French Riviera TIps
 

Im landing in paris and leaving from rome in July. After paris i wanted to spend 4 days in the French Riviera before heading down to the Amalfi Coast. I dont know anything about the French Riviera.....im looking for some must do's, days i should spend there, how travel there (Car,train,etc). Any tips will help.

bm

Hi Massimo, try some guidebooks and research on this site first and let us know if you have any specific questions.
If you stay along the coast, and have a base in for example Nice, you can easily get around by train.

This is what the French Riviera (nowadays called "Cote d'Azur") offers:

- Scenic coastline. The most beautiful section is between St. Raphael and La Napoule, the second best between Nice and Menton.

- Scenic hinterland with picturesque mountain villages, e.g. Eze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Gordon, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Peille, Coaraze, Sainte-Agnès, Saorge and about 120 more.

- Excellent hiking trails in the coastal mountains with incredible views.

- Azur-blue seawater, beautiful coves and beaches, excellent options for swimming, snorkeling and diving.

- Art, art and more art. Picasso, Chagall, Leger, Miro, Matisse have museums of their own. On the Cote d'Azur you find the highest density of modern art museums on earth.

- Grand hotels, coastal boulevards, posh boutiques, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces, especially in Cannes, Nice and Monte-Carlo.

- Lots of toys of the rich: a kitschy villa of a member of the Rothschild familiy, a replica of an ancient Greek mansion, the Casino in Monte-Carlo, yacht harbours...

- and a wonderful climate, palm trees, yuccas, cactus, flowers everywhere...

I have been about 20 times on the Cote d'Azur and always return (next time in September). I was always staying there with a car. If you rely on public transport (which is technically doable), you will be restricted to the less beautiful sections of the region or you will lose considerable time with standing at bus stops.

Echnaton,

Thank you very much for your descriptions Cote d'Azur my husband and I are heading there in two weeks. Our first time. We have read so many guide books and researched the internet. We will base ourselves in Nice, then head on to Avignon. I can't wait to see Matisse.

May I ask, where do you stay and do you have any favorite restaurants?

Thank you. M

I am sorry, I can't help with hotels and restaurants. We usually rent a house and cook ourselves - the food selections of the hypermarchés are so good!

For restaurant search, I strongly recommend the Guide Michelin. www.viamichelin.com

The Bib Gourmand restaurants are always excellent choices.

For Matisse, you should drive to Vence:

http://www.ville-vence.fr/The-Rosaire-Chapel.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapell...saire_de_Vence

In Nice, the Chagall Museum is spectacular:
http://www.musee-chagall.fr/

And in Biot, you find a whole museum devoted to Fernand Leger:
http://www.musee-fernandleger.fr/

But the best of the best is Fondation Maeght in St. Paul. They haven't announced their annual exhibition for summer 2010, but their exhibitions are ALWAYS outstanding. And the grounds are spectacular, especially the Joan Miro labyrinth.
http://www.fondation-maeght.com/

Here is a nice photo gallery:

http://www.france-for-visitors.com/p...zur/index.html

Echnaton, I also will thank you for your advice and please may I ask more:
I have never been,but my research has led me to book 3 nights in Le Lavandou, thinking I could from there easily ferry to Port Cros, Porquerolles for snorkeling, biking, etc., in addition it sounds like a nice area (Bormes les Mimosas, 12 beaches, Rayol Canadel gardens and snorkel trails etc), however
I can see that the area east of St. Raphael, (L'Esterel Massif)Agay and beyond, appears very beautiful. What wonderful choices! For a snorkel/hiker, would you recommend Le Lavandou area or St Raphael? I am a woman travelling alone and do not speak French, alas, but am a good mime and try harder. I do not have time to visit both areas.
Massimo, thank you for opening up the discussion and I hope this helps you, too.

Le Lavandou has a wide sandy beach and so has Bormes-les-Mimosas). But you find also rocky cliffs at the edges of those beaches which are good for snorkeling.

The Esterel Coast has a few sandy beaches (the largest in Agay but not as attractive as Le Lavandou's sandy beach) and lots of small coves with beaches of large red pebbles which are enclosed by dramatic cliffs. Those pebbles are not too comfortable for walking and for lying on a towel but they make the water very clear. Once you are swimming you will enjoy breathtaking views from the sea.

Hiking opportunites are better at the Esterel Coast, since there is an undeveloped natural reserve with lots of hiking trails with spectacular views.

However, you also find lots of excellent hiking trails in the mountains northeast of Le Lavandou.

We have vacationed in both areas and prefer the Esterel Coast, because from there you have better access to the art and museum scene in Cannes, Nice and because we like the scenery so much.

However, it is easier to find accomodation around Le Lavandou.

We have been up down the coast of the Riviera from Cannes to Menton many times. Our favorite town to base out of is Antibes. It is just large enough to offer lots of dining and shopping options without losing the feel of an old seaside village. as for hotels, our favorite is the Hotel Belles Rives which is about a 20 minutue walk from the old town Antibes. It is right on the sea where the Cap d'Antibes meets the beachfront town of Juan Les Pins. The Belles Rives has a small private beach and a large jetty for sunbathing and swimming in the sea. It also offers watersports like water-skiing from the jetty. You can pick up the train at either the JLP or Amtibes station and easily get to any town along the coast. Some of hill towns are available by train, but much easier to access by car. We tend to stay on the coast and spend one day travelling the section toward Cannes, and another day going to Nice and beyond. We really enjoy Menton for an afternoon. I highly recommend lunch at Mirazur.

Echnaton, you 'cemented' it for me, and I am most grateful for your reply. I have decided not to spend a night in Nice to 're-group' (I am taking the train from La Spezia), instead I will continue to St Raphael and spend 2 or 3 nights there (vicinity) if I can find a reasonably-priced place (suggestions, anyone?)before heading to Le Lavandou.
I just know from the descriptions and photos it is the sea to be for a swimmer. I've found that the clearest, fish populated waters are where the cliffs meet the sea, not sandy beaches. (as you've said)
Again, Massimo, thanks for initiating the discussion, and I hope it was as helpful to you as it was to me!

If you have a car, try Resort Horizon Bleu in Theoule-sur-Mer.
It is not on the beach, but on the hill overlooking the sea.
http://www.resort-horizon-bleu-theou...ral-hotel.com/

This one is better, but may be too expensive:

http://www.tiara-hotels.com/hotel.asp?id_hotel=10

Echnaton, I will not have a car, am travelling by train, and both hotels are lovely, but not for me. I have booked in St Raph and in Le Lavandou. Thanks again for the Esterel tip.