So where to stay in Cannes, when prices vary so much from one neighbourhood to the next? It depends on whether you want beachfront luxury, atmosphere in the narrow streets or low prices and a pool. Here are my six suggestions, with three hotels in each area.

The Best Areas to Stay in Cannes

• La Croisette - best area for luxury and beach life
• Old Town (Le Suquet) and the Old Port - best area for atmosphere and restaurants
• City centre by the station - best area for first-time visitors and day trips by train
• Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach - best area for families and peace and quiet
• La Bocca - best area for long sandy beaches and lower prices
• Mandelieu-la-Napoule - best area for drivers and a pool

La Croisette, the Old Town and the city centre sit side by side, so from there you can walk to most things, while Pointe Croisette lies at the eastern end of the promenade and La Bocca a few kilometres to the west with its own station. Mandelieu-la-Napoule is the neighbouring town further west, and you’ll get the most out of a stay there if you have a car. The prices below come from a search for a weekend in June for two people. In May during the film festival, and during the big trade fairs at the Palais des Festivals, such as the MIPIM property fair in March and the Cannes Lions advertising festival in June, prices soar and the good hotels sell out early, so check the dates before you book. The film festival’s own website also warns against fake accommodation offers that use the festival’s logo.

1. La Croisette - best area for luxury and beach life 🌴

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay on the seafront promenade between the Palais des Festivals and Pointe Croisette. From the hotels in the middle of the Croisette, it’s a few minutes’ walk to Rue d’Antibes and around 10 minutes to the Palais des Festivals and the station.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk to most places. The Old Port is a 15-minute walk away, and Port Pierre Canto and Palm Beach are 15 to 25 minutes on foot along the water.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Just over half an hour by train from Nice Saint-Augustin to Cannes, followed by a walk of around 10 minutes, or around 50 minutes on express bus 81 to the station. A taxi has a fixed fare of around 85 to 90 euros (around £70 to £75).
• 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below ranged from around 146 to 1,509 euros (around £120 to £1,265) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and busy until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds by the Palais des Festivals, and don’t leave it unattended on the beach while you swim.

La Croisette is Cannes’ famous seafront promenade, lined with palm trees, designer boutiques and grand hotels such as the Carlton, Majestic and Martinez. The promenade starts at the Palais des Festivals, where film stars walk up the red carpet in May, and in the pavement around the building you can find the stars’ handprints. From here it follows the bay east all the way out to Pointe Croisette, and in the evening it’s full of people out for a stroll.

According to the tourist office’s beach guide, Cannes has more than seven kilometres of fine sand, but along the Croisette most of the beaches are private beach clubs run by the hotels. Here you pay for a sunlounger and parasol, and that often applies even if you’re staying at the hotel. If you want to swim for free, Zamenhof and Brigitte Bardot are public family beaches on the Croisette itself.

See hotels on La Croisette here.

This is where I’d stay if you want the classic Cannes experience, with sea views, the beach just across the road and cocktails on a hotel terrace in the evening. You can walk to both the restaurants in the Old Town and the trains in the centre, and the hotels behind the promenade are cheaper than the seafront ones, while still putting the beach just a couple of minutes away. Boats to the Lérins Islands leave from the Old Port, around a 15-minute walk from the hotels.

The downside is the price. Seafront rooms with sea views are among the most expensive on the whole Riviera, and beach clubs, parking and drinks soon add up. In May, during the film festival, the promenade is packed with photographers, barriers and fans, and prices can be several times higher than normal. If you’re coming on holiday, you’ll get the most for your money outside the big events.

Hotels on La Croisette

Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel - legendary five-star hotel with a pool in the middle of the Croisette

The Carlton sits on Boulevard de la Croisette facing the beach, around 10 minutes’ walk from both the Palais des Festivals and the station. It’s an official five-star hotel with an outdoor pool, spa, gym and restaurants, and it scores 9.4 from more than 750 reviews. It was by far the most expensive of my three suggestions at around 1,509 euros (around £1,265) per night when I searched, parking costs 50 to 70 euros (around £40 to £60) a day depending on the season, and several guests are disappointed that the sunloungers at the beach club cost extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A fantastic hotel in a perfect location in Cannes. The service is first-class, the staff are super helpful and friendly, and we’ll definitely be back soon.”

See photos and book Carlton Cannes here.

Croisette Beach Hotel Cannes, MGallery Collection - four-star hotel with a heated pool just behind the Croisette

Croisette Beach Hotel is on Rue du Canada just behind the Croisette, around 150 metres from the beach and 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the Palais des Festivals. It’s an official four-star hotel with an outdoor pool that’s heated all year round, a bar and a gym, and it scores 8.6 from just under 480 reviews. Parking costs around 25 euros (around £20) a day in high season, and one guest was disappointed that even hotel guests have to pay for sunloungers at the beach club.

From one review: “Fantastic location right by the beach on the Croisette. We enjoyed the small pool, even though the courtyard didn’t get much sun.”

See photos and book Croisette Beach Hotel here.

Hôtel Jardin Croisette - three-star hotel on a side street between Rue d’Antibes and the beach

Jardin Croisette is on Rue Molière between Rue d’Antibes and the Croisette, around 200 metres from the beach and 5 to 10 minutes’ walk from the Palais des Festivals and the station. It’s an official three-star hotel with a garden and terrace, and with a score of 8.7 from more than 400 reviews, it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. There’s no pool, parking costs around 25 euros (around £20) a day, and one guest warns that it can be noisy at night at weekends.

One guest highlights: “A beautiful, relaxing stay in Cannes with excellent hospitality, a great location and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.”

See photos and book Hôtel Jardin Croisette here.

2. Old Town (Le Suquet) and the Old Port - best area for atmosphere and restaurants 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Le Suquet sits on the hill just west of the Old Port. It’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Palais des Festivals and around 15 minutes to the station.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk everywhere, but the streets up the hill are steep and have steps, so take a taxi if you have a heavy suitcase. Boats to the Lérins Islands leave from the Old Port.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Just over half an hour by train to Cannes followed by a walk of about 15 minutes, or around 50 minutes on express bus 81 to the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 181 to 297 euros (roughly £150 to £250) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds on Rue Meynadier and around the harbourside restaurants in summer.

The Old Town, which locals call Le Suquet, is the oldest part of Cannes, set on the hill above the Old Port. Narrow streets and stairways lead up to the Notre-Dame-d’Espérance church and the old watchtower, and from the square in front of the church you look out over the harbour, the Croisette and the bay. The old castle at the top houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde, with art and objects from all over the world, and a ticket costs 6.50 euros (around £5.50). The museum is closed on Mondays except in July and August.

At the foot of the hill is Marché Forville, the town’s covered market, which is open every morning except Monday, when there’s a flea market instead. The pedestrianised Rue Meynadier links the market with the centre, and many of the town’s small restaurants line the streets climbing the hill. Trans Côte d’Azur and other operators sail from the harbour all year round to Sainte-Marguerite, where at Fort Royal you can see the cell where the Man in the Iron Mask was held prisoner. A return trip costs around 20 euros (about £17), and you can also buy your ferry ticket to Sainte-Marguerite in advance from around 21 euros (about £18).

See hotels in the Old Town and by the Old Port here.

I’d stay here if you want the market, the little restaurants and harbour views right on your doorstep. You can walk to the Palais des Festivals and the beach in a few minutes, and if you’d like the history too, you can join a walking tour of Cannes with a local guide from around 25 euros (about £21).

The downsides are the hill and the lack of space. Within the Old Town itself there are almost only apartments, and the hotels sit on the edge of the area, so expect steps and steep streets with your suitcase. In summer the terraces are buzzing until late in the evening, and your car will have to go in a public car park, as the streets are too narrow.

Hotels in the Old Town and by the Old Port

Best Western Hôtel des Orangers Cannes - four-star hotel with a pool on the hill by Le Suquet

Hôtel des Orangers is on Rue des Orangers on the hill west of Le Suquet, about 300 metres from the Notre-Dame-d’Espérance church and less than a 10-minute walk from the Old Port. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, garden and sun terrace, and it scores 8.3 from over 2,000 reviews. You can park for free on the street if there’s space; otherwise a public car park costs around 16 euros (about £13) a day, and one guest mentions that the lift is very small.

One guest writes: “Good hotel, good location and good staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel des Orangers here.

