My husband and I will be flying into Nice for 9 nights in mid-Sept. We have not been to the Riviera before. Where should we stay and for how many nights in each city and town? Should we book our rooms ahead of time? Thanks for any advice.

Booking is a must!
Everyone has there own ideas where to stay is best.
I like nice, Cassis, St Paul de Vence

We`stayed in Tourettes-sur- la loope Very small town with great restaurants. About a 5-10 min drive to Vence,where it is easy to take a bus into Nice (approx 20 min). We stayed in a`B&B. It was about 2-3 min. drive into Tourettes. Tourettes is a`very interesting place to see.

We stayed three nites in Nice and enjoyed it. Stayed at Hotel le Grimaldi. Day visit to Antibes by train was very nice. Also went to St Jean Cap Ferrat for one day.

Just come back from a week in Menton. I would say that given the good east west railway links along the Riviera it doesn't really matter where you stay. I would book, and don't leave it until you arrive as the hotels automatically charge the 'rack rate', i.e. no discount. If you are mobile then there are plenty of good seaside walks. Enjoy!

The Riviera is very easy to explore from one or two locations, but that depends on how far afield you want to wander and whether or not you have a rental car. The coastal towns and most of the hill towns are accessible by train and bus but a car adds flexibility and saves time.

One suggestion would be 2-3 nights in Nice to see all the city has to offer and sites to the east such as Menton and Monte Carlo and then a property in the hills to the west--rental or small hotel.

I've stayed several times at Hotel Les Orangers just outside St. Paul de Vence--lovely rooms furnished with French antiques, most of which open on a small, beautiful garden. It was an excellent base to explore St. Paul (easy walk), Foundation Maeght (just above St. Paul), Vence (Matisse chapel), Vallauris Picasso war and peace mural), Antibes (Picasso museum), Cannes, Cagnes sur mer, etc.

I haven't stayed at Les Orangers since the late 90s when it was run by Franklin, a quirky Englishman. The management has changed so it may or may not be the same, although the recent reviews on TripAdvisor are very similar to my experiences.

You need to get cracking on reservations as others have suggested, although just past high season, September pulls in business conferences as well as people intelligent enough to avoid August!!

Firstly, mid-September is a good time to visit the Cote d'Azur: the crowds are gone, weather is perfect, seawater still warm and the flowers start blooming again.

Secondly, the Cote d'Azur is a stretch of coastline between Cassis and Menton which is more than 100 miles long.

a) The section between Cassis (in the west) and Fréjus/St. Raphael (in the east) and with St. Tropez in the middle is the Cote des Maures which has rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. This section would be the first choice for a beach vacation whereas it is somewhat weak when it comes to art and culture. A good compromise would be St. Aygulf which has a gorgeous sandy beach but which has also good access to the autoroute which brings you in an hour or so to Nice, Cannes, Monace.

b) The section between St. Raphael and La Napoule is the Cote de l'Esterel. This is the most scenic part of the Cote, with gorgeous red cliffs. With the exception of Agay, which has a long sandy beach, the coast is rocky with some spectacular bays with large red pebbles. This coast is excellent for snorkeling.

c) The section between Cannes and Nice is heavily urbanized. Here, you find some extremely ugly beaches and architectural sins (Villeneuve-Loubet is the worst), but also some beautiful spots, especially at Cap d'Antibes. Juan-les-Pins has a wide sandy beach and also Antibes itsself which has also a charming old town. Cannes has a sandy beach and a row of hotels and apartment buildings along the beach. Nice has a rather ugly beach, consisting of grey pebbles, and is in fact a large city. However, this section boasts world-class art museums, galleries, posh yacht harbours, grand hotels, star-awarded restaurants and charming villages in the hinterland.

d) The section between Nice and Menton with Monaco in the middle is the stretch of the three Corniches. Driving the Moyenne and Grand Corniche with breathtaking views is the ultimate Cote d'Azur experience. Monaco is also an attractive destination with its palace, casino, grand hotels and oceanographic museum.

So, what you choose is a matter of personal preferences and travelling style.

We have never stayed in a hotel on the Cote d'Azur, but always rented a house, sometimes in the hinterland of Cannes (Mougins), sometimes right on the coast, with commanding views (Theoule-sur-Mer). If you do not want to change bases during your stay, then something between Theoule and Antibes would make the best base, because you can take daytrips in every direction from there (you must be close to the autoroute).

