emily0522

Hi. My fiance and I are honeymooning for 2 weeks in the French and Italian Rivieras May 24 - June 2 and I'm looking for some input on "must see" locations. Looking for romantic, relaxing, cultural locations. We plan on doing most of our travel by train or bus. We're staying in Villefrenche for the first few days of the trip and are looking for a good "home base" for the Italian Rivera as well. In France, I'm thinking of Nice, Cannes, (catch the remnants of the film festival frenzy)and Antibes as well as VIllefrenche itself. Stopping in Monaco for a night on the way to Italy. Then trying to see a 2-3 towns in the Italian Rivera. Any suggestions on itinerary, particularly in the Italian Riviera? Also, what would you consider to be the most romantic places?

europhile

Hi Emily. Congratulations on your marriage. I have not been to the Italian Riviera because I had to cancel the trip I was planning there. However, I did lots of research on the area and hotels when I was planning, so I can pass along what my choices were. I hope to actually go to these places myself before too long! I liked Santa Margherita (specifically, the Grand Hotel Miramare- one of the Leading Hotels of the World) for a home base close to Portofino. A friend stayed there and said the hotel and the town were fabulous- lots of restaurants and pretty walking areas. For something closer the the Cinque Terre, I liked Portovenere and have read great things about the atmosphere of the town (the Grand Hotel Portovenere was our choice there). Another top choice for us was Sestri Levante- the Grand Hotel dei Castelli. Another friend honeymooned in this town (but at the Vis a Vis hotel) and loved it for the beach and the views.

On the French Riviera, be sure to visit Eze- it is touristy but really unique and beautiful. There are two great hotels there if you want to stay over- Chateau de la Chevre D'or and Chateau Eze. Finally, there is a great guide book that I read about on this site, which would be fun and helpful for you, I think. I have it at home, but I can't remember the exact name- it's something like Orgasmic Days in the South of France. It is not pornographic, I promise! It is just geared toward romantic travel in that region and has lots of great itineraries and suggestions on everything from restaurants to hotels to scenic drives. I ordered it from amazon.com a couple of years ago. Have fun!

Huitres

Sounds like a wonderful honeymoon! I know both Rivieras quite well and I have family friends that live on the Italian Riviera.

Nice is a great central location while on the French Riviera - not to mention the capital of the Cote D'Azur. While in Nice, you might consider taking a bus from Place Massena up the mountain to the charming town of La Turbie. It is a small little place with a famous Roman "trophy" (hence translated into the French "turbie) built by Caesar's legions to mark the conquered territories of Gaul and Italy. The hilltop town offers incredible views of the coastline below with bird's eye views of Monaco's palace, the Monte Carlo casino, etc all along the Riviera to the Italian border. Dante even stopped in this town in the 1400s. There are cozy little cafes and romantic restaurants that make this town a totally unique gem alongside its more glitzy, populated neighbors on the beaches below.

Along the Italian Riviera, I would recommend seeing Camogli, Sestri Levante, and also the Cinque Terre. While in Camogli, you could make a day trip to nearby Portofino (Santa Margherita Ligure train station, then bus around peninsula to Portofino). You will find the coastline looks more or less the same all the way down from Genoa to La Spezia (south of the Cinque Terre), and all the towns charming and unique. In the Cinque Terre, the beaches are all rocky, the only one with a legitimate beach is Monterosso al Mare.

kathrynj

Took a similar 10 day trip about a year and a half ago, basing in a rented house in Tourette-Sur-Loup (45 mins. north of Nice) and a few days in Santa Marguerita Ligure. Both were excellent base locations---SML is perfect for a day boat trip to Portofino as well as day trip to Cinque Terre. We stayed at the Continental and liked it very much. Enjoy---it's a great trip!

bobthenavigator

I would stay in 2 locations in Italy. One has to be Santa Margherita[SML] and the other is open to debate. I would look at Levanto or Monterosso if you want a beach. Both have good access to the CT. The hotel options depend on your price range.