Hotel Splendid - classic four-star hotel overlooking the Old Port

The Splendid is on Rue Félix Faure right on the Old Port, a few minutes’ walk from the Palais des Festivals and Marché Forville. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel in an old-fashioned style with a lift, and it scores 8.5 from over 1,500 reviews. There’s no pool, the continental breakfast costs 20 euros (around £17) and the buffet 25 euros (around £21), and a nearby public car park costs around 22 euros (about £18) a day. One guest found the room rather small.

From a review: “The location was very central, and we liked the hotel’s old-fashioned style.”

See photos and book Hotel Splendid here.

Hotel Albert 1er - good-value, highly rated hotel north of Marché Forville

Albert 1er is on Avenue de Grasse in a quiet neighbourhood north of Marché Forville, about 500 metres from Le Suquet and less than a 10-minute walk from the Old Port. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift and a terrace, and with a score of 9.0 from over 1,000 reviews, it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. Parking costs around 10 euros (about £8) a day on request, though one guest felt the walls between the rooms were a little thin.

One guest says: “We had a wonderful stay! Communication with the host before our arrival was excellent.”

See photos and book Hotel Albert 1er here.

3. City Centre by the Station - best area for first-timers and day trips by train 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the town’s shopping district between the station and the Croisette. From Rue d’Antibes, it’s about a 5-minute walk to the beach and the Palais des Festivals.
• 🚆 Transport: Gare de Cannes station sits right in the middle of the area. The regional trains along the coast and the fast trains to Marseille and Paris stop here, and express bus 81 from the airport runs all the way here.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Just over half an hour by train from Nice Saint-Augustin, or around 50 minutes on express bus 81, which stops at the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below cost around 116 to 535 euros (roughly £95 to £450) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy during the day. Keep an eye on your bag at the station and on the coastal trains, where pickpockets operate in summer.

The city centre is the part of Cannes that lies between the railway and the Croisette. Rue d’Antibes is the town’s long shopping street running parallel to the beach, and the surrounding streets are home to cafés, bakeries, supermarkets and many of the town’s mid-range hotels. Just north of the shopping street is Marché Gambetta, which the tourist office calls the town’s market for good deals, and it’s open every morning except Monday.

The big advantage is the train. TER Sud regional trains run along the coast to Antibes in about a quarter of an hour and to Nice in just over half an hour, and it takes around half an hour to reach the perfume town of Grasse. If you’re planning a day trip, I’ve written about the things to do in Nice, and if you’d rather stay in the neighbouring town, you can read about where to stay in Antibes. I cover the train and bus from the airport in my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre.

See hotels in the city centre by the station here.

If you’re wondering where to stay in Cannes on your first visit, or you want to use the town as a base for day trips by train, this is where I’d stay. You can walk to the beach, the Palais des Festivals and the Old Town in 5 to 15 minutes, and you’ll find proper hotels with a reception and breakfast at lower prices than on the Croisette.

The downside is that you won’t have a sea view, and the streets around the station and Rue d’Antibes are busy with traffic during the day. In the evening the shopping streets go quiet, so you’ll head to the Old Town or the Croisette for dinner. The hotels here are more practical than charming, the rooms are often small, and you should ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.

Hotels in the city centre by the station

Five Seas by Inwood Hotels - five-star hotel with a rooftop pool close to the Palais des Festivals

Five Seas is on Rue Notre Dame in the heart of the centre, about 100 metres from the Palais des Festivals and a five-minute walk from the station. It’s an officially rated five-star hotel with a rooftop pool, spa, sauna and restaurant, and it scores 9.1 from almost 470 reviews. It was the most expensive of my three picks in the centre at around 535 euros (roughly £450) per night when I searched, parking costs 49 euros (around £40) a day, and one guest wasn’t keen on the design of the bathrooms.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything is top-notch: the location, the staff and the rooms. It’s a perfect hotel for Cannes.”

See photos and book Five Seas here.

OKKO Hotels Cannes Centre - modern four-star hotel right by the station

OKKO is on Place de la Gare, about 100 metres from the station and a 5-minute walk from the Palais des Festivals. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with a roof terrace, sauna and gym, and it scores 8.4 from almost 1,500 reviews. According to Booking.com, breakfast is included, parking costs 21 euros (around £18) a day, and one guest would have liked a bit more space and storage in the room.

From a review: “Very good location with plenty of restaurants and cafés nearby and within walking distance of all the main sights in Cannes.”

See photos and book OKKO Hotels Cannes Centre here.

Hotel Schtak - budget-friendly hotel in the middle of Rue d’Antibes

Hotel Schtak is on Rue d’Antibes, the town’s shopping street, about 200 metres from the station and a few minutes’ walk from the beach. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift and air conditioning, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the centre when I searched. It scores 8.0, there’s no private parking, so your car will need to go in a public car park, and one guest found the breakfast poor with little choice.

One guest says: “Really good location right in the centre and within walking distance of the sea and the Palais des Festivals.”

See photos and book Hotel Schtak here.

4. Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach - best area for families and peace and quiet ⛵

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying at the eastern end of the Croisette. It’s a 20 to 30-minute walk along the seafront to the Palais des Festivals, and a little further to the Old Town.
• 🚌 Transport: Local buses run into the centre and to the station. Otherwise, you can walk along the promenade or take a taxi, and several hotels have their own parking.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Around 35 to 45 minutes by taxi depending on traffic, or the train to Cannes followed by a short taxi ride or bus.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below were around €170 to €328 (roughly £140 to £275) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. Lock your car, and don’t leave your bag unattended on the beach.

Pointe Croisette is the eastern tip of Cannes, where the promenade ends. This is where you’ll find the Port Pierre Canto marina with its large yachts, and out on the tip itself is Palm Beach with restaurants, bars and a nightclub. Behind the promenade lies a quiet residential area with villas, flats and a handful of hotels with pools and gardens.

The beaches out here at Mouré Rouge and along Boulevard Eugène Gazagnaire are smaller and more local than the beach clubs on the Croisette, and there are water sports in summer. To get to the centre, you take the local Palm Bus services, and if you want to get out on the water, you can take a half-day catamaran trip from Cannes with swimming and snorkelling from around €84 (around £70).

See hotels near Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling with children or want peace and quiet in the evening, but still want to be able to walk to the Croisette. Several of the hotels have pools and their own parking, which is rare in the centre, and the beaches aren’t as crowded as those by the Palais des Festivals. It’s also a good choice if you’re staying in Cannes for a whole week and want a bit more space.

The downside is the distance. It’s about two kilometres to the Old Town, and in the evening restaurants are few and far between if you don’t want to eat at Palm Beach or the marina. Around Palm Beach there can be music and traffic until late at weekends in summer, and outside the season the area is very quiet. If you only have a couple of nights, you’ll get more out of staying in the centre.

Hotels near Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach

Juliana Hotel Cannes - four-star hotel with a pool in the area behind the Croisette

Juliana is on Avenue de Madrid in the area behind the eastern part of the Croisette, about 400 metres from the beach and 1.4 kilometres from the Palais des Festivals. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, bar and gym, and it scores 8.4 from over 1,000 reviews. Parking costs €20 (around £17) a day, and one guest felt the room was very basic, with no tea or coffee.

One guest writes: “We really enjoyed our stay at Juliana Hotel. The staff were really friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Juliana Hotel here.

Hôtel La Villa Cannes - four-star hotel with a heated pool and garden close to Port Pierre Canto

La Villa is on a small side street, Rue Traverse Alexandre III, less than a 10-minute walk from Port Pierre Canto and a couple of minutes from the beach. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool and garden, and it scores 8.9 from just under 350 reviews. The secure parking costs €22 (around £18) a day, and one guest mentions that the hotel is a little outside the centre, so allow about 20 minutes’ walk along the beach to the Palais des Festivals.

From a review: “Lovely hotel with a gorgeous pool and garden. The staff were excellent, friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Hôtel La Villa Cannes here.

Chez Nicole - small B&B with free parking and breakfast

Chez Nicole is on Boulevard Eugène Tripet in the villa district at Pointe Croisette, about 600 metres from the beach and 1.8 kilometres from the Palais des Festivals. It’s a small bed and breakfast with a garden, terrace and free private parking, and with a score of 9.2 it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. There are only a few reviews and no pool, and the property doesn’t accept stag or hen parties or similar groups.

One guest says: “Very kind host. Excellent breakfast. Highly recommended.”

See photos and book Chez Nicole here.

