Sun, Sea and Supercars. Bonjour Côte d’Azur.

21 hours ago

5 min read

There are some places that seem almost too beautiful to be real, and the French Riviera is definitely one of them. With its turquoise Mediterranean waters, colourful towns, dramatic hills, glamorous cities and spectacular coastal roads, the Côte d’Azur had been somewhere I wanted to explore for a while.

Flying into Nice, I based myself in the beautiful seaside town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, which turned out to be the perfect choice. My Airbnb was close to the train station, making it incredibly easy to explore the Riviera by train, while Villefranche itself was somewhere I was more than happy to come back to each evening.

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Villefranche is absolutely stunning. The town sits around a beautiful natural bay, with colourful buildings climbing up the hillside and views stretching across the Mediterranean.

One of my favourite things was simply walking around and taking in the views. From higher up in the hills, you get incredible panoramas across the bay, towards the Cap-Ferrat peninsula and out over the Mediterranean.

It also had a lovely atmosphere in the evenings, and I spent one night having dinner in nearby Beaulieu-sur-Mer, another gorgeous Riviera town just along the coast.

There was also a rather unexpected bonus to staying in Villefranche. While I was there, they were filming an Ocean’s Eleven prequel in the town. Seeing the film production taking place around such a beautiful setting was a real highlight and made Villefranche feel even more exciting.

Exploring Nice and the Matisse Museum

My first major day trip was into Nice, which is just a short train journey from Villefranche.

Nice has a completely different feel to Villefranche — bigger, busier and much more energetic. I spent time exploring the city and its famous streets before heading to the Matisse Museum, dedicated to Henri Matisse, who had a strong connection with the city.

The museum was a great way to see a different side of Nice beyond the beaches, restaurants and famous Promenade des Anglais. I particularly enjoyed seeing how much the colours and light of the Riviera influenced Matisse’s work.

Monaco: Grand Prix, Palaces and Supercars

Another day was spent in Monaco, and this was probably the day when the glamorous side of the Riviera was most obvious.

Walking around the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit was brilliant. Seeing the streets that you normally only see on television transformed the race into something much more real. I walked around some of the famous corners and parts of the circuit before heading towards the palace and exploring Monte Carlo.

And then there were the cars.

Supercars seemed to be everywhere. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys and all manner of spectacular cars were casually driving around the streets. Monaco really does live up to its reputation for wealth and luxury.

While I was there, preparations were also being made for the annual yachts event, adding even more excitement to the atmosphere.

One of the more unusual highlights was seeing the Prince’s private car collection, which gives you a fascinating glimpse into Monaco’s history and royal family.

It was one of those days where you can walk around wondering whether you’ve accidentally stepped onto a film set.

Cannes and Antibes

I took another day trip along the coast to Cannes and Antibes.

Cannes is synonymous with glamour thanks to the Cannes Film Festival, and naturally one of my first stops was the famous festival steps. Standing there, it was easy to imagine the world’s biggest film stars arriving on the red carpet.

The city itself is beautiful, with the Mediterranean providing the perfect backdrop to the glamorous hotels, restaurants and designer shops.

From Cannes I continued on to Antibes, which offered a slightly different atmosphere. It has a more historic and relaxed feel, with old streets, pretty buildings and a beautiful harbour.

It was a great combination for a day — the glamour of Cannes followed by the charm of Antibes.

Eze: A Medieval Village in the Sky

One of my favourite trips was to Èze.

The medieval village is perched high above the Mediterranean and feels almost like a maze, with narrow cobbled streets winding upwards through stone buildings.

The real highlight for me was the Exotic Garden at the top.

The views from here are incredible. Looking down from the hillside towards the Mediterranean, you get one of those views that makes you stop and take a photograph every few seconds.

The combination of the historic village, exotic plants and spectacular views made Èze feel completely different from the other places I’d visited.

Menton: Colour, Steps and Italy Just Around the Corner

I also took the train east to Menton, right near the Italian border.

Menton is famous for its colourful buildings, and walking through the old town felt like exploring a giant Mediterranean postcard.

One of the things I loved most were the steep, winding streets and zig-zagging steps climbing through the old town. Every turn seemed to reveal another colourful building, little square or view towards the sea.

Menton also has a distinctly Italian influence, which isn’t surprising given how close it is to the border.

It was one of those places where I could have happily spent much longer simply wandering around without any particular plan.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Another highlight was a day around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, one of the most exclusive areas of the Riviera.

While I was there, I came across a classic car show, which was a fantastic surprise. Seeing all the beautifully restored cars against the backdrop of the Mediterranean was a perfect combination of Riviera glamour and old-school style.

I also visited the famous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, an incredible property surrounded by spectacular gardens.

After exploring the villa and the peninsula, I had lunch at the Four Seasons, which was a suitably luxurious way to finish the day.

The whole area feels incredibly exclusive, but it is also incredibly beautiful. The coastline, villas and Mediterranean views make it easy to understand why it has attracted wealthy visitors for generations.

The Perfect Base

Looking back, staying in Villefranche-sur-Mer was one of the best decisions of the trip.

It gave me somewhere beautiful and peaceful to come back to each evening, while the railway station made exploring the Riviera incredibly easy.

From Villefranche, I could head west towards Nice, Cannes and Antibes or east towards Èze, Monaco and Menton — all without needing to hire a car.

And then there were the evenings. After spending the day exploring, coming back to Villefranche, looking out across the bay and wandering down to the waterfront was the perfect way to finish the day.

The French Riviera: One Trip, So Many Different Experiences

What surprised me most about the French Riviera was just how much variety there is within such a relatively small area.

In one trip, I experienced the artistic side of Nice, the medieval beauty of Èze, the glamour of Monaco and Cannes, the colourful streets of Menton, the exclusive villas of Cap-Ferrat and the relaxed seaside atmosphere of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

There were grand palaces, supercars, classic cars, film sets, famous museums, luxury hotels, beautiful gardens and some truly spectacular Mediterranean views.

But some of my favourite moments were actually the simplest ones — travelling along the coast by train, wandering through the colourful streets of Menton, looking down over the bay from Èze, having dinner in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, or simply sitting in Villefranche and watching the sun go down.

The French Riviera has a reputation for glamour, and it certainly delivers on that. But underneath all the luxury and celebrity, there are some incredibly beautiful towns and villages that make the Côte d’Azur just as enjoyable to explore at a slower pace.

If you’re planning a trip to the French Riviera, I’d definitely recommend using Villefranche-sur-Mer as a base. It gives you the best of both worlds: a beautiful Riviera town to come home to and an excellent railway connection for exploring everything from Nice to the Italian border.

And after a week exploring the Côte d’Azur, I left feeling that I’d only scratched the surface.