If you want to see rural France at its best, then take a train ride over to Eze-sur-Mer, which lies on a mountainside on the main Nice-Monaco train line. The village is steeped in Medieval history and provides some excellent views over Nice from Mont Boron. A walk along the steep Chemin de la Mer path will bring you into the village centre, where you can visit the 12th-century ruins of the old fort and look on the neighbouring mansion belonging to Sir Elton John as well as the Villa Ile de France, which is owned by the Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild. This vantage point also gives splendid views of the mountains, Villefranche and Cap Ferat. Another sight worth seeing is the Jardin Exotique Panorama, where you can see some wonderfully manicures gardens including a unique cactus garden. There are some great hiking trails, the best being the path from La Turbie.

Neighbouring Antibes is another great place to visit; this is a bustling city, which was once a haven to artists like Picasso. His former home there is now a museum and contains some of his work and a sculpture garden. Spectacular views can be seen from the Cap d'Antibes and it is a particularly good spot to visit at night, when the moon shimmers on the water. The old town and Juan les Pins are extremely lively with plenty of restaurants and pavement cafes. Sunset at Juan les Pins is a sight to behold. Families will love Marineland, a sea life adventure park with sharks, whales and dolphins amongst other aquatic species. There is even a special dolphin contact programme, where visitors learn all about the mammals and then come into close contact with them. The killer whale show is also well worth seeing; part of the show involves the whales chasing seals as well as coming right out of the water to reveal their vast size.