5. La Bocca - best area for long sandy beaches and lower prices 🌅

• 📍 Distance to the centre: La Bocca is the district west of Le Suquet. From the beachfront hotels it’s 2.5 to 3 kilometres to the Old Port, and the beaches along Boulevard du Midi run all the way into town.
• 🚆 Transport: La Bocca has its own station, Cannes-La Bocca, where regional trains stop, and from there it’s just a few minutes to Cannes. Local buses run along the seafront into the centre.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Around 35 to 45 minutes by taxi or car, or by train with a change in Cannes.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly 113 to 627 euros (around £95 to £525) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but less polished than the centre, and the main road through the district is busy. Don’t leave your bag unattended on the beach.

La Bocca is the down-to-earth district on the western side of Cannes, where many locals live and do their shopping. According to the tourist office, the Marché de La Bocca market is the area’s daily meeting point, with vegetables, fish and flowers, and it’s open every morning except Monday. On Wednesdays and Saturdays there’s also a clothes market, and in July and August a night market is held on Wednesday evenings, and here you’ll pay far less for dinner than on the Croisette.

The big draw is the beaches. Along Boulevard du Midi and out towards La Bocca you’ll find wide, public sandy beaches with a promenade lined with trees and plants, and unlike the beach clubs on the Croisette, they’re free to use. At Plage des Rochers the sand sits between ochre-coloured rocks. The tourist office recommends putting your towel down as early as around 8am in high season, and in the evening the sun sets behind the Estérel mountains right across from the beach.

See hotels in La Bocca here.

I’d stay here if the beach is your top priority and you’d like lower prices than in the centre. On the regional train from Cannes-La Bocca you’re in town within a few minutes, and if you have a car, parking is cheaper and several hotels have free spaces. It’s also a good choice for families who want wide sandy beaches without paying for a beach club.

The downside is that La Bocca has neither the charm of the Old Town nor the glamour of the Croisette. Avenue Francis Tonner, which runs through the district, is a busy main road with shops and businesses, and some hotels are a long way from both the beach and the station. In the evening it’s a long way to the restaurants in the Old Town, so expect to take the train, bus or a taxi back.

Hotels in La Bocca

Radisson Hotel Cannes Seaside - four-star hotel with a pool close to the beach on Boulevard du Midi

The Radisson is on Avenue du Docteur Raymond Picaud in the eastern part of La Bocca, around 50 metres from the beach and 2.5 kilometres from the Old Port. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with an outdoor pool in summer, a restaurant and a bar, and it scores 8.0 from more than 1,100 reviews. It was the most expensive of my three picks in La Bocca, parking costs 25 euros (around £20) a day, and one guest complained about an old air-conditioning unit in their room.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We loved this hotel. It’s in a good location and is ten minutes by bus from the centre of Cannes.”

See photos and book Radisson Hotel Cannes Seaside here.

ibis Cannes Plage La Bocca - chain hotel 100 metres from the beach and close to the station

The ibis is on Avenue Francis Tonner, around 100 metres from the beach and 400 metres from Cannes-La Bocca station. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a bar and terrace, and it scores 7.9 from more than 900 reviews. Parking costs 7.50 euros (around £6) a day, and breakfast costs 13.90 euros (around £12) per adult. One guest felt the neighbourhood isn’t particularly charming and that it’s a long walk into the centre.

From a review: “The staff were super helpful with recommendations for dinner in town.”

See photos and book ibis Cannes Plage La Bocca here.

Hotel des Victoires by Soniho - budget-friendly hotel with free parking at the western end of La Bocca

Hotel des Victoires is on Avenue Francis Tonner at the western end of La Bocca, close to the border with Mandelieu, around 1.3 kilometres from the beach and 2 kilometres from the station. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a restaurant, a bar and free parking, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in La Bocca when I searched. It scores 8.2 from more than 3,400 reviews, breakfast costs 10.50 euros (around £9) per person, and one guest complained that the ventilation in their room hadn’t been cleaned.

One guest says: “Perfect value for money in Cannes.”

See photos and book Hotel des Victoires here.

6. Mandelieu-la-Napoule - best area for drivers and a pool 🚗

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Mandelieu-la-Napoule is a separate town west of Cannes. From La Napoule by the château, it’s about 7 kilometres to the Palais des Festivals.
• 🚗 Transport: A car is the easiest option. Mandelieu-la-Napoule station sits right in La Napoule by the château, and regional trains run from there to Cannes in about ten minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Around 30 to 40 minutes by car on the A8 motorway depending on traffic, or by train, often with a change in Cannes.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around €92 to €283 (roughly £75 to £235) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. Lock the car and don’t leave valuables on display when you park by the beaches.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule lies on the Bay of La Napoule west of Cannes, and down by the sea La Napoule has its beach, marina and station side by side. This is where you’ll find Château de la Napoule, a medieval castle restored by the American sculptor Henry Clews and his wife Marie. According to the château’s own website, the gardens and castle are open Tuesday to Sunday from April to September, with shorter opening hours in winter.

Behind the town, the Estérel massif begins with its red rocks, and the Corniche d’Or coast road continues towards Théoule-sur-Mer and Saint-Raphaël. If you want to see the cliffs from the water, you can take a boat trip along the Estérel coast from Cannes or Mandelieu-la-Napoule from around €75 (about £65). With a car, you can also reach the perfume town of Grasse and the villages in the hinterland, and if you want to head further inland, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Provence.

See hotels in Mandelieu-la-Napoule here.

I’d stay here if you’re a family with a car who wants a pool, free parking and more space for your money, or if Cannes is just one stop on a road trip. The easiest place to pick up a car is Nice Airport, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com.

The downside is that you’re not staying in Cannes. If you want to eat in the Old Town or stroll along the Croisette in the evening, you’ll need to take the train, a taxi or the car, and in summer there can be queues on the roads into Cannes. The hotels are spread out, and some of the cheapest are inland, far from the beach, so check the map before you book.

Hotels in Mandelieu-la-Napoule

Ermitage de l’Oasis & Spa - four-star hotel with a heated pool and spa close to the château

Ermitage de l’Oasis is on Avenue Henry Clews in La Napoule, about 400 metres from the château, the beach and the station. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool, spa, sauna and gym, and it scores 8.7 from more than 450 reviews. Parking costs €15 (around £13) a day, and one guest felt that breakfast, which wasn’t included, was very expensive for what you got.

One guest writes: “It was a perfect hotel in every way: the location, the friendly and helpful staff and the cleanliness.”

See photos and book Ermitage de l’Oasis here.

ibis Cannes Mandelieu - chain hotel with free parking in the northern part of town

ibis Cannes Mandelieu is on Boulevard des Écureuils in the northern part of Mandelieu, about 2 kilometres from the beach and 2.5 kilometres from the station in La Napoule. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a bar, terrace and free parking at the hotel, and it scores 8.2 from just under 500 reviews. There’s no pool, children under 12 get free breakfast, and one guest wasn’t impressed with the bathroom.

From a review: “Good location, free parking next to the hotel and a good breakfast.”

See photos and book ibis Cannes Mandelieu here.

Comfort Aparthotel Mandelieu la Napoule Village - aparthotel with two pools at low prices

Comfort Aparthotel is on Rue Yves Brayer in the western part of La Napoule, about 900 metres from the station and a kilometre from the beach. It’s an officially rated three-star aparthotel with two outdoor pools, a playground, a restaurant and free parking, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Mandelieu when I searched. It scores 8.0 from more than 2,700 reviews, but one guest found ants in the kitchen and living room.

One guest says: “Everything you need at a low price, and lovely pools.”

See photos and book Comfort Aparthotel Mandelieu here.

Where not to stay in Cannes?

Watch out for cheap flats that are listed as Cannes on booking sites but are actually in Le Cannet or in the residential neighbourhoods up in the hills north of the railway, where you’ll face a long, steep walk home from the beach. Also check the address of hotels with Cannes in their name, as several are in Mandelieu or by the main road at the western end of La Bocca, and without a car they’re the wrong choice. Don’t book during the film festival in May or the big trade fairs if you just want a holiday, as you’ll pay several times the normal price. And don’t pick a room facing Rue d’Antibes or the station if you’re a light sleeper.

