Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)
-   -   Cote D'Azure (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/cote-dazure-988954/)

ACD1960 Aug 18th, 2013 07:18 AM

Cote D'Azure
 
I am travelling as part of a party of four to Cote D'Azure during the second week in October for 6 days. We will fly from London to Nice.
I am undecided on an exact location and would appreciate any feedback or assistance. Looking for:

Small town on village at or near the coast where we can access accommodation, use the beach, restaurants etc. Once We have decided on the area look to find suitable accommodation, possibly two apartments, a hotel or a villa.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

ACD

Tulips Aug 18th, 2013 07:35 AM

Antibes is a good base - nice, old small town. There's a sandy beach, a little out of town towards Cap d'Antibes. Also the sandy beaches at Plage de la Garoupe.

Second week October could be good, but you could also have rain and lower temperatures; we've had both in October, no way to tell.

PalenQ Aug 18th, 2013 08:22 AM

ditto to Antibes - one of the few towns along this overbuilt generally modern area with old-world romance - seaside and an old fort has a Picasso Museum (I think Picasso) and great train service up and down the coast and buses to the hill towns to boot.

the area between Antibes and Biot a few miles to the east is one broad sandy beach - one of the best on the Riviera.

DebitNM Aug 18th, 2013 08:52 AM

Villefranche-sur-Mer has a lovely beach. It is a small village with easy train access to Nice and other towns. We were there in late September last year and it was beautiful.

PalenQ Aug 18th, 2013 03:19 PM

Vellefranche-s-Mer, just over the mountain from Nice is a really sweet romantic place as well IMO.

cigalechanta Aug 18th, 2013 03:32 PM

I loved Cassis.

DebitNM Aug 18th, 2013 04:00 PM

Cassis is lovely for a wander and lunch but I wouldn't spend any more than a day there.

Underhill Aug 18th, 2013 07:28 PM

Villefranche is just over the mountain? What mountain?

Cassis is too far from Nice, given the time constraints, I think.

St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat would be an option. It's a beautiful peninsula near to Nice.

HappyTrvlr Aug 18th, 2013 07:34 PM

Ville-franche is very nice but be aware that cruise ships disembark there.

Tulips Aug 19th, 2013 09:52 AM

There is only a sandy beach from Antibes towards Juan les Pins, and further west. From Nice to Antibes it's all pebbles.
Juan les Pins has some nice beaches, but is absolutely dead in October. Cannes could be good, but gets a lot of conferences in October, and is sometimes booked solid due to that.

Stay in a place that will interest you if it is not beach weather; you never know in October. From Antibes it's easy visit other places by train.

ACD1960 Aug 19th, 2013 11:29 AM

Thank you to everyone who has replied, I now can work with some confidence.
All the best

ACD

traveller1959 Aug 20th, 2013 04:48 AM

It happens that I will be heading to the Côte d'Azur next weekend...to our favourite spot, the Esterel Coast where we will be staying near Agay:

http://www.bastianwehler.de/uploads/...e-2_stitch.jpg

We have often been there in October and always had most beautiful weather. Expect the sea water still warm (24° Centigrade) and balmy air. Also, in October the flowers start blooming again!

First of all, the Côte d'Azur is a 200km stretch of coastline between Marseille and Menton which is quite diverse although the blue water, mild climate and rich cultural heritage are common.

I will go from East to West. Between Menton and Nice, with Monaco in the middle, you have the corniches, the scenic roads on the slope of a steep mountain. In this area you find a lot of sightseeing spots like Monaco with its old town, quaint oceonographic institute, the prince's palace, cactus garden and the historical casino. On the slope there is the Village of Èze, with a good vista, some cuteness, but transformed into a tourist trap and a favourite stop for cruise ship bus tours.

Then comes Nice and surroundings. Nice is a large city, full of life, hotels and a huge array of world-class art museums. The boardwalk is famous, but the beach consists of large grey pebbles. There are some sandy beaches directly East of Nice, in Villefranche, Beaulieu and a few really beautiful beaches on the Cap Ferrat peninsula (limited parking, but in October you will find a place, at least if you are early).

If you go west from Nice, you will find an extremely ugly stretch (around Villeneuve-Loubet) until you reach the next peninsula, Antibes. Antibes has some sandy beaches and on the other side of the peninsula, in Juan-les-Pins, you find a long beach of yellow sand, however before a row of middle class hotels.

Them comes a rocky stretch until you reach Cannes. Cannes has a beautiful sandy beach and is a charming town, with a row of luxury hotels, the yacht harbour and an old town. In the hinterland, you find many interesting villages.

Between Cannes and St. Raphael, you find IMO the most beautiful stretch of the Côte d'azur, the Esterel Coast, with bizarre mountains and a rugged coastline, part of it a wilderness area. On the coast, there are numerous coves, most extremely beautiful, however with red pebbles. But this gives clear water and excellent snorkeling opportunities. In Agay, you find a wide beach of reddish sand.

West of Frejus, the Cote des Maures starts and stretches almost to Marseille. Here, you find mostly rocky coastline but the most beautiful sandy beaches in between, notably St. Aygulf, St. Maxime, St. Tropez, Cavalaire.

To all these spots, you have excellent train access from Nice. However, I strongly suggest renting a car - the scenic drives along the coastline are pricelss.

sueciv Aug 20th, 2013 04:49 AM

I'm staying in Nice that week and anaticapte seeing all those places as well.

Tulips Aug 20th, 2013 05:14 AM

If you go west from Nice, you will find an extremely ugly stretch (around Villeneuve-Loubet)

This mostly true, but they have done quite some work on the seafront at Cagnes in the past years. There is now a pleasant wide boulevard, with a lot of room for walking and cycling. You can rent bicycles and follow the coast to Nice.
And Haute Cagnes, just above Cagnes sur Mer, is a pretty hilltop village.

traveller1959 Aug 20th, 2013 05:47 AM

We have never stayed in a hotel on the Côte, but these two I would like:

http://www.tiara-hotels.com/en/miramar-beach-hotel
http://www.villa-mauresque.com/

And, on the less expensive side:
http://www.hotel-cote-azur.com/


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:27 AM.