Travel the south of France with L’Officiel Monaco – A mini travel guide to the favourite vacation destination of the 1%, for us on a budget.

If there ever was an occasion to sacrifice fashion for comfort, it’s in the south of France. Yes, we know the location screams for haute couture and slingback heels, but assuming you won’t be traveling with a 90-year-old gentleman with a chauffeur and a prenuptial agreement, trust us on this and strap on those trusty sneakers because we are walking through the French Riviera with a budget and a whole lot of courage.

Cannes

Known as the capital of cinema, Cannes is perhaps best recognized for the yearly Cannes Film Festival. An event so significant it eclipses the city, creating a dark shadow of false illusion that Cannes is only for the famous and wealthy to enjoy, but this couldn’t be less true. Cannes hosts a wide selection of activities and attractions that keep travellers of all budgets busy. Because let’s face it, as much as we all love movies, there are better things to do in Cannes than trying to crash the red carpet, for example, eating!

Marche Forville, affectionately nicknamed “Belly of Cannes”, is a traditional food market in the heart of Cannes. There you are welcomed by local vendors with fresh produce, flowers, and other regional specialities. And while you are at it, enjoy the area. One of the best things about Cannes is that it’s divided into different neighbourhoods, each with a distinctive personality and purpose, all within walking distance.
Some of the best areas to visit include the historic Le Suquet, which happens to be the oldest neighbourhood in Cannes. From there, it’s a short walk to the Vieux Port, where you can take in the picturesque view of the boats and yachts docked at the old port of Cannes. As it happens, the main shopping street, Rue D’Antibes, is just around the corner, presenting the perfect opportunity for window shopping to wrap up the day.

Images by Cannes Office De Tourisme & Jannis Lucas

While Cannes is praised for its restaurants, we recommend again taking advantage of the food markets and heading to the beach with a ready-made meal. In case you didn’t know, Cannes has incredible sandy public beaches stretching out for miles alongside the seaside—a perfect spot for a beach day or a picnic with a view.

Grasse

Okay, full transparency: Grasse wasn’t part of the original itinerary, but we are taking a small detour because we couldn’t write this article highlighting the unique experiences in the south of France without mentioning one of our personal favourites—The Grasse Molinard Perfume Making Workshop.

The perfumist guiding you through the workshop expertly assists you with the perfume-making process, at the end of which you have created your own signature scent. Although the scent doesn’t last too long on the skin, the experience is still well worth the price considering you get to create your own perfume, not to mention take home a bottle of your creation. A truly memorable experience! Just imagine someone asking what perfume you are wearing and responding with “mine”. This might just be my ego talking, but that little conversation starter is simply priceless.

Monaco

While most people who go to Monaco do so specifically to experience the glitz and glamour the country is known for. For us mortals, this might quickly become a tad much financially and, frankly, spiritually speaking. For those occasions, we have discovered that Monaco’s real hidden gems are located outside Tiffany’s display windows in the form of lavish nature parks and gardens.

Surprisingly, almost 20% of Monaco’s surface area is covered in greenery. Extending from gardens and public squares to leafy neighborhoods. This commitment to luxuriant vegetation goes back to the end of the 19th century when Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer was established and HSH Prince Charles III declared he intended to surround it with “gardens, copses, pavilions and promenades to ensure visitors enjoy a comfortable and sumptuous stay”. A beautiful sentiment that quickly bloomed into the serene oasis that to this day offers shelters to all, millionaires and budget travelers alike. What a marvel! But I digress.

Are these parks still more manicured than Haily Bieber on a regular Tuesday? Yes. Did I see a chihuahua with a better quality of life than mine sunbathing in the park? Yes. And that’s the point. Everything in Monaco is highly curated and can be pretty costly, but even on a smaller budget, you can still enjoy the luxurious atmosphere and extravagant care they put into making the country look its best. So, honestly, while there is a lot to do in Monaco that will cost you a pretty penny, you can enjoy the best of it for free. Don’t camp out on some poor guy’s doorstep, but look around you! The architecture, gorgeous greenery and fashion are all around you.

Images by Martino Grua & Jason Dela Cueva

In particular, The Japanese Garden located in the middle of Monte Carlo, a convenient walk away from the Monte Carlo Casino is a jackpot in itself. It’s a wonder for the eyes and healing for the soul, which is quite convenient if your travel companion has been carried away with the Lotus Casino craze. Just a short drag away, you can force some zen-se into them and maybe manage to fight through that gold fever, costing them their second mortgage and a fresh divorce.

Image by Richard

Nice

Remember earlier when we suggested you might want to swap out your style for comfort in France? We have officially arrived at the part where this is not just a suggestion but a necessity. If there is one thing you should do before arriving in Nice, it’s invest in water shoes because the beach in Nice is everything but “nice” to your feet. The beach is just rocks as far as the eye can carry and not those round aesthetic garden rocks either. These rocks are sharp and out to get you! Suppose you told us that the people maintaining the beaches at Nice had some sort of agreement with the south of France to draw the blood of tourists in exchange for a lavish lifestyle. We’d say, “Yeah, that sounds about right”.

Other than that, Nice is a very walkable city filled with majestic monuments and churches in pretty much every corner. Along the beach strip, you can find touristy but admittedly cute little stores that don’t hurt the atmosphere. Great for admiring from afar but as a general rule I’d advise opting for more local shopping options. Fortunately this time you won’t have to venture far to find one as they are located conveniently in old Nice, scattered amongst the open squares. I am of course talking about the markets. Flea markets, flowers, produce, take your pick. They are all great! Perusing the local markets is a fantastic way to experience the city while performing some always needed retail therapy.

In addition to the markets, one store, in particular, earns a special mention. Library Massena is a quaint bookstore in the city’s centre. Librarie Massena sets itself apart as one of France’s leading independent bookshops among the soulless megacorporation-owned shops that occupy most of the shopping streets. It houses a well-curated selection of books across genres. Although the original store holds primarily French books, they recently opened an English branch right around the corner from the original location. It’s worth a visit. After all, is there such a thing as too many books?

While Cannes sets itself apart as the capital of cinema and Monaco is infamously known for its almost overbearing glamour, Nice is there to be admired. After all, it is no coincidence that Nice is nicknamed “Nice la Belle”, aka “Nice the Beautiful”, with its stunning scenery throughout the city and clear turquoise water. Okay, fine, even the pedals are pretty, although vengeful. The city is designed to be discovered by walking and just strolling the streets is an experience in Nice and the perfect end to a mini trip in the south of France.