lourdestudela

Hello,

After staying in Aix en Provence for a few days, my husband and I will be visiting the French Riviera next September for two weeks. We need guidance deciding what to choose as our home base. The places that we would like to visit during our stay are Antibes, St. Paul de Vence, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze, Monaco and Menton. I am assuming Nice would be the most central to be able to visit this places but please, I welcome your suggestions. We are open to have two different home bases but would prefer not to do that.

We would also appreciate suggestions on airbnbs, hotels or bed and breakfasts that offer parking or public parking very close by.

Thank you!
Lourdes

KarenWoo

I have been to Nice twice, but both were for one-night stays. We will be spending 5 nights on the French Riviera this spring with friends. Based on our previous 2 short stays in Nice, and based on reading guidebooks and this forum, we have decided to base in Nice for the 5 nights. I think it's a very pretty city with lots of restaurants to choose from and sightseeing. It's also a convenient location from which to take buses or trains to coastal locations. We plan on visiting Villefranche Sur Mer, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu Sur Mer, and Menton during our stay in Nice.

Because you will be there for 2 weeks, I think a second base in or near Vence or St. Paul de Vence might be a good idea.

It sounds like you will have a car while on the French Riviera. Hopefully, other people can chime in and let you know if that's a good idea. We will have a car while in Provence, but we plan on returning the car in Nice, and using public transportation to get to the coastal towns. From what I understand, finding parking can be very, very difficult. On our last short trip to Nice, we drove to Villefranche sur Mer and could not find any parking spaces, so we left. We did find a parking space in Eze. This was in March.

MoBro

We liked this little hotel in Nice:
https://le-grimaldi.com
Don’t know about parking, though.
It was easy to take the train to Antibes, and the city bus to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and St Jean Cap Ferrat.

thursdaysd

I have based twice in Nice for nearly a week each time.

For the first trip see: Nice to Paris: on not taking it easy in Eastern France

StuDudley

Nice. We have been basing ourselves there about every 3-5 years since 1980. And will do so next year for about 2 weeks. Last time we were there for 2 weeks, we took buses to all the sites east of Nice, trains to places west (Antibes, etc) and rented a car to explore the fantastic Nice Hinterland.

Stu Dudley

Underhill

You might consider staying a bit west of Nice for the week when you plan to visit St-Paul-de-Vence, Vence (for the Matisse chapel), the mountain town of Tourettes-sur-Loup, Biot, and old Mougin. I recommend a charming, modern B&B just outside the town of Mouans-Sartoux and with easy access to the fast road down to the motorway and up to Grasse and the mountains. It's the Domaine des Cigales, owned and operated by a charming French couple. There's a swimming pool, sauna. pétanque court, and golfing at the big hotel next to the property. Gated parking as well. Breakfasts are copious and delicious, and the rooms are comfortable, with good storage.

thursdaysd

But not unless you want to drive. Basing in Nice you can see plenty by public transport.

kja

I agree with many of those who have commented already that Nice would make a great base for at least a part of your trip, and for that part, I would think a car would be a disadvantage rather than an advantage. If you decide to stay in Nice for the entire time and want to visit parts of the hinterland that aren't readily accessible by the area's excellent public transportation, wait until the last few days to rent the car. OR rent a car late in your stay and move to a town in the hinterland for that part of your trip.

If you haven't already seen it, I visited all the places you mention except Monaco on a recent trip; maybe you'll find some useful information in my trip report (which includes hotel and restaurant info):
A stellar month in southeastern France

Underhill

Mouans-Sartoux is nicely on the train line.

schnauzer

I stayed in Nice the first time for a week then second time split it between Menton and Antibes.. easier to stay in one place .. choose Nice

ahbonvraiment

got a friend who who has a house in mouans sartoux. I find it a nice region but an ugly town. Unless you like main roads with alignments of supermarkets.

isabel

With two weeks I would do two bases even though I know you said you prefer not to. But you really need a car for the hill towns and you really don't need or want one for the coast. I absolutely love Vence (it literally is where I fell in love with Europe twenty years ago and has not disappointed when I've been back since). The hotel I stayed most recently at had easy parking and driving in and out of the town yet was just a ten minute walk to the center. https://www.hotel-miramar-vence.com/ An even better hotel (though without the view or the pool) is https://auberge-seigneurs.fr/en/ and there is a parking garage (underground) in the center of town we used when we stayed there.

