whuuf

hi peeps.

I have to decided to take my girlfriend of 5 years to the Cote d'Azur (3 nights, mid august) as a surprise for her 30th birthday and pop the question to her, so firstly I am looking for ideas on romantic places where I could propose.

Secondly I am trying to decide on which part to stay in. We are both late twenties and enjoy going walking around old towns and markets, and like to sip cocktails by the sea and have a bit of a dance in the evening, so I was thinking maybe Cannes or Juan les Pins which are both centrally located to get the train around or even hire a car if we feel the need.

Was also thinking of spending the last night in Monaco so she can put her best frock on and sample how the rich like to live. Does anyone know of any shows / cabaret that you can book up in advance as I don't fancy chancing it in August?

Any help gratefully appreciated.

TexasAggie

I haven't been to the area either, and second the suggestiont to ignore Carll.

Have you tried typing Cannes into the search box at the top of the screen? You can type in any term and it will bring up a variety of threads that might contain information useful to you.

Be sure to post back and let us know how it all turns out. We don't hear back from "proposal advice" posters very often.

abbynicole27

Monaco is beautiful - up on top of the cliffs. Having trouble thinking of anything creative for you, even though I've been to that area and love it. Hope it goes well.

m_kingdom2

My dear, perhaps "pop the question" before you leave the states, then you can always recoup some losses if the worst happens. Also, I'm against these proposals because they're weighted and people are quite different when away from home.

"sample how the rich like to live"

Monaco is no more glamourous than Birmingham; you'll notice all the apartment blocks are empty because the residents simply "live" there for tax status, they're rarely actually in residence. It's naff, and just so passé, don't waste your time on it.

mclaurie

I can help a little until someone maybe younger comes along. Juan les Pins is indeed the young area with lots of nightclubs but I'm not sure I'd want to stay there as it can be quite loud and busy at night, especially if you're not into the night scene. It does have one of the nicest largest public sandy beaches.

Cannes always strikes me as too big and gaudy but, again it is centrally located, has a nice beach and is close to Juan les Pins.

What sort of budget do you have for a hotel and how important is being on or near the beach? Most (but not all) of the more charming towns with markets are in the hills. Vence is a lovely market town but in the hills and there's a nice b and b in Tourettes Sur Loup but I don't know about a night scene there.

Villefranche sur Mer is a lovely old town with some affordable hotels (I stayed at the Hotel Welcome on the marina). It would be a good base near Nice, with a train station to get to other towns. It's not that far to Monaco from there. Not sure it would be worth moving if you were staying there.

Not far from Villefranche is the hilltop town of Eze with a famous restaurant Chateau de la Chevre D'Or that has great views of the water. That would be a nice proposal spot or celebratory dinner.

mclaurie

You should read this thread about a nice hotel in NICE.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34602509

julie_Colorado

McLaurie has great suggestions.. I love Tourettes sur loop (have a water color of it over my fireplace... and dream of retiring there). Not much night life ... but certainly restaurants. Very near (a few miles) Vence which probably has a good bit more going on at night. I was just reading about Villefranche sur mer this am. I think I"m going to put it on top of my list....

Weadles

If you don't mind my asking, what's your budget? I think Nice definitely fits the description of what you're looking for. There's nightlife until the early hours of the morning, a long seafront promenade, a lovely old town to wander,great museums, and plenty of excellent ( sometimes cheap!) food.

You could also look into staying in St. Paul de Vence, a charming hill town near Cannes that has sweeping valley views from some of its hotels. The town itself is a lovely one to explore, and has lots of art galleries, shops, and amazing vistas.

Good luck with your choice!

.

whuuf

Firstly with regards to what m_kingdom was saying. My girlfriend has been hinting for the last two years at us getting married so I don't think she will feel pressurised at all, in fact I think she is hoping for it. I have read a lot of cross opinions on Monaco but feel she would like to see a cabaret show and have a nose round the casinos.

I found a previous post where someone recommended the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Monaco, does anyone else have any opinions on this setting?

Thanks mclauire for your suggestions I have a budget of $200 dollars a night, and don't mind staying away from the beaches as long as the hotel has a pool, the only other problem is that my girlfriend doesn't like heights and those long drives up into the mountains really scare her. I've heard Eze is quite high up so this is probs off the menu.

I have been reading a lot about Nice but the only thing that puts me of about this area is the heavy traffic and road works in august. I can imagine it might be a bit noisy and polluted. Perhaps I am wrong?

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will read up more on Vence and Villefranche sure mer . Does anyone have any experience of Antibes? I am sure all of these places are wonderful.

whuuf

Thankyou Weadles I will also look into St. Paul de Vence, is it very high up?
Also have you had any experience of Nice in August?

m_kingdom2

Propose before the holiday, it'll make things more relaxed and enjoyable, you can forget worrying about finding "that" moment.

whuuf

I appreciate what you are saying M_kingdom2 but I would not find it a worry, quite the opposite in fact. I would like it to be a special memorable moment on foreign shores.

