Nice's beachfront is lined by luxury and moderately priced hotels.
Beautiful Cote d’Azur
The fabulous French Riviera is
a gorgeous paradise-by-the-sea
The south coast of France along the sunny Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's most beautiful destinations, dotted with colorful seaside towns and inland villages. Artists, movie stars, jet-setters, backpackers, billionaires and millions of ordinary tourists are drawn by the sweet appeal of this paradise-by-the-sea.
Nestled in southeastern Provence, this 50-mile stretch of Mediterranean coast is called the Cote d'Azur by Europeans, or the French Riviera by Americans. It can be easily visited without the hassles of driving a rented car, thanks to the excellent network of trains and buses that connect all the main places. Compact town centers offer ideal walking conditions. You could spend a week or two here, but three days can still provide a satisfying visit.
The most popular season is summer, when its beaches are packed with sun-worshipers, but I suggest off-season visits to avoid the crowds and enjoy cooler weather. Europeans crave that summer sunshine, but Hawaii residents are free from that quest, so visit between November and April, when day temperatures are in 50-to-60 degree range, and hotel and airline prices are lower. Winter temperatures dip into the 40s at night, so you do have to bundle up some, but this is not a freezing cold.
Day 1: Nice
This largest city along the Cote d'Azur makes an ideal home-base: it is one of the most beautiful places; offers a large number of hotels and restaurants; and is centrally located with excellent rail and bus services. Easy to reach from Paris, you can take the direct, high-speed TGV train (a 5-1/2 hour trip) or fly for as little as $70.Nice is divided into numerous neighborhoods, but there are four main areas of focus on for now: the beachfront, Old Town, shopping district and main hotel section.
The most famous image of Nice is the broad, ocean-front boulevard, Promenade des Anglais, framed with the blue Mediterranean on one side and a long row of hotels on the other. Supreme among the many expensive hotels is the Negresco, a five-star deluxe landmark. There are also about 100 good moderately priced hotels between the beach and the train station.
Shopping: Nice's main commercial street is Avenue Jean Medecin, stretching 12 blocks, anchored at the lower end by Place Massena and the department store, Galleries Lafayette. On the west side are Rue Massena and Rue Paradis, with luxury shops such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.
Old Town: Called "Vieux Nice," the Old Town is home to galleries, shops, bars and cafes. In the off-season, Vieux Nice is quite peaceful, though it gets very crowded in the summer.
A morning street market in the wide Cours Saleya plaza features fresh produce and flowers daily, except Monday, when you'll see antiques and used goods. Chocolate lovers should look for Maison Auer in its landmark belle ˇpoque building. This chocolatier has thrived since 1820, offering excellent selections with prices up to $250 for a large box.
Old Town's maze of narrow lanes occupies a triangular slice about 300 yards long on each side. Take an espresso break at the lovely intersection of Rue Centrale and Rue de la Boucherie, a good spot for people watching. The other great focal point is Place de Palais, which retains an Italian ambience.
Nice, part of Italy until it was joined to France in 1860, still displays a strong cultural blend in features such as its unique language, le Ni¨ois or Nissart, a hybrid of French and Italian that cannot be understood by anyone outside of Provence.
Return to Old Town in the early evening when it is most alive. Some shops close for siesta at 2 or 3 p.m., but reopen by 3 or 4 and stay open until 9 p.m. or later.
Art fans will enjoy visiting one or two of the town's fine museums, such as The Matisse Museum. Matisse lived in Nice many years and created some of his finest paintings here. Near the museum, people can be found playing petanque, or boule, France's national sport. The goal is to get your ball near a red ball while knocking other balls as far away as possible.
Next to the Matisse Museum are ruins of a small Roman amphitheater and housing foundations, and a small Archaeology Museum reminding us that the Romans had a major presence here 2,000 years ago. Several other museums will vie for your attention: the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asian Arts Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Natural History, and the Chagall Museum, with the world's largest collection of the artist's works.
At dinner time, there are hundreds of choices ranging from cheap pizza up to perfection at Le Chantecler in the Hotel Negresco. In between, you will find many wonderful restaurants specializing in Proven¨al cuisine, featuring local seafoods, fresh vegetables and elaborate salads, with influences from Italy, Spain and Northern Africa.
