We recently returned from the French Riviera. With four kids under 4 in tow, it was far from your typical visit - more ice cream, nap, and train breaks... less lounging on the beach with fruity drinks in hand. Still, it was a great time and we managed 2 day trips + 2 days in Nice over a 4-day holiday. And here, your three day itinerary:
Day 1:
On arrival, we were advised to uberX to the hotel. For a mere 16€, we were deposited at our hotel door far more swiftly than a bus, train, or (from what I hear) taxi would have offered. After a small mixup (I booked the Ibis Nice Centre Gare but believed I had / wanted to book the Ibis Styles Nice Centre Gare), we managed to find a room in the hotel we originally wanted, at an amazing rate (117€ / night with breakfast included, for a huge suite with a sofa bed, balcony, room divider, and large bathroom). Talk about lucky... I couldn't have beaten the rate with vrbo or airbnb, and we could not have been more pleased with the hotel. Especially for the kids: chocolate cereal + mini nutella packets and a fresh orange juice machine, plus a play area! And for the grownups, a lovely outdoor seating area open day & night, along with a selection of board games to play while the littles sleep. I loved that hotel so much.
Anyway, we unpacked and headed to the Promenade - about 10 minutes walk. We explored the seaside walk, a nearby park with carousel rides (!), and after much searching, found the starting point for the Petit Train (by the Place Massena, also quite lovely). Dinner was a nondescript Italian place where the kids could run around and be loud, and then it was off to bed for the early start next day to... Monaco!
Day 2:
We rented cars with Sixt to see Eze and Monaco / Monte Carlo. The cars were great and the carseats looked brand-new. We headed first to the Monte Carlo McDonald's - it would be lunchtime when we arrived and we heard that it had an amazing view. As odd as it seemed, it did! We got a table right by the window so we could watch the boats go by as the kids munched on chicken nuggets. We headed to the rooftop Starbucks for a better view, and then walked over to the casinos. Though we weren't there to gamble, we grabbed a drink and switched off watching the kids while they ate overpriced ice cream in the sun and ran around the pedestrian zone.
We got back to the parking lot at the Fairmont so we could drive to the other side (we were advised to avoid the buses and boats with kids) and visit the Prince of Monaco's Vintage Car Collection. We wandered the Monaco side a bit in the rain, then grabbed some nice chocolate and wine at the nearby Carrefour.
The rest of Monaco seemed pretty dull so we headed over to Eze to visit the Chateau. The moms and one kid headed up the stairs for the lovely views (we saw a double rainbow!) but when we finally made it to the restaurant, learned the terrace was closed due to the rain. Just as well, since it took us an hour to find it! We headed down and dined at the nearest open restaurant we could find: Le Pinocchio. Service was great, food served its purpose, but I won't soon forget those roaches on the wall.... ew. Anyway, we headed straight back to the hotel and up to bed, where the kids crashed after a long day.
Day 3:
After breakfast, we finally decided... we had been waffling between Cannes (heard the beach was perfect), St Tropez (but it's so far!), and Antibes, and finally decided on the last one. Only 30 minutes by train (cheap with a group ticket, plus free for kids under 4), it was perfect for a sunny day. Most restaurants were just opening for lunch when we arrived at 11:30, so we went to Key West - very touristy, ok food, and excellent service (they even passed the parents lollipops when the kids weren't looking in case we needed them for bribes later!).
We spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach. Blue sea, soft sand, napping toddler... after a few hours in the sun and some ice cream nearby, the moms hit the shops while the dads and big kids grabbed a drink. Then it was back to Nice for settling the kids to sleep and sending the moms for a night out.
We dined at La Maison de Marie - tasty food, though a bit touristy (but what isn't, in Nice?), and then had a drink at the grand bar at the Hotel Negresco. While pricey, the atmosphere was so memorable and hey, my port came with Valrhona chocolate so that wasn't bad at all. We called it a night at 11 and after an uberX home, it was time to get ready for the last day of travel.
Day 4:
We spent the day in Nice, packed up in the morning and went straight to the Petit Train. I didn't think the kids would enjoy it as much as they did - but it was worth every cent of the 10 euros/adult cost. We saw points of Nice we would have otherwise missed, with a 10 minute stop for this view.
Afterwards, we had some of the best crepes I've had at Pop O Thym. They were so kid friendly, and had a nice selection of apple ciders... savory & sweet crepes got thumbs up all around. There's a daily market in the square as well, until 14:00 every day, which was great for last minute souvenirs.
We needed ice cream to follow our crepes, so we wandered over to Fenocchio, but not before stopping for lovely (and well-priced) scented gifts at Fragonard. The ice cream shop is so hyped up, but I was a bit disappointed - while they have a brilliant selection of flavors, you can't try any before buying. And since the kids wanted chocolate anyway, well, we could have gone anywhere. Oh well. Lavender and Rose ice cream were tasty too.
