Côte-d'Azur, France

April 2025

I fell in love with the Côte d'Azur, most particularly with Villefranche-sur-mer, over 20 years ago when I worked on cruise ships. We would anchor in Villefranche every week and I would take every oportunity to take the train to different places, or simply browse the narrow streets of Villefranche.

Although I prefer to travel to new places, this one was the one that I always knew I would come back one day. And it just happened, Easter 2025. We made it into a small family trip, which just happened to be around my birthday. 

We stayed in Nice, which is very close to the airport (only 30 minutes by tram).
The only option offered at the airport to buy a ticket is from the machine, and it's a €10 return card (tourist price). If you have an android phone, do as the locals: download the Lignes d'Azur tickets app and Carte Lignes d'Azur mobile app and buy whatever ticket you need, even before you arrive in Nice. It costs €1.70 per single trip from the airport to Nice. Just make sure you activate the ticket as you get in the tram, apparently they make regular checks and penalties are quite high.

We mostly used public transport to visit other towns. Public transportation is very easy to use and affordable, but it's best to do your research to prevent falling into traps and pay unnecessary prices.

With a few exceptions, traveling along the coast is very easy by train. Buying a day ticket (or family ticket) at the train station (not the self-service machines) saves you money, and you can use it as "hop on hop off", all day anywhere from Cannes to Ventimiglia in Italy, including Monaco.

NICE

The cultural capital of the French Riviera, set on the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), borders the Mediterranean sea with the famous Promenade des Anglais, a palm-tree-lined, four-mile stretch.
A beautiful seaside promenade, 7 km long, where palms grow along the walkway, and the city's pebble beach is right beside it.

Promedade des Anglais

In the very heart of Nice, in Place Massena, is the Fountain of the Sun, an art piece of the sculptor Alfred Janniot. In the middle, a huge statue of Apollo, surrounded by sculptures symbolizing the planets Earth, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn.

Fontaine du Soleil

Place Massena

Marché aux Fleurs, or Flower Market, is a combination of the flower market and the fruit and vegetable market, local handicrafts, as well as many gourmet specialities. Thanks to its colours, flavours, and scents, it is ranked among France's 100 most picturesque markets.

Marché aux Fleurs

A hike up to La Colline du Château, or Castle Hill, it offers incredible panoramic views of the entire city. Formerly, there used to be a castle here, but now there is a city park with a waterfall and a lookout.

View from Castle Hill

  VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER

The village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, perched on the bay, is just over the hill from Nice. A beautiful scenic walk from Nice (just over an hour) or a short way by train (just under 10 minutes).

 

Villefranche-sur-Mer is one of the most charming — if not the most charming — authentic French and Niçoise fishing village on the French Riviera, in the heart of the Côte d’Azur. It's actually reputed as one of the five most beautiful bays in the world.

 

Villefranche has an ancient tale, with the Rue Obscure (the 'hidden street') built along the first ramparts of the harbour and dating back to 1260. It was designed to protect the villagers from bombardment, but it also became very useful for storing wine. It's an interesting walk underneath and behind some of the village buildings and restaurants, quite unique, mysterious and rich in atmosphere.

Just relax, enjoy the beaches, sit in a café or one of the many wonderful restaurants, and take in the beautiful scenery.

  Citadelle de Villefranche, Town Hall

EZE

Traveling to Eze from Nice can be rather challenging. With only one bus every couple of hours and a lot of people trying to get in it, it's almost "mission impossible". We opted to take Bolt (a version of Uber) and ended up with a very friendly driver who told us very interesting facts about the history of Nice, and very reasonably priced.

Important to know, if you opt to take the train, it will stop by Eze-sur-mer, at the bottom of the hill. Then you can either take the bus or hike over 2km up the hill  An option, but probably not the best one.

The village of Èze rises 430 m above sea level and resembles a stone castle built on the top of a hill. Èze is one of the most popular medieval villages on the French Riviera and it is exactly how I remember it from 20 years ago.

Narrow cobbled streets, stone stairs, and creepers with colorful flowers will make you feel like you are in a fairy tale.

When visiting Èze, the Exotic Garden is a must! Nestled on the side of the hill, the gardens offer breathtaking views of the Côte d’Azur.

Fragonard Factory Laboratory

To finish the day, we had a very informative guided tour to Fragonard Parfumeur and I was able to choose my favourite perfume as an early birthday gift.

CANNES &  ANTIBES

We had a rainy day when visiting this side of the French Riviera. I'm not sure if because of the weather, but just as before, Cannes wasn't my favourite place. 

In the heart of Cannes, on the Croisette Promenadade, is the contemporary mirror effect building that hosts the famous Cannes Film Festival year after year.

