Carol

I am planning my first trip to Cote D'azur in July. I'm planning to fly to Nice, stay there for 2 nights ( to do a day trip to Monaco and then spend 5 or 6 nights in St Tropez . We want to visit the zone , do some beach. Do you think I'm planning right or should I stay somewhere else in the cote d'azur and drive around? Also, any suggestions on charming moderate bed and breakfasts and hotels in the zone?<BR>Any suggestions will be much appreciated.Thanks.

Wendy

Carol,<BR>I wouldn't plan on using a car in the RIveria during July unless I had a medical emergency. There's tons of traffic, and parking can be an expensive nightmare. Instead, I'd rely on the mostly excellent ( depending, of course, on where you're based) rail and bus connections that service the Riveria villages and cities. Also, you may already know this, but St. Tropez is one of the most expensive cities in the Cote D'Azur, and hard to get to from Nice. For that reason, I'd recommend either that you stay longer in Nice and do easy day trips by bus or train to St.Paul de Vence, Cannes, Eze and Monaco from there, or, base yourselves in Juan-les-Pins, which is a resort town with a decent beach and affordable hotels about six miles south of Cannes. Juan-les-Pins has great rail connections to most of the other towns on the Riveria, so it would be possible to do this without a car. Good luck, and have a wonderful time.<BR>

Carol

Wendy, thank you so much for your suggestions. I am going to check Juan les pins. <BR>We were also considering the Provence region instead of the Cote D'azur. We are a litle divided. Do you think it isn't that busy in July and is it easier to hire a car and drive around? Thanks again

Mac

we spent 2 weeks this summer at a village called Tourrettes-sur-Loup, about 10 miles inland, 30 minutes from Nice and Grasse, and 10 minutes from Vence. We hired a car and found it essential for getting around the (much, much nicer) inland areas of the cote d'azur. I agree that places such as Cannes are a must-see, but expect terrible traffic congestion unless you plan to go early (which you should !).<BR>I would certainly suggest basing yourself somewhere in the hills, and making day trips. A nice inn we found was the Auberge des groges du loup...it has a website somewhere...great restaurant and not at all expensive. Grasse and Vence are both great towns to stroll around are much more relaxed and scenic than the cities on the coast. If you have to visit somewhere on the coast, don't miss Monaco, it's fabulous ! (Again go early to make sure you can park.)<BR><BR>P.S. If you have a car avoid like the plague the motorway along the coast between Nice and Marseille on Saturdays....we got stuck in a 50Km !! traffic jam. Nightmare.<BR><BR>Good luck !

Melissa

I don't know your budget, but staying in Monte Carlo can be expensive in July. I highly reccommend (and I'm a 4-5 star client) staying in the city of Cap d'Ail which is within walking distance of Monte Carlo, and has a Marriott that has a nice pool along the port with lots of beautiful yachts to walk around at night. It is a classic Marriott, with all the usual services expected. Otherwise go superdeluxe and stay at any of the luxery hotels in Monaco. Have fun. www.marriott.com<BR>Melissa

tony

Carol -<BR>True, July is the high season - all over Europe - and whether you are on the Cote d'Azur or in Provence, the crowds will be all over. But it is not the end of the world. Traffic jams can occur anytime, anywhere, but in general traffic flows reasonably well - albeit a bit slower than usual. <BR><BR>Once you have seen the 60 kms stretch of coast (which is definitely worth seeing ) try and keep to the &quot;arriere-pays&quot; (back country) where most of the beautiful villages and attractions are -<BR>Gorges de Loup, Valbonne, Tourettes-sur-Loup, Vence, St-Paul, and even into the Alpes behind Nice (St-Martin-de Vesubie)etc. Take the train trip from Nice up through the Var valley to Dignes , a really spectacular trip (Chemin de Fer de Provence). <BR><BR>Provence itself is realtively close - Aix being only 200 kms away , with the Luberon to the north. Avignon , Orange, Nimes, Montpellier , Aigues-Mortes and the Carmargue are all wonderful destinations that can be included on a 3 or 4 day swing from the Cote d'Azur.<BR><BR>Don't worry too much about St-Tropez - a day trip may well be sufficient for you , max 2 days if you want to take in some opf their beaches, and the inland<BR>attractions like Ramatuelle.<BR><BR>Check out &quot;www.beyondtheriviera.com&quot; (or similar) which is an extremely informative site run by a US resident on th4e Cote d'Azur , and which concentrates on the &quot;back country&quot;<BR><BR>Bon Voyage !<BR><BR>+++

Carol

After all your helpful replies I think I will stay in the Provence instead of the Cote d'azur, I'm in the mood for a relaxing vacation. Thank you all so much.