After that, it was off to the airport. What a lovely trip, and I'm amazed at how much we got to see and experience in 4 short days!
Day 1:
On arrival, we were advised to uberX to the hotel. For a mere 16€, we were deposited at our hotel door far more swiftly than a bus, train, or (from what I hear) taxi would have offered. After a small mixup (I booked the Ibis Nice Centre Gare but believed I had / wanted to book the Ibis Styles Nice Centre Gare), we managed to find a room in the hotel we originally wanted, at an amazing rate (117€ / night with breakfast included, for a huge suite with a sofa bed, balcony, room divider, and large bathroom). Talk about lucky... I couldn't have beaten the rate with vrbo or airbnb, and we could not have been more pleased with the hotel. Especially for the kids: chocolate cereal + mini nutella packets and a fresh orange juice machine, plus a play area! And for the grownups, a lovely outdoor seating area open day & night, along with a selection of board games to play while the littles sleep. I loved that hotel so much.
Anyway, we unpacked and headed to the Promenade - about 10 minutes walk. We explored the seaside walk, a nearby park with carousel rides (!), and after much searching, found the starting point for the Petit Train (by the Place Massena, also quite lovely). Dinner was a nondescript Italian place where the kids could run around and be loud, and then it was off to bed for the early start next day to... Monaco!
Day 2:
We rented cars with Sixt to see Eze and Monaco / Monte Carlo. The cars were great and the carseats looked brand-new. We headed first to the Monte Carlo McDonald's - it would be lunchtime when we arrived and we heard that it had an amazing view. As odd as it seemed, it did! We got a table right by the window so we could watch the boats go by as the kids munched on chicken nuggets. We headed to the rooftop Starbucks for a better view, and then walked over to the casinos. Though we weren't there to gamble, we grabbed a drink and switched off watching the kids while they ate overpriced ice cream in the sun and ran around the pedestrian zone.
We got back to the parking lot at the Fairmont so we could drive to the other side (we were advised to avoid the buses and boats with kids) and visit the Prince of Monaco's Vintage Car Collection. We wandered the Monaco side a bit in the rain, then grabbed some nice chocolate and wine at the nearby Carrefour.The rest of Monaco seemed pretty dull so we headed over to Eze to visit the Chateau. The moms and one kid headed up the stairs for the lovely views (we saw a double rainbow!) but when we finally made it to the restaurant, learned the terrace was closed due to the rain. Just as well, since it took us an hour to find it! We headed down and dined at the nearest open restaurant we could find: Le Pinocchio. Service was great, food served its purpose, but I won't soon forget those roaches on the wall.... ew. Anyway, we headed straight back to the hotel and up to bed, where the kids crashed after a long day.
Day 3:
After breakfast, we finally decided... we had been waffling between Cannes (heard the beach was perfect), St Tropez (but it's so far!), and Antibes, and finally decided on the last one. Only 30 minutes by train (cheap with a group ticket, plus free for kids under 4), it was perfect for a sunny day. Most restaurants were just opening for lunch when we arrived at 11:30, so we went to Key West - very touristy, ok food, and excellent service (they even passed the parents lollipops when the kids weren't looking in case we needed them for bribes later!).
We spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach. Blue sea, soft sand, napping toddler... after a few hours in the sun and some ice cream nearby, the moms hit the shops while the dads and big kids grabbed a drink. Then it was back to Nice for settling the kids to sleep and sending the moms for a night out.
We dined at La Maison de Marie - tasty food, though a bit touristy (but what isn't, in Nice?), and then had a drink at the grand bar at the Hotel Negresco. While pricey, the atmosphere was so memorable and hey, my port came with Valrhona chocolate so that wasn't bad at all. We called it a night at 11 and after an uberX home, it was time to get ready for the last day of travel.
Day 4:
Afterwards, we had some of the best crepes I've had at Pop O Thym. They were so kid friendly, and had a nice selection of apple ciders... savory & sweet crepes got thumbs up all around. There's a daily market in the square as well, until 14:00 every day, which was great for last minute souvenirs.
We needed ice cream to follow our crepes, so we wandered over to Fenocchio, but not before stopping for lovely (and well-priced) scented gifts at Fragonard. The ice cream shop is so hyped up, but I was a bit disappointed - while they have a brilliant selection of flavors, you can't try any before buying. And since the kids wanted chocolate anyway, well, we could have gone anywhere. Oh well. Lavender and Rose ice cream were tasty too.
After that, it was off to the airport. What a lovely trip, and I'm amazed at how much we got to see and experience in 4 short days!
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