Mougins or Grasse for base in Cote d'Azur?
 

We are thinking of adding a second base for a 9-day trip to Cote d'Azur.

We are considering both Mougins Village - Les Muscadins - right in the old village -
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/h.../gb/index.html

or Grasse - Bastide Saint Antoine -
http://www.jacques-chibois.com/

Our other base is St. Paul de Vence, at Le Saint Paul.

I am wondering if these 2 towns are too close to St. Paul to warrant as another base, or if we even need 2 (we thought of it only because others suggested it). We really are set on staying in St. Paul at Le Saint Paul, but if Grasse/Mougins don't make sense, would welcome alternatives. Our top price is @ 350E per night.

Also wondering what there is to see/do in Grasse or Mougins to keep us occupied at night. Both of these places have restaurants, so we could eat there.

I just returned to the US after 3 years living in France and was often in the south on business and also went there a number of times with friends-personally I think that Mougins and Grasse are a bit too close and in some ways too similar to St. Paul to make a second base-Mougins is great to visit and of course to make as a point of destination to go to eat-but I think you have chosen the nicest of the 3 places to stay with St Paul. In terms of other possible 2nd bases, a lot depends on your transport and how far you might want/be willing to drive or take the train-if I had a car, then I might pick a "different part" of the cote d'Azur or sneak into Provence somewhere like St. Remy........or perhaps change flavors a bit from the hills/village base to somewhere on the coast like St. Jean Cap Ferrat or a larger town if that interests you such as going to stay in the old part of Nice, Antibes or Cannes......

jpie -
I like your idea of a coastal town as a possible 2nd base.

We will have a car, and our furthest destination will be St. Tropez. I wanted to spend a night there, but my husband does not want to spend just 1 night somewhere - he thinks it's a hassle - and staying there to drive elsewhere on the Cote makes not sense.

Do you have any recommendations given our budget for a coastal place to stay? We like smaller, intimate places, with charm and character, not big hotels. We also like something a bit "chic", not like a Best Western atmosphere. Alot of people seem to like the Welcome Hotel in Villefrance, but to me it seems like a Best Western atmosphere. My husband also wants to stay in smaller towns, not anything big or glitzy - Cannes does not appeal....

I realize rates are extremely high on the coast, so we may not be able to do this, but if you know of anything under 350K (preferably @ 300K) that fits our criteria, let me know. We like to be able to get out at night and walk to restaurants, or to stay at a place with a restaurant, so we are not driving at night.

Wanderer, we've only been to the Cote d'Azur three times.
Our first trip we stayed in St. Jean Cap Ferrat at La Voile d'Or, which was wonderful! I'm just not certain what they charge today, but there may be other places in the village which are more reasonable. We loved St. Jean Cap Ferrat....many restaurants to walk to, lots to see within short driving distance, beautiful location. My husband ran into Ivana Trump there.
We've also stayed in Tourettes sur Loup and at Le Hameau just outside St. Paul de Vence. We visited Grasse (made perfume at Galimard) but would never stay there...not enough in the way of good restaurants and not good traffic-wise.
We've loved all of our stays there and I would think that staying in St Paul de Vence and St Jean Cap Ferrat, while not geographically that far apart, would give you two totally different experiences on your trip...both wonderful!

I hit reply too soon...basically I think some time in the hills and time on the coast would be a nice balance.

I had read about Voile d'Or in Karen Brown guide, but it is way expensive, as we are traveling in high season (May).

Someone mentioned to me La Perouse in Old Nice, but it seems it was once a Best Western or some motel/hotel chain that has just been refurbished and not sure it would be what we were looking for.

St. jean sounds nice. I've also read that Anitibes is supposed to be nice.
Any more hotel suggestions greatly appreciated. We're looking for a place with atmosphere/smbience like Le Yacca and La Ponche in St. Tropez, but on the Eastern side - St. Jean, Antibes, etc.

This is a quick test--I haven't been able to post all day.

Finally!

