7 Day Itinerary

A week is not really sufficient time to take in all the beauty and sensory experiences of the French Riviera, but it will at least give you a chance to see a mix of coastal glamour spots, medieval villages, a few museums, sample the delicious regional food and wine, and still have a chance to work on your tan! Most of our holiday rental apartments and villas at Sunlight Properties are ideally placed close to transport links making it a cinch for you to get out and explore this stunning region. To view our collection of beautiful holiday letting properties, click here.

Day 1 – Nice Discovery

Lose yourself in the labyrinthine streets of the Old Town of Nice. Be sure to take in the beauty of Place Garibaldi at the Northern end, then zig zag your way along rue Pairolière to the animated Cours Saleya market. Sit down dunk your croissant in your café crème and watch the spectacle unfold. Trot up the ‘Parc du Chateau’ hill adjacent to Vieux Nice (Old Town) and breath in the fresh air and spectacular views over Nice and the Côte d’Azur. Meander around to the Port and onto the Sentier Littoral walkway that follows the craggy coastline of Cap de Nice. Admire the exquisite villas that dot the lush hillside. On your return choose from one of the many portside restaurants for a well earned lunch and pastis. After lunch a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais is obligatory, or if you prefer, whip off your gear and catch some rays on the beach. In the evening be sure to wander around Place Massena and its colourful illuminated artworks. Surround yourself in Baroque beauty at the Opera House, or visit a wine bar and relax with cool jazz and a chilled rosé. To view our holiday apartments to let in Nice, click here.

Day 2 – Art & Architecture

Thanks to the numerous artists that have called the French Riviera home at some point in their lives throughout the 20th century, Nice has an incredible array of museums – most of which are free! You can wander through the avant-garde pieces displayed at the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain or view the likes of Dufy, Sisley, and Monet at the Musée des Beaux-Arts housed in a villa built for a Ukrainian princess. The Marc Chagall Museum has the largest collection of Chagall works in the world and the nearby Musée Matisse shows Henri Matisse’s earliest and final works, and everything in between. Within the same area are Roman ruins and a Franciscan abbey with a beautiful garden attached. All of these museums are easy to reach from your Sunlight Properties holiday rental apartment in Nice. To view our apartments to let in Nice, click here.

Day 3 – Day Trips On The French Riviera

Take a day trip via train (25 minutes from Nice) to the tiny principality of Monaco and ogle at the glamour and glitz of casinos, Bentleys, and super yachts. Be sure to visit the Old Town that sits on the rocky promontory and is also the site of the Palace, the Oceanographic Museum made famous by Jacques Cousteau, and the Cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier lie entombed. On the way back you could stop at Eze , the perfectly preserved medieval village that appears to have grown out of the rock. Bus 112 will get you to Eze from Nice in 30 minutes and you can take Bus 100 to Monaco from Nice in about 45 minutes, visit the bus network site for further details: www.lignesdazur.com. Or you can choose to base yourself for your vacation at one of our holiday villas to rent in Eze or Cap d’Ail , click here.

Day 4 – Beach & Villas

Take the 10 minute train ride to Beaulieu Sur Mer (or 15 minutes by Bus 100 or 81 from the centre of Nice, visit the bus network site for further details: www.lignesdazur.com), and see the wonderful seaside Kerylos Villa created by an architect obsessed with all things ancient Greek – every part of the villa’s creation pays homage to this passion. Wander past the beach and along the coastal path towards the little port of St. Jean Cap Ferrat. You can see David Niven’s former home, a pretty pink villa – imagine the parties that went on there! Continue up to the spectacular Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild; where Beatrice Ephrussi built her own dream Riviera villa - no expense spared. The garden is simply gorgeous with beautiful views back to Villefranche Sur Mer . Enjoy a cup of tea and a sweet treat beneath the roses. Wander to the port, through the charming town of St. Jean Cap Ferrat and follow the signs to Paloma Beach - a dreamy little secret spot with a great restaurant right on the sand. Have lunch, and recuperate with a swim. You can then continue all the way around the peninsula or return by bus to Villefranche Sur Mer a candy coloured medieval fishing village. Have an ‘apero’ at one of the waterfront bars and restaurants that line the quai, sit and watch the mega yachts pull up in the harbour, beside fishermen in their colourful caÏques fishing boats. The train will have you back in Nice in no time at all. Depending on which quarter your holiday apartment is based in, it will take 5 minutes to get to the Riquier train station or 8 minutes to Nice-Ville (the central station), or 10 minutes by Bus 81 or 100 to the centre of Nice. Alternatively you can rent a gorgeous holiday villa in St. Jean Cap Ferrat , Beaulieu or Villefranche, to view our villas click here.

