I am traveling in August to the French Riviera, will be flying in and out of Nice. We are going for a work trip to Monaco for a few days but I want to fill the other days in area around Nice. Any recommendations? I know Monte Carlo will be pricey so would prefer to keep it affordable but relaxing. Also any hotel recommendations are most appreciated!

Don't drive - i've been there in August and the whole area is gridlock. Took me two hours to get down from Grasse one day just to Biot nearby.


The train runs all along the coast - Nice, Cannes, Antibes, etc.

Good to know, any advice on best places to stay? I am considering Nice for two days and Villefranche for two days. Is that a good idea? Or should we pick other cities. We really only have 5 nights and 4 days to explore before we head to Monaco for a work trip.

Thank you!

Nice is a good choice because it's a transportation hub so you can easily get to other places via bus or train plus there's lots to do in the city itself.
I'm not sure of your budget but we love the Hotel Le Grimaldi.

Villefranche is just over a hill from Nice so stay in one or the other the whole 4 days

Villefranche no doubt has much more charm than Nice - a big noisy city - many Fodorites have raved about Villefrance, which also has coastal train service - Villefrance and Nice practically one and the same

Agree with PalenQ, not worth moving from Nice to Villefranche. Both, btw, are not that far from Monaco. If you'd like to try 2 different spots, perhaps pick a second location up in the hills--Le Hameau in Saint Paul gets raves. So maybe Nice and St. Paul. Here's a link to a post with Stu Dudley's famous drive
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34943677

Wow, fantastic info. I am so glad I asked the question. Thank you to all. I think I will skip Nice, we live in a big crowded city so I am much more in favor of a smaller town.

If we fly into Nice how should we get to Villefranche? It sounds like the train is very quick. Also does anyone have a hotel they would recommend in Villefranche. If we want to venture out to Antibes or St. Tropez is that possible?

I can't read the original post; every time I click on the title, up comes an ad that covers it up. Boo, editors!

Train from Nice to Antibes takes 25 minutes.

Train from Nice to St-Raphael takes just under an hour. From there you have to take either a bus (80 minutes) or a boat to St-Tropez.

I stayed at the Hotel Welcome in Villefranche some time ago. It was cute and not expensive but it doesn't have a pool which I think you would want in August. (It may be late to find something for next month!) The Versailles has been mentioned as one that does have a pool. While looking for the name of the Versailles I came across this post from PalenQ about a nice walk you might like.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34998732

PS, you may not want to stay in Nice, but I certainly wouldn't "skip" it. There are some very good restaurants, museums and the antiques (brocantes) and flower markets at Cours Saleya.