Even if you haven’t been to the Côte d’Azur before, you’ve no doubt heard about it. France’s southeastern nook has quite the reputation as a playground of the rich and famous, who flock to hot spots like St-Tropez, Cannes and Monaco to frolic on yachts while sipping pale pink rosé pressed just down the coast in Provence.
Two silver screen favorites helped create the glamorous myth that surrounds this sun-blessed coastline: Brigitte Bardot, whose film And God Created Woman (1956) propelled both her and St-Tropez to global stardom, around the same time that Grace Kelly married Monaco’s Prince Rainier III, after meeting the monarch at a photocall for the Hitchcock classic she starred in, To Catch a Thief (1955). Yet the Côte d’Azur was put on the map, quite literally, in the late 19th century, when a French writer, Stéphen Liégard, chronicled his travels in the region in a memoir he called La Côte d’Azur.
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Liégard’s Côte d’Azur stretched all the way from Marseille to Genoa, in Italy, a geographical definition that is today outdated. There’s still no firm start, although Menton, the last huff of France before the Italian border, is now widely accepted as the finish, and, in this article, the Côte d’Azur begins at St-Tropez. Nice, France’s fifth largest – and now UNESCO heritage-listed – city, is its unofficial capital.
With its ornate detailing and colorful facades, the Belle Époque architecture so typical of the region set against a backdrop of dazzling blue skies means traveling this part of France can often feel like you’ve stepped into a Chagall or Matisse canvas – two artists who were lured here by its quality of light.
When you visit, you’ll find that the Côte d’Azur is everything you’ve pictured it to be: beaches, palm trees, ultra-luxe hotels and plenty of big boats. But this coastline is also peppered with pine-scented hiking trails, glorious mountain hinterland, secluded swimming spots and a dining scene bursting with local flavors. You can escape the crowds if you want to, and know where to look.
When should I go to the Côte d’Azur?
Until around a hundred years ago, the high season on the Côte d’Azur was winter, when nobility, artists and royalty came to bask in the warm December and January sun on wide beachfront promenades in their best dress. There’s no denying that, with its mild climate, the region is still a delight in the cooler months. How many places in the world can you swim in the morning (if you dare) and be on the ski slopes by noon? The ski resorts of the hinterland, the likes of Auron, Valberg and Isola 2000, are slopes beloved by locals but completely off the radar for international visitors. February is a particularly colorful antidote to grey skies, when Nice explodes into its carnival celebrations, Menton celebrates its precious lemon crop and the western extent of the region, around Mandelieu-La Napoule, bursts into mimosa bloom.
May’s grand slam pairing of the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix heralds the start of the main tourist season, which extends through to September. July and August teem with travelers. June and September can be excellent choices, as the northern hemisphere schools are still in session, yet all seasonal services and activities are open. Spring is particularly fragrant, when the region’s gardens – and Grasse’s perfume flowers – bud, while outdoorsy types hit hiking trails and cycling tracks in the Côte d’Azur hinterland when the temperatures start to cool in autumn.
How much time should I spend in the Côte d’Azur?
If you’ve only got a weekend to spend on the Côte d’Azur, don’t try to cram too much into your limited time. Pick a base, such as Nice, and concentrate on what’s on offer in the immediate surroundings, such as an afternoon spent in photogenic Villefranche-sur-Mer, a fishing village whose huddle of pastel-hued buildings cascading into the Mediterranean Sea has become one of the region’s most iconic images. You could also take the train to Monaco for the morning.
With four days, you’ll be able to combine Nice with Cannes or St-Tropez. A week is enough time to tick off the highlights from Menton to St-Tropez, but you’ll be kept busy. Stretch to 10 days and you’ll carve out some time to linger over lunch or sun yourself on the beach, like the locals do.
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Is it easy to get in and around the Côte d’Azur?
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is France’s second busiest, after the two Parisian airports combined. As such, it’s well connected to other European cities and beyond: with daily direct flights to the Middle East and the US, and, of course, an array of seasonal routes in summer.
The airport’s position at the western end of Nice’s emblematic Promenade des Anglais means it’s easy to be in the center of Nice less than half an hour after you’ve exited arrivals thanks to the city’s smart tram system. Zou! intercity buses also depart from the airport for Cannes, Monaco and Antibes. A new transport hub, the Grand Arénas, has emerged in the shadow of Terminal One, where even more bus lines begin (such as for Vence and into the Mercantour). Gare de Nice Saint-Augustin-Aéroport is also on the site, and is served by trains to Cannes (and St-Raphaël for St-Tropez) and Menton.
They might have big reputations, but the major destinations on the Côte d’Azur are compact and imminently walkable (Monaco can be hilly, but a network of elevators compensates for that). If you’re only planning on sticking to the coast, there’s no need for your own wheels – in fact, a car can be a headache in congested centers like Nice, Cannes and Monaco. The Zou! bus and train network connects most of the major destinations, and if you really want to deep dive into a particular area – for example, the hilltop villages that rise behind Menton – a more localized bus network most likely services them (in Menton, that’s the Zest network). Ferries plough the waters between Cannes and the magical Îles des Lérins, while, particularly in summer, the boat to St-Tropez from St-Raphaël or Nice is often the smoothest ride. Yet to visit the hilltop villages in the hinterland of the region at your own pace, there’s nothing quite like having your own transport.
