Where to stay on the French Riviera between Nice and Menton?

everything along that stretch is very close and very easy to reach by train and bus. Less easy by car, because of parking (all the time) and at various times of the year.

When will you travel?

I like staying in Monaco, next choice Beaulieu sur Mer, then closely followed by Villefranche sur Mer.

Nice is also a good base, but murder with a car.

Do you intend train and bus or car?

Assuming you will primarily use the train for day trips, check locations of potential lodgings vs. the nearest train station if you want to minimize time spent going back and forth.

Agree that both Beaulieu sur Mer and Villefranche sur Mer are great. One that I would personally NOT recommend is Èze. Classic over-touristed in my opinion --buses discharging groups at the perfume warehouses and then everyone packing into the narrow, winding streets. Maybe off season(??) ... but we were not fans.

Hi Julia, I stayed in Nice when I was there for 5 nights. My hotel was close to the Place Massena tram stop, so it was both easy to get up to the train station, and there were lots of restaurant choices in the old section.

I took the train over to Menton, and the bus back to Monaco and then the rest of the way to Nice. I took the bus over to Villa Rothschild. All of the transportation was easy to do and inexpensive.

If you’re interested in food tours, I highly recommend Nadia from “Nice Food & Wine Tours” !

Do you mean physically between Nice and Menton, or between the two choices. If between the two, I'd choose Villefranche-sur-Mer, then Beaulieu-sur-Mer then Monaco. If between Nice and Menton, it would be Nice because you would not want to stay at one end. Although it depends on what you are going to do, you'll find much of the transit originates from Nice.

Do you mean physically between Nice and Menton, or between the two choices.

Hahaha...the latter never even occurred to me, but is likely the OP's actual question! @Julia was probably wondering why I was going on about Beaulieu sur Mer, Villefranche sur Mer, and Èze.

To answer the question the other way -- they'd be very different experiences. Nice is a decent-sized city and would have tons more restaurants, bars, and rail/bus options. Menton would be more akin to a quiet seaside village. Slower groove and a handful of restaurants. The trains pass through, but it isn't a hub. It really depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.

Thank you for the replies! I actually meant which village would be more fun to stay in That is physically between Nice and Mention. Does anyone know if Ubers exist in Villefranche or any of the smaller towns?

I agree that Nice is a better choice over Menton for someone who wants to travel around by train or bus. And I realize that History Traveler was creating an image with "Menton would be more akin to a quiet seaside village. Slower groove and a handful of restaurants. "

But since these threads live on, this is to be sure people do get the correct image that Menton isn't a village with a sprinkling of facilities: Menton is a city of 28,000 permanent residents, thousands more seasonal residents, tourists, and visitors. There are a couple hundred restaurants to choose from. I was there as recently as two days ago for lunch and a stroll. It was a very busy with the Lemon Festival at this time of year.

Huh....Menton definitely didn't seem that large or lively when we were there. But it was a few years ago and off-season. Thanks for the clarification.

@Bets

I was there as recently as two days ago for lunch and a stroll. It was a very busy with the Lemon Festival at this time of year.

Wife and I are in Menton now (since Feb 15 actually). Leaving in a few days. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and insight of your posts on this Forum and it would have been neat to meet up!

Thank you Peter. You would have met family, too. The lemon festival creations are spectacular, aren't they. It's too bad that one of the warmest, sunniest parts of France has been cloudy these past few days. Glad you are enjoying.

@History Traveler: interesting how impressions depend on the circumstances. acraven disliked Menton because she was there when it was overcrowded. In fact, it's a winter spot for the northerners from France, north of Europe and England, a weekend getaway for the Italians, especially from Milan.There may be a down day but not much of a off season. The rock wall next to the Italian border, called Le Garavan, absorbs the heat, creating the best little micro-climate on the Riviera--except these past few days LOL.

I didn't dislike Menton overall. I daytripped there twice from Nice in May 2017 in order to see two sizable gardens, an art exhibition and the medieval center. The problem was the latter, which was heaving with folks who seemed mostly foreign, especially British. In any case, that particular area--though picturesque--gave me the same inauthentic, overrun vibe I've encountered in St-Malo, St. Paul-de-Vence, Annecy, Taormina and the stretch of Venice from Santa Lucia Station to the Rialto Bridge and San Marco. I want all those other people off of my lawn.

St-Jean Cap Ferat is beautiful. Villa Ephrussi is there too.
Or, Villefranche sur Mer.

We don’t recommend Monaco/ Monte Carlo but if you go see them, just go to the area with the Cathedral where Princess Grace and Rainier tomb’s are located and then tour the Royal Palace. Then leave this area.

Hi Julia, I vote for Villefranche Sur Mer. It’s very easy to jump on the train and explore the area from there. BSM is too sleepy, Eze too touristy, Monaco too ritzy, CF too expensive. Haven’t been to Menton.

Thank you sir the great advice!

Interesting to hear others’ experiences in Menton! I was there in September 2019, and I roamed through a nearly empty medieval section with the gorgeous terracotta colors. I love to take photos, and I have so many gorgeous ones without anyone in them. (One favorite is an enlarged canvas photo in my home office.). Usually I need to pause and wait if I’m some place late morning because of people in sight.

I went down to the waterfront that looks towards Italy for a break, and the benches with the welcome misters to keep cool on a hot day were plentiful to pick where I wanted to relax.