If it’s your first trip to Cannes, I’d stay in the centre near the station, where the beach, the Old Town and the trains are all within walking distance. If you want luxury and sea views, stay on La Croisette, and if you’re after atmosphere and restaurants, the Old Town and the old port are the right choice. Travelling with children? Choose Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach. If it’s sandy beaches and low prices you want, stay in La Bocca, and if you have a car and want a pool for your money, Mandelieu-la-Napoule is the best choice.

Give Cannes at least three nights so you have time for the Croisette, the Old Town and a trip to the Lérins Islands. If you’d rather stay in the big city and take the train here, you can read about where to stay in Nice, and if you want to end your trip with a few nights in the principality, I’ve rounded up the neighbourhoods in my guide to where to stay in Monaco. You’ll find the rest of the country in my guide to where to stay in France.

The post Where to Stay in Cannes? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

It depends on whether you want to explore the narrow streets, lie on the beach or take the train along the coast. Here are my six suggestions, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Antibes: The Best Areas

• Old Town and Port Vauban - best area for first-time visitors
• Town centre by the station - best area for day trips by train
• La Salis and Ponteil - best area for families and sandy beaches
• Juan-les-Pins - best area for beach life and nightlife
• Cap d’Antibes - best area for luxury and peace and quiet
• Biot and Sophia Antipolis - best area for drivers and a pool

The Old Town, the town centre and La Salis sit side by side, so you can do most things on foot there, while Juan-les-Pins lies on the other side of Cap d’Antibes and has its own station. Cap d’Antibes and Biot realistically require a car or a taxi. Below I go through the areas one by one, with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in June for two people, and in July and August they are quite a bit higher.

1. Old Town and Port Vauban - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the Old Town. From the market on Cours Masséna it’s a five-minute walk to Port Vauban, the Musée Picasso and the small beach Plage de la Gravette.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk everywhere. The railway station is about a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, and many of the streets are narrow, cobbled pedestrian lanes, so take a taxi if you have a heavy suitcase.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 minutes by train from Nice Saint-Augustin to Antibes followed by a 15-minute walk, or 40 to 50 minutes on bus 82 to the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly 168 to 385 euros (around £140 to £320) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and busy until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds at the market and on the harbour promenade in summer.

The Old Town, which locals call Vieil Antibes, lies behind the old sea walls facing the Mediterranean, and the harbour here has been in use since antiquity. The streets are narrow, the houses have coloured shutters, and right in the middle is Cours Masséna with the covered Marché Provençal. The market is open every morning, except on Mondays outside the summer season, and in the afternoon local craftspeople sell their work in the same spot.

By the sea stands Château Grimaldi, where Picasso had a studio for two months in the autumn of 1946. Today the château is the Musée Picasso, and it’s closed on Mondays. Just north of the Old Town is Port Vauban, which the tourist office calls Europe’s largest marina, with over 1,500 berths and a quay where superyachts of up to 165 metres moor. If you’d like the stories behind it all, you can join a walking tour of the Old Town with a local guide from around 25 euros (about £20).

See hotels in the Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Antibes, or if you only have a couple of nights. You can browse the market in the morning, swim at Plage de la Gravette inside the harbour wall and have dinner on one of the little squares without giving transport a thought. The station is close by too, so day trips to Nice, Cannes and Monaco are easy.

The downsides are space and price. Many rooms in the Old Town are small, several buildings have no lift, and most places are B&Bs and apartments rather than proper hotels. In summer the bars and pubs are lively until late, and in the pubs you’ll often hear more English than French, so ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper. If you’re arriving by car, you’ll need a car park such as Pré des Pêcheurs, where the hotels quote around 20 euros (about £17) a day.

Hotels in the Old Town and by Port Vauban

Hôtel La Villa Port d’Antibes & Spa - four-star hotel with a heated pool and spa close to the harbour

La Villa Port d’Antibes is on Avenue Frédéric Mistral between Place de Gaulle and Port Vauban, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool and a spa with a hammam and massages, and with a score of 8.9 from over 1,600 reviews it was the most expensive of my three picks in the area. Parking costs around 20 euros (about £17) a day in the Pré des Pêcheurs car park, and one guest felt the pool was too small for the number of guests.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely location, beautiful décor and fantastic staff and service.”

See photos and book Hôtel La Villa Port d’Antibes here.

Irin Hotel - small hotel with a lift in the heart of the Old Town

Irin Hotel is on Rue de la République in the middle of the Old Town, a couple of minutes’ walk from the market on Cours Masséna. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift and air conditioning, and it scores 8.9 from almost 500 reviews. Breakfast is served at extra cost in a nearby restaurant, parking nearby costs around 20 euros (about £17) a day, and one guest found the room very small.

From a review: “Clean, lovely bathroom and excellent location.”

See photos and book Irin Hotel here.

Les Petits Volets 2 - B&B 100 metres from the sea in the southern part of the Old Town

Les Petits Volets 2 is on Rue du Bas Castelet in the southern part of the Old Town, about 100 metres from the sea walls and a couple of minutes’ walk from the Musée Picasso. It’s a small B&B with a score of 9.3, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the Old Town when I searched. There’s no lift and breakfast isn’t included, but there’s tea and coffee in the room. One guest found the room small but fine for a few days.

One of the guests highlights: “The location was really good, Dominique was lovely, and the room was spotlessly clean.”

See photos and book Les Petits Volets 2 here.

2. Town Centre by the Station - best area for day trips by train 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay in the newer part of town between the station and Place de Gaulle. From here, it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk into the Old Town.
• 🚆 Transport: The train station and the Pôle d’Échanges bus terminal are in the same place. Bus 82 from the airport stops here, and the local buses to Juan-les-Pins, Cap d’Antibes and Biot leave from here.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 minutes by train from Nice Saint-Augustin, or 40 to 50 minutes on bus 82, which stops at the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around €120 to €230 (roughly £100 to £195) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but less lively in the evening than the Old Town. Keep an eye on your bag on the platforms and on the coastal trains, where pickpockets operate in summer.

The town centre is the newer part of Antibes, lying between the railway and the Old Town. This is where you’ll find the shopping streets around Place de Gaulle and Boulevard Albert 1er, along with banks, supermarkets and cafés where the locals have lunch. North-east of the station, the Fort Carré fortress sits on a headland facing the sea, and from there you can look out over the whole of Port Vauban and its huge yachts.

The big advantage is the train. From Antibes, regional trains run along the coast to Nice in about 20 minutes and to Cannes in about a quarter of an hour, and Monaco takes around an hour. You’ll find the timetables at TER Sud, and a single ticket to Nice costs about €7 (around £6). Local Envibus buses leave from the bus terminal, and a ticket costs €1.50 (around £1.25) on board or €1 (around 85p) in the app. If you want to see more of Nice, I’ve written about things to do in Nice, and I cover the train and bus from the airport in my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre.

See hotels near the station and Place de Gaulle here.

I would stay here if you want to use Antibes as a base for day trips by train, or if you’d like a proper hotel with a reception and breakfast at a lower price than in the Old Town. The hotels are bigger than the B&Bs behind the walls, several have their own parking, and you can reach the train in a few minutes with your suitcase.

The downside is that the centre doesn’t have the Old Town’s charm, and some of the streets are busy during the day. Boulevard Général Vautrin along the coast north of the station is a major road with heavy traffic, and in the evening the modern streets are quiet. It’s 10 to 15 minutes to the restaurants in the Old Town, so it’s easy to walk back and forth, but the atmosphere isn’t quite the same.

Hotels near the station and Place de Gaulle

La Place Boutique Hotel - boutique hotel with a breakfast buffet on Place de Gaulle

La Place is on Avenue du 24 Août by Place de Gaulle, about a 15-minute walk from the station and five minutes from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated three-star boutique hotel with a bar, a terrace and a breakfast buffet, and it scores 8.6 from over 750 reviews. Parking costs about €27 (around £23) a day in a nearby public car park, and one guest found the room small.

One guest writes: “A very nice hotel, the staff are super friendly and welcoming, and the breakfast is a bonus.”

See photos and book La Place Boutique Hotel here.

Hôtel Le Collier - three-star hotel with its own parking a few minutes from the station

Le Collier is on Boulevard Général Vautrin, a few minutes’ walk north of the station and 10 to 15 minutes from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift, a terrace and its own parking for about €12 (around £10) a day, and it scores 8.3 from over 2,000 reviews. The hotel faces the coast road, and one guest warns that there’s a lot of traffic during the day, though it’s quiet at night.

From a review: “Excellent breakfast, the location close to the station, value for money and the staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Collier here.

