Nicest beaches on Riviera?

Posted by d.balinski on 01/04/20 02:45 AM

We are going to spend a few days on the French Riviera and are not sure where to stay. We spent 3 nights in Villefranche sur mer several years ago and though I loved it, my husband was hoping to find a different type of beach. He wants one that is sandy and you can walk quite a distance on. We were looking at Antibes but the hotels Rick recommends are not on the beach. Can anyone recommend a beachfront hotel with charm? For those who have seen more of the Riviera than we have where would you recommend basing? Our price point is under $200 a night, including breakfast.

Thanks for your help.

Posted by CJean

Ontario, Canada

01/04/20 03:15 AM

5571 posts

Have you checked booking.com? You can filter for your budget, type of accommodation, and if you scroll waaaaaay down, there is a filter for beachfront

Posted by Gooster

Nice, France & San Francisco

01/04/20 07:22 PM

718 posts

What month are you going? Getting beachfront with charm can be difficult, with sandy beaches, at under 200. I think the Antibes hotels recommended are not along the side with the better, sandy beaches (my RS book is back at the apartment). The Royal Antibes might suit you, but the building is modern, and it is on one of the beach that is closest by foot to the Old Town. You can look in Juan Les Pins -- the beach is long and sandy but both the facades are more charmless (concrete block) and the town less charming. Its a typical French beach resort. Cannes is another option, as there are the imported beach sand but La Croisette isn't a place to go for a walk along the beach. And, the hotels can get quite pricey. The side west of central Cannes, past Le Suquet (old town) does have a more walkable stretch (le Midi) but the hotel options are more limited. I think there is a modern Radisson Blu very close to one end but I know nothing of it. My favorite beach for sand at the moment is Pampelonne, but there is no development there (you need a car).

Posted by d.balinski OP

01/05/20 01:57 AM

55 posts

Thanks C Jean - I haven't used booking.com before but will check it out.

Gooster - thank you for all the info. La Croisette beach looks lovely but the prices for hotels are a bit steep. We are going to be there in May-June timeframe and the prices go up substantially from what they are now. We are looking at AirBnB now and see if there is anything affordable.

Thanks for the quick replies.

Diane

Posted by Klattsy

Australia

01/06/20 06:04 AM

11 posts

We where in the same boat d.balinski as we have toddlers who enjoy our Queensland sandy beaches. We ended up staying in a vrbo appartment on La Croisette at around US$277 per night. We tossed up Juan-Les-Pins as it was cheaper and beaches looked better but we wanted to visit Cannes anyway.

Posted by Gooster

Nice, France & San Francisco

01/07/20 05:34 AM

718 posts

@Diane -- May starts the high season in Cannes, due to the Film Festival. Plan around those dates in both locations. The crowds would not be pleasant. Just a warning, the beach clubs are fairly packed together on the central beach, unlike Villefranche-sur-mer.