'm not a fan of bus tours but there was a train strike last June so we couldn't count on getting anywhere and returning.

Thank you all so much for your advice!! I see that some of you reccomend renting a car for the trip. I have heard that 1) that can be very expensive, and 2) that traffic that time of year can be a nightmare. Any thoughts?

Also, I was wondering about dress code in these areas. I have never been to this part of France before and I heard that we should plan on dressing up most of the time. For example I heard that open toed shoes can be frowned upon. Is this true? For both men and women?

Thanks again for your advice and suggestions. I will look into those areas and photos.

Cheers

Dress on the Côte d'Azur tends to be quite informal, especially when compared to Paris. You will see people in just about anything. However, Frenchwomen of a Certain Age seem to have a great knack for always looking chic--you don't see them in jeans and tee shirts as a rule.

Car rentals aren't any more expensive than elsewhere in France; check the AutoEurope site. That company gives you the option of pre-paying your rental for a discount on the price. Traffic probably won't be terribly bad except in the usual suspects, like St-Tropez and Antibes. If you rent a car, be sure it has a/c and takes diesel to save on the high cost of fuel.

Thanks, my wife and I are mid/late twenties. We normally travel light with a backpack, but I think this trip will require us to pack some nicer clothes. Afterall, there is nothing wrong with dressing up a bit to enjoy your wine in the evening! I know my wife won't mind trying to discover the chic look!

I'm all in favor of dressing up for dinner--good for you!