Would love some guidance, having never been to this part of France. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary with a 6 day adventure in Cinque Terre (work hard/play hard), the ending the trip with 3 nights in Côte d’Azur and flying back to the States via Nice.
We are looking for some quality beach time, great food/wine, and relaxation as we close out our trip. We will be flying out of Nice and coming via train from the Cinque Terre, so accessibility to the airport will be a factor.
Since it’s a special occasion, we are happy to spend more ($300-500/night if its the perfect spot). We are not afraid of small B&B/ inn’s that offer a more quaint feel either, we normally stay in these places.
Any advice on which town and any hotels/inn’s/B&B’s would be great.
TIA!
Tom
Posted by
Canada
105 posts
Do you like bigger cities or smaller city vibes? I stayed in nice 2 nights ago and now am in ville Franche sur mer. I really like ville franche sur mer. It’s the charming smaller city I was wanting. Nice is nice as well, it was just too big for me/my style. We also took day trips so far to vence (I do not recommend- too small), Saint Paul to vence (very cute, but also touristy- great for a few hours), cap feret (lovely 2 hour coastal walk), menton (loved it! And right on the Italian border), and Monaco (pretty gardens , but a big swanky city otherwise) .
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks @travellinggirl.
We prefer a little more quaint with local vibes, no big tour groups. Did you happen to do a beach club for the day?
Would you recommend your accommodations to me?
I appreciate your advice.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
713 posts
If you chose Nice, you might consider the Hotel La Perouse. It's at the end of the Promenade with grand views down the bay. But the beach is rocky, especially at that end. It's a small boutique hotel.
You might look at Antibes, if the goal is beach time, and something like the Royal Riviera. There are some other nicer hotels close to Juan Les Pins, but a bit further from the main beach clubs and from the old town.
Posted by
Canada
105 posts
The beach in nice, ville franche, saint Jean/cap feret and menton are all rocky/gravel like. Does that bother you? It’s not a big sandy beach. For that reason we did not do a beach day so I don’t have any recommendations on which beach club to use. Sorry.
The town of ville franche sur mer suited me perfectly. It was smaller than nice and had so much charm and cute colourful buildings. I think I recall seeing some fancy hotels with amazing looking waterfronts (not beaches) in cap feret and beaulieu sur mer.
Posted by
Paris
7303 posts
I second the comment on the beaches: I would favor a good view and a good pool over beach access, as the beaches are frankly mediocre by world standards.
With that in mind, I second the recommendation for the La Pérouse: it is within budget (you might be able to afford a sea view at a stretch), and the location is incredible.
Beware that some of the fancy seafront hotels with pools around Nice get eye-wateringly expensive, otherwise (you do not get much change from $1,000/night...).
Posted by
464 posts
We love Villefranche sur Mer and would recommend Hotel Welcome there. We have stayed there twice. Room 44 with the balcony overlooking the harbor was great. You can easily walk to the beach which is a shale beach with stunning scenery. Villefranche sur Mer is very charming. Another hotel that we have enjoyed is Hotel Royal Riviera in St. Jean Cap Ferrat. Hotel Royal Riviera has a pool and nice beach also. From there you can walk on the Promenade Maurice Rouvier with beautiful views to St. Jean Cap Ferrat. We have great memories of both places.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33840 posts
I've spoken in other threads about the beaches. I go for the views, not the sharp sand or sharp gravel on the beaches.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15784 posts
I spent a few days based in Nice exploring the towns. They are all conveniently located on the local train line so you aren't stuck in one place. Villefranche was my favorite. The beach looked a bit pebbly, but not gravelly like Nice and others. There are a couple of interesting sights and a good RS walking tour. The locals said they aren't really flooded with tourists even though the cruise ships dock there, the tourists nearly all beeline to the train for other towns.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33840 posts
Chani, I got water shoes after trying to walk on the beach at Villefranche sur Mer - my feet got so cut up.
It looks beautiful from the train so I went down there with my wife. She stayed up top, I walked about 20 feet towards the water and straight back out.
Being a man I'm not used to pain.