Nice's charming old town, known as Vieux Nice, is home to art galleries, small shops, bars and cafes.
Day 2: Cannes and Antibes
This morning, take the train along the coast to Cannes, and drop by the waterfront town Antibes on the way back.Cannes is one of the most legendary of Riviera towns, famous for its May film festival. But surprisingly, the main shopping area and old section are down-to-earth, with normal prices and friendly atmosphere.
It's an easy four-block walk from the train station to the shore where you can have a peek at the high life exemplified by extraordinary hotel palaces lining the grand Boulevard de la Croisette. The grande dame is the Carlton, a magnificent century-old structure. Forget about staying here during the film fest; you've got to be a Hollywood player or big-shot to get a room. In the off-season, you might find an affordable room here, where a baroque dining salon dates to 1911, with its original decor intact.
The Majestic is another fabled hotel. Peek at its Egyptian-themed lounges, relax and have a snack at the cafe.
The Cannes Festival Hall is a monster structure at the end of the promenade. Its sidewalk is dimpled with many impressions from the big stars, who flock here during the festival to promote their latest flicks.
Old Town: On the other side of the Festival Hall, you will reach the Old Town of Cannes, easily missed by those hesitant to walk uphill, but don't be dissuaded. Called "le Suquet," this simple neighborhood is a welcome counterpoint to the ostentatious display of wealth you've just seen. Stroll through a pedestrian zone that gently rises via staircases and Rue Saint-Antoine to the top of the small hill, providing a great view of the marina and Festival Hall. A few pleasant squares here feature restaurants, ice cream shops and creperies.
A central lane, Rue Meynadier, is for pedestrians only and runs about a mile toward the train station, where you'll continue the day's journey.
Cannes is where Hollywood's biggest players can be found during its international film festival in May.
Antibes was once a fortified village and has an ancient fort in the harbor with its original wall running along the shore. Walk two blocks to the marina and continue to a gate in the city wall leading into Old Town.
To the right inside the gate is a lively bar-lined street called Boulevard d'Aquillon, but don't turn yet. Instead, veer left to Rue Aubernon which leads to Cours Massena, the main food market. Walk a few blocks farther to explore a peaceful residential neighborhood.
A large Picasso Museum in the nearby Grimaldi Palace is where the artist had a studio that is now incorporated into the museum. Antibes was home to several 20th century artists. Picasso lived here in 1946 and spent most of his later life elsewhere in Provence. He donated 22 of his paintings to the museum, which also has works by other important modern artists.
Next, find your way to Rue des Revennes, which becomes Rue James Close, a charming shopping lane lined with boutiques and restaurants so cute that you might want to stay to sample such local grinds as "socca," comparable to a thick crust. These few blocks are some of the best in the Riviera.
Rue James Close leads to the main pedestrian shopping street, Rue de la Republique. It connects Place National to Place General de Gaulle, where you can turn right and walk five blocks along Avenue Robert Soleau back to the train station, and Nice for the evening.
Monaco's wealth is obvious everywhere you look.
Day 3: Villefranche and Monaco
Today's adventure winds along the eastern shores of the Cote d'Azur. Begin at Nice's main bus station, the Gare Routier. Buses leave every 15 minutes, but plan on making the 9:10 a.m. departure.Villefranche: Leave the bus and walk downhill toward the Cafˇ de la Paix, then take the steps leading to Old Town, taking note of the arcaded street, Rue Obscure, a historic landmark a block inland from the picturesque marina.
This stroll can be finished in 45 minutes, or take two hours for a thorough exploration of side lanes and plazas. Villefranche is a popular cruise port as well, only about 15 minutes from Monaco by bus or train.
You now face the choice of exploring adjacent Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, with its nature walk and mansions, or continuing along the coast.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: The only Riviera mansion open to the public is Musee Ephrussi de Rothschild, which can be reached in 10 minutes by public bus to Pont St. Jean, or walk 50 minutes from Villefranche marina.