BTW, I strongly suggest renting the car on the Cote d'Azur. It is true that you can do a lot by train and bus, but the coastal highways offer unforgettable driving experiences.

I give you a link to the last villa we have rented. It is very large and probably too expensive in mid-September (we stayed there end-October). But it gives you an impression how you live on the Cote and how it looks like to be there:

http://www.labastidedelesterel.com

Thanks to everyone for the replies. How would you split up the trip? How many nights in each city/town?

I don't like to move around if I can help it so would probably not want more than two bases for 9 days, preferring to do day trips.

Mougins is another town that works well as a base for a few days.

If you prefer a location on the coast, these are the most recommendable places:

Theoule-sur-Mer, La Napoule, Cannes, Juan-le-Pins, Antibes

If you prefer a location in the hinterland (generelly less expensive):

Mougins, La Roquette, Mouans-Sartoux, Valbonne, La Colle sur Loup, St. Paul, Cagnes (not Cros-de-Cagnes)

All of these locations make good bases to explore all of the Cote d'Azur with easy daytrips.

traveller1959 and others - thanks for all of this. I know you recommend a car, but what would be your recommendations please for east and west bases for train/ bus travellers interested in seeing a good mix of beaches, art/ culture, and hinterland and travelling say late Sept/Oct or a little later? [I take it virtually anywhere in the east - Nice, Menton, Villefranche - could be a base because of the good connections, but the western part seems less clear cut. I've also seen good things about St Maxime.]

If you do not have a car, you better stay close to a railway station, that means close to the beach. I would recommend Theoule, La Napoule, Cannes, Golfe Juan, Juan-les-Pins or Antibes. When you search accomodation, double-check the exact location (address) with Google Earth or www.viamichelin.fr.

I know St. Maxime well. I would not recommend it as a base. It has no train connection and is far away from any art and culture (except St. Tropez).

If you want to change bases in order to save transportation time, you may stay a few nights in Menton or Villefranche (seeing Monaco, La Turbie, Eze, Nice) and some more nights in the Cannes area.

I would not recommend staying on the Cote des Maures - it offers nothing but beaches and St. Tropez (which you can do as a daytrip or skip it altogether - it certainly is not a first-league attraction).

traveller1959 - noted & thanks again

Traveller1959 seems not too fond of Nice -- and rather more fond of Monaco than I am. Yes, Nice is a city and yes, it has a pebbly beach. But it's a beautiful city with a nice kind of lazy, sensual vibe, curvy Belle Epoque buildings, its own cuisine and language. (It must be the Italian influence.)

And Nice is a great transportation center. You can take trains east and west along the Med, or north into the hills above Nice (Train des Pignes). Or buses to various little towns around like Eze, St, Paul de Vence, Cap Ferrat. Or a boat to St. Tropez.

I'd be tempted to spend the whole time in Nice unless I wanted to experience a smaller town or village.

Nice has always been a perfect base for me. I can go by bus to St.Paul De Vence and Eze village. And by train to Villefranche(also by bus), Antibes, Cannes, Monaco, and even Menton. Restaurants are every where, Vieux Nice to explore, museums, flower Market, antique market on Mondays. The Cap 3000 shopping mall by bus takes about 15-20 minutes.

If you want to see the Italian Riviera, you could take the train to Santa Margherita or Camogli for 3 nights. It is a long train ride,about 4 hours one way. Might be more than you want to do. But it is beautiful there. Positano is about 10 minutes away by bus, but I go by boat. It's really pretty from the water.

>>>Traveller1959 seems not too fond of Nice<<<

Of course, I am fond of Nice. BTW, you are right, Nice used to be called Nizza and it was in fact Italian.

But when you look for a base to explore the best of the Cote, the section between Theoule and Antibes is simply more central. AND you have better beaches.

When you stay in Nice, you have good access to Nice, Monaco, St. Paul, Antibes, maybe Cannes.

If you stay around Cannes, you have good access to Nice, Monaco, Antibes, St. Paul, Cannes and the whole Cote de l'Esterel up to Frejus. And you have the chance for a daytrip to St. Tropez.

And, with a given budget, you find better hotels and villas outside of Nice.

I appreciate all the advice. Please keep the comments coming. Most particularly - how whould we spilt 9 days??? Thanks.

Bookmarking - lots of good advice, thanks. (Wish I'd seen this before I posted!)