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Holiday Guide: Côte d'Azur, France

The Cote d'Azur or French Riviera is one of those locations that is referred to as “the playground of the rich and famous”. It is an attractive and chic area of France that covers the glorious coastline between Toulon and the borders of Italy. As well the ultra modern and often exclusive nightlife and shopping that the area has to offer, the Cote d'Azur boasts the romantic landscape of the bluest blue sea and impressive coastline.

Towns like Cannes, St Tropez, Monaco (a principality often loosely considered part of the Riviera), and the capital, Nice, provide opportunities to rub shoulders with current celebrities. You will find plenty of cosmopolitan venues for some decadent partying, but only if money is no object. For a real taste of the high life, the Cote d'Azur is where it's at.

Cote d'Azur - How to Get There

The Nice Cote d'Azur is the second largest airport in France, and thus is easily accessible and well connected to most European destinations. It is served by more than 50 airlines with direct flights to around 90 locations.

By Car: France's motorway network maps the Riviera with the rest of Europe with the A8 being the main route into the Cote d'Azur. There is approximately an 8 hour drive from Paris to Nice.

By Train: The Riviera is served by TGV and Train Corail express trains which connect to the rest of France and major European cities. The high speed train TGV Mediterranee accesses Paris from Nice in 5 hours 25 minutes.

By Boat: The port of Nice of visited by large cruise lines that also stop at Cannes, Villefranche sur Mer and Monaco.

What to See and Do

Famous not only for the celebrities that flock to its beaches, clubs and shops, the Cote d'Azur is equally renowned for its many art museums and collections. In Antibes, the Picasso Museum is housed in a Roman castrum that Picasso himself used as a studio. Amongst his works is also sculpture by Germaine Richier. The Matisse Museum resides on the hill of Climiez at Nice, displaying family art amongst his own. For an exploration of modern creativity, the Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) seeks to find contrast and comparison between European and American artworks.

For an artistic collection of a more unusual variety, head to St Tropez and see the Maison des Papillons, or House of Butterflies. A display of nearly 26,000 butterflies from 4,500 species makes this a beautiful spectacle.

To gain some knowledge of the region's history, Arles in Provence is a good place to start. This ancient town was founded by the Greeks and later became a religious epicentre for the Romans. Several ancient buildings remain from this period and are listed as World Heritage Sites as testament to its significance. Make sure you see the Roman theatre, amphitheatre, Alyscamps, Thermae and cryptoporticus for yourself.

The buildings to see at Avignon are the medieval Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), Petit Palais and the Cathedrale Notre Dame des Dom. The 12th century Cathedral is home to Gothic tombs of some of the Avignon Popes.

If you are interested by the Cote d'Azur's religious history and seek refuge from the vanities of the modern aspects of town, take a boat trip from Cannes to Ile St Honorat. The boat trips are run by the Cistercian monks who have inhabited the island virtually continuously since 410 AD. The Church can be viewed but the monastery, Abbey of Lerins, is closed to the public except to those on week retreats. The monks themselves produce exquisite wines, lavender oil and honey.

No visit to Monaco would be complete without taking a detour to the Monte Carlo Casino. Built in 1878 by the architect of the Paris Opera House, the casino is paved in marble and decorated in opulent red and gold.

For a complete sensory experience, take the free tour offered by the three biggest perfume factories in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard create perfumes for the world's biggest cosmetics companies as well as their own.

Beaches – You will be spoilt for choice of beautiful beaches surrounding the Cote d'Azur. Pampelonne Ramatuelle has a serious collection of beaches in St Tropez where the young and the old alike don bikinis and parade along the sea. Looking for somewhere quieter? Plage des Cannebiers is smaller and more peaceful. In the other party region of Cannes, Le Meridien is a popular white sand beach with a fun atmosphere and plenty of amenities to ensure that you stay there all day. A busy beach at Antibes is Plage de la Gravette; get there early for a good spot.

When to Go to the Cote d'Azur

February: The Nice carnival (Carnaval de Nice) is a much celebrated event in the calender of most peoples diaries here. This carnival consists of 3 parade styles theres the carnival parade, the flower parade and the light parade for the night time, the carnival is carried out over 15 days. For some more noisy entertainment in February, The Monte Carlo International Circus Festival has some of the world's best circuses taking part in competitions to win awards.

May: This month sees crowds of celebrities and paparazzi descend into the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival. This esteemed event last for ten days and sees the town filled with movie stars, their excessive entourages, and those just with stars in their eyes. It is also an opportunity for producers and directors to promote their works, and for up and coming starlets to get themselves spotted in the limelight.

Monte Carlo's second big event of the year is almost as glamorous. The Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious events in the sporting calendar. Expect to find dizzying motor races mixed with all-night partying.

