I was very excited to be returning to the French Riviera as a First Choice Insider, having not visited for over six years! Our base for the weekend was in Cannes at the brand new Okko Hotel, conveniently located next to the train station and close to the promenade, as well as lots of shops and restaurants in the town.
Day 1 – beach club time
Of course, Cannes is well renowned for its glitzy and glamorous side, especially at the promenade and La Croisette beach. However, I was pleasantly surprised to explore a totally different side – wandering the quaint old streets of Le Suquet and the bustling Marche Forville, with locals picking up their groceries and courgette flowers being fried on the side of the street. There was plenty for us to see but first, we peeled ourselves away to Golfe Juan and La Petite Plage Beach Club, which took just a 10-minute taxi ride.
A beach club day is a must for me on any Euro summer trip and despite being small, this one didn’t disappoint – I pride myself on being able to suss out a good one! The food was excellent and so were the cocktails, but the best bit was that as the afternoon went on it turned from just a lunchtime chill into a bit of a party. Every two weeks in Cannes during the summer there are firework displays too, and all the beach clubs have special events and packages to see them.
Day 2 – countryside daytripping
On the second day, it was time for an adventurous road trip to the Provence countryside. It was super easy to hire a car for the day or you could book on to a First Choice Experiences tour that takes you there, which would be even more convenient! We drove for two hours to Gorges du Verdon, which has been on my bucket list for YEARS. This place is known for having vibrant blue water and you can hire a pedalo, kayak, SUP or motorboat to see it. We spent pretty much the whole day here swimming and sunbathing (definitely bring a picnic from a local bakery). We hired a pedalo too, which was €20 for an hour – you’ll need to bring cash and arrive early if you want to do this.
You could also combine this daytrip from the coast with a visit to Valensole, which is famous for its lavender fields. Unfortunately, we were just out of season visiting in August (mid-June-July is the best time) but they would have looked stunning at sunset.
After a successful day, we headed back to Cannes for a lively dinner at Salama – a Moroccan restaurant with a fun vibe and great food. Although on the pricier side, I would definitely recommend it, and we had SO much food.
Day 3 – Nice and a perfume workshop
For our final day, I hopped on a train to Nice where I spent the morning wandering Vieux Nice – AKA the Old Town – before the city had really woken up. It was so lovely to have the streets pretty much to myself for an hour. One of the best things about Nice, aside from the impressive promenade, is that it’s right on the beach. I had a swim and enjoyed a tasty sandwich from a nearby bakery before a very exciting afternoon activity… I’d booked a perfume making class with First Choice Experiences for me and my mum, which was such a fun and unique experience. The scent expert helped us figure out what type of notes we liked to create a recipe for our very own perfume that we got to take home. This area of France is renowned for its perfume, so it was a lovely memento to take home from the trip. The perfume also has a unique identifier so you can order it again if you like, too.
This was the perfect way to finish off our weekend on the Cote d’Azur, as the next morning it was time to catch our short flight back to the UK, where I was home and unpacking by lunchtime – excellent!
If @gracegrangetravel’s trip sounds like a bit of you, have a look at our France holidays and you can find all their picks on our Insiders Hub.
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Author: @gracegrangetravel
Last updated:21/01/2025
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