PaylorMade Recommends: The French Riviera & Monaco, a Travel Guide

The French Riviera & Monaco: A PaylorMade Travel Guide

Personal guide · Real experiences · No filler

Let me be upfront with you: the French Riviera lives up to every bit of the hype. The water really is that blue. The beach clubs really are that good. Monaco really is outrageously glamorous in a way that feels almost absurd — and you'll love every second of it.

This isn't a listicle of things to Google. This is what I actually did, what I'd do differently, and the specific spots I'd book again without hesitation. Use it as your starting point and reach out when you're ready to plan — because a trip like this deserves to be done right.

Before You Go: The Basics

Fly into Nice. It has an international airport, great train connections, and serves as the perfect home base for the whole coast. From there, the Riviera unfolds by train, Uber, and the occasional rental car for smaller towns.

A few things worth knowing before you land:

Trains along the coast are fast, cheap, and often faster than driving — especially in July and August. Use them. Rome2Rio.com is the best tool for figuring out routes between any two towns. That said, rent a car if you're staying anywhere small — Ubers are basically nonexistent outside of Nice, Monaco, and Cannes.

The best time to visit is May through June or September through October. The weather is perfect, the crowds are manageable, and you can actually get a reservation. July and August are stunning but absolutely packed — if that's when you're going, book everything before you leave home.

Book Michelin restaurants and beach clubs in advance. Not a week out. Weeks out. The good ones fill up fast and most don't do walk-ins.

And if you can swing it — charter a boat. Two hours from Nice harbor through Liven Up completely changes how you see the coastline. Follow it with lunch at Mojito Bar or La Shounga in the harbor. One of the best afternoons of the trip.

Beach Clubs: The Real Riviera Experience

Here's the thing about the French Riviera that no one quite prepares you for: the beach club is the whole point. It's not an activity you squeeze in between sightseeing. It is the day. Arrive late morning, find your lounger, order a cold rosé, and let lunch drift slowly into the afternoon. This is what you came here for.

These are the ones worth booking:

Paloma Beach Club — Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The moment you come around the curve in the road and see this below you, you'll understand immediately. Jaw-dropping doesn't cover it. Spend the whole day.

Plage Keller — Antibes. Classic Riviera setup: hills behind you, boats in the water, the Mediterranean in front. This is the area that made the Côte d'Azur famous.

La Guérite — Cannes. Worth the short boat ride out. One of the best on the coast.

Bagatelle — Cannes and Saint-Tropez. Great for a full beach day or a late dinner.

La Réserve de la Mala — Cap d'Ail. A stunning hidden cove tucked between Monaco and Nice. One of the most beautiful spots on the entire coast.

Passable Beach Club — Villefranche-sur-Mer. Calm, clear water and a relaxed vibe in a beautiful bay.

ANAO Beach Club — Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Elegant and well-situated on the eastern Riviera.

Nikki Beach — Saint-Tropez. The icon. Worth it for the experience alone.

Cocoon Beach Club / Le Galet — Nice. Both solid options for an afternoon with wine on the beach.

Stop 01 — Théoule-sur-Mer

About 30 minutes from Nice by train to Cannes, then 10 minutes by car or taxi

Tiny, beautiful, and genuinely unhurried — Théoule is the perfect soft landing for the Riviera. Find an Airbnb with a terrace, open a bottle of rosé, and watch the light change over the bay. That's essentially the entire program, and it's exactly right.

Honest take: there is very little to do here. Only a couple of restaurants in town, and you'll need to go to Cannes for groceries. This is a relaxing night's rest, not a base for exploration. Train into Cannes, then rent a car — Ubers and cabs are hard to find in smaller towns and you'll be stranded without a set of wheels.

Where to Eat

Le Cabanon Restaurant Plage is a must for lunch — tables right on the rocks with the Mediterranean directly behind you. Order the tartare. Don't skip this.

Bistro M for dinner. L'Or Bleau or Moya later in the season, both right on the water.

Stop 02 — Monaco

About 20–25 minutes from Nice by train. Trains run frequently along the coast.

One of the absolute highlights of the entire trip. I only spent one night and would do two or more next time without question. Monaco is outrageously expensive, impossibly glamorous, and entirely worth every euro.

Important note: buy train tickets in advance at smaller stations — some have no ticket machines, no staff, and no bathrooms. Plan accordingly.

If you can time your trip around the Grand Prix, do it. Practice day is far more affordable than race day and the energy is incredible. During the race weekend, the main streets of Monte Carlo are closed during the day — factor that into your plans.

Where to Stay

Hotel Metropole is steps from the Monte Carlo Casino and Hôtel de Paris. The location is unbeatable.

