One of the best and most budget friendly ways to explore the beautiful Côte d’Azur area of France is by taking the train.
I’ve travelled extensively throughout this area by train and have always found them to be quick, reliable and cost effective although they can become quite crowded in the summer months.
Top tip: The most important thing to do is make sure you validate your tickets after you buy them in one of the yellow validation machines at the station, if you don’t you can be fined. Rail Europe is a good website for planning your trains in advance but it doesn’t work out any cheaper than buying at the station.
If you wish to explore this area I recommend starting in Cannes and heading east, stopping at some of the smaller places en route such as Antibes, Menton, Juan-les-Pins & Cagnes-sur-Mer.
There are so many beautiful towns and villages on the coast and below I’ve picked just a few that I recommend.
Cannes
Cannes is a beautiful sun-drenched town where the super rich come to holiday and have fun.
It is the setting of the famous annual Cannes Film festival and there are many places of interest to check out such as the Film Festival house, Carlton Hotel, the beach club and casino.
- Cannes Harbour
Cannes
Nice
Nice is the fifth largest city inFrance and as such is a great place to explore.
There is a long promenade next to the beach which stretches along the length of the city, quiet gardens, a harbour, great shops, stunning churches, trendy bars and a whole host of different restaurants to suit every taste and budget.
Notre-Dame. Nice
Sunset in Nice
Villefranche-sur-Mer
From Nice take the short journey east to the stunning town of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Here steep cliffs rise out of the Mediterraneanwith luxurious villas and houses perched precariously on the edges making the most of the beautiful view.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy some food in one of the cafés on the waters edge and soak up some sunshine.
There are also some quaint boutique shops to be explored as well as the interesting and unique Chapelle Saint Pierre which dates back to the 14th century.
Monaco and Monte Carlo
The principality of Monaco and next door Monte Carlo are definitely worth a visit.
Here you can spend time checking out the amazing cars, beautiful people and lavish shops.
If you wish you can even have a coffee in the famous Café de Paris in the main square next to the casino.
View of Monaco and Monte Carlo
The essentials
A direct train from Cannes to Monaco will cost around £8 return.
Shorter journeys between Villefranche and Monaco, for example, are normally less than £4 return.
Introducing the guest author- Emma Gray
Emma is an English Literature student at Glasgow University who loves nothing more than packing a suitcase and jetting off to explore new places.
Read all about her trips and experiences over on her blog Emma’s Travel Tales.
