Is Nice nice?

[PhilipStapleton]

We've got 10 days on a 40 footer based in Nice next month. Any suggestions of where to visit, where to avoid, how to keep costs manageable?

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[tcm]

Nice is great.

10 days gives you long enuf to pootle east down the coast to gulf of st tropez, and back up a bit beyond St tropez too.

I would visit:
st tropez itself, perhaps stay in the port next to the old port, or perhaps stay at anchor outside the port, or in "millionaires bay" just east.

Port Grimaud, all waterways and pictureesquem, stay in the port, good in strong winds. Ringem firstm, they speak english, you want a spot near the church (eglise!)

Ste Maxime, also v close by, cutesy town.

I wd not bother too much with frejus, st raphael or cogolin in this area - they are not crap but not as worth visitng as other places, bit purpiosebuilt, tho frejus has roman ruins somewhere.

Back from st raphael, the esterel coast is all red rock, v dramatic. Can stay for lunch in Agay or overnight if settled, tho not much ashore except long hikey walks.

Best visitable spot further along is Cannes, old port on channel 12 is a good lively place, macdonalds recommended for a coke or just a sit down cos the aircon is mega if it's hot! Good promenade. Cheap lunches on the beach if you shop around - just a salad is quite a load of food. You can anchor out either between the islands a little way out, or in the bay of cannes, good holding.

I wd not bother with Golfe Juan, but anchoring near port gallice is popular. Creful bout holding here it is a bit weak overnight.

Antibes is a nice town, recommended, but you do need to make sure you get a spot on the town side of the marina, otherwise quite a hike to the boat/town. Again, good anchorages right outside the town near beach and dinghy ashore no prob.

Now go east again, to villefranche. Dramatic bay, high coast all around, true "riviera", very popular anchorage, and the town is ok (but not spectacular) careful of 2 cruiseliner buoys in middle of the bay and speed liit inside bay is 5 knots

Monaco is ok, not amazing unles u like banks but oceanographic museum worth seeing. Port hercules is often busy, or Fontvielle. Can't anchor here, too deep.

Menton old port is a must, lovely town, try for a spot further into the old port than on the visitors pontoon, which can be bouncy if any swell. Swmbo's asking sexist med tyyopes for favoutrs is always more successful than blokes.

back in Nice, go in early cos you want to walk along the front to the promenade des anglais be4 12 to see the flower market, and then see the old town and have cheap lunch.

st tropez, port grimaud, ste maxime, cannes, antibes, nice and menton. seven places, 9 nights, shd be ok? the anchoring spots are all near harbours if it cuts up. If you arrive after 8 pm and leave before 7am there is nobody around that you can pay any money to so it's pretty much free, really.














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[Peppermint]

You lucky man.

TCM covers it very well.

I'd add... In Menton there's a great little restaurant in what appears to be a cave on Rue Longue, that's in the heart of the medieval section. It's worth walking up the tiny narrow streets, many of which are like staircases, to the gothic cemetery on top of the hill for the great views.

If the Frenchness is getting you down a great antidote is the all American "Stars & Bars" on the waterfront at Monte-Carlo. It's right next to the Riva speedboat works, you can take a table outside and marvel at the varnish work on the Riva's and watch superyachts manouver in the harbour. I was disappointed in the Maritime Museum it's not a patch on the one in Amsterdam, but it's worth going up the hill for the views from the gardens and to see the palace. The views from the gardens behind the Casino are quite stunning too. We always bite the bullet and have a drink in Casino Sq., not as expensive as you might think. To watch the people coming and going into the Casino is an entertainment in itself. To save your tired legs you can catch a minature road train from the Square all the way up to the Palace.

Beaulieu sur le mer is another place worth a short stay.

I'll second the Flower Market at Nice, good to eat and entertainment at night and just a short walk from the old harbour. and a stroll along the front is always entertaining. Behind the market is a square with cafe's on one side and the court house on the other. Imaginative people watching here, where much of the lawyer/client stuff goes on, gives you enough story lines to write a bestseller when you get home.

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[oldgit]

Nice old town is def worth an evening visit.Lots of little cafes/bars to explore hidden in narrow streets off of busy main square.Experience of marina side bars indicates that some beer prices are impressive to say the least. short walk inland normally restores bit of sanity.
Curious how a beer in Nice(hello Graham) can cost 6/7 euros and the same amount of fluid in Costa de sol(hello Clive) costs around half that.Both from bars overlooking marina.
(Funding for further indepth research of this subject welcome,pref cash.)

<hr width=100% size=1>Two boats please one here n one in the Med

 

[Sybarite]

Personally I would go to Corsica (about 15 hours away overnight). Go to Calvi and then down the coast as far as Bonifacio. If staying on the Continent I would definitely include the islands of Porquerolles and Port Cros on the list.

John

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