The summer months are approaching at last, after a winter stretch seems to have truly stretched out for too long. Many of us are aching for a good sunny holiday away, and have been since even before the end of last summer; according to recent statistics, even the prospect of a tighter household budget hasn’t deterred us from taking that life-affirming annual trip away.
In starting to daydream about your next big holiday, you might find yourself stuck on where to venture. There are a great many candidates for a luxuriant summer break, but one stretch of balmy destinations which perhaps elevates above them all…
The French Riviera
The French Riviera, or Cote d’Azur, is not a tightly-defined thing. Instead, the name vaguely describes a stretch of southern European coast, all of which naturally enjoys the incredible trappings that south-facing Mediterranean coastlines do. There’s no official start or end point to the Riviera, but it definitively includes the likes of Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice and coast of Monaco.
It is a coastal stretch that offers much more than the glorious weather it enjoys, too. The cities, towns and villages that stippled this southern seaside thrum with cultural heritage, from beautiful architecture to incredible cuisine and far, far beyond.
Tips for Travel
Travelling to the Cote d’Azur from the UK is an absolute dream, given its proximity, the relatively inexpensive price of travel and the various ways in which you can travel. If you don’t fancy contributing air miles via short-haul flights, you can just as easily train your way down via the Channel Tunnel – which could also save you more money if arranged the right way. Saving money on holiday travel like this allows you to spare less expense while actually on your holiday – which can only be a good thing when it comes to a destination known for its high life.
You might eschew the confines of a budget hotel room for something a little more befitting of your glitterati getaway, though in the case of group or family holidays this can often also become an economically-friendly choice anyway. You haven’t truly visited the French Riviera if you haven’t sat on a sun-dappled terrace sipping bubbly and tasting the local seafood – so be sure to work that into your holiday plans, one way or another.
Best Places to Visit
But where to go, in this veritable sun-soaked playground? There are obvious contenders, of which Cannes is a frontrunner. Home to the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival, this town is a must-visit all summer long – and perhaps best visited either said of said festival, if only to avoid the throng and get first pick of the beach spots.
Nice is a cultural delight of a city, much more populous than most other Riviera destinations and also much more of a warren to explore – in the best possible way. Monaco, meanwhile, is truly a bucket-list destination, though perhaps out of most holiday budgets thanks to its highly inflated economy.
2 comments
Be careful about your timing! If you try to stay in Cannes in May – during the festival – you will either pay an absolute fortune or have to stay way outside the town.
April is already a nice month to visit.
Reblogged this on Myaz_Nuggetz.