Top things to do in destination
Feel like you’ve left the world behind on Îles de Lérins near Cannes
A town that seems to host a global event every month, Cannes is always “on.” That’s why the two small islands just off its coast, collectively called the Îles de Lérins, are such a breath of fresh air. A place where nature reigns supreme, in just 15 minutes (the time it takes to travel to the islands by boat from the mainland), you’ll have swapped the built-up Croisette for eucalyptus-framed trails and deserted swim spots. Île Ste-Marguerite is the biggest of the two, and is where the Man in the Iron Mask was incarcerated, while the smaller Île St-Honorat is home to a serene monastic community who makes its own wine.
Sip and swirl your way through France’s only urban wine appellation
Nice is home to France’s only urban wine appellation, a fact many locals themselves are unaware of. Known as the Bellet AOC, this is a wine rich in history: both Thomas Jefferson and Louis XIV were fans and, at its peak in the early 19th century, over 1000 hectares of vineyards on Nice’s western flank were under cultivation. Today, thanks in part to real estate pressures, there are little more than 50 hectares of vines, yet a small but passionate group of winemakers are starting to put the wines of Nice back on the map. The chapel at the Château de Bellet is one of the most special places in the entire region.
Follow your nose to Grasse
The Côte d’Azur is at its most fragrant in April and May, when its grand gardens burst into bloom. The sheer variety of flowers that thrive in the soils around Grasse has seen the hinterland town grow into the world’s perfume capital. While spring is when its famous Rose de Mai comes into bloom (the best time to visit Domaine de Manon, who supplies Dior), there are plenty of evergreen attractions, including a trio of France’s oldest perfume houses: Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard and the excellent Musée International de la Parfumerie.
Treat your taste buds in the Côte d’Azur’s mountain interior
There’s a new wave of passionate chefs now calling the Côte d’Azur home. But rather than choosing the palm-fringed beachfront of Nice and Cannes or the bougainvillaea-framed villages of St-Paul-de-Vence and Mougins for their bases, they are heading inland to small, lesser-known mountain communities that open out onto the dramatic pre-alpine landscapes of the Parc national du Mercantour. Here, they are finding the space to champion locavorism, serving up an exciting menu of fresh flavors and zero-kilometer (km0) ingredients, executed to perfection. As they do, they are turning the much less-visited hinterland of the Côte d’Azur into a burgeoning foodie destination.
Case in point: Auberge de la Roche in Valdeblore, where two chefs trained in Paris have turned an abandoned village house into an exquisite guesthouse, restaurant and produce garden that, when blocks of dates are released, books out months in advance with trendy Parisians.
My favorite thing to do in the Côte d’Azur
The renaissance of Menton’s prized lemon crop has seen the creation of the most wonderful of visitor experiences in the last few years: a day spent at La Ferme des Citrons. The adventure starts from the moment you’re picked up in a vintage 4WD in the center of town in the morning, for a short, yet steep ascent to the terraced farm hidden in the folds of the hillside. After an hour-long guided tour through shaded olive groves, avocado trees and, of course, citrus crops, you emerge in a sunny garden area with lounges, games and sea views. You have ample time to relax and savor a picnic of local specialities, before the return journey in the mid-afternoon. What’s particularly magical is how immersed you feel in nature, just 10 minutes from the coast.
How much money do I need for the Côte d’Azur?
You can blow the budget on a single night in St-Tropez, but, at the same time, you can also keep your bank balance in check by visiting out of season, taking public transport and watching out for good value plat du jour (dish of the day) lunchtime specials and self-catering for dinner (preferably picnics on the beach, a local habit that’s easy to pick up). I always advise carrying a little bit of cash for markets, for a cool drink, for public transport, and for public toilets. Most places nowadays accept cards and Apple Pay, but many have a minimum spend, often set at €10 (US$10.80), so some small change in your pockets never goes astray.
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Night at a hotel in central Nice outside of summer: from €90 (US$97)
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Croissant for breakfast: €1.30 (US$1.40)
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Plat du jour (dish of the day) at lunchtime: €13–19 (US$14–20)
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A bottle of decent Provence rosé in the supermarket: €6–10 (US$6.50–10.80)
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Bus fare for the 600 Zou! Nice to Monaco route: €2.10 (US$2.25), if paying with Apple Pay
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Sunlounger for a day along the coast: €22–65 (US$24–70)
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A day at La Ferme des Citrons in Menton, with lunch included: €39 (US$42)
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A latté at the ultra-lux Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco: €15 (US$16.20)
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Train Nice to Cannes one way: €10 (US$10.80)
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Entrance to the Casino de Monte Carlo: €19 (US$20.50)
Is there petty crime on the Côte d’Azur?
The Côte d’Azur isn’t immune to petty crime, particularly in summer on crowded trains and in busy tourist areas. Keep personal belongings close to you, and if you’ve hired a car, don’t leave anything valuable on display when you’ve parked up.
What is the Côte d’Azur like for LGBTIQ+ travelers?
France is one of the world’s most LGBTIQ-friendly countries, and Nice has one of the most lively gay scenes in the country. Rue Bonaparte behind Port Lypmia is the city’s LGBTIQ+ headquarters with gay bars, gay saunas and gay-friendly restaurants. A busy calendar of events fills all seasons, from Lou Queernaval during Nice Carnaval in February to July’s Pink Parade for Pride.
Is tipping mandatory on the Côte d’Azur?
In a word, no. Tipping is not customary in France, and a 15% service fee is already included in your bill at restaurants. Saying that, leaving a little extra to express your thanks for good service is always welcome.