Is St Raphael A Good Base than Nice?
 

Hi! <BR>We plan to visit Southern France and my friend recommended St Raphael as a base to explore southern part of France. The reason being it is not as crowded as Nice and it has many interesting towns nearby. What is your opinion? Or is Nice a better choice than St Raphael? <BR>Also, may we know what is the weather in december? Must we bring the winter wear along? <BR>Thanks! <BR> <BR>mast

We stayed in Nice for a couple of days between Christmas and New Year's this year. While Nice is, well, nice (groan), I think (or at least hope) that it's not at its most charming in December/January. I am not familiar at ALL with St. Raphael, but if someone recommended it highly, I'd stay there over Nice in December. Worth a visit, definitely, but if we had it to do over, we'd pick a different base. <BR> <BR>The weather was cool to cold when we were there - I wore long trousers and several layers on top at night, and was quite cold when walking around. It never got warmer than long trousers and long-sleeved shirt (no jacket) weather.

Mast: <BR> <BR>It depends what you seek. St. Raphael (west) is near St. Tropez and some great natural wonders--mountains with spectacular views and sandy beaches. Nice (east) is, not surprisingly, more cosmolitan. Nice has great museums and restaurants, and an airport. It's also close to Cannes, Monte Carlo, and Italy.It also would have more going on in the winter. St. Raphael, St. Tropez and smaller towns across the Rivera close up shop in the winter. Many hotels there close their doors. <BR>The air temperature should be comfortable. The Sea is frigid until summer.

The Côte d'Azur in December may be chilly and wet. If it were another season I would definitely prefer to stay in St. Raphael, but NOT in December. I doubt if there will be anything to see at all, even in Nice. If you have the possibility to go during another month then don't hesitate!

Thanks for all the advices. <BR> <BR>Which part of France is still active, alive and worth going in December? We will be staying in Paris for a week and hope to see other part of France after that. We have another week after Paris. <BR> <BR>Thanks again. <BR> <BR>mast