The mansion is now an art museum surrounded by seven magnificent themed gardens representing various Mediterranean cultures. Museum highlights include the largest collection of Fragonard drawings and several Old Master paintings, but the villa's splendid Renaissance architecture upstages its content. If you like the ambience, consider a two-hour perimeter nature walk, with views of other villas. Stop for refreshments at the ultra-luxe Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat on the promontory's end.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer is another exquisite, coastal town accessible by bus, train, or by walking 30 minutes along the shore. Its most notable attraction is a full-sized replica of a 2nd century B.C. Greek palace, the Villa Grecque Kerylos, open as a museum. Sited on the water's edge and surrounded by gardens, the villa is adorned in period style.
You might also be able to squeeze in quick visits to the village of Eze, in the nearby hills, and Menton, a few miles from the Italian border. The small towns are similar to those you have already visited.
Monaco: Boasting the highest per-capita income, Monaco is the world's richest, most densely populated country. It is also the second-smallest, after the Vatican, measuring just under a square mile, half the size of New York's Central Park. Its 30,000 residents don't pay income taxes, which is why most of them live here. It is a sovereign country with full membership in the United Nations. Ultimately, France has significant control over the government, but the monarchy runs the economy.
Monaco has done a magnificent job with all its money, building wonderful structures and creating an extremely well-planned community.
You will arrive in one of Europe's cleanest train stations, carved into the rocks deep underground. Choose your way out carefully, for three exits lead to each of the town's three main destinations: "Condamine" for the harbor, "Fontieille" leading to the palace, or the upper exit for the casino.
Take the harbor exit from the train station for a wonderful first impression of Monaco's exclusive marina filled with opulent yachts and circled by fancy shops and cafes. La Condamine is the adjacent shopping zone with several pedestrian lanes including Rue Princesse Caroline. You can visit inside the palace, museum, cathedral and aquarium, perched on the cliff above in the oldest part of town with a medieval labyrinth of shopping lanes and plazas.
For many, the famous Monte Carlo casino is a highlight, designed in the belle ˇpoque style by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera. It costs $15 to look inside, plus another $25 to enter the roulette area; gazing at the magnificent lobby is free.
Next door is the Hotel du Paris, a five-star hotel so exclusive that non-guests are not allowed inside. This would be a great place to end your Riviera stay, complete with dinner at the hotel's Louis XV restaurant run by Alain Ducasse.
If you go...
Here is a list of places to stay while in Nice. Dial 011-33-49 prefix when calling from the United States:» Beau Rivage: 24 rue St Francois de Paule. Call 247-8282; www.nicebeaurivage.com
» Best Western Hotel de Flore: 2 Rue Maccarani. Call 4-9214-4020; www.hoteldeflore-nice.fr
» Boscolo Hotel Atlantic: This is my favorite, at 12 Boulevard Victor-Hugo. Call 703-8989; e-mail sabine.delamare@plaza.boscolo.com
» Boscolo Hotel Plaza: 12 Avenue de Verdun. Call 316-7575; www.boscolohotels.com
» Le Negresco: 37 promendade des Anglais. Call 316-6400; www.hotel-negresco-.com
» Massena: 58 rue Gioffredo. Call 247-8888; www.hotel-massena-.com
» Mercure Centre: 28 Avenue Notre-Dame. Call 313-3636; e-mail h0962@accor-hotels.com
» Splendid: 50 Boulevard Victor Hugo. Call 396-4100; e-mail g-m@splendid-.com.
» Suisse: 15 quai Rauba Capeu. Call 217-3900; e-mail hotelsuisse.@wanadoo.fr
» Windsor: 11 rue Dalpozzo. Call 388-5935; www.hotelwindsor.comFrench Riviera Web sites
» www.casino-monte-carlo.com
» www.eze-riviera.com
» www.monaco-tourisme.com
» www.rca.tm.fr
» www.villa-ephrussi.com
» www.villedementon.com
» www.villefranche-sur-mer.com
[News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Do It Electric!]
[Classified Ads] [Search] [Subscribe] [Info] [Letter to Editor]
[Feedback]
