Getting there and around your French Riviera Villa Rental

By Air . Nice International Airport now welcomes over 4 million passengers a year, with plenty of direct flights to and from most major destinations. No matter where you live, access to your French Riviera villa rental is not very difficult. Should you be traveling from Paris or any other major French cities. Have a look at www.easyjet.com     www.virgin.com www.kronerejser.dk    www.go-fly.com or just order your flights as usual. For info about Nice airport go http://www.nice.aeroport.fr/
We advise you to use Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Copenhagen or Geneva as a hub to nice.

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By Rail . The excellent French rail system (SNCF) provides fast and easy access to the Riviera from all over France, and it's now possible to travel here from anywhere in Europe on a single ticket. Once you've arrived the train is a great way to see the Riviera with several spectacular journeys available for info go www.tgv.com www.sncf.com From Paris to Nice you just need 5 hours by train. The Station of Nice is only 10 minutes from your French Riviera villa rental

By Car . Fairly straightforward from anywhere in Europe. But don't forget that the fast French highways are toll roads so remember to carry lots of change and be very prudent in high season. In the event you should need a rental car, we advice Auto Europe, they have a very good rate and service. 

Taxis. CENTRAL TAXI RIVIERA
Tel. 04 93 13 78 78
Switchboard 24 h a day, 7 days a week
Night rates between 7pm and 7am.
• Main taxi ranks :
Esplanade Masséna
Promenade des Anglais
Place Garibaldi
Rue Hôtel-des-Postes
Gare SNCF
Acropolis

By Sea . If you're lucky enough to have your own yacht, this won't be a problem, however it may be advisable to book a berth in advance with the local Harbor authorities, a huge choice of boat rentals are available to suit all budgets. Many cruise ships also visit the Riviera, often calling in at Marseilles, Toulon, Nice, Cannes, Villefranche or St Tropez.

Nice harbour
Tel: (+33) 93 89 50 85
fax: (+33) 93 04 95 93
Harbor Master: Ronald Admond
VHF: Channel 16
Antibes, port Vauban
Tel: (+33) 92 91 60 00
fax: (+33) 93 34 74 04
Harbor Master: G. Angelico
VHF: Channel 9
Cannes port Canto
Tel: (+33) 92 18 84 84
fax: (+33) 93 43 17 03
Harbor Master: G. Hilt
VHF: Channel 9
Golfe Juan port Camille Rayon
Tel: (+33) 93 63 30 30
fax: (+33) 93 63 55 07
Harbor Master: Jean-Claude louis
VHF: Channel 9
St Tropez
Tel: (+33) 94 97 40 55
fax: (+33) 94 97 31 02
Harbor Master: Henri Gauchet
VHF: Channel 9

Markets. Cours Saleya Food and Flower market - a wonderful array of herbs and every fruit you can imagine crystallized and glowing, daily from 06.00 am - 14.00 pm, except on Monday. The fresh products are replaced by Arts and crafts, bric à brac

Opera
4-6 Rue St Francois-de-Paule
Tel :0493139853

Museums

Souvenirs
Among the tack in the souvenir shops you may find the gem.

With two century-old ancestors, the courses of Cannes-Mandelieu (1891) and Valescure (1895), the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var bear witness to a golfing tradition that is hard to find anywhere else in France.

From your French Riviera Villa Rental you have today the 27 courses and 12 training centers at less then an hour drive, it makes the Côte d'azur the perfect destination for a golfing Vacation. There is an excellent choice of courses within an hour by car wherever you may be. 

As well as being the ideal destination for all golfers who would like to practice their swing with the Mediterranean as a backdrop, the Côte d'Azur is also a treasure trove for lovers of art, culture, traditions, gastronomy... what ever your desire, it's catered for on the French Riviera.