Hôtel de l’Étoile - budget-friendly hotel between the station and the harbour

Hôtel de l’Étoile is on Avenue Gambetta between the station and Port Vauban, about a five-minute walk from both. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift, a 24-hour reception and parking for about €9 (around £7.50) a day, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It scores 8.1 from over 2,200 reviews, but the breakfast at €9.50 (around £8) gets criticism, and one guest got only old fruit, a few pastries and a single cup of coffee.

One guest says: “Friendly and helpful staff, and the location was perfect, a five-minute walk from the train and a five-minute walk from the harbour.”

See photos and book Hôtel de l’Étoile here.

3. La Salis and Ponteil - best area for families and sandy beaches 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying south of the Old Town along the bay towards Cap d’Antibes. From Plage du Ponteil it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Old Town, and from Plage de la Salis about a quarter of an hour.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk into the Old Town along the seafront and reach the station in 20 to 25 minutes. There’s a large car park by the beaches, and several hotels have their own parking.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 30 to 40 minutes by taxi, or take the train to Antibes followed by a short taxi ride.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €170 to €362 (around £140 to £305) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and peaceful. Don’t leave your bag unattended on the beach while you’re swimming.

Just south of the Old Town, the bay of Anse de la Salis begins, with two long sandy beaches, Plage du Ponteil and Plage de la Salis. According to the Antibes tourist office, the water is shallow, so the beaches are well suited to younger children, and there are lifeguards, showers and toilets. It’s sand rather than pebbles like in Nice, which is one of the reasons so many families choose this particular corner of town when deciding where to stay in Antibes.

From the beach you look back at the sea walls and the Old Town, and on clear days you can see the Alps behind the town. The promenade along Boulevard James Wyllie continues out towards Cap d’Antibes, and from the southern end of Plage de la Salis you can take the steep Chemin du Calvaire path up to Plateau de la Garoupe with its lighthouse and views. There’s also a sailing school by the beaches if the children fancy trying a dinghy.

See hotels in La Salis and Ponteil here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling with children, or if the beach holiday matters as much as the Old Town. You have the sandy beach right outside the door, you can walk to the market and restaurants in 10 to 15 minutes, and several hotels have their own parking. It’s also a good compromise between the Old Town and Cap d’Antibes if you’d like a bit more peace and quiet in the evenings.

The downside is that the beaches are narrow and get very crowded in July and August, and the road runs right behind the sand, so there’s traffic close by. The beach clubs charge a fair bit for sunloungers and parasols, and the car park fills up early on hot days. So in high season, arrive early in the morning if you want a good spot on the public part of the beach.

Hotels in La Salis and Ponteil

Royal Antibes - four-star hotel with its own beach and spa at Ponteil

Royal Antibes is on Boulevard Maréchal Leclerc, right on the beach at Ponteil, about five minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s an official four-star hotel with its own beach, a restaurant and a spa with sauna, hammam and hot tub, and parking costs about €20 (around £17) a day. It scores 7.9 from over 1,000 reviews, and one guest felt the price of using one of the sunloungers was outrageous.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location, a very cosy room, and we loved that there was a separate bath and shower.”

See photos and book Royal Antibes here.

Hôtel Josse - family-friendly hotel right on Plage de la Salis

Hôtel Josse is on Boulevard James Wyllie, directly opposite Plage de la Salis, about a quarter of an hour’s walk from the Old Town. It’s an official three-star hotel with a bar, terrace and family rooms, and with a score of 8.8 from over 1,200 reviews it’s a safe choice. There are four free spaces in front of the hotel on a first come, first served basis; otherwise the secure parking costs about €16 (around £13) a day, and one guest missed having a lift to the top floor.

From a review: “Fantastic hotel with a beautiful location and good facilities, and the staff were so friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Hôtel Josse here.

Hotel Le Ponteil - small hotel with a garden 150 metres from the beach

Le Ponteil is tucked away in a small cul-de-sac, Impasse Jean Mensier, about 150 metres from the beach and five minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s a small official two-star hotel with a garden and parking for about €10 (around £8) a day, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It scores 8.8, although one guest missed having somewhere to hang wet beach towels to dry.

One of the guests highlights: “The hotel is wonderful, small and tastefully decorated.”

See photos and book Hotel Le Ponteil here.

4. Juan-les-Pins - best area for beach life and nightlife 🎷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Juan-les-Pins is on the western side of Cap d’Antibes. It’s about a half-hour walk to the Old Town in Antibes, or a few minutes on the regional train to Antibes station.
• 🚆 Transport: Juan-les-Pins has its own station in the middle of town, but only regional trains stop here. Envibus local buses run to Antibes.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 25 minutes on the regional train from Nice Saint-Augustin, or 30 to 40 minutes by taxi, which has a fixed fare of around €72 (around £60).
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €110 to €337 (around £90 to £280) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but lively and noisy on summer nights around the bars and clubs. Keep an eye on your bag on the beach and in the evening crowds.

Juan-les-Pins is part of Antibes, but it feels like a seaside resort in its own right on the other side of Cap d’Antibes. The town has its roots in the Belle Époque and the 1920s, and today it’s Antibes’ beach town, with long sandy beaches, a palm-lined promenade and most of the town’s bars and nightclubs. The public beaches stretch from the centre towards Golfe-Juan, with beach clubs offering sunloungers and restaurants dotted in between.

In the middle of town is the Pinède Gould pine grove, where the Jazz à Juan festival has been held since 1960. The festival calls itself Europe’s oldest jazz festival and takes place in July, and Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles have all played here. In July and August there’s also a night market on the Promenade du Soleil, and if you fancy getting out on the water, you can hire a two-person paddleboard in Juan-les-Pins from around €38 (around £30).

See hotels in Juan-les-Pins here.

I’d stay here if the beach and the evenings matter most to you, or if you’re a group of friends who want bars and nightlife within walking distance. Juan-les-Pins has its own station, so you can still take the train to Cannes and Nice, and several of the hotels have a pool, which is rare in the Old Town.

The downsides are the noise and the prices in high season. During Jazz à Juan and at weekends in July and August, things are in full swing until late into the night, and the hotels fill up early. Out of season, many beach clubs and nightclubs close, and the town can feel quiet. If you want the Old Town and the market close by, Antibes is a better choice than Juan-les-Pins.

Hotels in Juan-les-Pins

Hôtel La Villa Sainte Valérie Adults Only - adults-only four-star hotel with a heated pool

La Villa Sainte Valérie is on Rue de l’Oratoire in a quiet residential area of villas, about 100 metres from the beach and 800 metres from Juan-les-Pins station. It’s an official four-star, adults-only hotel with a heated pool, garden and bar, and it scores 9.2 from just under 450 reviews. The secure parking costs around €20 (around £17) a day, and one guest felt the breakfast could have been a little better, but that it was good value for money.

One guest writes: “What a fantastic hotel! From the warm welcome to the beautiful rooms, we loved everything about this little hotel.”

See photos and book La Villa Sainte Valérie here.

Hôtel Hélios - four-star hotel 100 metres from the beach and close to the station

Hôtel Hélios is on Avenue Dautheville in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, about 100 metres from the beach and a five-minute walk from the station. It’s an official four-star hotel with a bar, lift and underground parking for around €20 (around £17) a day, and it scores 8.5 from more than 500 reviews. There’s no pool, and one guest thought the breakfast was rather mediocre.

From a review: “Very convenient location close to the station.”

See photos and book Hôtel Hélios here.

The Originals Boutique, Hôtel Les Strélitzias - affordable hotel with a restaurant 300 metres from the beach

Les Strélitzias is on Rue Pierre Commanay in the western part of Juan-les-Pins, about 300 metres from the beach and a ten-minute walk from the station. It’s an official three-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, garden and family rooms, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Juan-les-Pins when I searched. It scores 8.1, breakfast costs €16.50 (around £14) per adult, and parking costs from around €10 (around £8) a day. One guest felt the breakfast could be more varied.

One guest says: “Good location in Juan-les-Pins and only a short walk from the beach.”

See photos and book Hôtel Les Strélitzias here.

5. Cap d’Antibes - best area for luxury and peace and quiet 🌲

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The cape stretches around three kilometres out to sea south of Antibes. From the hotels in the middle of the cape, it’s 10 to 15 minutes by car or taxi to the Old Town.
• 🚗 Transport: A car, taxi or bike is easiest. Envibus local buses also run out here, but the roads are narrow and hilly, and in the evening most people end up taking a taxi.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Around 30 to 40 minutes by car or taxi, depending on traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below cost around €181 to €1,383 (roughly £150 to £1,160) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. Lock your car and don’t leave valuables on show when you park by the beaches and the coastal path.

