French Riviera in One Day Tour from Nice: Monaco, Èze, Antibes & Cannes

Monaco and Monte-Carlo

The tiny Principality of Monaco, less than two square kilometres in size, is the highlight of many French Riviera day trips. On the Rock, the old town of Monaco-Ville, you see the Prince's Palace, where the Grimaldi family has ruled since 1297, and the cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are buried.

Across the harbour lies Monte-Carlo, with its belle-époque squares, luxury shops and superyachts. The streets here become the circuit of the Monaco Grand Prix each spring. A day trip to Monaco from Nice is easy by road, and our driver-guide points out the corners of the famous race as you pass.

Èze, the eagle's nest village and its perfumery

Èze clings to a rocky peak about 400 metres above the Mediterranean, between Nice and Monaco. Its stone lanes, arches and tiny squares have changed little since the Middle Ages, and at the top an exotic garden of cacti and succulents grows among the ruins of the old castle, with one of the finest views on the whole coast.

Grasse, just inland, is the world capital of perfume, and the craft is alive in Èze too. You visit a perfumery to see how scents are extracted from flowers and blended, and you may buy fragrances at workshop prices. Wear good shoes: the lanes of Èze are steep.

Old Antibes and its port

Antibes sits between Nice and Cannes on a small peninsula. Behind its sea walls the old town is a web of flower-decked lanes, and the Grimaldi Castle above the ramparts houses the Picasso Museum, where the artist worked in 1946. The covered Provençal market is full of colour in the morning.

Port Vauban below is one of the largest yacht harbours in Europe, watched over by the star-shaped Fort Carré. Antibes is quieter than Cannes or Nice, and many visitors find it the most charming stop of the day. Take a short walk along the ramparts to see the sea and the Alps together on clear days.

Cannes and the Croisette

Cannes is known worldwide for its film festival, held each May in the Palais des Festivals by the old port. You can walk the red steps from the outside and look for the handprints of stars set in the pavement nearby. The Croisette, a palm-lined promenade of grand hotels and sandy beaches, stretches along the bay.

Above the port, the old quarter of Le Suquet climbs to a medieval tower with views over the Lérins Islands. Is Cannes worth visiting on a day trip from Nice? For its seafront atmosphere and famous names, yes, and it is only about an hour away by road.