uktravelover

So if you are flying back fro Paris rather than Nice, I think it would be a good idea to get there the day before and stay there the night. I know that some people don’t think it is worth the bother going up the Eiffel Tower, but just before Covid I did it again, this time in the early evening and it was delightful. Sadly it was not a romantic occasion as I was with colleagues, but we all agreed that it was well worthwhile.

YankyGal

I love the idea of one crazy fast-paced day to cap off your honeymoon!

shelemm

There may very well be something mythical about the Cote d'Azur, but it is based on reality. There's a reason why artists have flocked there and wanted to live in the idyllic cliff villages overlooking the sea. And although I am not a big fan of staying in Nice, the OP should know that Nice has its own culture, identity, and cuisine. It is called Nissarde, and there is an association dedicated to the preservation of the culture. Especially the food. I always urge folks to check out authentic Nissarde cuisine:

https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com...sine-nissarde/

kerouac

Artists flocked to the Côte d'Azur in the early 20th century. We are now 100 years later and many things have changed. The ultra wealthy are able to hold on to the illusion but (some) normal people can be disappointed by a "normal" experience.

Michael

Knocking the Côte d'Azur et nothing new. For those who are fluent in French:

bilboburgler

Really the reason the Cote grew into a mecca for tourists was due to its intense poverty, good winter weather and cheap large mansions that enticed wealthy Brits (often from India who could not survive British weathers) and wealthy Russians who were not in favour in Moscow to holiday there. The same poverty and the opportunity to sell to wealthy bored northeners brought the artists. You will find their gardens and houses all along the coast between France and Italy. Hence the "Promenade des Anglais" along the sea front at Nice.

Monaco suffered the same until the Prince decided to turn his land into one giant casino. Est Voila!

I suspect Economics trumps artistic environment every time.

shelemm

[QUOTE=bilboburgler;17484639
I suspect Economics trumps artistic environment every time.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you except for every museum/theatre/orchestra/opera/dance company/library/community center/historic preservation/park/ in the world.

Ratasnipe

That might be true, however I believe much of the economics of the region was also brought on because of the beauty of the area. I feel like most areas that are beautiful or certainly unique (which the French Riviera certainly is) will attract those with money regardless if there are poor or wealthy already there.

coral22

I think you have found there is a lot of great advice and strong opinions here. But follow your heart. Your sweet, original instinct to go somewhere beautiful and romantic will definitely be realized there. That area took my breath away with the charm, the vistas and the gorgeous waterfront.

I would not make the honeymoon base in Marseilles and only in Nice if it makes getting around easier and/or you prefer more nightlife and walkability. I am still a big fan of Villefranche or staying staying somewhere a little quieter in the Côte d'Azur. If you could manage somewhere with little balcony and sea view, that would be dreamy. And to work in a car for a day or 2 would be exciting.

You threw it out there, so a big YES to time in Paris. I might even suggest 2 nights. I think Paris is one of the most romantic cities, and if she hasn't been there, the different energy from the Rivieria would be fun. Leave Nice on a late morning train and then you could have dinner in Paris and then the next full day to hit the sights. Paris could be a budget buster, but I think there are ways to economize to make it work, especially with your early planning start.

You mentioned "budget" but haven't been specific about your preferred hotel and dinner costs. That means different things to different people and you could get more specific advice if you want to divulge that. It will be fantastic!

TDudette

Welcome, Ratasnipe, and congrats on your upcoming marriage. Way before covid, and before I posted on Fodors, my husband and I based in Nice for a portion of our trip by train. We flew into Barcelona, trained to Montpellier, then Nice, and then Paris and from there we flew out. While we were in Nice, we took a van tour that picked us up at our hotel and took us in one long day to Monoco (area around casino, changing of the guard), Grasse (perfumery), Eze, Old Nice, Cannes and St Paul de Vence. Do check online for recent details and times allotted in each place.

The next days, we returned by train to Monaco (went to the Casino! Take your passport and dress nicely), spent lots of time walking around Nice, and trained to Cagnes-sur-Mer to visit Renoir musuem. On another trip, we stayed in Menton and took the bus back to Nice to see other things we missed. What do you and your fiancee enjoy?

edited to add that for a week I'd just stay in Nice. Go to Paris on your anniversary!

TPAYT

My husband and I have rented a car many times on the French Riviera and it’s a great way to see things at your own pace.
My last trip there was with 2 friends and we hired a car & driver for a day .
A Fodorite suggested this service and it was an easy way to see a lot of places without trying to figure out the roads or parking.

https://www.friend-in-france.com

bilboburgler

I'm confused, I often am, a couple of generations back my family helped develop a London Theatre, one of my friends owns a number of London Theatres and I sponser one outside London. None of this is done for the art but instead for the money either of the investor or, in one case, the money flowing into the local community. I do know a couple of park sponsers/gifters and they did it/do it partially for the tax breaks and partially to say thank you to a community but again not because the park was especially wonderful. Another friend sponsers an Opera house, for the tax and for the political contacts.

I'm not saying that there are no art... whatever... which is not just done for the art but normally altruism is very rare. https://www.glyndebourne.com/about-u...impact-report/ perhaps, worth a good read, interesting to see no study done into social-climbing for example

shelemm

Glyndebourne is a charity. It says so on their website. It's a question of earned income vs unearned income. For -profit businesses are all about economics. Charities rely on unearned income, and the artists who perform there are not full-time employees. Like all theatres in England, their careers are supported by performing at subsidized theatres, far more than in the US. The rehearsal periods are normally much shorter in the US because the public support is just not there.

lrice

My daughter spent the summer after college graduation in Nice and liked it so much that she is back there now with her boyfriend for 2 weeks after a long weekend in Paris. She is 26.

They rented an Airbnb in Old Town. Yesterday they went to Villa Ephrussi Rothschild and loved it! Off (by bus) to explore Saint Paul de Vence tomorrow. Nice has beach clubs for whereas for a sandy beach, they take the train to a Villefranche. Antibes also has a charming town and sandy beach.

I think the Côte d’Azur is a great idea!

mdinbc

Congratulations, first of all! And I see you are trip planning well in advance, which will give lots of ideas.

Consider flying in and out of two different airports. If you can stretch a week to 10 days, Then fly to Paris, spend a day or two, then train down to Marseille. From there you can take another train to further destinations. Look into Bandol or Hyeres, both lovely towns on the sea with old town to explore, wine area, plus small town relaxing. fly out of Marseille or Nice. We stayed in Bandol after Paris and loved it.

wollastoni

Congratulations for the Honey Moon !

To organize your trip to Côte d'Azur, you can have a look to "Provence Web" site : https://www.provenceweb.fr/e/index.htm . They have an English version and it's the largest website about tourism in Provence
You'll find maps, descriptions of every village in Provence and ideas for outings...

Hope it helps