French Riviera in Fifteen Days... Cannes, Marseille, St. Tropez, and Nice...Amazing Trip!

Marseille, France on the French Riviera

The trip I always dreamed of taking was traveling along the French Riviera. We decided to take 15 days and do it!

“The coastline traveling along the French Riviera was unbelievable beauty! From Barcelona, Spain to Marseille, France to Nice and ending in Ventimiglia, Italy, the beauty, culture and the people were breathtaking! I could do this trip all over again and still not see everything!"

The trip started with us flying into Paris, France departing from Chicago. We used that as our point of entry into Europe because I LOVE Paris, and the airline tickets are much more affordable from Chicago. We rented our car for the entire trip at the airport in Paris and headed out from there toward Barcelona and Spain's coastline. We started our journey there because we had never been to Spain and wanted to see the entire coastline. We stayed south of Barcelona in Tarragona, Spain and took the train in to Barcelona and met up with a guided to tour on one of our first days of the trip. We also did a few day drives in the area of Tarragona and visited a small and very quaint cities such as Llorlet de Mar and Tossa De Mar. We didn't have much trouble with communication as many of the people in Spain spoke English too. We visited attractions in Barcelona such as Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, De Barcelona Cathedral, La Boqueria Market, and Mont Juic. We were even fortunate enough to see a Monk Parrott at Parc Cuell in Barcelona up in the palm trees. Since I love wildlife, that one one of the highlights of my day!

We also took a bus trip to Montserrat Monastery, located northwest of Barcelona on a mountain 1,236 meters high with magnificent views of Catalonia. Many of the tourists come to the Monastery because of the statue of the Black Madonna, patron saint of Catalonia. The 12th-century figure is enthroned above the high altar in the basilica of the monastery. In her honor the "Escolania de Montserrat", consisting of about 50 choirboys from the boarding school of the monastery church sings songs daily. It was a beautiful sight to see!

Tossa De Mar was one of the highlights of our time in Spain. We did a day trip to this lovely city. The vistas around Tossa de Mar are worth seeing even before you set foot in the town. Tossa de Mar is a charming village on the Costa Brava coast. Even before you step foot in the town, there are many things going for it. It is on a beautiful stretch of coastline and has clear turquoise water. The Old Town of Tossa de Mar is the only fortified town that remains on the Catalan coast. The castle was built in the 12th century and the stone walls enclosing its historic neighborhood were dated in 12th century too. A significant amount of the walls and towers remain and the views were magnificent from the castle. Play Gran is the most well-known beach of Tossa de Mar. The beach overlooks the medieval towers of the old part of Vila Vella. It is a definite eye-catcher and one of the most photographed beaches on the Costa Brava. Photos of the castle and Play Gran are below.

Another lovely city we visited was Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava in Spain's Catalonia region . It is known for its Mediterranean beaches. The medieval hilltop Castle of Sant Joan, to the east, offers views over the area, while the central Iglesia de Sant Romà church provides examples of both Catalan Gothic and modernist architecture. The beach photo below was our first experience stumbling upon a totally nude beach! It was a gorgeous beach but we didn't shed our swimwear! :-)

The Castle of Sant Joan (castell in Catalan) overlooks the beaches of Lloret de Mar and Fenals. All that remains today are a few vestiges of the original fortress that was built in the 11th century. At that time, the castle of Lloret de Mar consisted of walls, a chapel and a tower that can still be seen today. The views from the top of the castle are incredible and worth the walk to the top.

From Barcelona, Spain we drove the coastline to Marseille, France. It is a majestic city with a beautiful bay, surrounded by Fort Saint-Nicolas, and Fort Saint-Jean and the Castle of If, from Count of Monte Cristo fame. The basilica Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde overlooks the city and the bay area has boats and ships docked from all over the world. Marseille is the oldest city in France and the third largest city. The tourism mecca of Marseilles is the Old Port, the main port of Marseilles for over two thousand years. It is a large marina, surrounded on three sides by restaurants bistros cafés and shops. We took a boat tour from the port to see Marseille from the water. When visiting Marseille, a boat tour is a must! We also visited the basilica of Notre Dame, another must see when in Marseille. If I had known what a vibrant and beautiful Marseille was...we would have spent several days touring the city.

