French Riviera - where to stay?

Blubolt · 2023-01-03T20:02:26+00:00

I have booked flights to Nice on a whim for DH and I as they were £70pp! (£120pp once luggage added…). We absolutely loved Nice when we visited last time. We are staying for 9 nights. This time we love the look of Antibes however we are wondering if we should stay there for the entire 9 nights or whether we should stay there for say 5 nights then Menton for 4 nights? Any recommendations of places to visit or places to stay would be much appreciated

JanuaryBluehoo · 03/01/2023 20:51

Hi op where did you get the flights?. assuming it's out of term times?

We love Antibes.
You could use that as a base for the duration but I think 5 Antibes and 4 Menton is a good plan.

CornishGem1975 · 03/01/2023 20:51

I really liked Villefranche

Doidontimmm · 03/01/2023 20:55

We were there last summer. We stayed 2 nights in Nice and 5 in Antibes. Loved Antibes, we got a bus to the cap d’antibes and did the costal walk which was stunning.

We also used the train & did trips to Cannes, Montecarlo, Villfranche sur Mer and Menton.

Menton was our least favourite as we felt there wasn’t much to see or do.

Original poster

Blubolt · 03/01/2023 21:20

Thanks all, really helpful. Perhaps we will stay in Antibes for the duration or split our time between Antibes and Villefranche.

Does anyone have any accommodation recommendations?

Flights were easyJet, flying from Edinburgh on 9 August. Our preferred time to go on holiday is September however flights and accommodation were more expensive. I suspect due to the Rugby World Cup.

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ItsOnlyWordsInnit · 03/01/2023 21:23

I’m so pleased you’re thinking of staying in Menton, it’s very underrated. In fact, part of its charm is that it’s not so well known internationally by comparison with Villefranche etc. I’ve only really ever seen British tourists there during the Grand Prix. Things to see there: wander round the charming old town on the hill, visit a few of the jardins exotique (I love the one close to the Italian border), go to the Jean Cocteau Museum and the Salle des Mariages he painted at the town hall, the prehistoric museum is admittedly a bit rubbish though. The cemetery on the hill is fab and well worth wandering round as dusk approaches - it was where all the consumptive Brits were buried in the 19th century when their convalescence on the Riviera failed to work. And of course you can laugh at all the silly yachts along the marina, but that’s the case at every resort. A bit further down the road at Roquebrune there’s a great abandoned castle, the place where WB Yeats died and was buried, and Eileen Gray’s villa with Corbusier’s Cabanon - that last one is strictly for fans of architecture. It has great views of Monaco though.
Hotels in Menton: Hotel Lemon looks lovely, but is a fee minutes along the promenade from the town centre. I’ve stayed at the Royal Westminster a few times, which is great for faded seafront 19th century grandeur. Do not under any circumstances stay at the Richelieu <shudders at the memory>.
Food: Menton has its own Arabic-inspired cuisine based on chickpea flour. There’s a lovely backstreet restaurant that specialises in it, but you’d have to ask at the tourist info for the name (if it’s still open).
If you want to explore the hinterland in the mountain villages above Menton, they’re all accessible by bus - my faves are Castellar, St Agnes and Gorbio, delightful and very untouristy littke places.
And of course you’re only a few minutes from Monaco, which is a hilariously silly place, well worth a day trip. I love the oceanographic museum and the exotic gardens/ caves, but be prepared to do a lot of walking uphill.
Have fun!

KnickerlessParsons · 03/01/2023 21:24

Ste Maxime is lovely, as is St Tropez, but it's £££ (or €€€) to stay there. Worth a boat trip across the bay for the day though.
We also like Fréjus.

Original poster

Blubolt · 03/01/2023 21:25

ItsOnlyWordsInnit · 03/01/2023 21:23

I’m so pleased you’re thinking of staying in Menton, it’s very underrated. In fact, part of its charm is that it’s not so well known internationally by comparison with Villefranche etc. I’ve only really ever seen British tourists there during the Grand Prix. Things to see there: wander round the charming old town on the hill, visit a few of the jardins exotique (I love the one close to the Italian border), go to the Jean Cocteau Museum and the Salle des Mariages he painted at the town hall, the prehistoric museum is admittedly a bit rubbish though. The cemetery on the hill is fab and well worth wandering round as dusk approaches - it was where all the consumptive Brits were buried in the 19th century when their convalescence on the Riviera failed to work. And of course you can laugh at all the silly yachts along the marina, but that’s the case at every resort. A bit further down the road at Roquebrune there’s a great abandoned castle, the place where WB Yeats died and was buried, and Eileen Gray’s villa with Corbusier’s Cabanon - that last one is strictly for fans of architecture. It has great views of Monaco though.
Hotels in Menton: Hotel Lemon looks lovely, but is a fee minutes along the promenade from the town centre. I’ve stayed at the Royal Westminster a few times, which is great for faded seafront 19th century grandeur. Do not under any circumstances stay at the Richelieu <shudders at the memory>.
Food: Menton has its own Arabic-inspired cuisine based on chickpea flour. There’s a lovely backstreet restaurant that specialises in it, but you’d have to ask at the tourist info for the name (if it’s still open).
If you want to explore the hinterland in the mountain villages above Menton, they’re all accessible by bus - my faves are Castellar, St Agnes and Gorbio, delightful and very untouristy littke places.
And of course you’re only a few minutes from Monaco, which is a hilariously silly place, well worth a day trip. I love the oceanographic museum and the exotic gardens/ caves, but be prepared to do a lot of walking uphill.
Have fun!