I think the idea of staying near the sea is a good one, and I would heartily recommend the Hotel La Perouse in Nice. It's at the east end of the Promenade des Anglais, just before the road bends toward the old port, and is a very charming place. Dufy lived and worked here, and from several areas of the hotel you can see exactly the scenes that he painted. A nice room with ocean view and balcony or terrace would cost about $300. There is a pool, a large, shaded patio, and a sundeck with spa. The hotel is only a 5-minute stroll from the Cours Saleya, where the big market is held (don't miss the flowers!), and the twisting streets of Vieux Nice--where evenings are lively, with varied entertainment to be found.

We have friends who live quite near Grasse and know it well, and I wouldn't choose it as a base. Getting up into the town can be difficult with or without traffic, and our friends tell me that of night life there is little.

Mougins is a lovely spot, but again there isn't much going on at night--fine restaurants, art galleries, but not a lot else. If you should find yourself there at mealtime, try Le Feu Follet, our favorite in the area--we've eaten there half a dozen times at least and have always been more than pleased. It's the restaurant we always take our friends to, and they think it's wonderful.

The La Perouse used to be associated with Best Western, but in France BW's aren't similar chain-like hotels but are individually owned and operated; the BW element is just for the reservations network. We stayed at the La Perouse when it was still a BW and found it absolutely delightful; now, judging from the photos, it is even more so. We have reservations there in September, and it fills up very fast.

If you want something quite different, there's Le Meridien, just down the Promenade. Rooms there are $300+; the view is nice, the rooms are attractive, but there's a certain sameness about it all, while the La Perouse is very individual.

I stayed years ago at La Perouse and loved it. This year we stayed at the Colombe D'Or in St-Paul-De-Vence. That was special, but I have read excellent reviews about St. Antoine. The New York Times gave it a nice write-up.

What about Echvre d'Or in Eze, Cagnard in Cagnes sur Mer, or Reserve in Beaulieu? According to Karen Brown, they have some "inexpensive" rooms (relatively speaking).

I also wondered about Menton, as it seems like it would be cheaper, but can find nothing there, and someone called it the "Ft. Lauderdale of the Coted'Azur" - not very appealing...

Le Chevre d'Or is very expensive, as is La Reserve. We stayed at Le Cagnard and were underwhelmed; it's rather old fashioned in feel, and the parking is hideously difficult because of the hotel's location.

You're going in May, right? I think you're just going to have to bite the bullet and get a reservation somewhere soon, as you will be arriving at the start of may will already be booked.

Something in the post didn't make it through--it should say

"somewhere soon, as many of the good places may well already be full."

If you are considering a hotel on the coast, have a look at Hotel Imperial Garoupe. It's a lovely small hotel, on the Plage de la Garoupe, at Cap d'Antibes.
Les Muscadins in Mougins looks very nice, although I haven't stayed there. The restaurant has gone a bit downhill since chef Noel Mantel left, but there are plenty of other dining options there.
St Paul and Mougins are really not that far apart. And St Tropez is easy enough to do on a day trip; it will probably take you an hour and 15 minutes to get there from Mougins(although I have to admit that it once took me 3 hours to get to St Tropez from Cagnes).

Greetings--We stayed in Mougins for about a week this past May and liked it very much. One of the good things about its location is it right off the autoroute and a small chic town at the same time. St. Paul will require a trip to the main road each time, not a big deal but your trips to further locations might work better from there. We found the traffic in the St. Tropez direction to be horrendous, possibly as a result of the Cannes Film Festival which takes place for 2 weeks in May. You might consider your St. Paul time offset with a coastal time closer to Cassis--which is very picturesque.

It is worth your time to check on the Film Festival dates and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix--they will affect your mobility on the road.

Thanks to everyone who has helped. I think we will explore some hotels on the coast. Anyone have input on which towns in particular might be nice spots - shops, restaurants, etc.

Again, we like low-key, no glitz or glamour, and prefer smaller boutique type hotels.

We actually are going in May 2005 - but have frequent flier miles, so have to plan way ahead. I am wondering now with all going on in May if we would be best to move back into April. I think some of the prices are lower then, but we are most concerned with 2 things 1) Weather - we want to avoid rainy months and 2) Traffice - we don't want to be caught in bumper-to-bumper for our whole trip.

Can anyone advise what the weather is like in April and suggest some towns for us to look at? (I think St. Jean was mentioned as nice with things to do)

For a coast-side hotel I can recommend the ***Versailles in Villefranche sur Mer. Private balconies with lovely views of the harbor.

