My family and I struggling with our one day excursion on our Mediterranean cruise.
We are docking at Villefranche at 7am in the morning and must be back on the boat by 6pm. Should we spend the day in Nice or in Antibes? What do you recommend and why? By the way: we will be there on Easter Sunday. (A little more info about our family: first trip (and perhaps only) for my parents to Europe; they enjoy historic small towns and they want to try some 'budget' French food).

Well - Having done the 1-day cruise stop as well as a week on the Cote d'Azur, my vote would be Nice. As much as we enjoyed Antibes, its "old town" is funky and cool but no cooler than Cours Saleya in Nice, and Nice offers much more I think. Galleries, museums, beautiful beaches (not sandy but beautiful nonetheless), and beautiful people - there is simply more there. But if you really want the "historic small towns" Antibes MIGHT be better. Another option, although one that is whirlwind in nature, would be to engage a "private" guide to drive you around - when we did the one-day cruise excursion from Villefranche, we "did" Nice (a quick stop at Cours Saleya), Eze, St. Paul de Vence, and Monaco; it was fast and furious but we got the job done. When we stayed in a condo in St. Jean Cap Ferrat (next to Villefranche), we did the same but other places as well (e.g., Beaulieu, Antibes) and had a more leisurely pace.

Be aware that "budget" French food is everywhere and nowhere. One can spend hundreds or tens, and it will almost all be "authentic" French food. It's all in the mouth of the eater. For example, an "authentic" bouillabaise from Marseilles could cost quite a bit, or a wonderful imitative paella could be a real bargain. I love them both, but being a bit cheap, I'd go for the paella.

Hope this helps.

Sam

To get the small town "fix", spend some time in Villefranche. Then take the train to Nice & spend the bulk of your time there. You might take a cab to Nice - the Nice station is about 30 mins away from Old Town Nice if you walk.

Things might be a little dead in Old Nice on Easter Sunday however. It's a little slow on any Sunday, except high season Sundays. We've visited Old Nice on many Sundays, but not on Easter Sunday - so the Easter Sunday "dead" is just an educated guess.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

Antibes s a cute resort. Nice is a real city with a long history (settled before the romans got there) and a huge amount to see and do.