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Guide To French Riviera

Though best known for its film festivals and grandiose setting, the French Riviera is also a haven for art and culture lovers in its quieter months. Cannes and Monaco may take all the plaudits, but Nice is probably the most typically French area here. Second only to Paris in terms of its infrastructure, cultural identity and vibrancy, the city is stuffed full of great museums and landmarks.

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When To Go

Cannes Film Festival is in May, so if you want to see Hollywood’s greatest at their glitziest, book (well in advance) for then. The Monaco Grand Prix also takes place at this time, so you could do both with a little planning. Otherwise, the summer sun brings out the best in the coastline, and is particularly dazzling along the A8 autoroute from June to September. Spring is manageable, green and pretty.

Top 5 Places To Stay

  • Novotel Monte Carlo

    The Novotel Monte Carlo is located in the heart of Monte Carlo, close to the train station, the Place du Casino and the Forum Grimaldi. The hotel offers 218 modern, airy rooms and a bar and restaurant opening out onto a vast terrace area with a pool and gardens.

  • Hotel Beau Rivage

    Renovated and redesigned in 2004 by renowned French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, this contemporary hotel with a 19th-century façade lies in the heart of Old Town Nice. Guests have exclusive access to the hotel’s private and pebbled beach area, which has umbrellas, towels, and lounge chairs. All 118 guestrooms provide modern decor with dark-wood furnishings and beds with thick duvets.

  • 3.14 Hotel

    A new age hotel located in Cannes' famous Golden Triangle, the 3.14 has 94 guestrooms that feature American, African, Oceanian, European or Asian-themed décor (all with plasma televisions and wireless internet).

  • Fairmont Monte Carlo

    Perfectly located, the Fairmont Echoes the sleek lines of an ocean liner. This 619-room hotel hugs the water’s edge just below the famed Monte Carlo Casino, and guests can enjoy spectacular panoramic views and a new fitness centre with massage services.

  • Best Western Hotel Roosevelt

    This modern town-house hotel is spread over four floors and situated in the centre of Nice. Guests can wake up in their bright, modern guestrooms (coloured with bold patterned fabrics) to a buffet breakfast and consult the concierge service for sightseeing tips.

Top 5 Things To Do On Your Visit

  • Le Suquet, Cannes

    Away from the razzmatazz of the town centre is the oldest town in Cannes. Le Suquet has winding streets, the smell of fresh fish, people chilling out playing boules and some great local markets.

  • The Matisse Museum, Nice

    The French Riviera has inspired many artists and writers (Picasso, Hemingway, Chagall), and this museum has a large collection of some of Matisse’s best work.

  • Monaco

    From the super yachts of Monte-Carlo to the array of historic relics, Monaco is the very definition of luxury. Its extravagance is totally over the top, but that’s what makes it so special. The celebrated F1 ‘roadtrack’ is also all yours…

  • Eze, Village Perché, near Nice

    To say Eze is picturesque would be something of an understatement. Resting perilously in the hilltops above the Mediterranean (some 1500ft up), the village is utterly exhilarating.

  • Driving the coast

    The A8 autoroute is the most rewarding way to travel around the region. With sprawling mountains on one side, and majestic clifftops and coastal scenery on the other, it offers the kind of views that make the Riviera so synonymous with class and style.

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