Thanks, will check it out. One thing we definitely want if we can swing it is a balcony. If we are going to spend some time on the coast, we'd like to experience the view with a balcony to sit out on in our room.

wanderer, impossible to predict the weather. This year in April it was so cold we had to go out and buy sweaters. Two years ago we went in April, and could swim outside.
Do have a look at the Imperial Garoupe hotel. It is small, some rooms have balconies (or ground floor on the courtyard).
As for traffic, the times we were there in April it was not a problem, except when driving into St Tropez on a market day.

Yes, realize cannot predict weather, just curious how April, May and June compare weather-wise and traffic-wise - i.e. is it usually more rainy in April than May?

We don't care about going to the beach or swimming, so it does not need to be that warm - sweaters would be fine - but we're trying to pick the least-rainy month of the 3 that is not a nightmare traffic-wise.

Provence has been known to have snow in early May. Outside of the summer months, you really can't plan on any particular kind of weather. So I would make up a list of things to do if the weather should be bad.

Wether it is busy or not will depend much on the holidays and Cannes Film Festival. April 11 and 12 is Easter; schools have a one or two week holiday in much of Europe. 1st of May is a public holiday, and so is 20th of May (Ascension day). Since this is a Thursday, lots of people will take Friday off too. 31st May is also a public holiday. Hope that helps!

With May 1, May 20 and May 31st holidays, and May 12-24 Cannes Film Festival, and then May 20-24 Grand Prix, that leaves only May 2-11 for a 10-day spread, which is the length of our trip.

I am wondering if we would be better off in June. It seems the weather is same/better than May and prices are no higher. Can anyone tell me where to find a list of public holidays for France?

WE spent 10 days in St, Paul in June. The weather was gorgeous, we didn't have one single rainy day. However, beware: on weekends, the traffic is much heavier on the main roads and highways. I strongly advise you to plan your day trips accordingly. Try to make it to St. Tropez, Antibes and Menton ( or the villages nearby) on week days, when the traffic is much better.

Here's a site for holidays (they're called bank holidays in Europe) but I couldn't find 2005 listed, only up to 2004.

http://www.jours-feries.com/index_pa...mp;id_langue=2

As to your original question, I've ironically stayed either in St Paul de Vence (4 times-3x September, 1x June) or at the Hotel Welcome in Villefranche in Feb. FYI-Sept. is my favorite time there. Still warm enough to swim but not so crowded & not so hot as the summer.

I think from what you describe you'd like, Villefranche although I agree, probably not the Hotel Welcome. It's not that it lacks charm-it actually has some charming Cocteau inspired murals in the rooms. It's just not as upscale as I think you'd like. Beaulieu or St Jean Cap Ferrat would all make good coastal bases but understand they're not that far from St Paul. I agree you'd get a different feel from St Paul, but if you're planning on going as far west as St Tropez and are doing this in May/June period, I'd suggest staying somewhere west, nearer St Tropez. St Tropez, IMO is NOT a comfortable daytrip from St Paul & would be even further from Villefranche etc.

Ramatuelle is an area just outside St Tropez that might offer a good solution. Here's a mention of a new hotel called Villa Marie in Ramatuelle that sounded interesting to me.

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/...SuiteTalk.xml/

I also think Antibes would be another option, although still a "schlepp" to St Tropez.

If I were doing this trip, I'd either pick that 10 day period in May, mid-June or early September. I'd go to Ramatuelle first for maybe 2-3 nights, then St Paul for the rest OR St Paul for 4 nights & end with a night or 2 in Cap Ferrat.

Thanks Mclaurie. Villa Marie in Ramatuelle looks beautiful, if just a bit pricey. We may very well spend a few nights in St. Tropez or Ramatuelle, as I myself wonder if a day trip is feasible.

If we decide to stay on the coast, more east, we have "picked" 3 places that look good and have rates we can afford. We are set that if we stay on the coast we want a room with a sea view, and preferably a balcony to enjoy it.

