Commoners Also Love France's Côte d'Azur
A Frugal Traveler's Guide to the South of France
France's Côte d'Azur (azure coast) is a 75-mile long playground that wiggles and waggles along three elevations from St-Tropez to Monaco. Since 1956, when bikini-clad Brigitte Bardot made a sensation filming on the beaches of St-Tropez to Hollywood weddings and annual film festivals, the French Riviera has continued to attract sun seekers and celebrities for the annual rites of summer.
But mere mortals should not overlook this fabled area for a holiday of their own, even if accommodations on the Riviera can push opulence to the sublime. Here are a few tips:
A Villa Rental Can Be Inexpensive
Even though most rental companies specializing in European destinations call themselves "villa" rental agencies, the properties actually range from apartments and cottages to farmhouses and castles. Rentvillas, a California-based company with more than 1700 properties in eight countries, has accommodations in all sizes and price ranges. Renting a house and car can be done for as little as $250 per person per night.
Buy a France Rail Pass
The best way to reach the Côte d'Azur from another location in France is to buy a 3-day France Railpass before you leave the U.S. Much cheaper than point-to-point train tickets, the rail pass lets you take unlimited train trips on each rail travel day, and it can be used anytime within a one-month period.
For travelers who want to have a few days in Paris or London before or after their holiday, the rail pass is a deal. Priced at around $300 for 1st class travel throughout France, pass holders are also eligible for a reduced 1st class fares to London on Eurostar, and other reduced fares on museum passes, guided tours, and rental cars. The pass must be purchased in advance.
Smell the Roses in Grasse Perfume Factories
As far back as the Middle Ages, Grasse was an important economic center, and today two well know perfume factories-Fragonard and Galimard-are located here. Fragonard offers a free guided tour of its manufacturing facilities and has a lovely museum that traces the history of the industry from the time fragrances were used to perfume leather gloves. It also has facilities in Paris and Ezé.
Galimard also offers a free guided visit through its laboratories and conditioning rooms where you can learn about the extraction methods from raw material to treasured scents. It also has a perfume museum in Ezé where soap production takes place.
Hit the Public Beach in Cannes
While many beaches charge a fee to use the spaces owned by hotels along Boulevard de la Croisette, the public beach is free to enjoy without charge. A visit to Vieux Ville (Old Town), known as Le Suquet, requires a healthy climb up narrow streets to Notre-Dame de l'Esperance, a 17th century church, but it's worth the climb. A great place to shop for picnic supplies is nearby Marché Forville, a fabulous indoor market.
Explore the Hilltop Village St-Paul-de-Vence
St-Paul-de-Vence is one of the area's most perfectly preserved medieval towns. There's no charge to wander up its narrow, hilly, and slippery cobbled streets and poke into every shop, gallery, and craft shop the town has to offer. Local shops here carry a huge selection of terracotta Santons, Provençal figurines used for Christmas cribs that make great souvenirs.
Sightseeing Cruises A Tour Coastal French Towns
Trans Côte d'Azur operates cruises to Monaco, St-Tropez, and Iles de Lérins from Cannes and Nice. The Cannes-Monaco trip provides a lovely glimpse of coastal towns en route and gives passengers a full afternoon in Monaco for lunch, sightseeing, or gambling. Some cruises combine two destinations.
Take a Drive Along a Corniche
Roads called "corniches" link the 17 miles between Nice and Menton on three levels. The lowest, which follows all the twists of the coastline practically at sea level, is the Corniche Inferieure (sometime called Basse Corniche). Start at the old port of Nice and follow it through the tiny towns that spill down to the sea, including Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu, and the Cap-Ferrat peninsula.
The Moyenne Corniche (middle road) curves through villages perched on outcroppings of rocks. The most well known is Ezé, a cluster of ancient buildings set 1,400 feet above sea level.
The Grand Corniche, built by Napoleon partially on the foundation of the ancient Roman Aurelian Way, is the most difficult to navigate. Stick with the lower road for lovely scenery, breathtaking views, and quaint seaside cafés.
Sample Le Cuisine de Soleil
The south of France is known for its "cuisine of the sun," a term supposedly coined by Roger Vergé, former Michelin-star chef of Le Moulin de Mougins, five miles north of Cannes. Typical fare includes extravagances like beef carpaccio and sautéed veal, but many Italian-influenced dishes like risotto, gnocchi, fried calamari, and salads made with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil are available at cafés and pizzerias.
Buy Local Specialties Olive Oil, Candied Roses, Lavender
Great food souvenirs from the region are olive oil, honey, perfume, linens and dried lavender sachets in Provençal fabrics. Unusual and delicious gifts can also be found at Confiserie Florian, a company that transforms fruits and flowers into sweets and candies. Their preserved fruits are a lightweight souvenir and champagne will be that much tastier with FLorian's candied rose petals floating on top. Florian has two shops with visitor centers-in Tourette-Sur-Loup and at the old port of Nice.
St-Paul-de-Vence is a Beautiful Medieval Hilltown
|
Tourists Flock to Beaches in Cannes
|
Tour Grasse Perfume Factories For Free
|
Cafés Line Streets on Cannes Old Town
|
Terracotta Santons are Good Souvenirs
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Travel
Latest Articles