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Why Off Season is a Great Time to Visit the French Riviera
After a few days visiting castles in France’s Loire Valley, I took a quick trip to the southern part of the country, to visit the French Riviera in March. During this time, you can truly experience the charm of the region.
What made visiting the French Riviera in March so appealing? Thanks to France’s high speed train, the TGV, and my Eurail France pass, I sped to the coast in just a few hours. Imposing castles, chateaux, and the marks of early spring gave way to sunshine, “short sleeve shirt” temperatures, and flowers in full bloom everywhere I looked. Even better– there weren’t the throngs of people like there are during the high season.
Visit the French Riviera in the off season of March if you want the beauty of the area without the shoulder to shoulder crowds of tourists!
Menton as a Home Base in the French Riviera
The main towns along the French Riviera are all fairly close together, and you might be tempted to use Nice as a home base for exploring the area. But I have a better idea– Menton.
Nice is a large city, but Menton is far more manageable in size, with the same great links to public transportation, the same Mediterranean shoreline, but more compact and easily walkable. Menton combines gorgeous street mazes in its old town and with its newer areas in a seamless way. There’s even a casino if that interests you, and you don’t need or care about the high rolling glitz and glamour of Monaco.
Menton is also very close to the Italian border, signs to Ventimiglia, and the influence of Italian culture are everywhere in this city. I often felt like I had one foot in France and the other in Italy, crisscrossing between the two depending upon my meal that evening.
Staying in Menton
I stayed in the lovely Hotel Lemon, which is a short walk away from the train station, but a bit further away from the center of town. There are plenty of hotels in the center of Menton, so choose whatever fits your personal preference.
For those wondering, visiting the French Riviera in the off season can also lead to significant savings on accommodations.
I truly believe that anyone who wishes to explore must visit the French Riviera in the off season for an unforgettable experience.
As an added note, visiting the French Riviera in the off season brings a unique perspective that is hard to find during busier times.
Things to Do in Menton
Interested in the French author and filmmaker Jean Cocteau? The Cocteau Museum is located in Menton. The museum was closed for renovations during my visit to Menton, but one look at the exterior of the building tells you that Jean Cocteau was a most unusual man.
This is what I love about travel– the way it leads visitors into wanting to know more– about history, literature, art, food, you name it. Travel is the expansion of one’s personal universe.
To Purchase a Railpass or Not?
This is always a conundrum for people, including myself, but it needn’t be. The trains along this part of France are inexpensive, and you shouldn’t need a rail pass if you are just traveling between the towns along this part of the country.
But since I traveled among different areas of the country– Paris, Loire Valley, and then the Riviera– I purchased a four day rail pass for the long distances. So while the train ride from Menton to Monaco was paid for with a point to point ticket, the longer trips from one part of the country to the other were covered by my Eurail France Pass- for example, Amboise to Paris and down to Nice. And despite the ongoing rail strike during my visit, the trains were frequent and uncrowded in March. I found it super easy to catch a train anywhere I wanted. (More on train hopping around the coastal towns in another post.)
Bottom Line for the French Riviera
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- Choosing to visit the French Riviera in the off season allows you to engage more personally with the local culture and community.
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- The picturesque views are still there, but without the usual crowds and distractions.
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- To fully appreciate its beauty, consider making plans to visit the French Riviera (and Monaco) in the off season.
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