Rick Steves - Rick Steves Snapshot Nice & the French Riviera

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Nice & the French Riviera

The French Riviera is an intoxicating bouillabaisse of enjoyable cities, warm stone villages, contemporary art, and breathtaking coastlines steaming with sunshine and stirred by the wind. Theres something about the play of light in this region, where natural and man-made beauty mingle to dazzle the senses and nourish the soul. It all adds up to une magnifique vacation.

The Riviera stretches along Frances southeast Mediterranean coast from St-Tropez to Monaco and rambles inland into the Alps. Much of the Riviera is about the sea and moneyits populated by a yacht-happy crowd wondering where the next scene will be. And yet, this region feels downright Italianwith fresh-Parmesan-topped pasta and red-orange, pastel-colored buildings.

This book covers the predictable biggies, from jet-setting beach resorts to famous museums, but it also mixes in a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy. Along with the urban bustle of Nice, Ill introduce you to my favorite villages and scenic walks. Marvel at ancient monuments, take a journey along the grandest canyon in Europe, and settle into a shaded caf on a made-for-movies square. Enjoy tasty yet affordable wines while feasting on a healthy cuisine bursting with olives, tomatoes, and herbs. Claim your favorite beach to call home, and at days end dive headfirst into a southern France sunset.

To help you have the best trip possible, Ive included the following topics in this book:

Planning Your Time, with advice on how to make the most of your limited time

Orientation, including tourist information (abbreviated as TI), tips on public transportation, local tour options, and helpful hints

Sights, with ratings and strategies for meaningful and efficient visits

Sleeping and Eating, with good-value recommendations in every price range

Connections, with tips on trains, buses, and driving

Practicalities, near the end of this book, has information on money, staying connected, hotel reservations, transportation, and other helpful hints, plus French survival phrases.

To travel smartly, read this little book in its entirety before you go. Its my hope that this guide will make your trip more meaningful and rewarding. Traveling like a temporary local, youll get the absolute most out of every mile, minute, and dollar.

Bon voyage! Happy travels!

La Cte dAzur

A hundred years ago, celebrities from London to Moscow flocked to the French Riviera to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home. Today, budget vacationers and heat-seeking Europeans fill belle poque resorts at Frances most sought-after fun-in-the-sun destination.

The region got its nickname from turn-of-the-20th-century vacationing Brits, who simply extended the Italian Riviera west to France to include Nice. Today, the Riviera label stretches even farther westward, running from the Italian border to St-Tropez. To the French, this summer fun zone is known for the dazzling azure color of the sea along this coast: La Cte dAzur. All of my French Riviera destinations are on the sea, except for a few hill towns and the Grand Canyon du Verdon (Gorges du Verdon).

This sunny sliver of land has been inhabited for more than 3,000 years. Ligurians were first, then Greeks, then Romanswho, as usual, had the greatest impact. After the fall of Rome, Nice became an important city in the kingdom of Provence (along with Marseille and Arles). In the 14th century Nices leaders voted to join the duke of Savoys mountainous kingdom (also including several regions of northern Italy), which would later evolve into the kingdom of Sardinia. It was not until 1860 that Nice (and Savoy) became a part of Francethe result of a plebiscite. (The vote was made possible because the king of Sardinia had to trade the region to France as a quid pro quo for Napoleon IIIs support of the Italian states that wanted to break away from Austria to create modern Italy).

Nice has world-class museums, a splendid beachfront promenade, a seductive old town, and all the drawbacks of a major city (traffic, crime, pollution, and so on). The day-trip possibilities are easy and exciting: Monaco offers a royal welcome and a fairy-tale past; Antibes has a thriving port and silky sand beaches; and image-conscious Cannes is the Rivieras self-appointed queen, with an elegant veneer hiding...very little. Yacht-happy St-Tropez swims alone an hour west. The Rivieras overlooked yet right-there interior transports travelers to a world apart, with cliff-hanging villages, steep canyons, and alpine scenerya refreshing alternative to the beach scene.

My favorite home bases are Nice, Antibes, and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Nice is the regions capital and Frances fifth-largest city. With convenient train and bus connections to most regional sights, this is the most practical base for train travelers. Urban Nice also has museums, a beach scene that rocks, the best selection of hotels in all price ranges, and good nightlife options. A car is a headache in Nice.

Nearby Antibes is smaller, with a bustling center, a lively night scene, great sandy beaches, grand vistas, good walking trails, and a stellar Picasso museum. Antibes has frequent train service to Nice and Monaco, and good connections by train or car to Grasse. Its a convenient base for drivers, with relatively light traffic and easy hotel parking.