We will be visiting France in late September to early October for vacation and a scouting trip for possible places to move to in southern France near the Mediterranean. We will spend two or three days in Paris before heading toward Nice. Looking for a quieter alternative to Nice as a base to explore the Côte d'Azur.
Posted by
9 posts
I would recommend staying in Villefranche sur mer right in old town instead of Nice. In old town Villefranche, you are not too far from the train station as it is by the beach. While looking for an apartment on the French Riviera, we choose Villefranche instead of Nice because of the old town charm and the location of the train station. Good luck.
Posted by
Philadelphia
90 posts
I stayed in Villefranche-sur-mer for 5 nights at Hotel de la Darse. Highly recommended. I had a room overlooking the harbor with a private balcony and was able to watch the cruise ships coming into port. I spent a lot of time sitting on the balcony watching the activity along the harbor and people walking below me. There was a restaurant in the hotel as well as one across the street. The main part of the town was about a 10-15 min walk.
The Rolling Stones musician Keith Richards' rental house Villa Nellcote (google it) was right across the harbor from me which was cool. I walked all the way from Hotel de la Darse to St Jean Cap Ferrat and passed by the gates of Villa Nellcote (couldn't see anything).
I highly recommend Hotel de la Darse.
Posted by
Philadelphia
90 posts
Beaulieu-sur-Mer was also very beautiful. There is a 5 star hotel Hotel Royal Riviera there. I didn't say there so I can't comment on it but it's in a beautiful location with beautiful gardens and a beach right next to it. There's a small shopping district in the town with shops and restaurants. I enjoyed browsing in a home decor shop where you can purchase Provence linen tablecloths and napkins in gorgeous prints. Beaulieu-sur-Mer seems to have more "rich" people compared to Villefranche-sur-Mer and therefore is probably more expensive, although this is just a subjective opinion.
Posted by
Minnesota
138 posts
We loved Hotel Welcome in Villefranche sur Mer. We reserved a room with a balcony and enjoyed the waterfront views. The streets in the Old Town are charming, and there is a nice shale beach in Villefranche sur Mer.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
770 posts
Note that VilleFrance-sur-Mer does still get cruise ship traffic and the old town can get overwhelmed when one docks. Beaulieu-sur-Mer does not. Just an FYI. Further up the hill from Villefranche-sur-mer you get some great views but you do have steps to watch for -- and avoid places directly on the Corniche if you are sensitive to traffic noise. (We looked at a number of places where we were househunting).