molly

Is there anybody who has been to the Cote d'Azur and didn't like it? Why? What parts did you especially dislike?

chris

too crowded!!

Dina

Chris, That's too general! What parts were too crowded and when?

Diane

We found the seaside towns crowded and very touristy--preferred the hilltop towns just above the coast.

Dina

I've heard St. Tropez and Cannes are usually too crowded and touristy, but Le Lavandou wasn't either in September; I think it's more a small resort town for French locals. Very charming, nice beach.

Dayle

I didn't like the town of Cannes. To many high rise hotels & condos. Too much traffic even in October. The old part of town was nice. St. Tropez was touristy, but still very beautiful & charming. As soon as you step away from the main crescent area, viola! No tourists!

elvira

Cannes - reminded me of the cheesy parts of the south coast of Florida<BR><BR>St Tropez - crowded with tourists; at one cafe they charged 5 francs for the toilet even if you had bought a meal; once away from that plaza along the water with the toilet-charging cafes, the town is really pretty (climb up to the citadel) and the harbor is home to cool sailboat races.<BR><BR>

alex

We were there last in 1999. My wife loves Saint Tropez; I loved it as an adolescent, though still like it enough to go again. Best sandy beaches by far on the mediterranean. Lively night life, very good restaurants, cafes and clubs. Lovely harbor, lovely yachts. We stayed above town in an (yes) understated 4* hotel, La Mandarine, set amid olive trees, and strolled down when the mood struck. Also stayed in and loved St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, west of Nice. Spectacular harbor views and villas. Wonderful restaurants. Reserved. Rock beaches. Near Monaco, itself a beautiful country worth a short visit.... Hill towns such as Peillon and Eze were superb glimpses of medieval living and of the sea. Hill towns such as St-Paul de Vence and Vence were well stocked with tourists. Earlier trip to Cannes left me underwhelmed. Too many high rise dwellings. Fast life. Menton: same high rise, but lower rent (than Cannes) jungle in a warm climate. Nice-not a looker to my eye. A little too crowded and grimy. All of the lower corniche has suffocating traffic congestion all season. Still, it's beautiful.

Thyra

Wow, we visited the Cote d'Azur, Monaco, Cannes and Nice in Early March several years ago, admittedly not beachy weather, but we absolutely loved it! Sunny, but chilly, empty streets, beaches, cafe's, everyone was delightful. Not good for sunbathing, but if crowds are an issue, I would opt for travel in late winter.

Capo

The only part of the Cote d'Azur I didn't really care for was "The Rock", the old part of Monaco, because it seemed *totally* overrun with tourists and because it seemed that you couldn't swing a baguette without hitting a sign hawking Grimaldi-this or Grimaldi-that.<BR><BR>I didn't care for the glitziness of Monte Carlo but I really enjoyed seeing the casino, as a gorgeous piece of architecture. <BR><BR>I've avoided Cannes so far specifically because I don't think I'd care for it...although I understand it, unlike Nice, has a wonderful sandy beach. <BR><BR>The one time I visted St. Tropez was in May, and it didn't seem all that crowded to me.

Diane

We stayed in old town Antibes September 1997 and enjoyed it. It had a quaint small village feel to it with lots of little shops, wonderful, pretty restaurants, and fabulous pastries. I spent a lot of time wandering the streets. There is a covered market in the mornings and one day there was a enormous flea market expanding several blocks.<BR><BR>We rented a car and drove to some of the hill towns -- Eze, St. Paul de Vence, and Vence. We enjoyed all three.<BR><BR>Other than that, we were unimpressed with the south of France and I left wondering what we missed.

michele

Molly,<BR>I think Thyra raises an important point; time of year. We were in St Tropez in early April a few years ago and it was just lovely. Cool weather, no tourists, picturesque harbor, appetizing outdoor market, really enjoyed it. Now, the summer is another story....jammed<BR><BR>M.

Ron

We like to stay at the Chateau Valmer in La Croix Valmer, a little west of San Tropez.

Kay

I wouldn't go back to Monte Carlo.

dale

I was in Nice last year and loved it. Warm and sunny, not too crowded and a great little food market.<BR>Could have done without all the really old people stripping off on the beach.

Molly

We'll be there in late winter, so crowds probably won't be a problem. Just wanted to find out about tacky, touristy, uninteresting, overhyped or overbuilt areas. thanks for the input.

alex

Molly:In late winter crowds will not be a problem. The coast hibernates. Many smaller businesses, especially hotels and those dependent on tourism, will be shuttered. When we planned our '99 trip we could not even reach some hotels by fax or phone during the winter to make inquiries. Then too there's the prospect of the Mistrals.

Amanda

more info for the recent Riviera/Cannes?Nice question posters..