Golf de Barbaroux
Golf de Frégate
Golf de la Sainte-Baume
Golf de Valcros
Golf de Valgarde

Golf de Biot
Golf d'Isola 2000
Monte-Carlo Golf Club
Golf de Saint-Endréol
Golf de Sainte-Maxime
Golf de Taulane
Golf de Valescure
Victoria Golf Club

Golf de Beauvallon
Golf de Cannes-Mandelieu
Golf de Cannes-Mougins
Golf de Cap Estérel
Golf Estérel-Latitudes
Golf de la Grande Bastide
Grasse Country Club
Golf d'Opio-Valbonne
Riviera Golf Club
Golf de Roquebrune
Royal Mougins Golf Club
Golf de Saint-Donat

Sports

Jogging: Start at the Villa jog around the canal from Cimiez (3 km) 
Biking: From the Villa, rentals in town.
Diving:
Fitness: Home, city center.
Horse riding:
Jet-Ski: all beaches
Karting: Fun Kart
Motor bike rentals: City center
Parasailing: all beaches
Rollerblade: Promenade des Anglais, rental possible Rue St Francois de Paule
Sailing: Call Harbor
Squash: City center
Swimming: Home, sea
Table tennis: Home
Tennis: 500 meters from the Villa
Water-ski: Juans les pins Beaches
Yachting:

Restaurants in Nice

Keep In Touch   Wine bar, salad’s, pita’s          0493870704                           Trendy
Kobe Japanese                       Real Jap
0493887588
La Petite Maison  Typical Cuisine Niçoise
0493925959                           Classy
Les Epicuriens    French Cuisine                        0493808500                           Classy
Le safari             Local Cuisine                 0493801844                           Regular
L’Indiana             Fusion food
0493806769                           Trendy
Mexico Loco       Mexican food
0493628824                           Trendy   
Ruhl Plage Nice   Restaurant on the beach
0493825786                           Casual 
Rolando               Italian food
0493857679                           Classy
Theo L’auberge  Typical Cuisine Niçoise 0493815173                           Regular
Terre De Truffles Truffles                0493620768                         Charming
Chez Simon        Typical Cuisine Niçoise
500 m from the Villa. 
0493865162
Chantecler at the Négresco  Luxury
0493166400
Barale                     Provencal flavor
0493891994   
Le Grand Cafe De Turin Seafood
no tel bookings.

Clubs and Bars in Nice
Waynes, 14 Rue de la Préfecture
Scarlett's 6 Rue rossetti
De Klomp 6 Rue Mascoinat
Casino Ruhl Disco
Negresco Piano Bar
    

Casino's   
Casino Rhul Nice
Casino Monte Carlo    

Film
Rialto, 4 Rue Rivoli, for films in their original language.

Events :

February :Nice Carnival
Europe's liveliest carnival 
April :Monte Carlo Tennis Masters
May :Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix
July : Independance day( 04/07), Bastille (14/07),
Nice Jazz festival end (07) :
The best of the region's many jazz festivals 75 concerts over 8 days.
September : Marathon des Gorges du Verdon

Travel documents
All persons entering France must possess a current valid passport. And all persons entering France from outside the EEC must possess a visa, this includes the US & Canada. These can be obtained at any French Consulate and unless you have a shadowy background should be a formality. Visas must be obtained before departure to your rental on the French Riviera

Weather
The Riviera area usually enjoys around 300 sunny days per year, the hottest months being June, July & August. The sun is immensely strong so be prepared with plenty of high protection sun block as a bad dose of sunburn or sunstroke can ruin your trip not to mention your health permanently. During September, October & November the weather gets milder, but still remains very pleasant, and winter starts around December through to February although temperatures only get down to about 45oF (7oC). March and April sees spring arrive (very pleasant) and May sees the beginning of summer. Local skiing is best between December & March, nearest slopes are about a 1 hour drive from your villa rental on the French Riviera

Places to visit and activities

Nice
Cours Saleya
Palais Lascaris
Chapelle de la miséricorde
Colline du Chateau
Cathédrale Ste Réparate
Quartier du Malonat
Musée de la marine

Monaco
Louis XV Hotel de Paris,
Alain Ducasse *** Michelin Stars
Monte Carlo rally (January)
Grand Prix Of Monaco (end of May)
Golf
Harbor
Musée Naval
Musée d'Anthropologie
Musée Oceoanographique 
Casino

