Nice
Nice is a beautiful city located right along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Having traveled her with our kids a few years earlier, we decided to make this our final stop, mostly because the airport is so close by making it easier to fly home. Canne is VERY expensive! Most of the hotels, especially those along the Promendae de Anglaise are well over 500 Euros per night! This may be reasonable for the amazing view of the beach but since we don't generally spend much time in the hotel awake, we preferred something off the beaten path. Nice's beaches are not like those in Southern California. Instead of sand, there are small rocks. Many sunbathers rely on bamboo mats with beach towels to make if more comfortable. A great majority "rent" lounge chairs along the beach so that they have a place reserved and they are not lying on the rocks. There is a great deal of shopping in Nice and nearby Cannes and it is the usual designer stores . . . Armani, Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, to name just a few. One of the best reasons to choose Nice is, again, the day trips to nearby areas. I would recommend at least two nights here, possibly up to four.
Where to Stay:
Hotel Villa Rivoli
If you enjoy quaint, old-world charm, look no further than this hotel! We really enjoyed our three night stay at this lovely hotel. Three blocks from the Promenade de Anglaise, the location is perfect. I think the people on TripAdvisor.com who complain about the small room sizes have failed to take into consideration that this is an authentic converted home from the Belle Epoch period. Rooms are on the small side but since we rarely spent time other than to sleep in it, it was more than adequate. We were in a quiet room, # 8 a superior room, and had a window overlooking the beautiful garden. Unfortunately, we were not advised that we needed to request on-site parking in advance, so once we dropped our bags, we went down two blocks and parked in a public garage which, we felt, was very expensive (70 Euros for 3 nights) considering it could've been free had there been room in their lot. (It would be nice if like other hotels we have stayed at, they would've negotiated a better rate with the garage for their guests as they only have 4 spots of their own.) The bed was very comfortable, however, I did not discover the one feather pillow until our second night. The other two pillows were quite hard. The air conditioning worked very well as did the shower and fixtures. I appreciated having a mirror in the room outside of the bath so that I could dry my hair while Gar shaved and showered. We went out to breakfast the first day to find omelets. It cost about the same as eating in the hotel so the next two mornings we ate on the terrace. The soft-boiled eggs were enjoyed by my husband and I made do with pastries, cereals, meats and cheeses. (a very typical French breakfast) Contrary to some other reviews, we did not find the staff here to be rude at all. In fact, they were very helpful and a bit shy. One of their recommended restaurants was a bit more touristy than we prefer so we trusted TA for the next two nights. Whenever we asked for directions, they were very helpful, drawing locations on our map along with the name. We borrowed two straw mats for a day at the beach in Villefranche-sur-mer. (Interestingly, the hotel does not have beach towels in this city known for their beaches? We had to buy a 20 Euro towel to share and lug them home!) I’m sure there are other more outstanding hotels in Nice, in fact, we’ve stayed at one on prior trips with our kids, but they are 500 Euros or more per night and we found the value and service at Hotel Villa Rivoli to be exceptional!Room Tip: We loved our superior room #8 and would request it again.
Where to Eat:
Coco & Rico
Our hotel recommended this restaurant as it was a short walk away. Glad they did! The service we received here was warm and friendly. Many of the dishes are charcoal smoked and the chicken that I enjoyed was cooked perfectly this way. My husband had the Red Mullet fish and although it tasted really good, he had a difficult time with all the small bones. Perhaps he didn't cut it right but every bite required removal of a small bone from his mouth. The recommended wine was nice and the price reasonable. They are very accommodating here as when we were almost finished, three more couples arrived and they fired the oven back up. Not many places that I've been to would be willing to start service of a meal at 10:30 at night! Definitely worth the visit!Bistro Saint Louis
We tried this chic little bistro after reading about it on TripAdvisor.com. It was our kind of restaurant! Cute and trendy inside, we were seated in the front window in a cozy, romantic corner! Our server welcomed us warmly and suggested the aperitif de maison, a lovely strawberry puree in some amazing champagne. Far from being a tourist trap, we felt like locals eating here. We both shared some amazing foie gras. (We didn’t really enjoy the toast it came with it but the foie gras was one of the best!) We both opted for the homemade tagliatelle pasta-my husband had mushrooms but they were out of shrimp so I had Iberia ham which made it a bit salty. Nonetheless, it was a large portion and we enjoyed it along with a lovely bottle of regional red wine. We had pre-ordered a soufflé as they needed extra time to prepare it. The restaurant became quite busy and our soufflé was forgotten. Not a problem though as we were quite full and content with our meal. If you are looking for a restaurant that has great service and really good food, this is the place!
Blue Beach (Plage) Restaurant
On our last night of each vacation, we try to find a really nice restaurant in which to recap our adventures. It doesn't have to be expensive but it has to be "special." We decided to try one that we were sure would be a "Not-so-good-tourist-trap" only because it overlooked the beautiful Mediterranean Sea! What a nice surprise! We thought that since we were in Nice, no matter how touristy it may seem, we should have dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach in front of the Promenade de Anglaise. Our hotel recommended the Blue Beach as the one where they send their guests. We arrived around 8:20 without reservations. It was not a problem. We were a bit concerned that the place was not very crowded but wrote it off to it being a Sunday night just before Bastille Day. We were seated at a nice table looking out over the beach. The weather was perfect for dining outside and we enjoyed the setting sun with two Kir Royales. We placed our order and it was served rather quickly. We both ordered the Sole Au Meniere and WOW! I am so happy I didn't have to share! It was by far THE best fish we had eaten the entire trip. De-boned and prepared table-side it melted in our mouths! The au gratin potatoes and the small broccoli quiches complimented it well and the bottle of Cotes du Rhone Rosé was perfection. We shared a small dish of ice cream for dessert and left there so happy! We could not have asked for a better last night meal! 
What to Do:
Driving from Aix-en-Provence, it was fun to stop for lunch in St. Tropez. The huge yachts that sit right in front of the open air bistros are a feast for the eyes. The traffic is thick and the food is very touristy but it's totally worth it to say you "lunched in St. Tropez!"
Day Trip to Monaco
The train station in Nice is about a 15 minute walk from the Hotel Villa Rivoli. Having a car is not necessary in Monaco . . . unless it's a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Astin Martin or similar car. The parade of high dollar cars past Monte Carlo is a daily treat. With dark tinted windows, the drivers would love for you to think they are some celebrity or wealthy yacht owner but in reality, probably not! The cars are beautiful though and tourists by the dozens step out in front of them to catch the perfect photo! Walking around the Palace, the harbor and the casino, it's easy to see why the wealthy flock here and why the looky-loos do too! You can walk around the outside of the Monte Carlo casino but it costs money to get into the actual casino. This little country is a great day trip from Nice and since we had been to Nice before when we weren't empty nesters, this was perfect!
Day Trip to Villefranche-Sur-Mer
On the last day of our two week escapade, we decided a day at the beach would be the perfect preventative measure for the long flight home the next day! We borrowed some beach mats from the hotel, purchased one large beach towel and some SPF 30 sunscreen and hopped in the car for the short drive to Villefranche-Sur-Mer. The beaches are rocky and crowded, the parking is difficult, the bathrooms are disgusting, and the water is cold and not so beautiful but it was perfect! Nothing like experiencing something different and new. There are people of all sizes, all sorts of bathing suits and optional tops for women! Great people watching to be had, for sure! After a few hours in the sun, soaking up the Vitamin D, one's mood can't help but be lifted! We enjoyed lunch at a nearby, beachfront restaurant, followed by gelato while watching the waves! Such a memorable, relaxing day. The perfect ending to our Southern France escapade!
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