Home base for the Frence Rivera

Hi - We stayed in Nice and used the train to go to other towns along the Riviera, like Ville Franche Sur Mer and Monaco. We had lunch, went to a flea market in Ville Franche Sur Mer. Also had a lovely sandy beach. We would definitely consider staying there, instead of Nice, next time we go. (We didn't experience any cruise ships or overcrowding...we were there in early/mid June)

Nice was fun, too. We had a great place that looked out over the sea, right off the Boardwalk, close to the street market, and the big plaza. Beach was stony. But we rented a cabana/chairs and it was wonderful to have a waiter to wait on us. But climbing into the water was tricky!

We've also stayed in a little village in the hills, above St. Tropez. La Garde Frenet. Two great weekly markets, good restaurants. great hiking. Drive to the beach (and trains) was a curvy 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

We stayed in Nice and mostly used buses to explore the area. They drive along the sea. I agree with Villefranche but see if cruise ships are still using it as their port.
We loved Antibes and Cap Ferrat too.

For your beach, do you want sand, or can it be rocks? Nice has rocks, Juan les Pins has sand, and I'm not sure about Antibes. For the rocky beaches, people lay on mats; they really aren't comfortable to lay on without one.

Nice is a city, so if you want something more like Sorrento, it will be too big.

Nice is great choice. Centrally located, trains to day trip locations such as Monaco. Beach is all rocks but that didn't seem to stop anybody. Good shopping area. Old Town has great restaurants. Try the lasagna at Lu Fran Calin.

Cruise ships disgorge into Villefranche and it is quite packed in the summer; if you didn't like the town of Amalfi this is not for you. It is very charming and the bay is beautiful. The upside is that is is a short train ride away.

Antibes might be the best fit. The town has a lovely center and it is mid-sized, with some good restaurant choices. The downside is that it is surprisingly spread out, between the train station and the best beaches, although there are buses. The best sandy beaches are a little further away from the old town and a mile+ from the train station.

Juan-les-pins has excellent beaches and more compact, with a train station within easy reach, but is less charming with more typical holiday blocks lining the coast. It also has a reputation for lively clubs and mostly seasonal restaurants.

Nice has the best transport links and the widest variety of activities and restaurants, but the beach is rocky and the size is larger (but the center is very compact/walkable and well serviced by the low cost tram and bus network).

We are also going to be in Nice in September and booked the Welcome Hotel in VilleFranche-sur-Mer. It is right on the water and about a 10 minute walk from the nearest train station. We plan to go to Monaco, walk along the coast from our hotel to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild at St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat and tour the villa and gardens. (40 minute walk) Also highly recommended is Villa Kerylos, a Greek villa nearby.(30 minute walk from Villa) It is in Beaulieu- Sur Mer one mile east of Eze. You can get a combination ticket for both. The Beaulieu-sur-Mer train station is another 10 minute walk from Kerylos to go elsewhere from that area or back to where we would get off the train and walk to the hotel. We also plan to take the train to Nice proper area to go to the old town, Castle, Promenade, etc. I feel like the Welcome Hotel will be a good base for what we want to do and other people who have posted on these forums have given it very good reviews. So you might check it out!

Buses stop right at Beaulieu sur Merband Cap Ferrat, shorter distance than from train stations.

We stayed in Antibes Mas Djoliba Hotel. We loved it! Great location to walk just about everywhere in Antibes

My favorite is Antibes. It has the nicest beaches (white sand), a nice marina (big yachts and sailboats), one of the better art galleries on the Riviera and an old center with restaurants/cafes/bars. The center is medieval and has walls and ramparts. There is a train station near the marina where you can catch a train up or down the coast. It's maybe ten to fifteen minutes for the Nice airport stop (but the station is maybe a mile from the actual airport). Nice has, as I recall three stations.

I didn't do the hike around the end of the peninsula. Apparently it's a tour of homes of the rich and famous.

I stayed in Juan les Pins, just across the peninsula. It also has sand beaches (which are unusual in the area) but no medieval center, ramparts or nice marina. Plenty of restaurants and bars for the evenings.

Another vote for Nice. We used it as a home base for the Formula One Race and I saw so many wonderful towns I want to explore on the train ride to Monaco. We never used a cab. Walked to the train station, walked to the tram then walked to the bus for our day at Eze, walked to dinner, down to the beach. Our Hotel was a RS recommendation, Hotel Les Cigales which was a wonderful location.