Nice & surrounding area

I can't believe I forgot Cagnes, and particularly Haut-de-Cagnes (where Renoir's house is), which was a lovely town. To get there, you take a bus or train to Cagnes, then a shuttle bus (frequent) up a VERY steep roadway. Again, the views down from Haut-de-Cagnes are great, and would make great pictures. I also forgot to mention that Rick's Provence and the French Riviera book has much more information about this area than his general France book, so be sure to get the former. In particular, he has great logistical help about getting around without a car. And in addition to the places in Nice that Rick mentions, there is a modern art museum that was interesting.

If you are interested in 20th century art, I would highly recommend the Fondation Maeght art gallery in St-Paul-de-Vence and the Matisse convent chapel in Vence. The two villages are quite close to each other and linked by a bus route from Nice.

There is an incredible Russian cathedral walking distance from the train station. I enjoyed a bus trip to the Matisse museum which is in a Roman ruins. The old town is a good place to eat and wander. I took a commercial day-trip to visit 6 "villages" in the area. We got up into the mountains to visit a couple of charming towns, toured a perfume factory, stopped in Cannes and went to that fabulous yacht harbor in the town near there. The cost was reasonable; we were in a 12-person van; the guide was very good. I forget the name of the company, but you can Google daytrips from Nice or ask at your hotel. I stayed at Hotel Durante and liked it.

The Villa Kerylos is also very interesting; it's not far from the Villa Ephrussi, and quite different. I loved the views from the gardens at the "top" of Eze. Be aware that while you have to pay admission to the gardens, it's well worth it, as the free views in town are much less impressive. I also liked the Jardin Exotique in Monaco, as well as the Prince's car collection (they are adamant that it's not a "car museum"). The Princess Grace Rose Garden was quite lovely, and had great views looking up at the surrounding hills as well. I had a good time at the Aquarium, too. In general I liked Monaco more, and most of the rest of the Riviera less, than others seem to. Speaking of views, great pictures, and Monaco, when I went to La Turbie, it was raining; La Turbie looks down on Monaco, but it was shrouded in mist. Then, just as I had to leave for my bus, the mist cleared, and I had dramatic views of Monaco (its high rises make a great picture from that angle). For buses to La Turbie, check bus schedules carefully so you aren't stranded (there are something like 4 a day to Nice and 6 a day to Monaco, at irregular intervals). I liked the vibe in Juan-les-Pins; it's close to Antibes, so it's easy to visit the two on the same day. In Cannes, Rick focuses on the glamor zone between the Carlton and the Palais des Festivals. I was interested to discover that 1) even at the beach, there were plenty of non-glamorous people; it seemed quite workaday in parts, and 2) the rest of the town is "normal" and not like Beverly Hills; the fancy part really is just at the Croissette, and behind this there are plenty of non-boutique stores, normally priced restaurants, etc. For languages, be sure to look at the street signs in Old Nice; they have both standard French and Niçois.

The Renoir home in Cagnes sur Mer. Very worthwhile if you are a fan. Easy to get to by bus.

Thanks very much for all your feedback. I have a guide book, but it's always great to get personal views and ideas.

Lots of great suggestions - a lot of which I was going to make. The Russian Cathedral was neat, the Roman Ruins/Matisse Museum a nice out-of-the-city-center experience. Monaco is stunningly beautiful (and can be stunningly hot as well!). For something slightly different, you can tour the Florian candy store/production rooms. You might be able to get a tour to a nearby perfumery as well. Ask around if they are doing fireworks in Cannes while you are there. Beautiful setting. From Cannes, you can take a ferry out to one of the islands, which should give you some good opportunities for taking photographs.