Mandy Sue, Mother of Two

The Côte d’Azur is a beautiful coastal region in southeastern France, stretching along the Mediterranean Sea from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border. One of the most iconic destinations in the world, where one can rub elbows with the rich and famous or enjoy the simplicity of French holiday culture. Here is my guide to great locations to post up at for your summer getaway.

Saint-Tropez:

• Saint-Tropez is a legendary town on the French Riviera, famous for its luxurious yachts, beautiful beaches, and vibrant nightlife.
• Staying in the town is a great experience as you can walk to so many great restaurants and cafes.  We got a great villa in the town that had a grassy backyard that would be great for small children. Parking can be tricky and expensive if you have a car, but Uber is available.
• Beaches of Pampelonne are about 15 minutes by car from town and there are beautiful vineyards all along the way, which you can easily make tasting appointments for if you’re interested.  Famous beach club, Le Club 55, is highly recommended, see photos below. Be make sure to call for a reservation.  There are public and private beaches, book beds ahead during peak season.  Also, there is a nude beach between the private beaches, fair warning!
• Saint-Tropez is about 1.5 hour drive from the nearest major airports, so renting a car to get to this destination is almost required as no train gives direct access to the town. The closest train station being Saint-Raphaël, which is still about an hour away from Saint-Tropez.
• Easy access to other towns in the vicinity
  • Ramatuelle: a cute hilltop town
  • Gassin: yet another cute hilltop town, bigger than Ramatuelle
  • Port Grimaud: Venice-like canals and down-to-Earth vibes

La-Croix Valmer and Gigaro:

• These two small villages are about 20 minutes to the south of Saint-Tropez, where you can easily access the same amenities, but get more bang for your buck in your accommodations.
• Cute public beaches line this part of the coast, with a few private beaches like the brand new La Refuge resort and the quaint La Cabane on the Gigaro side and Le Filao Plage and Le Nautic Beach on the La-Croix Valmer side.

Mougins:

• Mougins is a hilltop village located in the hinterland of Cannes, famous for its art galleries and Michelin-starred restaurants.
• About 20-30 minutes from Nice, up in the hills, straight out of a painting and home to Pablo Picasso for 12 years of his life.  
• The central location of this town and the high end amenities make it an ideal base for exploring the whole French Riviera.
  • We only stopped here for lunch so I don’t have as much to advise about here, but it is also close to Cannes which can be convenient.  
  • One day from the port of Cannes, we went on a boat to Île Saint-Marguerite and had lunch at the famous beach club La Guérite, where Elton John often appears and has given impromptu performances. It was quite the experience, see photos below.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer:

• Beaulieu-Sur-Mer is a charming seaside town located about 10 km east of Nice, known for its Belle Epoque architecture and picturesque harbor.
• Just twenty minutes east of Nice, a super quaint town on the water where most of the town is flat and walking distance to the train and other sites in the town, there is also a cute daily market with great fresh fruits and vegetables.  
• Easy access to other towns in the vicinity
  • St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: where you can explore Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, enjoy the famous Paloma Beach and walk the Sentier du Littoral
  • Villefranche-sur-Mer: hillside town, not very stroller friendly, but very picturesque with many reasonably priced and outstanding bistros and a very nice public beach
  • Èze: 12th century stone-walled village at dizzying heights with a Jardin Exotique at the very top, you can actually hike to this town on the Sentier Nietzsche, about a 1.5 hour trail from bottom to top with stunning views all along the way