London_traveller

I'm planning a long weekend with a friend on the Cote D'Azur, in the latter part of June.

We'll likely only have 4 days / 3 nights for the trip, but are keen to see more than just Nice (where we're flying into/out of).

Some googling shows me options including Cannes, Villefranche, Monaco and St Tropez as options. Some of those look more interesting than others (e.g. I can't initially see the appeal of Monaco, compared to St Tropez for instance). However, I'm looking for some advice - for this length of trip.

Also, we were thinking of hiring a car for part of the trip (outside Nice), but this might not be necessary with train services. That said, I'd imagine driving in that part of the world is a nice part of the experience. Is it worth it?

A mix of culture, cafes, restaurants, scenery and soaking in the atmosphere is what we're after. And I guess a bit of admiring the fancy yachts, just because.

Any hints or tips would be much appreciated. Thanks!

kirikara

Hi,
i would definitely rent a car but I am bias as I find that some of the best appeal of cote d'azure is driving around and enjoying both the coast and the back country.
Here are a couple places to check as well:
Mougins, bormes Les mimosas, gassin, cassis (much further) .
Definitely second villefranche. You may have good gut feeling on Monaco. It is not great for everyone.
We like driving to tourtour and stopping by other villages too.
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stimpy

I too agree that driving is a pleasure along the coast and even up in the hills. Best to hire a cabriolet.

But beware that the end of June is when the hordes of tourists are just beginning to descend on the south. It's not as bad as July or August, but it will be getting busy.

The appeal of Monaco is history, the palace, aquarium, etc. The appeal of St. Tropez is beaches and expensive nightclubs. I like to be right in between them in Juan les Pins and Antibes myself.

Goldorak

Me too. Juan les Pins is my place ^

kirikara

one more thing .. What you will see and how much you should plan really depends on the type of vibe you want. If you are looking to relax, walk around town , have a coffee at the terrasse and local food, enjoy the beach then you would pick one place.
Any of the ones mentioned would work really.

If you are more the explorer type that wants to leisurely drive around and stop by different villages and see lots of things, then having a home base and planning different day trips would work well. In this case, Nice may be further than you want to be from everything. Depending what you want to see. .. it is all about what vibe you want for your weekend..

I will add to my list of nice places Ramatuelle, (which you can stop by on the way to st tropez). It all depends as well if you need the city/larger town of are just fine in a smaller village/town. (villefrance vs nice). Personally I wouldnt stay in Nice for a vacation but I know lots of people do and it is great place.

tartetatin2

I like to be right in between them in Juan les Pins and Antibes myself.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, Stimpy! I loved Antibes - the harbor, the Picasso museum, the ravioli with c�pes (sigh)

London_traveller, I spent a wonderful two weeks in Nice this past January, all on public transportation. Some of my favorites:

*Seaside walk along the St.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula with its villas
*Train ride up to Tende through the Valley of the Marvels (petroglyphs in the museum)
*Pinecone Train (Chemin de Fer de Provence) up to medieval village of Entrevaux for lunch
*Monday brocante market at the Nice Cours Saleya - fabulous Christofle silverplate flatware that I will need to go back for
*Perched medieval village of �ze, interesting tour at the satellite Fragonard perfume factory, hike down to �ze-sur-Mer

I got much of my inspiration and practical info from this blog:

http://www.bestofniceblog.com/what-to-see-in-nice/