Nice & Cannes: South of France Pt 1

When you plan a trip to La Côte D’Azur, you know that you are in for boujee-ness. That part of the world evokes the classic, romantic and luxury vibes of celebrity and glamour.

Mr. E and I decided to book a 7-day stay in Nice but planned day trips into Monte Carlo, Cannes and St Tropez. We had been to Cannes a few years before but it was in the bitter cold February month and I remember it rained throughout the trip. For this trip, as much as we wanted to explore, we also knew that we wanted as much down time as possible.

NICE

I love the retro vibe of Nice and you realise almost immediately that it is a very friendly, warm and inviting city. We got there a little late in the evening and decided to grab dinner on the Promenade. Walking on the Promenade after sunset is quite romantic; from couples holding hands or kissing or strolling to dinner to friends chatting loudly, it does have an air of being in a bubble, almost unreal.

5 things to do In Nice

1. Take an afternoon stroll around Vieille Ville (Old Town). This is the “real” Nice with all the french windows and french balconies. You get to feel that real french vibe sans touristy shops. We saw locals just going about their day oblivious to the madness you would usually find on the Promenade.

2. Have drinks at Hotel Negresco (if you’re not ready to spend a fortune, just take a cute picture in front of it, it serves as a gorgeous backdrop). The Negresco is one of the most famous luxury hotels in the world located on Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges. It is named after Henri Negresco who had the hotel constructed in 1912!

3. Dance in the middle of the fountains at Place Massena. The fountains are a popular attraction with people sitting around and reading but why not jump in and enjoy a dance while splashing around? FUN times, I tell you!

4. Visit Basilique Notre Dame de Nice. Neo-Gothic Catholic Basilica in the centre of Nice on Avenue Jean-Medecin. It was built in the 1860s and designed by Louis Lenormand. 

5. Go to the beach on the Promenade during the day and take a walk down the Promenade at night to watch the sunset on the “I Love Nice” sign. This was my favourite thing to do. The Promenade is just off the pebbled beach.

CANNES

Cannes is synonymous with the Festival de Cannes aka Cannes Film Festival.

It was probably my least fave of all the cities in the South of France even though it is difficult to fault it in anyway. I found it to be a little more luxurious than Nice but not quite St Tropez or Monte Carlo.

We took the train from Gare de Nice-Ville and in about 25 minutes on the SNCF, we were in Cannes! We found our way to Boulevard de la Croisette which houses designer stores and is a few minutes walk from the train station. We took a stroll to the location of the Film Festival, got lost in the little streets and ended up at Bâoli Beach for a late lunch and to watch the sunset.

5 things to do In Cannes

1. Stroll down Boulevard de la Croisette and Rue d’Antibes and if you feel like treating yourself, go into one of the numerous designer stores.

2. Read a book on the beach but be careful, as the seagulls there are quite vicious. I’m not even joking, I was in a constant battle with 3 seagulls who were bent on eating my crisps :/ 

3. Visit the Festival de Cannes location, stand on the red carpet and take a picture. After all, you are a star too! This was actually really cool; as I was trying to get some pictures, a group of ladies came by, saw me posing and started gassing me; they were telling me to “werk it, werk it girl” haha I felt like a million pounds tbh! Ladies supporting ladies, Helllloooooo!!!!

4. Lookout for the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel, which was built in the 20th century that was known as the Belle Époque. It is stunning!

5. Have seafood lunch in one of the restaurants by the beach. There are a few different beach spots but we chose to have lunch at Bâoli just because it looked cute and I had seen it on the gram. We had some burger, steamed salmon and sushi; washed down with a Bellini and a Cosmopolitan. Yes, it is pricey (you are in the South of France) but remember, you have to live!

To be continued….

Look out for Part 2 on Monte Carlo and St Tropez, we are going proper boujee in that one. In the mean time, has anyone been to Nice or Cannes? What did you think?

Bisous, ‘Bugo