St Jean Cap Ferrat
Walking tour
Paloma Beach

Villfranche
La Citadelle 

Cagne Sur Mer
Horse racing track

St Paul de Vence
Art Gallery's
Chagall Tombstone
La Colombe d'or
Walking tour of the village

Vence
Market
Chateau St Martin

Biot 
Glass ware manufacture
very nice old village
Marineland

Antibes
Old city
Market
Musée Picasso

Cap d'Antibes
Eden Roc Hotel

Juans les Pins
Beaches
Shopping
Casino

Cannes
Cannes Film Festival (end of May)
Casino
Old city
Le Baoli
Shopping

Grasse
Musée Molinard (perfumes)
Musée Fragonard (perfumes)
Country Side

St Tropez
Beaches
Harbor
Shopping

The area covered by the Riviera - Côte d'Azur corresponds to the Alpes-Maritimes "département" and includes the Principality of Monaco. Its permanent population is over one million inhabitants, 12% of which hold foreign nationality.
The following figures concern the number of tourists to the region with the exception of the number of stays by night and cruise passenger stopovers.

9 million tourists;
70 million night stays;
Overseas clientele of 58% ;
Tourist expenditure - 29 billion Francs;
66 000 jobs linked to tourism, 41% of total employment ;
1 in 3 stays is in Nice;
1 in 2 stays is in a hotel;
1 in 2 stays is for business reasons ;
65% occupation of hotel rooms
Average length of stay : 8 nights
350 000 conference delegates;
300 000 cruise participants
3 million entrances to museums and monuments;
Over 500 000 visitors to the "Haut Pays".
97% of tourists leave satisfied with their stay


Source : French Riviera Database : 2000

* period 1961-1990, **period 1988-1996
source: Meteo France

About money
The French unit of currency is the Euro. Most newspapers give the current exchange rate. You can change money at any Bureau de Change, some tourist offices, most banks and the larger hotels. Credit Cards are accepted at most hotels and restaurants, and you can often use your card in bank cash dispensers. Travelers cheques are a good way to carry funds and can be used just about anywhere providing you have some form of I.D.

Banks are generally open from 8.30am to 11.45am and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday.
Closed on official holidays.

Telephone number to report loss or theft of major bank cards:
American Express : tel. 01 47 77 72 00
Carte Bleue Visa : tel. 01 42 77 11 90
Diner’s : tel. 01 49 06 17 17
Eurocard MasterCard : tel. 01 45 67 84 84

Telephone number to report loss or theft of cheque books : tel.08 36 68 32 08

Bank Holidays : 1st January, 1st May, 8th May, 20th May, 31st May, 14th July, 15th August, 1st November, 11th November, 25th December

Fire station: tel. 18
Medical emergencies : tel. 15
HÔPITAL SAINT–ROCH (24h Emergency services)
5, rue Pierre Devoluy (pedestrian entrance)
tel. 04 92 03 33 75
ANTI–POISON Center
Marseille
tel. 04 91 75 25 25
LABORATORY (24h service)
tel. 04 93 16 68 68
24h Doctor service
tel. 04 93 85 01 01
tel. 04 93 53 03 03
tel. 04 93 52 42 42
Emergency dental care at night on Sundays and holidays)
tel. 04 93 76 53 53
tel. 04 92 13 00 99
Services for back problems 7 days a week
tel. 06 07 45 02 13
Free and anonymous AIDS screening
2, rue Edouard Béri (angle hôpital St-Roch)
tel. 04 93 85 12 62
24 h emergency cardiology services
tél. 04 92 03 78 80 / 81
CHILDRENS EMERGENCIES
Hôpital Lenval
57, avenue de la Californie
tel. 04 92 03 03 03
Hôpital l'Archet
151, rte St-Antoine de Ginestière
tel. 04 92 03 60 89
CENTRAL POLICE STATION
1, avenue Maréchal Foch
Open 24 h a day
tel. 04 92 17 22 22
Emergency veterinary services
(Nights, Sundays, and holidays)
Tél. 04 93 83 46 64
Night pharmacy
7 days a week - 24 hours a day)
7, rue Masséna
de 19 h 30 à 8 h 30
Tel. 04 93 87 78 94
66, avenue J. Médecin
Tel. 04 93 62 54 44