French Riviera
The French Riviera soon became known as the ‘Playground for the Rich and Famous’ once the Cannes Film Festival arrived nearly 100 years ago bringing a fresh serving of glamour to an area enjoyed by Queen Victoria’s entourage and gentry in the 1800s. As you’d expect, the French have done a fantastic job of preserving the heritage laid down in these periods of history. The modern French Riviera is full of technical innovation (such as the new Nice tramway) but you are only ever a stone’s throw away from a piece of history that seamlessly blends into the modern urban landscapes.
If you are looking for a holiday with culture, fabulous cuisine and beautiful beaches then you really need look no further than the French Riviera. We can discuss with you and arrange package holidays with flights and accommodation to Nice and the French Riviera through the more well-known Tour Operators. But it is also possible to arrange a wealth of bespoke tours or packaged itineraries to Provence and beyond which will perfectly harmonise with your own personal interests and desires.
It is impossible to cover even a fraction of what is possible to do on the French Riviera on this page so we prefer to leave that for discussion with you so that we can work out your interests and priorities for your trip. We will leave you with a few highlights of what you can look forward to on your next French Riviera holiday with us.
Nice Old Town
The historic quarter of Nice known as ‘Nice Old Town’ has enjoyed a massive renaissance in the past 20 years. The whole area is packed with bars and restaurants that buzz long into the night during the summer months.
Some of the buildings date back to the early 1600s and there is a wonderful ambience to be found in the maze of streets that make up this eclectic area. We can arrange a wide variety of accommodation in our package holidays to Nice and Nice Old Town.
The Exotic Gardens of Eze
A short drive or bus trip from Nice takes you to the picturesque medieval village of Eze. As well as the atmospheric narrow stone streets and two famous 5* hotels and Michelin starred restaurants, the star attraction is the exotic garden at the top of a medieval fortress.
The 429 metre high vantage point offers unrivalled panoramic views of the Riviera coastline. The vast garden is also well worth exploring and has taken decades of careful planting to reach its potential.
St. Paul de Vence
Similar to Eze village, historic St. Paul de Vence sits impressively in the hills above Nice overlooking the coastline from Nice airport to Antibes. Transport to the village is super simple using public buses or there are plenty of tour companies we can propose for you too. It is a mecca for artists and art galleries so if you like window shopping for art in beautifully preserved medieval streets then you will be in heaven.
If you get tired of that, then here are some wonderful pavement cafes and restaurants too where you can wile away a few hours people watching or escaping the hot midday sun.
The Promenade des Anglais
No visit to the Riviera is complete without a drive, or preferably a walk, down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It’s probably the most photographed feature on the Cote d’Azur and with good reason as it stretches along 7km of the shimmering blue coastline of Nice and is wide enough in most places to fit a few double-decker buses!
A multitude of beach clubs line up to tempt you in to sample their plat du jour or happy hour drinks. It’s well worth treating yourself as nothing beats sipping a cold drink near the sea to the sound of the waves lapping into the pebbled beach…..
Glamourous Monaco
Robert de Niro was famously quoted as saying that Monaco was ‘The Alcatraz for the Rich’. Whilst he may have a point, a day trip or a short break to one of Monaco’s luxury hotels doesn’t feel much like prison!
Day trippers will love the chance to grab a coffee in the Café de Paris overlooking the Place du Casino and wander the Casino gardens. Motor racing fans will no doubt be drawn to walking some of the famous Grand Prix sections particularly the uber glamorous Marina. We can arrange longer stays for those wishing to take advantage of the sumptuous hotels and private beaches on offer. The sky is the limit in Monaco!
