Cote d'azur?

A mate has an appartment there he is letting me use for cheap, booked 3 flights. Myself, wife and 2 1/2 yr old.

What to see and do? I may be taking the road bike but possibly not. What would you recommend we do. Staying halfway between Cannes and Antibes at a place called Golfe Juan. Although apparently not the most scenic of towns it is in a good location.

Have you been? Is it worth a drive anywhere (italy maybe) if i was to get a hire car?

edit – End of July is the week we are going for.

Contact Adrian (Nasher) at riviera bike, im sure he’d welcome an extra guest for a day – has hire bikes too.

If you get a car it’s worth popping to Monaco for a day but it will be busy.
Lunch at the Martinez beach restaurant in Cannes is just brilliant!
if you were there in half term we could pop for a beer in Antibes as we’re staying with my mate on his boat for a few days 😀

lots to see around there

Plan de la tour, Grimaud, Cogolin, St Tropez, Grasse, Collobrières

It’s a lovely part of the World

still coming to terms with the fact that my mum sold her holiday apartment there last year 🙁

Thats crap Jools.

Looking at doing it on a budget which may be interesting. So far Ive found things in monaco like gardens, cathederal etc to wander about and drive the course maybe. Grasse for perfumey things. Maybe into some national parks. Wander round old town Nice and st Tropez.

Trips to beach etc. Not really into the world of champagne and parties of which this part of the world is famous for but i reckon there must be some hidden gems in amongst the horrible celeb side of things.

St Tropez is a pain to get to by car, and not sure if it’s worth it when you do get there. St Raphael and Frejus are nice, as are Grasse and Monaco

My favourite part of the world, and somewhere I’ve holidayed in many times. In fact, if real estate wasn’t so pricey, I’d own somewhere out there.

You’ll be there at a busy time, and being on the coast, the roads are busy if you’re hiring a car (which I would). “Behind” the coastal towns is the A8 motorway, so you can zip along to Nice and beyond to Menton (lovely town right on the Italian border).

Near Grasse is a small village called Valbonne. It’s (famously) expat central, but has a great square to go and eat lunch and people watch. The market there (Fridays?) is good, though very busy. On the way to Valbonne is Biot, which is pretty and a nice place for lunch.

Also near Grasse is the hilltop village of Gourdon – if you’ve got the road bike, it’s a beautiful ride up and an amazing view back to the coast. Also worth a drive – either way head up through Opio, then back down through the gorge.

Past Cannes along the coast is Theoule-sur-Mer, which is a neat little town with a nice beach (sandier than some of the others).

Near Antibes is the famous funfair, Antibes Land. Not ideal with a 2 year old, but the other side of the road has a big water park, some soft of animal centre and crazy golf, which may be suitable.

If you head back inland some more, The Var is very nice, though significantly hotter than the coast. Salernes is a pretty town.

Places I wouldn’t bother with are Cannes and St Tropez.

Have fun – we’ll be there somewhere (once we can find a villa to rent) some time in July too. That long drive down the A7 is worth it..!

I stayed in Antibes a couple of years ago and will be going again in June. Lovely part of the world. There are diving trips from Nice which is worth a shout if you’ve not done it before. Also take the train to Monaco, nice scenic route along the coast and there you can gamble like a highroller.

Great replies thanks guys.. Exactly what i was looking for.

So far the trip was only £440 for 3 people flights and £250 appartment. Cant grumble at that.

I would definately rent a car. I have never been in July but I can imagine its hot and very busy on the coast. Going inland and into the mountains will possibly be cooler and less busy. The verdon and lac st croix are worth a trip, Frejus/St Raphael is pretty nice (but will be rammed as well).

verdon and lac st croix are worth a trip – they look super thanks.

Nice is not nice.

Scruffy, full of graffiti, beggars and lucky lucky men.

I felt quite intimidated last time I was there.

St. Tropez, Gassin, Port Grimaud and Cavalaire are worth a visit.

Provence is just gorgeous.

The old town of Nice has the best ice cream shop in the world – Fenocchios. Was there twice a day for 4 days last summer 😀

I found St Tropez a bizarre place – good to say you’ve been, but tbh it’s a tiny bit of a dump with some designer shops and a load of rich folk driving their McLarens around!

photo album[/url]

hope the link works

some pics of Monaco, Grimaud, Port Grimaud, the (now sold) apartment 🙁 and St Tropez

love the place

Possibly the one part of France that I never ever want to visit again.

Nice coastline though. And I imagine that it’s ok a few miles in from the coast. Never seen such a concentration of **** in the one area outside of the Top Gear hangar.

Smaller villages are nice and if you haven’t a word of French, you’ll be fine. 🙂

use the train when you are there…lots of stops including monaco….andventimiglia…Italy…where the coffee is better, ice cream is better, food is better….and lots cheaper..

Its also possible to take the train up the mountains…like sospel…again lots to do and great mountainbiking…

you dont need a car.

The mountain biking in Sospel is quality.

Also there’s loads of nice smooth tarmac and big hills round there you’d love that. Did this on my mountain bike and hated every minute http://app.strava.com/segments/656481

End of July. I don’t see much point in hiring a car. Sitting in traffic jams is just as tedious in the Var as anywhere else in the world. Many of the very nice places quoted above are a 4-hour traffic jam from Golfe Juan.

Many of the very nice places quoted above are a 4-hour traffic jam from Golfe Juan.

Rubbish.