St. Tropez or Cannes
 

Where would you suggest staying? St. Tropez or Cannes. Will be there for my final 4 days in France in April. Which would be the better choice and any hotel suggestions? Thanks!

It depends on what you're looking for. April will be too early for the sea - although you can walk on the beach. Are you looking for nightlife, museums, cute hill towns - what?

We will have just finished 2 weeks through Paris, Normandy, Loire and Provence. It's our last stop before we head home. So we're looking to do a lot of relaxing, but catch some great sights. Not necessarily looking for laying on the beach. We actually live near the beach in California. Just want some relaxation and great sights. Definitely want to hit up Monte Carlo and any of the other great locations in the Riviera.

Since you want to go to Monte Carlo, I'll suggest what I always suggest - Antibes. It's in the middle (to the west of Monte Carlo and Nice, to the east of St. Tropez and Cannes). We stayed in Antibes, had a car, and every day drove to one of those places (after first lounging by the pool). Look at the map:

http://riviera.angloinfo.com/maps/

St. Tropez is somewhat isolated and there is not too much to do in the area.

Therefore I would recommend the stretch of coastline which includes Theoule-sur-Mer, Cannes, Mougins (a few km in the hinterland), Juan-les-Pins and Antibes.

This stretch is pretty centrally located and you have easy access via autoroute and other roads to most attractions on the coast. And the area has wide, sandy beaches (not for swimming, but for walking).

I especially recommend two scenic coastal highways:

- The Corniche d'Or between Cannes and St. Raphael - gorgeous landscape.

- The Moyenne Corniche/Grande Corniche between Nice and Monaco with some interesting places on the way (mountain village Eze and Roman monument La Turbie).

In Cannes, you find those classic grand hotels with their bars and lobbies which are good places for a sundowner. Nice has some outstanding museums. There are also museums in Antibes (Picasso), Biot (Leger) and Vence (Matisse). St. Paul de Vence is a must (including Fondation Maeght) and, of course, Monaco (Palace, Oceanographic Institute, Casino). You should also visit some picturesque villages in the hinterland (e.g. Gordon).

Neither-- you should stay in Nice; much better logistically when depending on public transport.

We've spent considerable amount of time in St Tropez - but in April it would not be a good place to base.

I agree with Viajero2 - Nice !!! Lots more to do & see there than in Cannes. Take drives into the Nice Hinterland (Alps) & explore. I think you have my itinerary, which has lots of suggested drives.

Stu Dudley

St Tropez if you just want one place to plop down for the whole time and with a great beach (though not right in town) - Cannes like Stu says a much better base. I'd prefer Antibes however, close by for also great beaches and a more dreamy old-world atmosphere and great location for a base.

Between the two in April, I would choose Cannes. It is right on the train route to other cities and sites. I like the sweeping beach there and if you stay right across from it, there are beautiful views as well as the sand.

i hate cannes. skip it.

nice is great.

st tropez is ok but very remote and sleepy.

antibes is just ok.

walkinaround, except for St. Tropez ("remote and sleepy"), you have given no reasons for any of your responses, which makes your post less than helpful.

Why do you hate Cannes? (and why should the OP skip it because you hate it)

What is great about Nice?

Why is Antibes just Okay?

Every other poster gave some constructive advice along with their opinions, but your's is not very informative.

Nice is great because there is so much variety, while Cannes is primarily a resort town with beautiful beaches, some interesting things to see, but nothing that takes more than a day or two. Nice has any number of good museums, as well as the interesting old town and the Promenade des Anglais.

If you base yourself in Nice you will have quick access to both the train and the bus to Monaco.