Day 5 – Museums & Villages

Take the 15 minute train ride to Antibes from Nice (or simply choose to stay right here in one of our villas in Antibes) and breakfast in the atmospheric old town. You can also take Bus 200 from the centre of Nice to Antibes in 25 minutes (visit the bus network site for further details: www.lignesdazur.com). Visit the Picasso Museum that is housed in a wonderful old fortified castle beside the sea. You can then take the bus (Bus 400 from the centre of Nice to St. Paul de Vence in about 1 hour) to see the Fondation Maeght, one of the finest private collections of modern and contemporary art anywhere in the world, uniquely set in a pine forest and magical garden. A short walk from here is the breathtaking medieval village of St Paul de Vence. A classic rendition of the famous Provençal perched villages. Perfectly preserved and set within the ramparts lies a maze of tiny cobbled streets filled with galleries and art studios. This celebrity village was first ‘discovered’ by Bonnard, Modigliani, and others of the 1920s. Since then, many of the rich and famous have flocked to St. Paul. The local museum displays photos of some of these visitors, such as Simon de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Catherine Deneuvre, Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo . . . Many of whom slept and dined at the Colombe d’Or auberge. Today it has an incredible 20th century art collection built up over the years from struggling artists who paid with their paintings in lieu of money. The collection includes works by Miró, Picasso and Braque. You can dine here also (but book well ahead) and enjoy the famous artwork, or a more humble option is lunch at one of the picturesque cafes in the village. Be sure to take in the view at the Southern end of the village that overlooks the sea and the cemetery (the final resting place of Chagall, the Maeghts, and Escoffier) before returning to Nice. To view our holiday villas to rent in Antibes or St. Paul de Vence, click here.

Day 6 – Magical Islands

A short boat ride from Cannes, can be found the magical islands known as the Iles de Lerins. The two islands are separated by a narrow strait and were once home to the most powerful religious centre in France. One of the islands, St. Honorat, is named after a Gallo-Roman saint who founded a monastery here in the 4th century. The second island Ste. Marguerite, was named after his sister who following in her brother’s footsteps and set up a nunnery. Its fort is famous for being the prison that held the ‘Man in the Iron Mask’, who spent 11 years incarcerated here in the 17th century. The eucalyptus and pine scented islands couldn’t be more contrasting from the glitz and glamour of Cannes. On your return to Cannes walk along the palm tree lined La Croisette, perhaps enjoy an ‘apero’ at the famous Carlton hotel before dining in one of the cute restaurants found in Le Suquet, the name of the Old Town of Cannes. You can be back at your holiday apartment in Nice for a good night’s sleep in only 30 minutes by train; or take Bus 200 from the centre of Nice to Cannes in about 1 ½ hours (visit the bus network site for further details: www.lignesdazur.com). You can also elect to rent one of our luxury holiday villas in Cannes (26), click here.

Day 7 – Beach & Relax

Select one of the private beaches to luxuriate on – no need to move (except to take a dip in the Azure blue sea) when there are a team of handsome wait staff to see to your every desire. Two good choices in Nice, depending on where your holiday apartment is located, are the hip Hi Hotel Beach at the Western end of the Promenade des Anglais (8), or the cool Castel Plage at the foot of the Chateau Hill. Hire a sunbed, an umbrella, and sip on perfectly blended Mojitos hand delivered, whilst you work hard on your tan. You can also enjoy excellent food right there on the beach. Later in the day, head home for a relaxing bath, get dressed up and splurge on a final dinner at La Reserve or Coco Beach where you can dine with the sound of water close enough to dive into right from your table. Your customized holiday portfolio found in each of the Sunlight Properties apartments and villas contains all you need to know about finding the best beaches, restaurants, bars, spas, etc. located near your holiday letting.