French Riveria
Apr 24th, 2002, 12:37 PM
#2
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In Nice, Hotel Windsor, and Hotel Gounod are nice. Not right on the water but easy walks from the water, old city, open market, etc. Both are 3 stars around $100 per night. <BR><BR>I don't know what you will have for weather in Dec, but it is a great walk up to the top of the Chateau. There is a Chagall museum in Nice, and a Picasso museum in Antibes. <BR><BR>Cannes is a very expensive town, I prefer to visit it but not stay there. <BR><BR>Do a internet search for Nice, France, the city has it's own website with information & lodging.
Apr 24th, 2002, 12:43 PM
#3
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Lucy: I hate to dampen your spirits, but, much of the Riviera, especially the smaller towns and hotels, hibernates from October/November to March or later. I suspect St-Tropez and Cannes will be dead then. You may wish to stick to the larger cities, such as Nice, and venture out to the hill towns and year round retirement thick communities, such as Menton. Monaco is worth a visit-Disney land for adults with too much money.
Apr 25th, 2002, 02:59 PM
#5
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Lucy:<BR>I mean "dead" as in "shuttered." We went last in the spring of 1999. My travel agent and I started trying to reserve rooms in Saint-Tropez and St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat beginning the previous December or January. Many of the smaller hotel properties did not even acknowledge our inquiries/requests until they reopened in March. I suspect many of the restaurants, cafes, boutiques...open and close with the seasons, also. Many of those small towns have no existence besides tourism, and, there are very, very few tourists in winter. Beautiful country.
Apr 25th, 2002, 03:23 PM
#6
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We fly in and out of nice a few times a year. December can be damned cold and even snowing lightly at times. We stay at the westminster when it is available. About $100 for a room with ocean vue and small balcony so you can watch the yachts pull into the harbor and oversee any action on the promenade. Pedestrian zone is 1 block north. The zone is great for walking and restaurants, esp at the halles des fleurs. Saturday mkt in same place is great. i don't know how much of cannes and st tropez will be shut down because we always go into haute provence which isn't so touristy, and esp not in december. It is cold there too. But you might just take a drive for a few days thru the country above and west of nice and even to Aix-en-provence. 2 hrs away and real pretty town. Haute provence has good to great restaurants and hotels in any slightly sizable town and the countryside is beautiful. Maybe you want to take a ferry to corsica? Drive across the italian border and have a fish dinner in the harbor at san remo?
Apr 25th, 2002, 03:37 PM
#7
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I was there for my 41st birthday last January. It was about 75 degrees, clear, sunny, and wide open. Staied at the le Meridien in a suite with a balcony and ocean view....absolutly wonderful. The last week in January is the start of carnival which lasts until the begining of Lent (mid-Feb.)<BR><BR>I went to Monaco and Mote Carlo twice and found the car rally and tons of press there for the event.<BR><BR>I went to Cannes and landed right in the big European music festival and awards which is the equal to our Grammys.<BR><BR>Everything was open, the sun was shining, the people were not over run with tourists and we were treated very well. It was perfect and I suggest mid-January to anyone reading this.
Apr 26th, 2002, 12:31 AM
#8
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wouldn't bring my swimsuit based on someone's extraordinary good fortune. while you may find warm weather in nice in december, the average temperature that month, according to www.eurometeo.com, is 47 degrees,(F).