Weadles

whuuf,

Yes, I've been in Nice many times during August, which is the month of the annual French vacation. There's plenty of traffic, but it doesn't bother us because we never rent a car there. There's really no need due to the excellent transportation options by train or bus between cities and towns.

Last year there was some road work and construction on both Promenade des Anglais and Place Messena. I don't know if that's still going on, but we didn't find it much of a problem.

What we like so much about Nice is that it offers a perfect combination of city/resort vacation in one destination.
We never run out of things to do-- or eat!

As for St. Paul de Vence,all I can tell you is that my son, who is typically very afraid of heights, had no problem there at all. It's a beautiful day trip from Nice-- only about 50 minutes on the bus.

Good luck with your plans,and your proposal!

mclaurie

My husband and I both dislike heights (to varying degrees ) and we have no problem at St Paul de Vence or Vence. The road up is not so steep. Le Hameau is a place that many people on this board like which has a pool. The problem is no nightlife in St. Paul other than dining.

I think the idea of staying in Nice is a good one although I'll warn the beaches in Nice are mostly pebbles/stones not sand.

Antibes is another option. Perhaps someone else has a suggestion for a hotel there. I've also remembered the Hotel Belles Rives is a lovely place outside Juan les Pins and may be within your budget. It doesn't have a pool but it is on the water although no sandy beach but it is swimmable. There is also a casino near there. You might look at reviews on tripadvisor.com

As for Monaco, it is a place everyone should see if you want to. There are 2 casinos. The European one that's quite famous (the one you see in James Bond movies) and fancy is <i>very</i> dressy and you have to pay to get in. The American one is less formal. Whether or not to stay overnight depends on where you spend the rest of the time. If you stay in Nice or Villefranche, both are very close (and also close to the airport). If you stay in Antibes or Juan les Pins, you might want to overnight in Monaco. I've taken a train to Monaco and it's a beautiful ride as the train tracks run very close to the water and you can look down and see some of the villas tucked into the rocks.

Tulips

Nice is a large town, with lots to do and see, very busy, with a pebbly beach. I think you would enjoy Juan les Pins more. Cannes is good for a visit, but very expensive, and 'over the top' (IMHO). The Belles Rives in Juan is a good suggestion; also the Meridien, right on the beach. Just outside Juan is a very nice beachclub called Les Pecheurs; there's a club where you can have dinner too.
If you like walking, try to do the path around Cap d'Antibes, and then have lunch at Keller, on Plage de la Garoupe. There's a lovely hotel on the Plage de la Garoupe called the Imperial Garoupe; but you could not walk to the train station from there.
Do visit Monaco; just to make up your own mind.
Chateau Chevre d'Or in Eze is a good suggestion; very romantic. Or otherwise maybe the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc; I've never had dinner there, but it looks amazing.

fille26

I would suggest a romantic proposal idea as going to Eze, and up to the Chateau de la Chevre D'or. You could book a lunch at the 'Les Remperts' terrace, which overlooks the mediteranean sea, and it would be quite romantic indeed!

hopscotch

Monaco, man, Monaco! Spend the 3 nights there.

I stayed in one of those overpriced hotels for a couple of nights when I was young, single, and reckless. I have akrophobia but nevertheless went up to the <i>Jardin Exotique</i> (Tropical Gardens). It is beautiful and has an arresting view over the city state. It would be an ideal place to propose.

That evening put on your Sunday clothes and go out for dinner and then to the casino.

As for August, it would be wise to reserve and pay for your hotel ASAP. The C&ocirc;te d'Azur gets booked up early.

Weadles

Monaco is OK for a daytrip, but I wouldn't advise staying there. I think unless you're really into gambling and overpriced hotels, there's a lot nicer ( and cheaper!) places to base on the Cote d'Azur.

I still think Nice would be a good bet for you. Yes, it is very busy, especially in August, but that's part of it's charm. It also tends to draw a younger, livelier crowd than Monaco.

sandi

I hate anything high up - tall buildings, elevators, mountains, even airplanes, but one manages.

Oh, Eze, is probably the most romantic place for a proposal. And the Chevre d'or is the place... on the terrance, around the pool, perfect! I'd suggest dinner here, but this would break your entire holiday budget.

But, all is not lost... the days are long in France during the summer (light till almost 10pm), a perfect time for a proposal would be close to sunset while having an aperetif poolside. Pre-arrange for the Chevre d'or to have a taxi waiting at the entrance of Eze, to return to your hotel - the train at this point, just wouldn't cut it.

I'd opt for Nice to stay (and book ASAP anywhere along the Cote d'Azur)... lots of options here and easy access to the train for trips along the coast.

walkinaround

I don't like Cannes at all. Famous, of course, for the film connection but not worth a visit IMO.

Monaco, went there once, definately would not make the effort to go back. Not a must see.

Nice, that's my favourite. i could go there every year.