Itinerary Summary:
Travel Time: March 2024 (not the best time – check avg. conditions by month here)
Day 0: Travel from Nuremberg to Nice and onwards to Cannes via Munich
Day 1: Drive east along the three corniches to Monte Carlo and back to Cannes
Day 2: Drive west to Saint Tropez from Cannes and back
Day 3: Cannes and Nice and fly out
Travel Tips: Select avoid motorways and toll roads on Google Maps for scenic routes, and the most scenice continuous stretch was along the coast between Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Antibes, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Promenade des Anglais in Nice
Distance Travelled: 407 kms by car and 17km of walking
Of all the coastlines that we wanted to visit in Europe, the French Riviera was one of the last ones on our list. Known as a playground of the ultra-rich, it never fascinated us the way the Greek Islands or even the Amalfi coast did. However, an evening of binge watching season 2 of Made in Heaven made us change our minds and explore the possibility of visiting this enchanting stretch of land that extends from the French-Italian border to the Massif de l’Esterel and onwards to Saint Tropez for our Easter break.
Day 0:
We left home on a sunny German spring afternoon and began our journey to the beautiful city of Nice by way of Munich. Our 90 minute flight was uneventful and took place under the cover of darkness and we arrived at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport at almost midnight.
Our stay during this three day trip was at Cannes, a short 30 min. drive away. Staying in Cannes helped us to explore both sides of the French riviera as its roughly in the middle of the 150km stretch from Saint Tropez to Menton.
Day 1:
We had planned to explore the best of the French Riviera on our first day in Cannes. Even though the morning started with overcast skies, we were excited to traverse the stunning sceneries and explore the glamorous enclaves along the way from Cannes to Monaco.
The French Riviera Corniches: The historic routes of the Grande, Moyenne, and Basse corniches were built at different stages of the Riviera’s development, from Roman to medieval to more recent (19th century) were our routes east and back. The winding roads offerred breathtaking views of the coastline. Each hairpin turn, led to panoramic vistas of sparkling waters, lush hillsides, and picturesque villages and towns. The only bump on the way was the attitude of some drivers in their super luxury cars.
Monte Carlo, Monaco: Our first proper stop of the day was the Riviera’s glamour hub of Monte Carlo in the principality of Monaco. We were captivated by the degree of opulence packed into such a small space. Exclusive properties (we saw one that was priced at €7 million for only 130 sq. m. of floor space!) lined the streets, and exquisite cars adorned every corner. We spent the afternoon wandering through the streets around James Bond’s favourite haunt, i.e., the Monte Carlo Casino and the ornate Salle Garnier, soaking in its luxurious atmosphere and admiring the views of the sea and the harbour. We would have had a better time had we planned better for the strong and cold winds and the terrible parking situation on the weekends!
Cap d’Ail and Èze: As afternoon turned to evening, the winds grew stronger, and we started our journey back to Cannes. Along the way, we made our first stops at the charming coastal towns of Cap d’Ail and Èze. Nestled between Monaco and Nice, Cap d’Ail is a hidden gem. Its rugged coastline is dotted with stunning natural coves and man-made regal mansions. Èze on the other hand was perched higher up, almost like an eagle’s nest on a rocky hilltop, overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s bougainvillea lined streets exuded an old-world charm, while also providing stunning views of the jagged coastline.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Villefranche-sur-Mer: Not far from Èze, our next stop on the drive back was the aptly named commune of Beaulieu-sur-Mer (translates to beautiful place by the sea). We stopped by the Plage Petite Afrique to capture the views of the azure Mediterranean waters, lush hillsides of the Cap-Roux mountain passage, and the town itself. Keeping in-line with a more relaxed vibe as compared to Monte Carlo, our next stop of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was tranquil and adorned by beautiful botanical gardens, such as the acclaimed Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (it was closed when we visited!). It’s idyllic setting and understated elegance (it’s the second most expensive place in the world after Monaco) makes it a true pearl of the French Riviera. With a chill setting in with the setting sun, we made our final stop shortly before the town and overlooking the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. From our vista point we were able to admire the pastel-hued buildings and colourful fishing boats that make it such a movie maker’s favourite, but unfortunately, a proper exploration had to be kept for a later time!
As our drive and the day ended with us being back in the comfort of our hotel in Cannes (the winds were quite chilly!), we both were filled with a sense of wonder for the beauty of the French Riviera as well as the sheer wealth of those residing in that region.
Food haunts of the day: Breakfast at Staybridge Suites Cannes, late lunch of square pizzas at Lo Sfizio Pizza Bar in Monaco, and home-made dinner of rice and aloo sheddho.
Day 2:
Our tryst with unpredictable weather and overcast skies continued on our second day as well. But once again, we were determined not to let the that dampen our spirits as we headed west along the coast.
Saint Tropez: We had charted our day in a way such that we would head to the western most point possible before retracing our steps back to Cannes. And so, our first stop was another pearl of the French Riviera, the small town of Saint-Tropez. Usually associated with lively (luxurious) summer parties, we got an off-season glimpse of the town. Meandering through the cobbled streets of the Old Town, we felt like as if time had stood still – quirky shops and cafés housed in 18th and 19th century buildings were reopening or setting up shop before the advent of the tourist season. Our favourite spot though was the promenade along the old port and harbour, from where we gazed out at the normally azure waters turned gray, crashing against the old watchtower and lighthouse. Saint-Tropez captivated us its picturesque beauty and relaxed ambience, and had it not been for the weather, we would have certainly spent more time there!
