Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Villefranche-sur-Mer
is the romantic's choice, with a serene setting and small-town
warmth. It has finely ground pebble beaches; quick public transportation to Nice and
Monaco; easy parking; and a small selection of hotels in most price ranges.
Planning Your Time
Ideally,allowafulldayforNice,adayforMonacoandtheCornicheroutethatconnectsit
with Nice, and a half-day for Villefranche-sur-Mer or Antibes. Monaco and Villefranche-
sur-Mer have good energy at night (sights are closed, but crowds are few; consider dinner
there), and Antibes works well by day (good beaches and hiking) and night (fine choice of
restaurants and a lively after-hours scene). Hill-town-loving naturalists should allow a day
to explore the hill-capping hamlets near Vence (but for most, these are a lower priority).
Helpful Hints
Medical Help: Riviera Medical Services
has a list of English-speaking physicians all
along the Riviera. They can help you make an appointment or call an ambulance (tel.
04 93 26 12 70,
www.rivieramedical.com
)
.
Closed Days:
ThefollowingsightsareclosedonMondays:theModernandContemporary
Art Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Russian Cathedral, and Cours Saleya market in
Nice, along with Antibes' Picasso Museum and Marché Provençal market (Sept-
June). On Tuesdays these museums are closed: the Chagall, Matisse, Masséna, and
Archaeological museums inNice andtheRenoir MuseuminCagnes-sur-Mer.OnFri-
days Matisse's Chapel of the Rosary in Vence is closed.
Events:
The Riviera is famous for staging major events. Unless you're actually taking
part in the festivities, these occasions give you only room shortages and traffic
jams. Here are the three biggies:
Nice Carnival
(Feb 14-March 4 in 2014,
www.nicecarnaval.com
)
, Festival de Cannes, better known as the
Cannes Film
Festival
(May 14-24 in 2014,
www.festival-cannes.com
)
, and the
Grand Prix of
Monaco
(May 22-25 in 2014, May 21-24 in 2015,
www.acm.mc
)
.
Local Guides: Agnès Dumartin
, a top guide for the region, is a good teacher who un-
derstands Nice particularly well and loves all forms of art (€205/half-day, €295/day,
mobile 06 81 82 17 67,
agnes.dumartin@orange.fr
).
Sylvie Di Cristo
offers terrific
full-day tours throughout the French Riviera in a car or minivan. She adores educat-
ing people about this area's culture and history, and loves adapting her tour to your
interests, from overlooked hill towns to wine, cuisine, art, or perfume (€200-250/per-
son for 2-3 people, €120-150/person for 4-6 people, €90-100/person for 7-8 people,
2-person minimum, mobile 06 09 88 83 83,
www.frenchrivieraguides.net
,
dicristo-
