Italian or French Riviera

I've been to both multiple times, especially when I lived in Italy.
On the French side I always stayed in Menton, which was my base for my car trips. Menton is also my favorite town across the border. Monaco my least favorite. Too many high rise apartment buildings. It's like visiting Manhattan Sur Mer.
Both rivieras in my opinion are worth visiting, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the Italian side. The main reason is that the French side is very built up and busy. It's like visiting a city (especially Monaco) rather than bucolic villages like in many parts of the Italian Riviera, especially the Riviera di Levante (east of Genoa).
Another reason would be price. France will be nearly double the cost.

Have you studied either language? If so, then that's your answer.
If not, choose Italy. I love France, but the Italians really go out of their way to help you enjoy their country.

Another thing to consider? Time of year. I see that you have a question about Rome during the Christmas season, which leads me to think you'd be doing one or the other of these in December or January? If so, not a great time for the Cinque Terre/Portofino as much will be shut for the winter. (and I'd otherwise choose the CT over Portofino because it's less expensive and offers five versus just one village).

We've not yet done the French Riviera and would probably skip Monaco in any case but hopefully someone else can fill you in on winter weather there.

Jen,

I've been to both places so have a few thoughts to offer and a few questions.....

• When will your trip be taking place?
• How long will you be staying in that area?
• Could you elaborate a bit on what type of "experience" you're looking for in either place?
• What type of a budget are you working with for that part of the trip?
• Portofino is not exactly a "quaint fishing village". Aside from admiring the yachts docked in the harbour or the pricey jewellery shops, there's not a lot to do there and it tends to be pricey. At best it's worth a day trip (IMO). If you have limited time, I'd skip it.
• Another place you could consider for a visit is Porto Venere, which can be reached by boat or train & bus from the Cinque Terre towns. There will also likely be a few yachts parked there, but there are some sights you can tour (including a castle and some nearby islands), and lots of quaint little shops in the various streets leading up from the harbour.

A brief description of the two areas....

• French Riviera - is considerably more posh, with lots of large hotels, restaurants, shops and museums (including the Chagall & Matisse Museums in Nice), and grand Villas once inhabited by the rich and famous including the Villa Ephrussi di Rothschild. There's also an Oceanographic Museum in Monaco that's quite impressive. If you're interested in that type of atmosphere, then the French Riviera is a good choice, and Nice makes a good "home base" for touring that area. However, keep in mind that it will likely be a more expensive place to visit, depending on your hotel, dining and shopping choices. There's also Monte Carlo, which is just across the bay from Monaco, and there are some very posh hotels there. The famous Casino has a dress code, so you won't get in there unless you have the proper attire. IMO, the equivalent of the French Riviera in Italy would be the Amalfi Coast and places like Positano, Capri, Sorrento or Ravello (to provide an example, Capri has many shops from Gucci, Prada, Armani, etc. and the merchandise they sell is not usually "inexpensive").
• Italian Riviera - is considerably more "informal", with small towns hugging the sea and accommodations tend to be either small family-operated hotels or small B&B's or private rooms (no breakfast). There are lots of shops and good restaurants in the various towns, but fewer museums and similar attractions (the towns themselves are the attraction). The activities range from hiking the trails (especially between the Cinque Terre towns), touring around by boat (weather permitting), laying on the beach (Monterosso has the best beaches of the 5 towns) and of course enjoying some great Pesto dishes in the area where it was invented. Many people prefer to stay in one of the five C.T. towns, and everyone here has a "favourite". Again depending on your accommodation and dining choices, this will most likely be a less expensive place to visit. The Cinque Terre is often billed as "a place to enjoy a vacation from your vacation". Although not "officially" part of the C.T., Levanto is also a beautiful town with a great beach and only about four minutes by train to Monterosso, the most northerly C.T. town (although it will take about 10-15 minutes to walk to the Levanto station from the main part of town).

Good luck with your decision!

I would think France as a contrast to the other portion of your trip which is Italy. The time of year is definitely another consideration. The train line along the French coast (with twice hourly service) takes about 70mins from Cannes to Monaco (Monte Carlo). Stay somewhere in the middle.
Cannes >> Antibes >> Nice >> Villefranche sur Mer >> Eze >> Monaco (Monte Carlo)
Antibes has the best (sandy) beach. St Tropez is best avoided because it's off the train line.

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses. sorry for my late response

based on all inputs here i agree that Italian Riviera offers more colours and that quaint villages like Cinque Terre. but i'd go there during Christmas time and if i choose to stop by Cinque Terre that'd be the 26th of December. as Kathy suggests, mostly shops are closed during winter so it wouldn't be a good destination. I haven't been to both places as well so either one is OK though i personally like a more quaint secluded villages like Cinque Terre but wouldn't mind to try the glitz of French Riviera (and try not to get overshadowed by it and get out there with clouds in mind lolz).. hmm still deciding..

djp_syd
thanks for the train line info. it really helps!

For a December visit, I would choose Menton for its microclimate. Having said that, Nice would actually be your very best choice. Lots to do and a good transpo hub. Apart from the train, there is also a bus service that connects to all of these points: 1 euro per ride.

Personally, I would not hit either Rivieras over Christmas. I saw another question where your time in Rome will be very short and seriously hampered by closures Dec. 24 & 25th.

What exactly is your overall itinerary? Where are your flights to/from on this trip?

Jen,

If you're going to be there at Christmas, the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre) will not be a good choice as most of the hotels, restaurants and other tourist-related businesses will be closed. The local residents will be celebrating the occasion and I doubt you'll be able to find accommodations in any of the five towns. In addition, the weather will likely be cold, wet and gray and it won't be the most pleasant holiday experience.