The French Riviera is gorgeous, with amazing architecture, rich culture and beautiful coastal views. Many towns around the French Riviera are very laid back and have delicious food, great shopping and lovely beaches. I recommend a trip to Nice, France as it has the most beautiful views and is unlike any place I have visited.
During my visit, I stayed at Hotel Albert 1'er in Nice, France. The hotel is very central and is walking distance from the promenade, the stores and restaurants. We liked that the hotel was clean and the staff was extremely friendly! Always willing to offer advice on locations to visit around the city.
Day One:
Get settled into the hotel and explore Old Town Nice. We checked out some of the cute restaurants for dinner and enjoyed the nightlife and bars (18+).
Traveller Tip: The airport offers an inexpensive tram ride to and from the city center for less than 2 euros.
Day Two:
Enjoyed the flea market in Old Town Nice called Cours Saleya, that appears every morning (except Mondays)! This market is filled with local produce, flowers and boutiques!
In the afternoon, we rented a bike and rode on the Promenade des Anglais all the way to Castle Hill. Once we arrived at Castle Hill, which was of course on top of a hill, we left the bikes to explore the beautiful view above the hill.
In the evening, we enjoyed happy hour with a gorgeous view of the ocean and later went to dinner!
Traveller Tip: Make sure you eat dinner early because restaurant lines can get quite long at certain restaurants!
Day Three:
Head to the train station to make a day trip into Monte Carlo! The tickets are very inexpensive (we paid 2 euros each!!) and the city is a beauty! Monte-Carlo is fairly small and easy to explore by foot. We walked through the city with ease!
Once in the city, make sure to check out the famous Monte- Carlo Casino and marvel at the expensive cars driving in.
I recommend having a cappuccino at the Café de Paris to people watch!
Traveller Tip: if you are going to Monaco for shopping, make sure you do not go on Sundays as all the stores are closed on this day.
Day Four:
We took a day trip out to the City of Eze. In my opinion, this is the most worthy day trip while visiting the French Riviera. This medieval city is located on a mountain which means there is steep climb to the top, however, the quaint boutique stores and amazing views of the Cote de Azure coast makes it all worth it!
If you have enough time, I recommend also checking out the St. Paul de Vence. This is a small town very similar to the medieval city of Eze, however it is located in the opposite direction. The town is also a quick bus ride away from Old Town Nice.
Traveller Tip: The best and cheapest way to get to the City of Eze and St. Paul de Vence is by bus. Be sure to know when the last bus runs, as they don't run very late.