Cap d’Antibes is the peninsula between Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, home to some of the Riviera’s most expensive villas, hidden behind high walls and umbrella pines. Wealthy families have been building summer homes out here since the mid-1800s, and the cape is also where you’ll find the legendary Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. There’s no real town centre, but there are small beaches such as Plage de la Garoupe and rocky coves with crystal-clear water.

The best thing about the cape is the coastal path. Sentier de Tirepoil starts at the car park by Plage de la Garoupe and follows the rocks around the southern tip past Villa Eilenroc. The walk is around five kilometres and takes about two hours. The path closes in strong winds and can be partly closed at times, so check the tourist office website before you set off. In the middle of the cape is Plateau de la Garoupe, with one of the most powerful lighthouses on the Mediterranean coast and the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garoupe chapel, and on clear days the viewpoint lets you see from Italy to the Alps.

See hotels on Cap d’Antibes here.

I’d stay here if you want luxury, a pool and peace and quiet, and if you have a car or don’t mind taking a taxi into town. If you’d like to see the cape from the water, you can take a private boat trip to the Lérins Islands and around Cap d’Antibes from Golfe-Juan for around €550 (about £460) for up to five people. The easiest place to pick up a car is Nice Airport, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com.

The downsides are the price and the distance. Even the cheapest hotels on the cape cost more than most in Antibes, and restaurants are few and far between in the evening. Without a car you’ll rely on taxis, and the trips back and forth soon add up. If you only have one or two nights, you’ll get more out of staying in the Old Town and heading out to the cape for the day.

Hotels on Cap d’Antibes

Villa Miraé by Inwood Hotels - five-star hotel with a pool and private beach area near Garoupe

Villa Miraé is on Chemin de la Garoupe in the middle of the cape, less than a ten-minute walk from Plage de la Garoupe. It’s an officially rated five-star hotel with a heated pool, restaurant, bar, garden and private beach area, and it scores 9.3. It’s by far the most expensive hotel in this guide at around €1,383 (about £1,160) per night when I searched, and one guest was disappointed that using the hotel’s sun deck cost extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about this hotel was 10 out of 10!”

See photos and book Villa Miraé here.

Hôtel Beau Site - four-star hotel with a pool and garden in the middle of the cape

Hôtel Beau Site is on Boulevard Kennedy in the middle of the cape, less than a ten-minute walk from the sea. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, garden, bar and private parking for around €15 (about £13) a day, and it scores 8.8 from just under 500 reviews. The breakfast buffet costs €17 (about £14) per person, and one guest was unhappy with the check-out time.

From one review: “The location, the hotel and the staff were fabulous.”

See photos and book Hôtel Beau Site here.

Hôtel Le Petit Castel - small hotel with free parking where the cape begins

Le Petit Castel is on Chemin des Sables, where Cap d’Antibes begins between Juan-les-Pins and La Salis, around a ten-minute walk from the beaches on either side. It’s a small, officially rated three-star hotel with a garden, sun terrace, free street parking and a few private spaces, and it was the cheapest of my three picks on the cape when I searched. It scores 8.9, but none of the rooms has a balcony, which one guest missed.

One guest says: “Lovely little hotel. Clean, excellent location and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Petit Castel here.

6. Biot and Sophia Antipolis - best area for drivers and a pool 🚗

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The village of Biot lies about six kilometres north of the Old Town in Antibes, and the Sophia Antipolis technology park lies further inland. Allow 15 to 20 minutes by car to the Old Town.
• 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car. Biot has a station down by the coast where only regional trains stop, and Envibus runs to Antibes, but the village and the hotels are a fair distance from the station.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by car on the A8 motorway.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 90 to 289 euros (roughly £75 to £240) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Sophia Antipolis is a business district that is very quiet in the evenings and at weekends.

Biot is a small hilltop village north of Antibes, known for its glassblowers. At Verrerie de Biot, founded in 1956, they invented the bubbled glass the village is famous for, and entry is free. Just below the village is the Musée national Fernand Léger with the artist’s huge mosaic façade, and a ticket costs 8 euros (around £7) when there’s no special exhibition. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

West of the village lies Sophia Antipolis, the large technology park set among the pine forests. This is where many of the hotels and aparthotels that booking sites show you when you search for Antibes are located, and they often have a pool, free parking and lower prices than on the coast. By car, you’re quickly at the beaches in Antibes, and you’re close to the motorway towards Cannes, Nice and into Provence.

See hotels in Biot and Sophia Antipolis here.

I would stay here if you’re a family with a car who want a pool and plenty of space for your money, or if Antibes is just one stop on a road trip. From here you can drive to Cannes, Nice and the little hill villages such as Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and if you want to head further inland, I’ve rounded up the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Provence. You can compare car hire prices at Booking.com’s car rental.

The downside is that you’re not by the sea, and Sophia Antipolis is an office district with no atmosphere, which is quiet in the evenings and at weekends. Without a car it’s the wrong choice, and in summer there can be queues on the roads down to the coast. If you’d like to stay in Biot itself, there are only a few places in the village, and most of them are apartments.

Hotels in Biot and Sophia Antipolis

Auberge TAO - four-star countryside hotel with a pool, massages and a restaurant

Auberge TAO is on Route de Valbonne between Biot and Sophia Antipolis, about a quarter of an hour by car from the beach. It’s an official four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, massages and free parking, and it scores 9.3. Breakfast costs around 20 euros (about £17) per person, and one guest felt it was expensive and that the price wasn’t stated in advance.

One guest writes: “An exceptional stay! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and professionalism.”

See photos and book Auberge TAO here.

Moxy Antibes Sophia Antipolis - modern hotel with a pool and free parking

Moxy is in Sophia Antipolis, about 20 minutes by car from the Old Town in Antibes. It’s an official three-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool, pool bar, gym and free parking, and it scores 8.4 from more than 1,000 reviews. One guest writes that the location isn’t very central, even though the road links are excellent, and breakfast can get overcrowded.

From one review: “The atmosphere, the room, the breakfast, the pool, the staff.”

See photos and book Moxy Antibes Sophia Antipolis here.

Nemea Appart Hotel Green Side Biot Sophia Antipolis - aparthotel with a pool and playground for families

Nemea Green Side is on Rue Henri Poincaré in Sophia Antipolis. It’s an aparthotel with a pool, sauna, gym, playground, mini golf and free parking, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It only scores 7.0, breakfast costs 14 euros (around £12) per person, and one guest felt that check-in not until 5pm was too late after a long drive.

One guest says: “The pool was lovely, clean and well maintained.”

See photos and book Nemea Appart Hotel Green Side here.

Where not to stay in Antibes?

Watch out for the many cheap apartments listed as Antibes on booking sites that are actually in the residential neighbourhoods far from the sea to the north and west, where it’s two to four kilometres to the Old Town and there’s not much to do in the evenings. Also check whether the hotel is in Sophia Antipolis, as several business hotels out there have Antibes in their name, and without a car they’re the wrong choice. Don’t stay in the middle of Juan-les-Pins during Jazz à Juan or at weekends in July and August if you want an early night. And don’t pick Cap d’Antibes without a car if you want to eat out in the Old Town every evening, as the taxi fares soon add up.

If it’s your first trip to Antibes, I would stay in the Old Town. If you want to take day trips by train, the centre by the station is the most practical, and if you’re travelling with children, choose La Salis and Ponteil with their sandy beaches and short walk into town. For beach life and nightlife, stay in Juan-les-Pins; for luxury and peace, stay on Cap d’Antibes; and if you have a car and want a pool for your money, Biot and Sophia Antipolis are the best choice.

Give Antibes at least three nights, so you have time for the Old Town, the coastal path on Cap d’Antibes and a day trip. If you’d rather stay in the big city and take the train here, you can read about where to stay in Nice, and for a night or two in the principality, I’ve put together a guide to where to stay in Monaco. For the rest of the country, see my guide to where to stay in France.

The post Where to Stay in Antibes? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

I would pick two to four bases in the same part of the country rather than trying to see everything on one trip. Here are my recommendations for twelve places to stay in France, with good hotels in three price ranges in each one.

