France or Italian Riveria
 

HELP!!!!<BR>My friends and I are going to France and Italy and we don't know if we shuld go to the Italian or French Riveria. If any could give me suggestions and some prices on hotels. We want really nice hotels preferabbly on the beach and we will be going in May/June of 2003. Thank to everyone

Haven't been to the French Riveria but the Italian Riveria is beautiful. In general, I think Italian food is much better and the people are nicer. Cinque Terra offers beautiful scenery and hiking trails and awesome food. I would recommend Italy but I am sure you will like France too. Tuscany is also not to be missed.

I've just returned from the French Riviera, and it was crowded, and the weather not as warm as usual, and overcast with some drizzle on certain days last week. Also, le Mistral is predictably unpredictable!<BR><BR>I have never been to the Italian Riviera, but that is where I would head next time---it should be warmer, and I'm told, less crowded.<BR><BR>Regards,<BR>Denyse

Jennifer, we just returned from a trip to the Italian and French Riviera. I am thankful for all the helpful info I got from everyone on this site. <BR><BR>We spent one night at the Hotel Napoleon (107 euro) in Menton, France on our way to SML where we stayed for the first part of our Riviera trip. During our brief stay, we decided Menton deserved more time (Bob, you were right - a great place!) so we returned for day trips during the second part of our trip. <BR><BR>The Napoleon is across the street from the beach. Website makes it appear that patios are right on the water - not so. It has a pool and tables in and out for breakfast. The roof top restaurant was closed, but they have a restaurant on the beach. We did not eat there, but when we came back to visit for day trips we had a fabulous dinner at the restaurant at the Hotel Orly which is right next to the Napoleon - check this place out also. Meals were delicious and reasonably priced. <BR><BR>SML/Portofino was absolutely beautiful. We stayed at the Hotel Laurin (155 euro) after changing our plans at the last minute when we saw the Villa Gnocchi which was a disappointment. Luckily, the Laurin had two large, lovely rooms with terraces which overlooked the harbor and street below. We enjoyed our stay in SML very much - would have liked to have stayed a little longer here. Some Fodor SML restaurant suggestions were not quite as good as they sounded - Biacin was a disappointment - dirty tablecloths and just okay food. We did, however, enjoy the take out food from the local shops - ate on our terrace overlooking the view! Just wonderful! <BR><BR>There is a beach at the Hotel Elena which guests of the Laurin can use. From here we spent a day visiting CT. If you do this, take the train or boat from town to town. We drove and it really wasn't a good idea - lots of winding around mountains on narrow roads - beautiful views, but took a lot of time which we would have rather spent in the small towns.<BR><BR>For the second part of our Riviera trip, we stayed in a villa in San Remo. The villa itself was spacious and very nice but I was not overwhelmed by the beauty of the area (lots of greenhouses nearby) although we did have a magnificent view of the harbor. From this base, we visited the French Riviera and Monaco - Menton, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Antibes, Juan de Pins and small villages such as Biot, Mougins, St. Paul de Vence, etc. There's so much to do here that you will wish you could stay longer. <BR><BR>If I could return sometime, I would stay in the Menton area instead of San Remo. Don't get me wrong, San Remo was not "scuzzy" as someone posted here, it is just that the French side has more appeal in my opinion. <BR><BR>Look into the Hotel Aiglon and the Royal Westminster (closer to town center than the Napoleon) in Menton. They were booked so that is why we stayed at the Napoleon. Although, after we made our Napoleon reservation, the Westminster emailed and said they had availability. We thought it would be confusing to cancel the reservation so we decided to leave it be for just the one night. <BR><BR>Regarding the weather - we had great weather (sunny, hot) during our entire Riviera(s)stay - brief shower only on one day as we drove to Monte Carlo. However, Paris (spent three days before returning home - Bastille day weekend) was chilly!<BR><BR>Hope this helps you with your plans and makes some sense - still a little jet lagged.<BR><BR>I will be glad to answer any questions.<BR><BR>

Mari, tell us more about your trip and more about Paris - hotel, restaurants, etc.

Would like to hear more pros and cons about French Riviera vs. Italian Riviera. Any others out there have some insights?

If the beach and a really nice hotel are your primary objectives, go to Juan-les-Pins (part of Antibes, France) and stay in the Hotel Juana. One of the best hotels, with its own sandy beach, its own parking (very rare), balconies overlooking the Med, and an incredible restaurant. It's sorta pricey, but you don't seem to mind that.<BR><BR>And for my choice other than that, there is St-Tropez on the French Riviera, and in Italy the area around Sestri Levante, Moneglia, or Lavagna. The Cinque Terre basically doesn't have beaches; it has cliffs.

Jennifer, Hard to answer without knowing the context of your itinerary, if you are driving, and your travel style. Why not both--they are close? Do not decide based on beaches--the water will be cool at both. You can find hotels at both to fit your budget. Let the flow of your trip decide.