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Côte d'Azur Towns  This area has a strange diversity with the coast lined with large resort towns such as Monaco, Nice or Cannes, that have been heavily developed, contrasting remarkably with smaller towns and villages in the hinterland that reflect much better the real Provencial traditions.  Although some of the inland towns are in beautiful settings, there's not so much to do there, so for this reason we focus on the main towns along the coast, plus a few isolated inland treats.
DolphinNice
 Location: 150km east of Marseille.
General Info: Office de Tourisme website.
Description: The 5th largest city in France, Nice is a delightful place to explore with a lovely pedestrianised old town and some of France’s best heritage on display including a fine opera house, art museums displaying Monet, Degas, Renoir and Rodin collections.  You need to be aware that some of the beaches are privately run and charge for use.  The beach is pebbly.
Our recommendations:  For art lovers take a trip to the nearby Cagnes-Sur-Mer to see Renoir’s villa.  Look out for dates of the many carnivals and festivals on the above website.
For the children: Check out the Train des Pignes running between Nice and Digne les Bain.  There is an occasional steam service in high season.  There is a lovely stopover at  Entrevaux.		 Our favourite towns in the Côte d'Azur:


             - Biot
             - Cannes
             - Entrevaux
             - Grasse
             - Monaco
             - Nice
             - Port Grimaud
             - St Tropez
External websites offering information on the Côte d'Azur:

 - Virtual Riviera - packed with information and links on the area
- Provence Beyond - information on places away from the coast
- Provence Web - Online tourist guide		 Chosen by our children:
     - Top ten Holiday destinations in France

It's a long time since we visited the Côte d'Azur with the children and they don't remember much about it.  So we can't offer a list of their favourites here.  If you would like to propose some, please send us your feedback.
Eating in Nice  Looking for a nice restaurant in Nice? Head down the Avenue des Anglais towards the east of town until you almost reach the headland.  Turn inland through one of the alleyways and you will find a delightful old town restaurant area (Cours Saleya) with a choice of eaterie to die for.  Don't be put off by the pushy waiters trying to get you into their place.....there is so much choice you can take your time looking for the food you prefer.
We ate in PizzaPapa (Tel 04 93 85 61 91) www.pizzapapa.fr where we found very pleasant food coupled with nice service....all for a very reasonable price.  Whilst eating we were entertained by nearby street entertainers and a bunch of navvies celebrating a birthday at an adjacent table!