I've read through many posts and this sounds like a fascinating place- but overwhelming. I'll be travelling at the end of April/ Beginning of May 2008 and will be flying into Nice. I'll be with my 20 year-old daughter who will walk/hike/shop/explore anywhere, and with my 70 year-old mom who wants to do the same (and is also a beach bum), although can't walk long distances. We'd like to spend two nights in Monaco but the other 8 days seeing the Riviera.
Should we just base ourselves in Nice (other than Monaco) or should we split our 8 days between two bases on the Riviera? Any help with suggested itineraries would be great. We leave on an early morning flight from Nice so I'd like to end up there. Thanks!

I drove down from Provence and spent most of the time in Cannes before a flight out of Nice. Monaco was a day trip for us. For your beach bum mom, I think she would enjoy Cannes much more than Nice (sand beaches rather than rock beaches).

With 10 days, I'd probably drive up into Provence and over to Carcassonne - but I like to cover a lot of ground and see a lot of things.

Will you have a car???

If you will, I would land in Nice & stay there 4-5 nights. Spend 2-3 days exploring the coastal towns by train (Cannes, Monaco, Villefranche, Antibes, etc). Then rent a car & explore many of the villages inland from Nice (St Paul, Tourrettes, Luceram, Eze, Peille, Peillon, St Martin du Var etc - there are dozens). Very scenic canyons in that region also.

Then spend 2-3 days in St Tropez to get a different "look & feel" of a Riveria town. Lots of pretty countryside & cute villages to explore there also. A 3/4 day trip to Aix is a possibility from St Tropez.

If you depart early from Nice, stay in St Paul the night before departure.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

I could definitely rent a car if needed. I would like to work two nights in Monaco into this plan but so far I like your idea...tell me more!

It sounds like your trip will end before the Cannes Film Festival starts (May 14). I don't know if crowds start to descend on the area before the festival starts, but that might be something to keep in mind. Bookings could get a little more difficult (and expensive) at the very end of your trip.

Note also that there there are three statutory holidays during the period you'll be visiting: May 1 (Labour Day), May 8 (Victory Day) and May 11 (Pentecost). This is likely to have an impact on hotel bookings (as the French and other Europeans who have similar holidays) take long weekends, crowds in airports, on trains and on the roads. Also, shops may be closed and a few museums might be closed.

We, family of eight ranging from youngest 7 yr old to oldest 70 year old, just returned from Monaco and French Riviera. 2 nights in Monaco is perfect. The 1st night we arrived early evening and 2nd day we had the hotel shuttle bus drop us off near the palace for changing of guard, and ventured on our own and back to the hotel by foot. At night, had dinner @ nice italian restaurant and hit the casinos. We arranged for a private tour operator, Riviera Premium Tour, to take us all on a private 8 hour customized tour of Ventemiglia ( just to hit Italy quickly ), Antibes, Eze, St Paul, Cannes and then to our Nice hotel. Definitely highlight of our trip. We stayed in Nice for only 2 nights, but I could have stayed another full day. And the antique flea market is fun to visit. There is plenty to do and see in Nice for all of you.