San Remo or Menton?
 

Need to find a overnight base town for visiting Monaco, Nice before driving back to Milan the 1st week of Aug.

Geographically San Remo or Menton makes sense. Reading posts here seems like San Remo is pretty "faded" and Menton seems to be a better choice. Is that the consensus?

I'm looking for easy access to Monaco/Nice/Milan, good food, charming village feel. Warm water with snorkeling will be a plus.

Menton's dowdy; Monte's brass
Nice is rowdy; Cannes is class

That's an old saw. I don't get the point of Menton, but maybe I haven't given it a fair shot (one seemed enough). San Remo is boss. Here's my piccies: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...7632061012447/

I would stay at the Carlton in Bealieu-sur-Mer, dinner at La Pignatelle.

San Remo is super shabby-shic-fine if you like that.

It would make more sense to stay somewhere between Nice and Monaco unless you really can't get enough Italian food.

San Remo is great for food lovers, actually, but it is not a village, and some (maybe most) people aren't charmed at all by its down-at-the-heel, smuggler's port feel. It's got visible poor people as well as a casino. Kind of the un-Monaco.

Menton is basically a sunshine-lover's retirement community (so is Monaco, actually).

Maybe the thing to do is look up where to do some snorkeling in that area -- although if you are only spending a night there and want to go to both Monaco and Nice, hard to see how you will fit it in. The coast is quite congested with traffic, unless you were thinking of parking your car and visiting those places by train (might be a good idea).

We have been to Nice many times and since it's further away from Milan, that's why it's not in consideration.

From pictures and research, San Remo seems a little too "down-and-out".

I am looking for an apartment (sea view not necessary) and I expect Menton will be cheaper than anywhere in Monaco.

Is Bordighera to far from Monaco for