Where to Eat & Drink

The Hotel de Paris Terrace is non-negotiable. Sit outside and watch genuinely insane supercars circle the casino roundabout for hours. It's expensive, it's theatrical, and it is the Monaco experience in a single sitting.

Blue Bay at Monte Carlo Bay Hotel has a Michelin star and came as a local driver recommendation — it turned out to be one of the best meals of the entire trip. Don't miss it.

The Monte Carlo Casino is worth going to for the setting alone. Dress up (required), leave your phone in your pocket for photos (not allowed inside), and manage your expectations if you're a Vegas regular — the gaming is not the point here, the room is.

Hôtel de Paris Garden for dinner if you're celebrating something. Absolutely stunning, absolutely expensive, absolutely worth it for a special occasion.

Buddha Bar for a drink after dinner. Great atmosphere.

Stop 03 — Nice

Base city — trains radiate out to Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, Èze, and Villefranche

Nice is large, convenient, and honestly not the most charming city on the Riviera. But it has the international airport and the best train connections, which makes it the practical hub for any itinerary along the coast.

Real talk: I'd skip Nice as a destination and use it purely as a base. If I were doing it again, I'd go straight Monaco → Èze and day-trip to Cap Ferrat from there. That said — Restaurant JAN alone makes a night in Nice worth it.

Things to Do

The Marché aux Fleurs at Cours Saleya is genuinely gorgeous. Go early, before the crowds. Buckets of flowers in every color, incredible produce, the full Provençal market experience.

Rent bikes along the seafront — stations are everywhere, it's cheap and easy, and riding along the Promenade des Anglais with the sea beside you is one of those simple moments that ends up being a highlight.

Maison Tralala is a tour worth booking — meet at the tourist office, bring clothes for lunch, and ask for driver Nicola. A+ experience for getting beyond the obvious tourist trail.

Where to Stay

Hotel La Perouse has a great location and a beautiful garden breakfast. Standard European hotel, nothing flashy, but well-situated for exploring on foot.

Where to Eat & Drink

Restaurant JAN is the best dinner of the trip — nine courses, one Michelin star, and the kind of meal you'll talk about for years. Reserve well in advance. This is not optional if you're spending a night in Nice.

Le Plongeoir for lunch. The restaurant is literally built on rocks jutting into the sea, with the water churning below. The setting alone earns the visit; the food is solid.

Le Safari for a casual lunch near the flower market. La Mère Germaine for a quiet dinner — a bit away from the center of Nice, but worth the trip. Order the curry shrimp.

Buddha Bar for drinks, Le Galet or Cocoon Beach Club for an afternoon on the beach with a glass of wine.

Stop 04 — Èze

About 10 minutes by train to Èze-sur-Mer station, then a steep 20-minute walk up — or about 20 minutes by Uber for around $25

I don't have adequate words for Èze. It sits at the very top of a cliff with some of the best views in the entire world, and it is deeply, thoroughly romantic. I did it as a day trip from Nice. Next time, I'm staying one or two nights, full stop. Non-negotiable.

Where to Stay

There are only two hotels in the village. Both are extraordinary.

Château Eza (chateaueza.com) is a stunning clifftop property with a Michelin-starred restaurant. La Chèvre d'Or (chevredor.com) has extraordinary terrace views — arguably the most stunning on the entire French Riviera — and its own Michelin-starred dining.

Where to Eat & Drink

La Taverne d'Antan is a must. Keep walking past Château Eza to the very top of the village. Family-run Italian, about 15 tables, two family members running the whole operation. The food is fabulous, the outdoor tables are perfect, and the atmosphere is completely unpretentious. After days of grand French meals, this place is exactly what you need.

La Chèvre d'Or terrace for drinks at sunset. The views are unreal. I mean this literally — you'll look out over the coastline and not be entirely sure it's a real place. This is the best spot for a sunset drink on the entire Riviera.

Both Château Eza and La Chèvre d'Or have Michelin-starred restaurants worth reserving for a special dinner. Cap Estel is another option for a very special dining experience.

Stop 05 — Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

About 15 minutes by train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, then 10 minutes by taxi — or 30 minutes by Uber directly

Quintessential Côte d'Azur. The moment you come around the curve in the road and see Paloma Beach Club below you, the extra Uber fare feels like the best money you've ever spent. This is the Riviera at its most iconic.

Spend the whole day at Paloma. Reserve a lounger in advance. Don't rush.

Walk the Sentier du Littoral coastal path around the Cap — dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, crystal-clear water, and villas half-hidden in the trees. It's one of the most beautiful walks on the coast.

Visit Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a stunning pink villa with formal gardens and sea views on both sides. It looks like a movie set.

For dinner, La Mère Germaine on the waterfront is quiet, quaint, and lovely. Order the curry shrimp.