What is your hotel budget?

thank you sf for your constructive criticism.

cannes just doesn't give me a good feeling. sorry i can't explain precisely why. maybe it's too much cement (oh there is a lot), maybe it's the promise of 'beautiful beaches' (hardly) or the expectation of a sense of glamour (maybe during the film festival i don't know). just not a very interesting place to visit imo.

antibes is..well..just ok. why do i need to explain this. is every place 'great' unless you can list specific reasons why it's not? it just doesn't do a whole lot for me but it's not unpleasant.

nice is is nice for the reasons that underhill mentions. the old town is full of life, the atmosphere just feels right. food is good. great place to wander and get lost.

some places just grab you and some places don't.

walkinaround, I know that and I agree with you (that some places just grab you and others don't). The problem is this is an anonymous internet board -- the OP doesn't know you and you don't know her. Without that knowledge, how does it help her to know that you think Antibes is "just ok"? FWIW, we LOVED Antibes -- we like small towns with windy streets and old buildings. We like beach towns. We liked taking our motorbikes on the ramparts. But if I just said "I love Antibes", that's just not helpful to the poster (it might be helpful to people who DO know me and my travel style, lifestyle, etc.).

>>i hate cannes. skip it.<<

Oh, Fodorites can be so cruel..

Cannes is probably the most typical city on the Cote d'Azur. The beach is wide and sandy (while Nice has the world's ugliest beach, consisting of large grey pebbles), there is a charming old town, the yacht harbour where some the world's most exclusive boats are docked and those glorious Grand Hotel. We like indeed sipping a glass of champagne in the Majestic's bar.

And the hinterland of Cannes is quite attractive. Mougins is a charming village with lots of restaurants.

Cannes is close to the Esterel - IMO the most beautiful scenery in the region.

Nice has more big city feel - with all advantages and disadvantages of a big city. It is a matter of taste.

Juan-les-Pins is a typical seaside resort town with nothing but hotels (and a beautiful beach), Antibes is more a historical town.

Warning: The ugliest spot on the Cote d'Azur is Villeneuve-Loubet.

P.S.
We usually rent a house when we are at the Cote d'Azur. These vacations homes are usually outside the cities - either in the hinterland (e.g. Mougins) or on the slopes with great vistas over the coast. Theoule-sur-Mer is a great location for vacation homes.

Courtney, never did ask....what's your hotel budget and style - Ritz-Carlton or Motel 6 or something in between? B&B or Inn or big hotel? Must you be ON the beach, or is away from the beach but in a beach town ok? Etc.

We prefer Antibes, but here's another suggestion--Villefranche-sur-mer. Very cute, small town with great restaurants, and very close to Monaco, Eze,Cap
Ferrat, and Beaulieau-sur-mer.

>>Cannes is probably the most typical city on the Cote d'Azur.<<

I'm not sure what you mean by "typical". Nice is called the "queen" of the Riveria (don't think there is a King).

>>The beach is wide and sandy (while Nice has the world's ugliest beach, consisting of large grey pebbles),>>

I actually prefer the beach in Nice over Cannes. I would not call it "ugly", but lots of other people have the same opinion of it as travler has. I prefer the flat, polished stones because they kick up a lot of dust than sand. I would never, however, stay anywhere other than the private concessions at Nice so I could rest on a chaise lounge with umbrella. I would throw my beach towell on one of the public areas.

>>And the hinterland of Cannes is quite attractive<<

It certainly is - but it is officially called the Nice Hinterland

Stu Dudley

If the choice is between St. Tropez and Cannes I would definitely go with Cannes. Cannes is closer to the sights you likely want to see and there's not that much to do in St. Tropez, especially since this is not a beach vacation.

Now if the choice were between Cannes and Nice then it's a harder decision but again, since this is not a beach vacation I might go with Nice. I prefer the sandy beaches of Cannes over the pebble beaches of Nice and if you haven't experienced those pebble beaches be advised that those "pebbles" are large, hard to walk on, and a solid beach cover. Not a few here and there.

Both Cannes and Nice have these grand old hotels right along the waterfront. Both cities also have a nice wide walkway along the water which makes it nice for strolling. And of course lots of restaurants and bars right on the water, where most of them are associated with a hotel.

You've already been given advice about some things to do in Nice. There are good and easy day trips from both cities and Monaco is very close to Nice. And if you are flying out of Nice the airport is only about 10-15 minutes from downtown.

Good luck with your decision. The good news is there's really no bad choice.