But while driving in the hilltowns was fine, traffic along the coast (and parking) can be horrible and public transportation there is good and Nice really is a lovely city so I'd want half my time there.

jpie

I used to have to spend time in Nice for work and had to have a car since my office base was up in the hills in La Gaude and I always stayed at the Holiday Inn Nice - Saint Laurent du Var. They have paid parking-both self-park and valet and the advantage is that they are right on the beach but slightly out of town near the airport, so much easier to get on the road as you sight see-at least in the direction of Vence etc. And there are also a number of good restaurants you can walk to right there at the beach they are located on-and they do have their own restaurant as well-although more typical hotel food. I shortened the link to the hotel since it is likely to be cut off-but if you don't trust shortened links (some folks object) you can search for the Holiday Inn Nice - Saint Laurent du Var...

https://tinyurl.com/vqs9x4c

If you can't stand the idea of a larger chain hotel you can also take a look at a place called La Villa des Oliviers just down the beach in Cagnes sur Mer-they say they have free parking. I picked a colleague up there one time but can't say I specifically remember looking at the parking

La Villa des Oliviers - Hôtel La Villa des Oliviers

Underhill

Mouans-Sartoux ugly? Surely not. The big supermarkets I think you refer to are up the road just below Grasse, not in M-S; there's only the Casino market there, and it's not very large.

gooster

You can easily split your time with one week in Nice and take excursions from there. You can then pick up a car in town (train station or near the promenade) and establish a base in the hills or another town. If you do insist on a car, you can get lower rates at the main train station on a weekly basis or you can pay a higher rate closer to your hotel. The center is becoming more and more transit and pedestrian focused; currently several streets are being cut down to a single lane and strips of green/outdoor seating and bike lanes added (we have an apartment in the center).

Vence and St. Paul de Vence are lovely, and the tourist crowds disappear at night from the latter. Plenty of BnBs and gites nearby with parking, and some in the center of the old town offer parking at the perimeter. Mougins is another lovely town. You can also go further from the center. The St. Tropez peninsula can be heavy in traffic to get in and out of, making day trips a bit tougher, but the stretch from St. Maxime to Hyeres, including the beaches of Ramatuelle are quite nice, with rose wineries in between and the islands off Hyeres. You could even base along the Italian Riviera, staying in Menton if you wanted (although many towns are also quite reachable by train). It all depends on your interests and priorities.

lourdestudela

Thank you all! I am paying attention to every answer and researching our options. Looks like Vence might be our choice for a few days!

jpie

Vence would be nice for a few days-less busy than St Paul de Vence. If possible since you will have a car try to get a place with parking because it can be difficult there.

You might also consider splitting your time between Vence and somewhere closer to the water.

kja

I loved Vence! It seemed much less given over to tourism than most of the places I visited in that area.

There's a large parking lot under the Place du Grand Jardin that I thought convenient, if it has space. BUT be forewarned -- the spaces are quite small, and the ramps that connect layers leave incredibly little leeway for today's vehicles. If I were to return, I might opt for a less convenient parking arrangement.

lourdestudela

Thank you all! We decided to stay a couple of extra days Aix en Provence, then drive to Vence. We made reservations at Hotel Miramar (Thank you Isabel, I was sold on the amazing views) where we will stay for a few days and also made reservations at what seems to be a very nice Airbnb in Old Town Nice. I appreciate all of your suggestions!