I am looking for an authentic, low key experience to wind down after touring France on the Riveria in September . I will be traveling back to Nice for flight back to US, so also would like to know if Menton has baggage storage if I stopped In Menton for a day trip on back to NIce. Thank you for your help, really struggling with this portion of my trip planning.
Posted by
Virginia
640 posts
I had a work conference in San Remo once, and took a day trip to Menton from there. Menton is a pleasant small town, nice to walk around, not a whole lot to see. Don't know about luggage storage there. San Remo is bigger, with a picturesque old town on a hill, and some sites to see such as a Alfred Nobel's villa and a Russian church. It's a resort town but certainly feels authentically Italian. I liked staying there. So I guess it's really whether you want to see a bit more of the French Riviera on your trip, or something of the Italian Riviera, which has quite a different feel to it although it is close by.
Posted by
Washington DC
30416 posts
Menton has a couple of nice gardens, neither of them in the center of town--though one is walkable from the town's second rail station. Menton's old town would be picturesque if you could see it when it wasn't swamped with visitors. I'm doubtful that will happen in September; I was there in May. Menton seems very popular with the UK folks.
I haven't been to San Remo.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11691 posts
Menton has plenty up on the hillside, too, and a lot of the waterfront has been redeveloped. There are three museums, the casino, the gardens acraven mentioned. But, Italy is less expensive and San Remo has things to see, too.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
825 posts
Nannybag has three listings in Menton (they are partners with SCNF). There are other listing sites like Bounce as well.
Menton does tend to be quieter as you get off the beachfront, and has the gardens as mentioned. San Remo is larger but also grittier, but will give the full Italian flavor. I prefer the much smaller Bordighera (even smaller than Menton).
Posted by
905 posts
OP SV,
Menton has a superb foto op in the form of its pier. Walking out there say during morn, provides shutterbugs with a fantastic, colourful spread of that Italianate town right in front. As seen on many guidebook covers, posters, postcards et al.
I am done. The border town