Where to Stay in France: The Best Areas

• Paris - best city for first-time visitors and city breaks
• Nice & the Riviera - best area for beaches and city life on the Mediterranean
• Provence - best area for lavender, markets and Roman ruins
• Marseille - best city for harbour life, food and the Calanques
• Corsica - best island for beaches, mountains and road trips
• Lyon - best city for food and a city break without the big crowds
• Annecy & the Alps - best area for lakes, mountains and hiking
• Strasbourg & Alsace - best area for Christmas markets, wine and half-timbered houses
• Normandy - best area for D-Day, the coast and Mont-Saint-Michel
• Loire Valley - best area for châteaux, wine and cycling
• Bordeaux - best city for wine and vineyards
• Toulouse - best city for south-west France and Carcassonne

I cover the bases in four groups: first Paris, then south-east France with the Riviera, Provence, Marseille and Corsica, then Lyon, the Alps and Alsace in the east, and finally Normandy, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Toulouse in the west and south-west. For each place you get a map, travel times and three places to stay: the most expensive first, then a mid-range option and finally one for a smaller budget. The travel times come from the rail operator, the airports and the tourist offices, and where I’ve added times together myself, I say that it’s an estimate.

For a week’s holiday, I would choose one or two bases in the same part of the country. For a city break, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux or Strasbourg is enough on its own, and for a beach holiday, Nice or Corsica is the obvious choice. If you have two weeks or more, you can do a tour, but stick to one or two regions so your days aren’t spent travelling.

The TGV trains radiate out from Paris like the spokes of a wheel. According to SNCF Connect, the fastest trains take 1 hour and 45 minutes to Strasbourg, just under two hours to Lyon, around two hours to Bordeaux and just over three hours to Marseille. Travelling across the country is slower, so from Bordeaux to the Riviera, for example, a domestic flight may be a better choice than the train. For Corsica, the villages of Provence and the wine châteaux, you’ll need a car.

1. Paris - best city for first-time visitors and city breaks 🗼

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine. The three hotels are in the Marais, from around 600 metres to just over a kilometre away.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro and RER. Tickets are stored in the Île-de-France Mobilités app or on a Navigo Easy card, which you tap at the barriers.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: RER B runs from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Gare du Nord in 25 to 30 minutes. From Orly (ORY), metro line 14 takes under 25 minutes to Châtelet.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Paris is the most expensive place to stay in France, and the cheap rooms are small.
• 👮 Safety: Generally a safe city. Pickpockets work the metro and the big sights, so keep your bag in front of you.

Paris is where most trips to France begin, and the city deserves at least three to four nights. This is home to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and Notre-Dame, and you could easily fill a whole week without leaving the city. On a tour of the country, Paris is also the practical hub, as most TGV lines start here.

I’ve picked three hotels in the Marais because the neighbourhood is right in the middle of the city, within walking distance of Île de la Cité, the Centre Pompidou and Place des Vosges. It’s full of cafés, small shops and restaurants, and the streets are lively in the evening. If you’d rather stay in Montmartre, the Latin Quarter or near the Opéra, I’ve written a whole guide on where to stay in Paris, with five areas to choose from.

See hotels in Paris here.

Most people land at Charles de Gaulle, where RER B runs to Gare du Nord in 25 to 30 minutes and taxis charge a fixed fare. All the options are in my guide to getting from Charles de Gaulle to the city centre. If you land at Orly, read my guide on how to get from Orly to Paris, and if you’re flying with a budget airline to Beauvais, the airport is a long way outside the city, so have a look at my guide to Paris Beauvais Airport too.

If you’re travelling on around the country, check which station your train leaves from. Trains to Lyon, Provence, the Riviera and the Alps leave from Gare de Lyon, trains to Strasbourg from Gare de l’Est, trains to Bordeaux and Toulouse from Montparnasse and trains to Normandy from Saint-Lazare. What to see in the city itself is covered in my guide to things to see in Paris, and if you’re travelling with children, Disneyland Paris is an easy day trip on RER A.

Hotels in Paris

Le Pavillon de la Reine & Spa - five-star hotel with a spa on Place des Vosges

Le Pavillon de la Reine is on Place des Vosges in the Marais, and you enter the hotel through a courtyard with flowers and ivy. The hotel has a spa with a hot tub and steam room, a gym, a bar and a restaurant, and there’s parking on site.

The smallest double rooms are 21 square metres, which is decent for the Marais. It’s my pick for a romantic trip or a special occasion. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest was disappointed with the view from their junior suite, so ask for a room facing the courtyard or the square.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “I really enjoyed my stay, a wonderful location and a very lovely hotel.”

See photos and book Le Pavillon de la Reine & Spa here.

Hôtel Duo - four-star hotel close to the Hôtel de Ville

Hôtel Duo is on Rue du Temple in the southern Marais, just under 200 metres from the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and around 600 metres from Notre-Dame. The hotel has a bar, a gym and a sauna, and you can book a massage.

It’s my suggestion if you want to stay in the thick of it for less than on Place des Vosges. The smallest double rooms are only 14 square metres, and one guest writes that there was hardly any space beyond the double bed. So choose a larger room category if you have big suitcases. Breakfast costs extra.

About the staff, one guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location and friendly, professional staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Duo here.

Hôtel Bellevue et du Chariot d’Or - two-star hotel with a lift in the northern Marais

Hôtel Bellevue et du Chariot d’Or is on Rue de Turbigo in the northern Marais, less than 500 metres from the Centre Pompidou. It’s a simple hotel with a bar, a lift, a 24-hour reception and family rooms.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions in Paris, and the hotel has thousands of reviews with a good score. The rooms are small, with the smallest doubles at 12 square metres, and one guest found the beds a little uncomfortable. Breakfast costs extra, but there are cafés on every corner.

After their stay, one guest writes on Booking.com: “I can recommend the hotel, and I’d happily stay here again.”

See photos and book Hôtel Bellevue et du Chariot d’Or here.

2. Nice & the Riviera - best area for beaches and city life on the Mediterranean ☀️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows the Old Town in Nice. The hotels range from just under 500 metres from Place Masséna to around 1.5 kilometres from the Old Town out on the Promenade des Anglais.
• 🚆 Transport: Trams and buses in the city, and trains along the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Antibes and Cannes.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Tram line 2 runs from Nice Airport (NCE) to Jean Médecin in the centre in under 30 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Highest in July and August and during big events such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.
• 👮 Safety: Generally a safe city. Watch out for pickpockets on the Promenade des Anglais, in the Old Town and on the trains along the coast.

Nice is the main city on the French Riviera and the best base if you want to combine beach time with city life. Here you’ll find the Old Town with its narrow streets and the market on Cours Saleya, the Promenade des Anglais along the bay and some of the best art museums in the South of France. Since 2021, the city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a winter resort.

The big advantage of Nice is its location. The train runs along the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton to the east and to Antibes and Cannes to the west, so you can see most of the Riviera without a car. Hotels in Nice are also cheaper than in Cannes and Monaco. If you want to pick a neighbourhood in the city, read my guide to where to stay in and around Nice, and for your days out I’ve put together the things to do in Nice in a separate guide.

See hotels in Nice here.

From Nice Airport, tram line 2 runs into the city, and taxis charge a fixed fare to the centre. All the options, including the express bus to Monaco, are in my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre. If you’re thinking of staying in Monaco itself, read my guide to where to stay in Monaco first. The principality is expensive, and many people choose to stay in Nice and take the train there.

The beaches in Nice are pebble beaches, and some of them are beach clubs where you pay for sunloungers. If you want sand under your feet, there are sandy beaches in Antibes and around Cannes. Book early if you’re travelling in July or August, as prices rise along the whole coast.

Hotels in Nice

Hotel Le Negresco - classic five-star hotel with a beach club on the Promenade des Anglais

Le Negresco, with its pink dome, sits on the Promenade des Anglais overlooking the bay, around a kilometre from Place Masséna. The hotel has an indoor pool, spa, sauna, gym, restaurants, a bar and a private beach club on the other side of the promenade.

Rooms start at 25 square metres, and the hotel suits you if you want the classic Riviera with all the trimmings. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest feels it’s all a bit pricey, especially the sunloungers at the beach club. If you’re arriving by car, there’s valet parking.

One delighted guest writes on Booking.com: “The best hotel of my entire trip.”

See photos and book Hotel Le Negresco here.