From Marseille to Nice, we stopped in Port Grimaud, Saint-Tropez and Cannes. Port Grimaud is called "French Venice" or "Mini Venice". It is fabulous town built like Venice. It has been built with all channels in a Venetian manner, but with the houses having French "fishermans" style similar to those in Saint Tropez. We have been to Venice and I would have to admit, Port Grimaud is NOTHING like Venice! While it is a quaint little village, it does not have the ambiance or classic style of Venice!

Our next stop on our travels to Nice, was Saint-Tropez. Now, I loved St. Tropez. Saint-Tropez is a coastal town on the French Riviera, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. it is popular with artists and the wealthy from around the world and is known for its beaches and nightlife. The cobblestoned La Ponche quarter recalls its past as a fishing village, although yachts now outnumber fishing boats in the Vieux Port (Old Port). If I do this trip ever again, I will definitely spend a few days in Saint-Tropez.

From Saint-Tropez we headed to Cannes, France, famed for the Cannes Film Festival. Cannes is lined with beautiful palm trees and sandy beaches. It is a very busy city with upper end shopping, hotels and restaurants.

After Cannes, we made it to Nice, France. My favorite city on the French Riviera. I LOVE Nice and would love to visit again. Located on the French Riviera, the southeastern coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the French Alps, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurregion after Marseille. Nice has a beautiful coat line, wide beaches, and many open air restaurants. Vieux Nice is the city’s vibrant old town, with narrow cobblestone streets and

pastel-hued buildings where shops sell Niçoise soaps and Provençal textiles, plus meats and cheeses. A daily market on pedestrian street Cours Saleya offers produce and flowers, and busy pubs and outdoor eateries serving specialties like socca crepes dot the area. It is a must see and eat while in Nice!

Nice is approximately 8 miles from the principality of Monaco and 19 miles from the French–Italian border. We stayed five nights in Nice and while there took a day trip to Monaco and also drove over the Italian border to Ventimiglia, Italy.

Below are photos of Nice, France.

Another one of my favorite cities on the French Riviera is Monte Carlo in Monaco. At first glance, all I could say was, WOW, WOW, WOW! The drive between the cities is about 35

At heart of the Principality, on the site of a fortress constructed by the Genovese in 1215 stands the Prince's Palace. It traces seven centuries of uninterrupted sovereignty. Touring the Palace is synonymous with journeying through the centuries – from the Renaissance to the Napoleonic period. The flag that flies above the castle is up and flying high when the Prince is in. Every day at 11:55 am precisely, on the square in front of the Palace, the traditional ritual of the Changing of the Guard – the Carabiniers du Prince – attracts thousands of spectators every year. The Monte Carlo Harbor is one of the most popular places in the city, famous for its beautiful views. One of the things that stands out about this location is its ability to handle some of the world's largest yachts. Monte Carlo also hosts the annual Formula Grand Prix event. Another iconic location is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and was an American actress and was married to Prince Rainier, is buried in the church with many other famous people.

We based ourselves out of Nice for five nights and did a few day trips to sightsee. I wanted to make it to the Italian border to conclude our French Riviera excursion and then to head north through Switzerland and back to Paris. We drove from Nice, France to Ventimiglia, Italy. We also took a guided day trip to tour Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Cannes. Guided tours can be very helpful to learn from the locals and take you to locations you may not explore on your own. We are not tour kind of travelers but a day once in a while makes sense. Below are photos from our trip along the French Riviera from Nice to Ventimiglia.

We hated to depart Nice but we were excited to drive to Lausanne, Switzerland. We stayed at the Hotel des Inventions. On this 7 1/2 hour drive we took our time and drove through mountains and saw gorgeous sights along the way to Lausanne, Switzerland. It was an incredible drive through lush green mountain sides, winding roads and small towns nestled in the foothills. Just what you would expect driving through Switzerland! Lausanne was beautiful situated on a lake and tucked at the foot of the mountains. On our last day of travels, we headed to Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The Jet d'Eau is a large fountain in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. It was constructed in 1886 and is one of the city's most famous landmarks and biggest fountain in the world. It was worth the time and drive to take this route scenic back to Paris. Below are photos from our travels through Switzerland and our time in Lausanne.