Wow! Sounds excellent and like there is so much to do. I think we will kick ourselves if we don’t at least visit Menton for a couple of days. Thanks for the tips!

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LlynTegid · 03/01/2023 21:25

From my experience there are probably more options for evening meals in Antibes, and I loved the local market.

KnickerlessParsons · 03/01/2023 21:25

Also Nice is worth a visit. It's a lovely city, though the beach is pebbly (no sand).

Doidontimmm · 03/01/2023 21:42

Check out this place in Antibes I found on Hotels.com: hotels.app.link/gd4AycCviwb

We stayed here, gorgeous.

ThePoshUns · 03/01/2023 21:54

Eze is a nice day out especially the Fragonard perfume factory/ shop.

Original poster

Blubolt · 04/01/2023 08:33

Thanks, I like the look of Eze for a day trip

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JanuaryBluehoo · 04/01/2023 08:50

@Doidontimmm ..what's the actual name of the hotel please

Op villefranxhe is beautiful but small?

You could try staying on cap fereat as well.
It's all absolutely gorgeous.

St trope and st Maxine I would only do day trip.

LlynTegid · 04/01/2023 09:04

Grasse is another day trip thought, also Vence with the chapel designed by Matisse.

EnyoClytemnestra · 04/01/2023 09:15

CornishGem1975 · 03/01/2023 20:51

I really liked Villefranche

Villefranche ruined by cruise ship passengers disgorging and taking over restuarants etc
Why not stay in an airbnb in Nice and take train trips east and west from there? You can go into Italy (a couple of days there would be lovely), or go into the villages in the mountains (St Paul de Vance, Entrevaux [Entrevaux has a fabulous citadel). Cagnes sur mer is also lovely

CocoFifi · 04/01/2023 09:24

We have recently been on a boat viewing trip down there and some of the coastal towns further west are lovely. Bandol, Cassis and Marseille all worth a visit, as is Cap d’Agde and Séte

Original poster

Blubolt · 04/01/2023 10:21

Loads of great suggestions, thanks all.

We thought about basing ourselves in Nice however we done that last year and other than visiting Monaco for the day we spent our time exploring Nice.

We will definitely stay in Antibes for 4-6 days and base ourselves elsewhere for the rest

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Doidontimmm · 04/01/2023 17:50

@JanuaryBluehoo its Hotel la villa port’Antibes & spa

ThePoshUns · 04/01/2023 18:11

If you go to Eze treat yourself to a glass of champagne on the terrace here

www.chateaueza.com/

Original poster

Blubolt · 04/01/2023 18:25

Having looked at some air bnbs I’m torn between Antibes and Juan Les Pins. Is there much difference between the two? If we base ourselves in one, is it easy enough to go between the two?

We are definitely still considering a few days in Menton

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LlynTegid · 04/01/2023 20:11

There was a bus service between Antibes and Juan les Pins (train too). Can't speak for the train, but the bus service stopped before 8pm. I stayed near the Eden Roc Hotel and had to use the hire car and stay sober for evening meals.

Doidontimmm · 04/01/2023 20:22

Antibes itself has the old town which we spent our evenings in, lots of bar’s & restaurants, shops, a beach, fort carre.

we actually walked to part of Juan les pins from there. There is a train & bus. Think the train takes something mad like 2 mins!!

Only spent a few hours in Juan Les Pins but seemed to have more beaches but less history.

Soproudoflionesses · 04/01/2023 20:31

I loved Cannes

Original poster

Blubolt · 06/01/2023 19:23

We have finally booked accommodation! We have gone for 3 nights in Menton followed by 6 nights in Antibes. We originally were going to do 4 in Menton 5 in Antibes however it was cheaper to book 6 nights than 5! Really looking forward to it

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Bemyclementine · 06/01/2023 19:27

I stayed in Mandelieu la Napoule when I've been. It's small, but lovely, and straight on the train to any of the places mentioned above.