Analysis paralysis finding a base in southern France

I loved Villefranche Sur Mer and yes the beautiful harbor there often hosts a cruise ship. When the ship arrives, pax head to shore early in the morning and usually head to Nice or Monte Carlo. Much to the chagrin of shop owners in town, very few visit this quant little town. It is well situated on the rail line mid-way between Nice and MC.

As the hour for the last tenders taking pax back to the ship grows near, more tourists gather in the cafés on the queue. Then, all is quiet again.

Thanks for this. I read something somewhere that someone said the cruise ships had spoiled Villefranche.

I didn't go to Villefranche before it became a cruise port, so I don't know how it has changed. The town was dead at the time of my 2017 day trip (don't remember the time of day) despite presence of a large ship in port. I was told exactly what Phillip has reported.

I'd recommend going to Google Maps and saving every sight/town you think you'd like to visit to be sure you are selecting a reasonably convenient base. The train line along the coast is very handy (pickpocket alert), but it still makes sense to choose a sort of mid-point location.

I was happy with my decision to base in Nice, which is the bus hub for the region (thus best for those going to St-Paul-de-Vence and Vence), but I prefer being in larger cities for the variety of restaurant options and local sights available. I'm big on art, and Nice has at least six art museums. I also like to walk around different neighborhoods, and I'm not sure Villefranche would keep me occupied for more than one day. I know others on the forum have liked staying in Villefranche.

Villefranche is a charming town within easy reach of Nice and Monaco by train, and some worthwhile sights of its own. I can imagine how a big ship in the harbor would spoil the view across to Cap Ferrat, and all those cruisers coming and going to and from the station would make you want to avoid those hours, but otherwise it would be a nice base, not requiring a car.

Nice is a much bigger city, but staying near the waterfront would feel less urban. I stayed at the Mercure Marche aux Fleurs in Vieux Nice, next to the Opera, which was fine if you don't mind stairs (including stairs to your bed in the room). I would have stayed at the nearby Albert Ier but it was being renovated last month. It might be a good choice when that project is done. Again, no car needed.

"Southern France" also includes Provence and other areas farther from Italy. Nice and Villefranche wouldn't be good bases for those regions. If Provence interests you, Arles would be a good base with a car, while Avignon has better train and bus connections. Or, with a car, you could pick any of several well-located smaller towns like St-Remy or Ile-sur-la-Sorgue.

We've stayed in both Antibes and Menton over the years, and used them as easy places to take day trips from. I'm not sure how those places are post-COVID these days, but definitely they felt less amped than nearby Nice pre-COVID. France, Monaco, and Italy were all easy peasy for us by car and train.

I would not discount Nice - there are plenty of affordable hotels and restaurants. Walking along the Promendade in the evening is entertainment itself; the market is fun. From Nice you can easily travel to anywhere on the Riviera - don't miss Eze. If you have a car you might like to go to a restaurant called the Moulin de Mougin above Cannes - amazing
atmosphere.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is not as pleasant as it used to be. I have stayed there before it became a cruise port. There are tons of other villages to consider.

Here is the cruise schedule for Villefranche:

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/villefranche-nice-france-cruise-ship-schedule.html

What is your criteria?

Will you have a car? Are you looking for a village only on the sea?

Is your preference for a small walking village that has a bakery, charcuterie, a couple of decent restaurants and small grocery? Or is your preference for a more bustling town such as St. Remy?

I am pleased to see Moulin de Mougins mentioned. We had lunch there twice on a previous visit and found it lovely. We also found the village of Mougins less touristy than Eze. It is a wonderful village filled with artisans.

I would also look into Antibes as someone else has suggested.

Any rentals along the sea and certainly with a sea view will be more expensive than something inland. We prefer a quiet village inland and then opt occasionally to drive to locations along the sea. More often than not, we prefer the smaller less traveled villages loving the slowness of it all.

“Will you have a car? Are you looking for a village only on the sea?”
✏️We will have a car; but we are not stuck only on a village by the sea. We have travelled to Provence and enjoyed it but as we will be heading back to Italy after we don’t want to stray too far west. We’d like to explore spots we haven’t been before and we have been to Antibes (and enjoyed it!)
Is your preference for a small walking village that has a bakery, charcuterie, a couple of decent restaurants and small grocery?
✏️I think we would very much enjoy a smaller off the beaten path village. And PS thank you for including the cruise schedule for Villefranche.

I was impressed with how non-touristy Vence felt when I visited it (the same day as overrun St-Paul-de-Vence) in 2016 [meant to say 2017 here]. But it was probably during the afternoon siesta period for Vence; I'm sure there are sometimes folks outdoors! Vence isn't a tiny village, however.

Would you consider another area such as the Luberon or Vaucluse? Next spring we are staying in Goult for two weeks. Our ‘analysis paralysis” consists of the following:

Pick a region that we have not previously explored ( always France).
Search that region on VRBO and AirBnB to find a house that excites us.
Then we back into the search with viewing You Tube channels of the village where we can get a real flavor of the location.
Our criteria always includes ease of parking at the house with at least one designated parking place.
Then, to seal the deal, we Google services in the village such as a boulangerie/patisserie, a few decent restaurants ( not just a tabac ) and a charcuterie and/or small market are bonuses. Goult has all that.

My current list of villages around Goult for us to visit is around 12, there is plenty to see. On a previous trip, we spent two weeks in Rustrel and during that trip we really loved the Apt market, so this is on our list to revisit.

We are staying in Villefranche-sur-mer from Apr29-May5 2024. I see that there will be a couple cruise ships during that time, but I'm wondering if it's really anything to fret over.

Does anyone have experience staying at Villefranche during cruise season?

Hi, OP here. Would you mind sharing where you are staying in Villefranche. We are having a heckuva time finding accommodation for May.🙁

If you are looking for off the path tows, you can look also look at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Biot, and St. Jean de Cap Ferrat --- or off the coast Vence and the outskirts of St. Paul de Vence. I don't recommend Menton as it is too far down the coast to be a good base, unless you intend to go further into the Italian Riviera. (It sounds like you've been to Antibes).

Just watch your dates of the Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival, as they will make certain things crowded. Even with a car, it is best to take the train into certain places like Monaco, Nice, Cannes, JLP as it could very well be faster not to mention less expensive and less traffic.

Another vote for Goult or the area nearby. We ended a 2 month Spain/France trip with 2 heavenly weeks in Goult. We took a few excursions in the area but also had some delightful relaxing days soaking up the atmosphere, and the wines from the region. A car is a necessity for the region but Goult itself can supply your daily needs - bakery, grocery, cheese shop, several small yummy restaurants.

If you are looking for a hotel vs a home rental, take a look at Domaine le Mas de Pierre. It’s a Relais located outside the village of Saint Paul de Vence which would position you closer to the coast to explore the area. They have a shuttle that will take you up to the village.

I do not have first hand knowledge of this hotel, but we will be staying there for a few nights on the last leg of our trip next year following Goult.

https://www.lemasdepierre.com/en

Goanywhere-

Did you have a favorite restaurant in Goult? A favorite village in the area?

We spend many weeks of vacation in the Cote d' Azur. We love Antibes for its charm, less hustle and bustle but we tend to pick Nice. I would not select Villefranche -sur-mer but then I've only spent time there visiting from Nice we haven't stayed there. I would consider Antibes for what your described

If you haven't already done so, check for lodging on booking.com. You may be running into the Grand Prix. The manager of my hotel in Nice (2017) told me the Cannes Film Festival doesn't create as much demand along his section of the coast as the Grand Prix.

Just a thought, what about Grasse or any village above Nice?