Sainte-Maxime and Fréjus: Driving back north-east along the gulf of Sain-Tropez, we passed by the beautiful town of Sainte-Maxime. Set against, the Massif des Maures mountain range, this small but elegant setting has amongst other attractions, a large botanical garden dominated by large Stone (Parasol) Pine trees that look like gigantic open umbrellas – apt we would say for the day when we visited! Continuing along the coast, we passed by the ancient fishpond of Vivier maritime de la Gaillarde (records date it back to Roman times) in the commune of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, the Plage de Saint-Aygulf, and the town of Fréjus. Unfortunately, the strong winds lashing the coast made it almost impossible for us to spend much time outdoors and enjoy the vistas.
Saint-Raphaël, Massif de l’Esterel and Théoule-sur-Mer: Saint-Raphaël, the next town on our journey was equally beautiful as the adjoining town of Fréjus. Driving along the Boulevard de la Libération, we were flanked by colourful houses and restaurants on one side, and by the Plage de Fréjus on the other. We soon passed by the stunning Basilique Notre Dame de la Victoire, before being greeted by sights of a different kind – striking red mountains rising steeply from the Mediterranean sea. We made a number of stops along the way, for example, one that gave us a glimpse of the town and harbour of Agay, and another which gave us a stunning view of the Massif de l’Esterel in all its beauty against the sea. Upon reaching the pretty town of Théoule-sur-Mer, we headed straight to Port de Théoule which offered us the best views of the town, even under gray skies. We took a few moments to walk along the Plage du Château and look out towards the coastline that we had just traversed. Continuing our journey towards Cannes and our hotel, we followed the scenic road along the Plage des Rochers de la Bocca.
Cannes Promenade and Croisette: Having braved strong winds all day, we were exhausted upon our return. But the desire to explore Cannes at night, especially the areas which play host to the most famous film festival in the world, made us overcome our tiredness, and instead head out on foot towards La Croisette or the Promenade. This place was a far cry from the city that lay on the other side of Avenue Bachaga Saïd Boualam. High-end shops and hotels, and casinos and restaurants lined the Boulevard de la Croisette and lanes like the Rue d’Antibes. We had a fabulous time strolling the streets, with recreational pauses of course, like the one we took to click a photo on the Cannes Red Carpet!
The day might have begun under cloudy conditions, but it ended with us being left starry-eyed with the beauty of Cannes. As they say, All’s well that ends well!
Food haunts of the day: Breakfast at Staybridge Suites Cannes, Snacks from MIMOSA Café and Boulangerie de l’Olivier, and home-made dinner of rice and aloo and dim sheddho, from groceries we bought at Carrefour Market Cannes.
Day 3:
Our time on the French Riviera had gone with the wind (to a certain extent, literally!), and before we knew it, our last day in Cannes was upon us. Weather watch had forecasted stormy conditions, with rare dust storms blowing in all the way across the Mediterranean from the Sahara. However, having made the most of the last two days, we wanted to make it a triple and enjoy ourselves despite the haze that had enveloped the city and the entire coast.
Cannes Promenade and Croisette: Enamoured by the sights of the night before, we wanted to see the Cannes promenade once again before leaving town. We parked near the Pointe Croisette and retraced our steps from the day before, along the beaches of the promenade upto the ornate Martinez and Carlton hotels. Even though the streets were busier compared to the previous evening, the unique vibe of Cannes – a mix of opulence and grace, was very much intact. Having soaked in the energy but not the impending rain, we headed out once again along the coast, this time towards Antibes.
Antibes and Plage de la Fontonne: Our luck of evading the heavy rain ran out just as we started our drive towards the spectacular town of Antibes. We witnessed the beauty of this medieval town through a rain battered windshield that prevented us from capturing the medieval castle against both the Mediterranean and the Alps on our digital devices. The rain slowed down just as we were driving past the Plage de la Fontonne and Cagnes-sur-Mer, allowing us to capture the normally calm azure seas in their wild avatar.
Nice: Even though the downpour had reduced to a gradual drizzle, strong winds kept us company as we drove along the Mediterranean. Interestingly, while the road remained the same, its names kept changing – from Route du Bord de Mer to Boulevard des Italiens to Promenade de l’Hippodrome to Promenade de la Plage. The nature of the beaches and the surrounding landscapes too evolved – from pebbled beaches in sparsely populated neigbhourhoods to rows of low rise apartments overlooking sandy beaches. Crossing the Pont Napoléon III bridge, we entered the city of Nice, more specifically, the Promenade des Anglais. This 7km long 18th century thoroughfare seemed oddly similar to the Queen’s Necklace in Mumbai, with the sea being flanked by a stretch of sand, followed by pedestrian and biking paths, an eight-lane dual carriageway road, and finally by mid-to-low rise apartment complexes from various epochs in the city’s history. Turning off into Old Nice at the Fontaine du Soleil, we parked our car to stroll around the cobbled streets. Starting from the checkerboard like Place Masséna to the Fountain of the Sun, with its statues of Apollo, Earth, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn, to the Opéra de Nice to Cours Saleya or the medieval flower market of Nice, to capturing a glimpse of the promenade from one of the nearby beaches, we walked through the old town, soaking in the most of what we could in the brief hiatus that the weather Gods had given us from the rain. With the sun almost blanked out, we retreated to the welcoming confines of the Cap 3000 shopping mall, a short distance away. After a couple of hours of window shopping, it was time to jump into our rental Peugeot e208 one last time, and drive the short 5 mins to the airport and on to our next adventure!
Despite the muted sunlight, strong winds, and choppy seas, our three-day road trip revealed the charms of the French Riviera. From azure waters that draw you in, to opulent streets and winding yet vibrant alleys, the Riviera’s elegance will remain with us, and we look forward to enjoying it in it’s full glory in the future. Au revoir Côte d’Azur et à bientôt!
Food haunts of the day: Breakfast at Staybridge Suites Cannes, Lunch at IT Villagio, coffee from Le Club Café Louise, and Chocolates from Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, all at Cap 3000 in Nice.