Would love comments from anyone who has stayed at any of these places or what these towns have to offer -

1) La Perouse - Nice - $285 - Superior Sea View, $405 - Deluxe Sea View (I am not clear what the difference is between Superior and Deluxe - this is quite a big price difference)

2) Royal Riviera - St. Jean - $335 - Sea View - some book made note of this hotel being close to train tracks (??)

3) Vista Palace - Roquebrune - $224 - Sea View Cap Martin, $316 - Deluxe Sea View Cap Martin with Terrace.

Vista Palace seems the most reasonable, but I can't seem to find much on it.

I've stayed at the Royal Riviera, and it's a lovely hotel. Restaurant has a beautiful terrace overlooking the gardens and sea. The train is not far away, but I have never heard it there. It's an easy walk from the hotel to Beaulieu. Some of the smaller rooms can be quite small at the Royal Riviera.

Just tried doing a search for reviews of the Vista Palace for you. I did find one useful one on virtualtourist.com

The hotel sounds beautiful but it's described as 10-15 drive up in the mountains above Monte Carlo if that matters to you (ie not ON beach but they probably have beach facilities thta require a drive). I was also reminded, reading that it's east of Monte Carlo, you should know the train tunnel I <i>think</i> east of Monaco, has been closed for repair for some time &amp; I don't think has reopened yet. This just means if you're traveling by train you have to get off the train and take a bus to get past the construction.

We were in the Cote d'Azure this past May/Jun 2004. We got a villa in Cannes and took day trips...We took day trips to both Mougin and Grasse...I would stay central near the coast. LIke you we went as farWest as ST Tropez and far East as Monte Carlo. LOVED LOVED LOVED our lunch at Bastide Saint Antoine. Incredible!!!! EXCELLEN service. I would definitley stay there - beautiful pastel yellow exterior with bright intense magenta bougainvia (sp?). But I would recommend staying at one place longer as I hate packing unpacking and then just take day trips...As for St. Tropez we did that in one day trip about 2.5 hrs from Cannes - definitely take the N98 along the coast through the Esterel Mountains with the orange/red clay mountains. Well worth the day trip...and we stopped in Frejuz for the market 3/4 way down to St. Trop and then lunch in St. Trop and wandered around and then checked out one of the beaches to say we had been there and then took the freeway (quick way) back. Excellent!!!

Oh and you MUSt go to Eze and you must at least have drinks on the terrace at Le Chevre d'Or.... a must see very quaint romantic....they provide triple layer silver trays with appetizer when you order drinks.....This place is more expensive but well worth it..we also had dinner there but very expensive...completely worth it!!! Eze village lovely to then walk around and meander thru all the shops.....and then we drove to La Turbie about 10-15 min away and walked through the roman ruins.....Excellent day!!! St Paul de Vence a yes too, we had lunch our first day at &quot;Le Saint Paul&quot; very charming ....good food...and you MUST see the Maeght Museum.....and walk the grounds with all the art pieces to see....

Gargiulo, you must do a more detailed trip report. I would love to hear how many days you were there, what other restaurants you liked, etc. Also, how did you find your villa in Cannes?

When people say Chevre d'Or is expensive for dinner, what $$ are we talking for 2? I would be a little worried driving that road at night though after a dinner! Especially if we had even one glass of wine.

Is that not the road that Grace Kelly was killed on?

Expensive means well over $100 per person without wine. I think most people dining at the Ch&egrave;vre d'Or are probably staying at the hotel, not driving off into the night.

wanderer, we had lunch there, which perhaps allows you to enjoy the view more than in in evening. Can't remember the cost, but lunch is often less expensive than dinner. I found the road not that difficult. True that Grace Kelly died there, but accidents happen. Just drive carefully, and don't be rushed by road-maniacs coming up behind you.

Mougins is a lovely village with a good number of good restaurants and fun art galleries. It's always full of tourists but since it's bigger than St Paul de Vence is doesn't seem to claustrophobic.
Les Muscadins is right in the old village and now it shares facilities with Le Mas Candille which can be a big extra. I stayed at Le Bastide Saint Antoine this past August and it was perfect. Even if you don't do go and have dinner at the restaurant - its a moveable feast! Service both at the hotel and restaurant are excellent.
The drive back and forth from Grasse to the coast is not bad at all. Grasse is an interesting village with an old sector as well.