Côte d'Azur - the beautiful French Riviera

Arrival

Getting there is pretty easy. Since I've been there several times, I've also tried several different ways. This time I flew from Switzerland to Nice by plane and rented a car there. First of all, a car on the Côte d'Azur is a must. The public connections are perhaps good in the larger cities or if you have a hotel room in a city and don't want to see much apart from beach holidays. But if you also want to visit smaller mountain villages and landscapes, you should have a car. 

From Switzerland, however, you can of course also travel comfortably in your own car. The journey from Basel to Nice takes about 8-9 hours.

Our accommodation

My favorite way to spend a holiday on the Côte d'Azur is to rent a house with a pool. On the Internet you can find several providers who rent holiday homes. But for me, the only company on the Côte d'Azur that comes into question is Maison Azur. Maison Azur is an agency for private holiday homes in the south of France. They are specialists and know this area very well. Mrs. Simone Andres always looked after us very well and was always able to answer all our questions. I would book with her again at any time.

We chose a house in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. This house offers space for about 10 people, has 5 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The property is in a quiet area, you feel very safe and is completely fenced. On the ground floor, it has a wonderful terrace and a great barbecue. The kitchen is very well equipped and really everything you need is already there. The 15m long pool was the ideal place to really relax. There were also plenty of sun loungers and parasols to provide shade. In order to get some exercise, there is also a table tennis outside in the shade.

The rooms inside are all very lovingly decorated and you immediately noticed that the housekeepers take very good care of the house. It was in great condition.

Shopping facilities

When you rent a house with the whole family, it's always great to cook together. Tourrettes-sur-Loup is a small village and the shopping facilities there are rather small. I recommend going to Vence. There are several big shops there where you can find everything you need. Whether it's food, toiletries or anything else. My favourite shop is the Leclerc. It's about 15-20 minutes by car from Tourettes-sur-Loup.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup

This charming medieval village on the Côte d'Azur is located between the sea and the mountains, less than 20 minutes from the coast, and is one of the most authentic in the region. Beautiful old stone houses and an impressive city wall, which reminds a little of Siena in Italy.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup can be discovered by walking through its small streets, its vaulted corridors and its flower-lined staircases. The village is not that big and there are not many things to experience, but I found it very quiet and the location was good for going on excursions.

But what I would like to recommend to you is a very small restaurant. It's called La Grange and it offers dishes from the oven like pizza, lasagna or traditional and regional dishes. The food was delicious, and it was a nice place to sit outside.

Juan-les-Pins

The resort of Juan-les-Pins is known for its long sandy beaches and waterfront lined with exclusive terrace restaurants, fashion boutiques and modern flat blocks. Located to the west of the famous Cape of Antibes, the seaside resort of Juan-les-Pins reflects the pleasant ambience of the Riviera. The town's dynamism is of course due in no small part to the wide range of leisure activities on offer: Discos, casinos and boutiques open at night make the town a paradise for night owls who prefer to hang out in the beach bars. 

This dynamic was also reflected in the number of people. For someone who just wants to lie quietly on the beach, it may not be the ideal place to relax. There were a lot of people on the beach and finding a place to park was very difficult. I can't even give you a good tip there, but I just hope that you find a parking space near the beach.

Since I don’t like to lie on the ground at the beach, I prefer providers who rent parasols and sunbeds. Fortunately, we found the provider Plage des iles, which still had free places. But if you want to be sure that you have a place, I would book it in advance.

Cagnes-sur-Mer

For those who like it a little quieter, I can recommend the beaches of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The town of Cagnes-sur-Mer is located directly on the sea and offers 3.5 km of pebble beaches with several public and 6 private beaches. The beaches are secured by lifeguards during the summer. 

Cagnes-sur-Mer has a beautiful waterfront promenade where you can also park your car directly. We chose a bathing spot in advance on a private beach. I would like to recommend La Spiaggia Plage to you. It was very quiet, the staff was very attentive and the afternoon meal was also very tasty.

Antibes

The picturesque old town of Antibes enchants with its narrow winding streets and typical French flair. Walking through the old town of Antibes, it is not hard to believe that Antibes is associated with a long eventful history. History books say that the town was founded as early as the 5th century BC by Greek traders as "Antipolis". A few centuries later, Antibes was annexed to what is now Provence. To this day, the old walls effectively protect the town from the seaside.

A completely different side of the city is presented by harbors with their huge, magnificent yachts. As the harbor is mainly home to the "rich and beautiful", the area is nicknamed the "billionaire's harbor".

Antibes is known to many people as the "city of the future". The city succeeds in an impressive way in meeting the highest demands for relaxation, joie de vivre, culture and tourist infrastructure. With its excellent infrastructural connections, cultural wealth and dream beaches, this city combines everything that sun worshippers dream of on a trip to the Côte d'Azur.

Place Nationale is one of several beautiful squares in Antibes France. The square is quite large and has countless restaurants. Everyone can find something they would like to eat there. I especially liked the atmosphere in the evening. That's how you imagine a beautiful summer evening. Mild temperatures, people in a good mood and fine food.

Nice

The cultural capital of the Côte d'Azur is known for its mild climate all year round and is also one of the warmest places on the French Mediterranean coast in winter. Nice owes this not least to its sheltered location. Those who visit Nice can look forward to around 300 days of sunshine a year.

The port city in the southeast of France is located between Cannes and Monaco and has about 343,000 inhabitants, whereby Nice with its surrounding area even has around 930,000 inhabitants. Nice is divided into the districts of Vieux Nice (Old Town), Les Baumettes, Carabacel, Cimiez, St-Barthélemy, the New Town, Riquier, Thiers, Le Port, Rue de France, Gambetta and Medécin.

The picturesque old town with its picturesque alleyways and colorful markets is home to numerous equally worthwhile sacred buildings from the Baroque period. I didn't get to spend much time in Nice, but the buildings blew me away. What's also beautiful is the seafront promenade where you can look down on the sea from above. That view is just beautiful.

Currency and means of payment

In France you pay in Euro (EUR). You can pay everywhere with credit cards. It is accepted as a means of payment in all shops, restaurant, or hotels.

Tip

Bills in French restaurants already include a service charge of 10-15%. If you are satisfied with the food and service, you can round up when paying or leave EUR 1 to 2 on the table.

Language

The official language is French.