French Riviera Honeymooning: Everything You Need to Know

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  Holiday time on the French Riviera

A stretch in the sun...

I t'south no surprise that the French Riviera is a major tourist attraction. Situated at and to the e of the indicate where the Alps meet the Mediteranean,  it is an surface area that enjoys a wonderfully balmy to warm climate all year circular, despite being one of the more northerly coasts on the whole Mediterranean. Through Autumn and Wintertime, the Riviera is protected from cold north winds by the Alps in its hinterland; since frosts and snow are rare, Spring comes early, bringing the first mimosas into bloom by Feb; by April the days are normally sunny and warm, and gardens already filled with flowers. F

Looking down on Monte Carlo

rom May to September or October, the climate is ideal, with plenty of sunshine and warm to hot days and beautifully warm nights. For much of this period, resorts and beaches are not overcrowded, since they are ready up to cope for the summertime holiday crowds; but July and August are very busy, and during this menstruation avant-garde booking for hotels, camping ground sites and even bed and breakfast is highly advisable and in many places essential.

Chief areas and resorts of the French Riviera

East of Squeamish

(From the Italian edge to Nice) This is the most spectacular part of the French Riviera, and likewise the almost up market in terms of tourism. This is where the Alps meet the Mediterranean, and  mountains come almost downward to the waters' edge. Sometime towns such every bit Menton or Villefranche sur Mer are crowded in betwixt the h2o's edge and the mountains backside. The near famous of these towns is Monte-Carlo,

Monte Carlo

In the tiny Principality of Monaco, an independent state surrounded on 3 sides past France, and on the 4th by the Mediterranean, and ruled by the Grimaldi family since the 13th century.
Monte-Carlo, well-nigh famed for its casino, is an opulent micro-state, with the globe'southward highest per-capita GDP: hemmed in betwixt the mountains and the sea, it is also i of the well-nigh densely populated states in the world. It is a tax-haven in so far as residents do not pay any income tax, but it is non a tax-gratuitous country, and VAT is the same every bit in France. This does not foreclose Monaco from abounding in prestigious luxury shops, and for visitors searching for the most famous brands in designer clothing, jewellery and other luxury goods, Monaco offers great shopping opportunities (equally does Nice).

The village of Eze, overlooking Cap Ferrat

Some of the most expensive houses in France are clustered onto the minor peninsula of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, between Eze and Nice. In the past, Saint Jean was home to actors, princes and rich businessmen from Paris or Switzerland. The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a house and gardens now open to the public, is a beauful vestige of a bygone historic period; today Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is domicile to the international jet set.
Inland, a few twisting mountain roads take visitors past breathtaking views, and up to quondam villages such as Eze, huddled into narrow valleys or clinging resolutely to the sides of steep slopes. But this part of the Riviera is resolutely turned to the sea.

Overnice - beach in frront of the Promenade des Anglais

From Nice to Cannes

Nice

the French Riviera is largely built upwardly. Nice is French republic's 6th metropolis, every bit well as being the biggest resort on the French Riviera. Prissy is a city that has masses to offer, including historic quarters, a beautiful long seafront (from the Promenade des Anglais and westwards), a famous blossom market, some interesting sites and sights, including the Matisse museum, the Chagall museum, and the famous Russian Orthodox basilica . It is also very well endowed in hotels, from v-star palaces such as the Negresco, to backpacker hotels away from the tourist quarter. And of form it is a city with plenty of nightlife and enough of opportunities for shopping, in all seasons.► More on Nice

Cagnes sur Mer

This boondocks has a historic old quarter, as well as a famous racecourse (for horse racing), and a Renoir museum. Inland from Cagnes lies the sometime village of Saint Paul de Vence, known as the creative person'southward village, and famous for its art galleries, most importantly the Fondation Maeght, with a remarkable collection of 20th century art and sculpture.
A few miles south of  Cagnes, Antibes is one of the archetype resorts of the French Riviera. With its old town, its marina, its 48 beaches and its rocky headland, Antibes has long been a popular resort. Information technology too has a number of museums, including the Picasso museum, with ane of the best collections of Picassos in France.
Just due west of Antibes lies Juan les Pins, some other very smart but pocket-sized Mediterranean resort, pop with moving picture stars and actors. of course, both Antibes and Juan les Pins offer plenty of night life, specially in season.

Cannes,

Lying to the west of Antibes, Cannes is the other main city of the French Riviera: Cannes is of grade most famous for its annual Moving-picture show Festival, which later on the Hollywood Oscars ceremony is the biggest annual effect in the world of motion picture. Cannes is besides a popular venue for trade fairs, including the annual music industry fair, the Midem, that takes place in tardily Jan. During these events, the town attracts visitors hoping to become a glimpse of their favourite film-star or musician; and of class, it is a town with plenty of tourist accommodation and beaches. Anyone thinking of visiting Cannes at the fourth dimension of a major result should book their accommodation months in advance.
A few miles inland from Cannes lies the modest boondocks of Grasse, uppercase of the French perfume manufacture. The famous Fragonard perfumery offers free guided mill visits and perfume museum visits.

The Esterel coast - la Napoule - Fréjus

This role of the coast is less adult, mainly on account of the  hills and forests that come up almost to the water's edge.  Apart from Fréjus and Saint Raphaël, the resorts are small, offer a quieter vacation style.  The dry and rocky Esterel hills, with their Mediterranean pine forests, are popular with hikers and walkers. The coastline between Miramar and Saint Raphaël is full of little coves, many of them only accessible by human foot from the coastal road, the "Corniche de l'Esterel", a scenic route offering magnificent views of the coastline and out to sea.
San Raphaël is a small resort, with hotels, sandy beaches and a casino; its neighbour, Fréjus, slightly larger, is a historic city dating dorsum to earlier Roman times, most popular these days on business relationship of its large marina.

Southward of Fréjus - the western Riviera

South of Fréus, the coast is once again rocky and forested, and there is little in the manner of coastal plainly between the hills and forests of the Massif des Maures, and the sea. the master resort in this part of the French riviera is Saint Tropez, perhaps the most famous of all Riviera resorts. Saint Tropez, an sometime Mediterranean seaport standing on the southward shore of a very sheltered bay, the Gulf of Saint Tropez, has long been a classically chic Mediterranean resort, frequented by stars and Parisians. With its old port and its celebrated centre, it remains popular to this day with jet-setters, and offers an idyllic holiday environment with plenty of shops, hotels, beaches, cafés and restaurants.
The other popular resorts in this role of the Riviera are the small towns of Sainte Maxime and Le Lavandou, sometime towns with harbours,  shops, and markets besides as hotels and campsites.
On the capes to the east and the west of le Lavandou, and on the offshore islands, the Port Cros national park is France's only maritime national park, covering both terrestrial and marine environments. There are boats from le Lavandou out to the isle of Port Cros.

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French Riviera Honeymooning: Everything You Need to Know

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