Since we started this journey in Paris and ended in Paris...a few Paris photos are important. This trip we made it to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel where Princess Dianna had her infamous crash that ended her life. We also visited the The Flame of Liberty, which became an unofficial memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales, after her 1997 death in the tunnel beneath the Pont de l'Alma. The flame became an attraction for tourists and followers of Diana. Since I was a Princess Diana fan, the tunnel and flame were a must see. Of course we couldn't do a trip to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower; watch the boats go up and down the Seine River; and make a stop at the Arc de Triomphe. Photos of the highlights of Paris are below.

We ended our trip with our flight back from Paris to Chicago. It was a trip of a lifetime and one I would do all over again exactly the same way! The 15-day French Riviera Itinerary is below.

French Riveara Trip June 2018.docx

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TIPS TO TRAVEL ECONOMICALLY AND GET THE MOST FOR YOUR TIME AND MONEY

I also get asked many times, "How do you travel so often and keep it affordable?" A few tips are below:

• For me, planning and researching is part of the excitement of the trip! Visioning is so much fun!!!

• I plan all of my own trips and research, research, research on the internet. I utilize TripAdvisor, Frommer's, and blogs from other travelers to find the information I need for my trip. I do ALOT of reading and researching. It takes patience to plan a good affordable trip!

• I have a budget in mind for each trip and challenge myself to stay in the budget. Depending on the location, I typically start planning and booking hotels, cars, etc., approximately 9 months out. Hotel prices usually get more expensive the closer to the trip unless you are willing to do a last minute internet deal. Car rental and airline prices also go up the closer it is to your trip. Occasionally you can get a last minute deal but something else may be more expensive and you are really not saving. I like to plan!

• For hotels, I use Booking.com, or Priceline.com. I look for hotels with good reviews, pay when you stay, and free cancellation in advance.

• We have done all-inclusive in a couple of tropical locations years and years ago but found that we do not eat and drink enough to make it worth the extra expense. We like to go off site from the hotel and experience the local cuisine and traditions. We have not done all-inclusive in the last 15 years. However, all-inclusive is wonderful if you want to stay at the resort for all meals, not rent a car, and have the hotel shuttle you to your destinations. That has worked for us in Jamaica and it was very relaxing! But I would not drive in Jamaica so all-inclusive was the smartest option! If you enjoy all-inclusive, the earlier you book the trip the lower the price. Unless you are game and are not a planner, and are willing to travel where the last minute deal is advertised. Then you could get a great all-inclusive deal!

• If we are flying, I use the Skyscanner app to check airfare prices and I try not to buy until about 60 to 75 days out. There are times where I will by earlier if the price is super reasonable. I usually do not book on Skyscanner. It will tell me the site that is the most affordable to purchase the tickets and if it is a more well known trust site, I go directly to the site to purchase the tickets. Many times Skyscanner will take you right to the airline website. Skyscanner will search all airlines and will sort by price, times, shortest trip, etc.

• Have a credit card that gives you miles or hotel points. We will use points for many of our trips. We are American Advantage members and have an Advantage credit card. We try to fly American as often as we can to earn points and then use those points for future airline tickets. Our credit card is tied to our Advantage numbers and awards points as well.

• We drive if the location is in the United States and we can drive and sightsee along the way. If we need to rent a car, we reserve online using Booking.com, Orbitz.com, or Priceline.com. They are usually the most reasonable. I watch for specials and never book a luxury vehicle! We also have a credit card with a low limit that we use for vehicle rentals that provides insurance as a credit card benefit. We always decline the insurance when we are in the United States. If we are traveling out of the United States, we check with the credit card if the insurance is valid internationally. We have found it is valid in Europe, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, but in other locations, we are forced to purchase the liability insurance from the rental car company.

• While there are free maps online for most destinations, I always go onto Amazon and buy a map of my destination, especially if it is international. I do not buy maps for tropical Caribbean islands. I just get one when we arrive. But for countries like Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, England, Canada, Germany, France, etc., I always purchase a good map. As you do you research, you can use the map to highlight the places you want to visit and the sites you want to see. I have it as a reference later for putting my memories and photos into a photobook!