I've found a gorgeous waterfront apt in Menton on vrbo. Talked to the owner. Sounds/looks wonderful & the price is right. My girlfriend & I are going the end of October for a week. She's never been to the area & I was in Nice/Cannes/Monaco briefly last summer.

Owner says we can easily travel around without a car.

My question is: has anyone stayed in Menton & do you think we would do well to stay there or should we stay in Nice or Villefanche as others have written about here.

Thanks!
Cobbie

Topping!

Cobbie- I'm looking at Menton for next Christmas next year, so I am waiting for more replies to your question!

I love Menton and have stayed there twice. It has the best micro climate on that coast and fabulous flowers. Nice is more centro, but Menton has a feel about it. However, we have always had a car--that may make a difference.

Bob, a couple of my travel books described Menton's climate as you did, but add on that it is a Brit retirement haven. No problem there, but does that skew the nightlife options, etc.?

(Cobbie, sorry to highjack your thread.)

You will see a number of "pensioners" in Menton, but so are we.

There's more to see and do in Nice and the immediate region than in Menton, IMO.

Nice has more fun. If you would like to go to Menton, it's less than 1 hour by autobus from Nice Gare Routiere.

Thanks everybody.

Then could it be that if you are young(er), you would be better off in Nice than Menton? Spent a night there a long time ago but since then I have always stayed in Nice and made day trips from there. Suddenly I want to return to Menton. Perhaps, next November where I already have a flight booking.

Menton is a very nice city and has a much nicer though smaller beach than Nice but Nice has sooooooo much more going on and is so much closer to interesting places to visit such as Villefrance, Antibes, St Paul de Vence,Cannes, Grasse the mountain villages of Saorge, Peillon, Briel sur Mer etc.

I would choose Nice but have fun whatever you decide.

Larry J

Menton is my favourite place on the Riviera. It is more Italian than French and has easy access to other places in the area by car, bus or train. It is a hidden jewel on the Cote d'Azur. You have to know about it to get there or you would miss it. Thank goodness, or it would be chock-a-block with tourists. As it is, the mix of visitors is from babies to pensioners and of every nationality. La Perle de la France, they call it.

I like Menton precisely because it is quieter than Nice or Cannes (which I don't like). I'm told that Menton's vibrant nightlife is in Monaco which is a couple of miles away, easy to get to by train or bus, but allow for a taxi back. Basically, Menton shuts at midnight and there are few, if any, discos. This is because everyone gets up early and is on the beaches by 9am!