please help me ensure I leave no stone unturned. My husband just told me are vacationing in March and we%26#39;re going to the French Riviera! You can%26#39;t imagine how exciting this is for me...I have been pretty much house-bound since my pregnancy (now have a 16 month old at home).
Anyway, the reason for my note...well if I%26#39;m travelling to a %26quot;once in a lifetime%26quot; place like the French Riviera... I WANT to enjoy the best, the finest, the %26quot;can%26#39;t miss%26quot; of Cote d%26#39;Azur.
Your stories of absolute delight are encouraged %26amp; welcomed!!!! please tell me... where to stay, where to eat, what to see, where to go, where to party, where to shop, what to wear, the best walking trails, the best hotel, the best beach, the most outrageous and anything else we must know.
Thank a bunch in advance !!!
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I%26#39;ll take the walking question.
Suprise, the best walking trails depends how adventurous you are! Many travellers are not - I know because you can walk all day and not pass a single other soul.
If you are serious there are brilliant hiking trails along the rooftops of the Riviera. The best walking trails are not the easiest but those that reward you with the best views. The French term is %26quot;grande randonees%26quot;and the best radiate out of La Turbie (access by bus from Nice or Monaco) - the Grande Corniche from La Turbie to Eze via the Fort du Reve - Fort of Dreams - and the walk high above Monaco from La Turbie to Roquebrune Cap Martin.
cg06.fr/environnement/parcs-grandecorniche.h…
Less demanding, the circuit around St Jean Cap Ferrat, From Eze Village down to the sea at Eze bord de Mer, or the sentier litoral from Cap d%26#39;Antibes Domain de la Croe to Plage Garoupe and Antibes.
A personal favourite is the Canal de Gairault to the down to the town of Nice
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I haven%26#39;t stayed there but the Hotel Le Grimaldi in NIce is said to be stupendous. Make sure you go inland a bit . . . Digne-les-Bains, 3 hours each way by train is worth a visit, and the train journey is through stupendous scenery so it%26#39;s an object in itself. I actually prefer the western side of Provence, but there%26#39;s loads to see on the cote d%26#39;azure too. You are also close to the Italian border - you might want to go to San Remo for example, so you can say you%26#39;ve been to Italy.
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First off, get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to the Côte d%26#39;Azur and start figuring out what you want to see. Do the 7 days include travel time, or will they be a full 7 days and nights?
From Nice, which is where I%26#39;d suggest you stay for several nights at least, you can venture east to Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (a stunningly beautiful peninsula with bays on either side), the very perched village of Eze, and the corniche drives to Monaco.
Another day you can head over to Antibes and have a look at that pretty town, and perhaps finish up with a visit to Cannes.
Inland lie the perched villages of Mougins ,St-Paul-de-Vence, and Biot (don%26#39;t miss visiting the glass-blowing studio), the old town of Vence, the lovely small town of Valbonne, and the mountain village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Farther north is the village of Gourdon, reached by a drive of about 45 mintues from Tourrettes and visible across the valley as you aproach. There%26#39;s a château to be toured there, and in Tourrettes you can visit a candy factory.
As for where to stay, what is your budget?
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I love the French Riviera, especially the area between Nice and Monaco.
My most favorite places are...
...Cap Ferrat, Eze, Monaco, Villefranche, St. Paul de Vence, Biot, Antibes....and the Gorges du Verdon!
..I also like the countryside north of Monaco with its littel villages like Sospel, Saorge, .....
The Provence is beautiful too....Aix en Provence, Avignon....
Would you like to stay in a hotel close to the seaside?
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Oh my! Thanks to all of you who took the time to write. It sounds as though your memories are remembered fondly and vividly. I can hardly wait to begin creating my own memories. As for hotels... I%26#39;m a little unsure as to whether we should remain flxexible and find a place to stay when we find /arrive at our destination or should we pre-book to ensure a stay at a nice place. I%26#39;m a little spoiled in that I like a hot shower, nice bed linens and clean clean clean rooms. I%26#39;d say our budget is $100 to $150 euros per night ($150-300 CDN) depending on what the accomodations are. We expect to stay at least 1 night at somewhere very lux which means we spend a little more.
Please keep the tips and experiences coming. You%26#39;ve totally given me a ton to think about.
Cheers!
Kelley
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Is your holiday going to fall either side of Easter? If so, I would advise you to book hotels in advance. You might want to have a look at www.nicetourism.com There%26#39;s an English version.
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Hi Kelley, we spent 3 weeks in Mississauga 2 years ago and loved it.
You ask for the best beach, but I am afraid March is not the best season to enjoy beachtime. The average temperature in March is 15°C in the day and 8°C at night in Nice.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice#Climat
It will be nice to walk along the seaside, but not warm enough for sunbathing or swim.
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