French Riviera
If you have plans to visit South of France in the future, there are few places that you should definitely visit. French Riviera is extremely beautiful and the coastline is full of gems. It is very hard to pick only certain things to talk about, but I will list some of my favourite places.
I have been to French Riviera 3 times and I have never been disappointed. The best times to travel to France is in May/ beginning of June or later in August, because believe me, the beaches and streets are crowded and it is difficult to walk around or find a good spot to lay down by the sea. Do not worry about not going in the middle of the summer, because the weather is still hot and the water can actually cool you down. I might not be as good as a help by choosing a hotel as I have always just picked one which is closest to the promenade, but still is affordable. And there are many hotels like that - the only thing you have to consider is that French breakfast (and that is in every real France hotel) consist only of toast and coffee, not matter how much you are willing to pay for a room.
I will start with Nice, because I really love this city the most from all the other towns and it has this Italian vibe to it. Nice is a great tourist attraction because of its shopping, excellent restaurants and bars, and beaches. I love their beaches because it is more stoney rather than sandy. I suggest to spend as much time as possible soaking in the sun and enjoying the city, maybe in the morning visit their antique markets. Cours Saleya market is set up every morning and they sell fresh produce, cheese, olives etc, and sometimes even local jewellery. A cool place to explore in Nice is Castle Hill and to get there, take one of the little trains from the promenade which climbs up to the mountain, but also lets you rest and gives great views to the city. Roundtrip costs around 5€ per person. The castle itself was built for military purpose and has been there since 11th century. For now it is a park and is said to "a must see" places in Nice. Definitely worth the visit! If you love art as much as I do, then you should know that Nice is a home for Marc Chagall's national museum and also Matisse museum and his villa. These museums have very good exhibitions and original work. Both of these buildings are unique and the landscape is peaceful. If you have more time and do not mind an exercise, I would rather walk up the hill, enjoy the city and get more scenic views. Don't forget to walk the Promenade des Anglais!
If you want add more luxury and glam to your travel, then Cannes is the place to go. It is more expensive city than Nice or Antibes, but again beautiful. You can shop in all the designer boutiques, walk the Promenade de la Croisette and Cannes have sandy beaches. As said before, May is a good time to visit French Riviera and if you are interested then the Cannes film festival is in that month.
Probably the most iconic and well-know city in the French Riviera is St. Tropez. This is a "a must go" destination in your trip to South of France. St. Tropez is relatively small, but has amazing high class restaurants and it is no surprise if you pump into celebrities. They say that the best beach in French Riviera is also in St. Tropez - Pampellone beach and it truly is spectacular. Even Karl Lagerfeld have mentioned the city as paradise.
So, this is my list for French Riviera. Obviously there are so much more to see (example Cassis or Antibes) and visit, but if you are only travelling for a week, then you don't have time to go everywhere. If you have any questions, let me know!