July: The international Jazz a Juan is Juan les Pins firmly established ten day jazz festival that has seen talent like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong grace its stage.

December: Every year the Water Club of Nice hold the International Christmas STAR Regatta. Around 40 teams from both Europe and America compete in this nautical challenge.

Cote d'Azur Shopping

Grasse, the land of perfumers, is obviously the best place to seek out a signature scent of your own. Along its Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon and the Cours Cresp you can find pretty boutiques selling not only perfume, but gifts and other luxury goods. For locally made art and craft goods head to rue Amiral de Grasse, rue Marcel Journet and rue Jean Ossola.

Boutique 3 offers one of Nice's finest retail experiences. Established by three local women, the shop sells a quality selection of linens, wood furniture and fragrances. For a further selection of local crafts and produce, head to the Old Town of Nice and be spoilt for choice.

Cannes and St Tropez are the hub of chic designer shopping. Here the famous folks can fritter there thousands on a yacht (at St Tropez) or a Rolls Royce (at Cannes) while all that us average holidaymakers can manage is some aspirational window shopping. If you have money to burn or just want to browse, Rue d'Antibes and Bvd de la Croisette at Cannes are filled with haute couture clothing, jewellers and art galleries. Zone Pietonne is the market area selling high quality meat and grocery produce as well as exquisite gifts.

The regions of the Cote d'Azur are also noted for their individual monthly or weekly markets selling anything from local and distributed produce to antiques and arts. One of the several markets at Nice is dedicated to antique postcards, while on Sundays at Avignon you can find a traditional flea market.

Where to Eat in Cote d'Azur

In France, food and meal times can be seen as a very enjoyable activity so by many is taken very seriously and with the many Michelin starred restaurants its clear to see they are good at what they do. With so many great restaurants it is an idea to take some time specifically to have a meal in one of the fine restaurants to gain an idea of the whole dining experience in the area. Although in the heart of the area there are the large award winning restaurants there are also the smaller more homely experience style restaurants that tend to cost a lot less per meal.

With France having a large coastline it means French cuisine samples a lot of fish, and in the Cote d'Azur you will find plenty of restaurants to expand your seafood palate. Classic French dishes you may wish to try are salad nicoise, which usually combines tomatoes and anchovies with black olives and capers, and bouillabaisse of fish and saffron flavours.

In the region's capital, book your place at Jouni. This is a small place so a reservation will be necessary, even more so because of its “place to be” label. Run by a Finnish man with an equal appreciation for seafood, the menu is constantly changing with the seasons of the food.

La Palme d'Or at the Hotel Martinez is homage to Cannes Film Festival. The interior is decorated with photographs of movie stars that have graced the town, while the exterior looks out over the Croisette and Cannes bay. The well known Le Chantecler du Negresco is renowned throughout Cannes and beyond for the inspirational style of its food and presentation.

Cote d'Azur's Nightlife

After taking your time over a leisurely meal washed down with fine wine, you should have replenished enough energy to party the night away at one (or several) of the Cote d'Azur's hot spots. La Papagayo is where the beautiful people like to get messy in St Tropez. This extravagant club displays footage of celebrities that have visited, and hosts catwalk shows and occasional product launches like Emporio Armani perfume. Firmly established in the address books of the rich and raunchy, Bardot, Jagger, P Diddy and J Lo have all partied at this exclusive and ultra-hip venue. The VIP Room is another place where film, music and top TV stars adorn the dance floor. Following a revamp the club has combined its eating and partying areas for a more open ambience. This very popular club is open year round unlike many of its competitors, and so has become quite a special place to many modish locals.

Cannes inevitably has its fair share of exuberant night life, particularly in Whisky a GoGo. Although slightly less stuffed with celebrities as in previous years, it still becomes a throbbing den of party animals flush with money and fame during the notorious Cannes Film Festival. One of the region's liveliest gay bars is Cannes' Disco Le Sept. The decent mixes and large dance floor are topped off by an entertaining nightly drag show.

For those who have a more than average disposable income, Monte Carlo's clubs include Jimmy'Z and the Living Room. Jimmy'Z has a pumping atmosphere so be prepared to keep up. For a more refined atmosphere, the exclusive Living Room might be worth a try. Door selection is extremely stringent and a jacket is required. If you are lucky enough to be allowed in, there are comfortable, intimate furnishings and unrivalled services for snacks and drinks. Both DJs and pianists perform here.

Juan les Pins always promises a good night out but with a little less pretence. For a wild night out that the whole family can enjoy, get down to Pam Pam. With live Brazilian music and carnival dancing no one can resist letting their hair down and joining in.