Day Trip — Antibes & Cannes

About 30 minutes to Antibes from Nice, 40 minutes to Cannes — both on the main coastal train line

Both are easily done from Nice in a single day and work beautifully together. Here's the itinerary that worked perfectly:

Morning train from Nice to Antibes → cab to Plage Keller beach club (the area that made the Riviera famous, and it lives up to it) → afternoon drinks at Hotel Eden Roc → Uber to Cannes for dinner at Baoli around 10pm.

In Antibes: Plage Keller for the beach club experience. Hotel Eden Roc in the afternoon — the terraces and pool carved into the rocks above the sea are stunning and genuinely iconic. Worth every euro for a drink or two. Wander the Marché Provençal for local produce, flowers, and great detail shots if you have a camera. The old port of Antibes (Port Vauban) has beautiful rows of sailboats with the old town ramparts behind them.

In Cannes: Baoli is the dinner. Very lively and fun from around 10pm — go late, dress up, enjoy. La Guérite and Bagatelle are both excellent for a full beach club day if you want to split the time between the two towns differently. Walk La Croisette boulevard at golden hour — the palm-lined promenade with the sea on one side and grand hotels on the other is exactly as beautiful as it looks in every photo.

What to Eat & Drink

The Riviera sits at the meeting point of French and Italian culinary traditions, and the food reflects it beautifully. Here's where to start:

Socca — Nice's beloved street food. A thin, crispy chickpea pancake. Find it at Cours Saleya market. Order one immediately upon arrival, before anything else.

Pan bagnat — the Niçoise pressed sandwich: tuna, olives, anchovies, vegetables, and olive oil on a round roll. The most satisfying lunch you'll have all trip.

Salade Niçoise — the real version, eaten outdoors: tuna, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, Niçoise olives, anchovies. Not the dressed-up restaurant interpretation — the honest one, with a glass of rosé.

Provence rosé — the wine of the Riviera. Pale, dry, and perfect with absolutely everything. Order it everywhere, all the time, without apology.

Pastis — the anise-flavored aperitif of southern France. Order it before lunch, before dinner, before anything. This is how the locals do it.

Photography Tips for the Riviera

Golden hour is everything here. The light on the water and the white and terracotta buildings in the hour before sunset is genuinely magical — plan your evenings around it.

Shoot from above whenever you can. The clifftop views looking down on the coastline are what the Riviera is all about. Èze and the Castle Hill in Nice are the two best spots for this.

Boat trips give you angles you simply cannot get from land. The coastline from the water looks completely different — if you're here for content, this is worth doing for the shots alone.

The water color along this coast is extraordinary. Make sure you're actually capturing it and not just the food and the interiors.

Pack a nice outfit for Monaco and the Michelin spots. You'll want to shoot there, and the settings genuinely demand it.

Quick Tips & Logistics

Getting around: Train between the main stops, Uber in Nice and Monaco, rental car for anywhere smaller. Trains are faster than driving in busy season — use them.

Currency: Euro. Most places take cards, but carry cash for markets, smaller cafés, and beach clubs.

Tipping: Not mandatory in France, but 5–10% for exceptional service is appreciated. Locals tip modestly.

Electricity: 230V/50Hz — bring a European adapter.

Time zone: 6 hours ahead of US Eastern.

Dress code: Smart casual at Michelin restaurants. Monte Carlo Casino requires dressing up. Swimwear and a cover-up at beach clubs is standard.

Emergency Contacts — Keep These Handy

U.S. Embassy Paris: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris · +33 143 122 222

US Citizens: Valid passport required. No visa needed for stays of 3 months or less. Be prepared to show sufficient funds and a roundtrip or onward ticket.

PAYLORMADE TRAVEL LINKS

You know I'm always on the lookout for the best ways to make travel seamless and memorable. Over the years, I've built relationships with companies I truly trust — and I've gathered all my favorite partners in one place for you below.

Packing & Resources

• A few of my favorite tools and resources to make your trip even smoother:Pack with PaylorMade Travel Favorites

• Book hotels with exclusive perks → PaylorMade Travel Hotel Perks

• Tours & Activities via Viator

• Book tours worldwideLIV Tours — More custom, less touristy (worth every penny)

• Rome2Rio — Plug in any two cities and it'll show you the best way to get between them

• Check travel requirements and visa details for any country with this link.

• Travel Insurance via Travel Insured

• PaylorMade International Travel Must-Haves

• Best way to book a transfer

• View all my links in one place here. 

Have questions, need reservation assistance, or want to add an excursion? Reach out anytime. That's exactly what we're here for! Thank you so much for your business, and for trusting PaylorMade Travel with your journey. 

With Gratitude, Megan Paylor
PaylorMade Travel · A Virtuoso Travel Agency
megan@paylormadetravel.com
@paylormadetravel

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