The famous red carpet

 

There is the real red carpet and the one destined for the tourists, where they can pretend they are superstars and take pictures. I chose to ignore the queues and opt for the real one, just to be stopped by security halfway through. I only managed one not very glamorous picture!

Like the “Walk of Fame” in Los Angeles, Cannes has its own “Chemin des Étoiles” in front of the Palais des Festivals.
It was very interesting finding the dozens of handprints that decorate the pavement around the Palais and its gardens. Great film stars are moulded in the ground: Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Quentin Tarantino, Sylvester Stallone, and many others.

Antibes is one of the oldest towns on the French Riviera. Located between Nice and Cannes, this ancient walled town has a huge yacht harbour, including a marina for billionaires’ yachts, close by.

For six months after the Second World War, Picasso lived in the town and had his studio in Chateau Grimaldi. Today, it houses the Picasso Museum together with some of the artist’s works.

 

Just another pretty street

The train from Nice to Antibes takes approximately 20 minutes and 35 minutes from Nice to Cannes.

SAINT-PAUL DE VENCE

Saint-Paul de Vence is a unique medieval village on top of a hill and surrounded by a stone wall built in the 1500s.
A real mecca for artists, who have been coming here since 1920. Picasso, Dufy, Matisse, Chagall, among others, have stayed here and created their works.
Marc Chagall lived here for 19 years, and he's buried in the local cemetery.

Film stars, including Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, and Catherine Deneuve, have also stayed here.

 

 The small town is home to many charming little galleries, shops, restaurants, and art studios.

We took the train from Nice to Cagnes-sur-mer (about 20 minutes), and right outside the train station, we took the bus to Saint-Paul de Vence. It's a nice bus ride up the mountain, and it only costs a couple of euros (pay at the bus).

MENTON

Located on the stunning Côte d'Azur coastline, between Monaco and Italy, Menton is known as the "Pearl of France".

With its yellow and pastel hues, Menton bridges much of Italian and French history.

 

 

Saint-Michelle Basilica

Climbing the majestic steps leading up to Saint-Michelle Basilica, it's worth to take a moment in the square to admire the dramatic Baroque setting, as well as the view overlooking the beach and port.

Wandering through the narrow streets of the old town is like stepping back in time.

MONACO

 

Although quite small, with an area of 2.08 km²  and the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, Monaco offers a lot to see. It is very hilly, which makes it slow to explore, but possible to visit for the day and see the most important highlights.

 

 

 

The history of the principality begins with the construction of a fortress on the Rock of Monaco in 1215. Nowadays, Monaco is a popular destination for its glamour, luxury, and rich history. 

 

The Royal Casino

It's like watching a luxurious car "passerelle" everywhere you look.

 

Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo

Port Hercule

 

Monaco is synonym with extravagance, wealth and opulence.

 

Just a few weeks until the Monaco Grand Prix, the streets of Monte Carlo and the La Condamine neighbourhood around the port, are getting ready. Meantime, fans of the Formula 1 can go around the race circuit.

 

Carré d'Or

Not surprisingly many of the luxury brands have set up shop in Monaco. Fashion enthusiasts will want to head for the Carré d'Or, the area around the casino, to see the boutiques by famous names such as Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior and many others... worth walking around even if are not buying anything.

Monaco-Ville and Cathedral of Monaco

The south-western side of the harbour is a peninsula that includes the cathedral, built in the 19th century in Byzantine style to replace a 12th-century church, the burial place of Princess Grace of Monaco, and many other princes and princesses.

Also on top of the hill is the Prince's Palace of Monaco, one of the highlights of a visit to Monaco. You can watch the changing of the guard in the square in front of the Palace at 11:55 every day.

Prince's Palace of Monaco

View from the Exotic Gardens

On the hill of the south-west, Moneghetti, the Exotic Gardens are exceptional, both for the cacti and plants and for the very impressive views out across the rooftops, and the sea.  

VENTIMIGLIA (Italy)

With some time to spare, we decided to take the train to Ventimiglia (Italy), on the Italian Riviera at the border with France. It's only about an hour from Nice.
It's worth mentioning to try to sit on the right-hand side of the train (on the way to Italy) to enjoy the dramatic coastal scenery along the way. 

The minute we stepped out of the train station it was clear we had left France behind. Authentic, but run down, and unloved.
From the station, it is only a short walk into the newer part of town.

River Roya

 
Ventimiglia comprises two distinct parts only separated by the Roya river: the historic old town perched high on a cliff top and its more recent town below. 

A maze of narrow alleys surrounded by high stone walls, and fresh laundry hanging outside the windows. 

 

Upon the hill, this medieval town overlooks the newer town on one side and the sea on the other, with amazing views.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a Romanesque church from the 11th century, is a historic highlight in the heart of the old town, worth visiting.

Arrivederci Italy!

À bientôt France!