Hotel Le Grimaldi by Happyculture - four-star hotel between Place Masséna and the railway station

Le Grimaldi is on a street in the centre, just under 500 metres from Place Masséna and just over 600 metres from Nice-Ville station. The hotel has a bar, a 24-hour reception and a lift, and the beach is a few minutes’ walk away.

This is my pick if you want to be able to walk to the beach, the Old Town and the train. The smallest double rooms are 18 square metres. One guest feels the room and bathroom are a little worn, but clean and comfortable.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about this hotel is just perfect!”

See photos and book Hotel Le Grimaldi by Happyculture here.

Hotel Villa Rivoli - three-star hotel with a garden close to the Promenade des Anglais

Hotel Villa Rivoli is on a side street around 250 metres from the Promenade des Anglais and just under a kilometre from Place Masséna. The hotel has a garden, a bar and private parking on site.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions and good if you want to stay close to the beach without paying for a sea view. The rooms are small, with the smallest doubles at 13.5 square metres, and one guest writes that both the room and the bed were small, but clean and comfortable. Breakfast costs extra.

Short and sweet, one guest on Booking.com says: “It’s a beautiful hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Villa Rivoli here.

3. Provence - best area for lavender, markets and Roman ruins 💜

• 📍 Distance to the centre: I use Avignon as my base. The three hotels are all inside the city walls, no more than about 600 metres from Place de l’Horloge, as the map shows.
• 🚆 Transport: TGV trains stop at Avignon TGV outside the city, and from there a local train runs to Avignon Centre in about six minutes. Inside the city walls, you get around on foot.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About an hour by car from Marseille Provence Airport (MRS). From Paris, the fastest trains to Avignon TGV take just over two and a half hours.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. Most expensive in July, when the theatre festival fills the city.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds on Place de l’Horloge and during the festival, and stick to well-lit streets at night.

Provence means lavender fields, hilltop villages, markets and Roman ruins, and the region suits you if you want a slower pace than on the coast. I’ve chosen Avignon as the base because the city is easy to reach by train and has connections on to the rest of the region. The popes’ enormous palace, the Palais des Papes, sits in the middle of the Old Town together with the half-bridge Pont Saint-Bénézet, and the whole area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Avignon, the train to Arles takes under 20 minutes, and there are local trains to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and buses to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. If you’d rather stay in one of the smaller towns, I’ve covered six of them in my guide to where to stay in Provence. Gordes and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence suit couples with a car best, and Aix-en-Provence has the most city life.

See hotels in Avignon here.

The lavender usually blooms from late June into July, which is also when hotels are at their most expensive. If you’re travelling in July, book Avignon early, as the Festival d’Avignon theatre festival fills the whole city. In May, June and September there are fewer people and lower prices.

For the Luberon and Sénanque Abbey you’ll need a car, as the buses between the villages run infrequently. Hire the car at Avignon TGV or at the airport, and only pick it up on the day you leave the city, as parking inside the city walls can be a hassle.

Hotels in Avignon

La Mirande - five-star hotel in a historic mansion behind the Palais des Papes

La Mirande sits right behind the Palais des Papes, so you can’t stay any closer to the popes’ palace. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, garden and terrace, and it also runs cookery classes.

Rooms start at 25 square metres, and guests praise the interiors. This is the hotel for a special trip where you want to stay somewhere historic in the heart of the Old Town. Breakfast costs 35 euros (around £30) per person, and one guest felt the bathrooms could do with a renovation.

One guest describes it like this on Booking.com: “An elegant and beautifully decorated hotel with lavish furnishings and a stunning design.”

See photos and book La Mirande here.

Hôtel Cloître Saint Louis - four-star hotel in a former cloister with a rooftop pool

Hôtel Cloître Saint Louis is in the southern part of the Old Town, a couple of hundred metres from Avignon Centre station and about 600 metres from Place de l’Horloge. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, garden, parking and a rooftop pool that’s open in season.

This is my pick if you’re arriving by train and want a pool without paying five-star prices. The smallest double rooms are 18 square metres, and breakfast costs 17 euros (around £14) per person. One guest wasn’t happy with the bathroom layout.

One guest highlights on Booking.com: “The hotel’s location was fantastic.”

See photos and book Hôtel Cloître Saint Louis here.

Hôtel Le Colbert - small three-star, adults-only hotel with a courtyard garden

Hôtel Le Colbert is in the southern part of the Old Town, just under 600 metres from Place de l’Horloge and a short walk from Avignon Centre station. It’s a small hotel with a garden and terrace, and it only accepts adults.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions and suits couples who want a simple, central stay. There’s no lift, and the smallest double rooms are only 12 square metres, so pack light. Breakfast costs extra.

Short and sweet, one guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was perfect.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Colbert here.

4. Marseille - best city for harbour life, food and the Calanques ⚓

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The three hotels are no more than about 850 metres from the old harbour, the Vieux-Port, as the map shows.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro, trams and buses. Boats to the islands in the bay leave from the Vieux-Port.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: The Navette shuttle bus runs from Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) to Saint-Charles station in about 30 to 50 minutes. From there it’s two stops on metro line M1 to the Vieux-Port.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Usually cheaper than Nice and the rest of the Riviera.
• 👮 Safety: The area around the Vieux-Port is busy and safe during the day. In the evening, I’d stick to well-lit streets and take care around the station.

Marseille is France’s oldest city and a completely different experience from Nice. It’s noisy and full of food from all over the Mediterranean, and in the mornings the fishermen sell their catch on the quayside at the Vieux-Port. The basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde looks down over the city, and in Le Panier, the oldest neighbourhood, you can wander narrow streets full of street art and little cafés.

The biggest reason to stay in Marseille is the nature just outside the city. The Calanques National Park, with its limestone cliffs and narrow coves, begins on the city’s southern edge, and boats sail from the Vieux-Port to the Château d’If and the Frioul Islands. The city also makes a good base for Cassis and Aix-en-Provence. If you need help choosing a neighbourhood, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Marseille, covering six areas from Le Panier to the beaches at Prado.

See hotels in Marseille here.

If you arrive by train, you’ll come into Saint-Charles. The fastest trains from Paris take just over three hours, and Marseille is also one of the ports the ferries to Corsica sail from. That makes the city an obvious last stop before you head over to the island.

Stay close to the Vieux-Port if it’s your first visit. This is where the restaurants, the boats and the metro are, and in the evening the quays are packed with people. I’d give Marseille two to three nights, so you have one day in the city and one day in the Calanques.

Hotels in Marseille

InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu - five-star hotel in the city’s old hospital above the Vieux-Port

The InterContinental Marseille is housed in the Hôtel-Dieu, the city’s old hospital, on the slope between Le Panier and the harbour, about 600 metres from the Vieux-Port. The hotel has an indoor pool, a spa, a gym, a restaurant, a bar and a terrace.

The smallest double rooms are 28 square metres, which is generous for a big city. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest mentions slow service on the terrace. The hotel sits on a hill, so expect a steep walk up from the harbour.

One guest writes honestly on Booking.com: “The hotel is very beautiful, but the slope is far too steep.”

See photos and book InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu here.

Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port - historic four-star hotel on the harbour

The Grand Hotel Beauvau sits at the eastern end of the Vieux-Port, a few steps from the quay and the metro station. It’s a historic hotel with a bar and a 24-hour reception.

This is my pick if you want to stay right by the water without paying for a five-star hotel. The smallest double rooms are 17 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. One guest feels the rooms could offer a bit more for a four-star hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is historic and well maintained.”

See photos and book Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port here.

Hôtel Carré Vieux Port - three-star hotel on the street behind the harbour

Hôtel Carré Vieux Port is on Rue Beauvau, a few minutes’ walk from the Vieux-Port and close to the opera house. The hotel has a bar, a terrace, a lift and a 24-hour reception.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions, and you’re still staying centrally. The rooms are small, and the smallest double rooms are just 10 square metres. Breakfast costs extra, but guests rave about it.

One guest highlights on Booking.com: “Excellent location, very friendly staff and a superb breakfast.”

See photos and book Hôtel Carré Vieux Port here.

5. Corsica - the best island for beaches, mountains and a road trip 🏝️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: I use Ajaccio as a base. The three hotels are no more than about 900 metres from the citadel by the harbour, as the map shows.
• 🚗 Transport: Hire car. Trains run between Ajaccio, Corte and Bastia, but you’ll need a car to reach the beaches and mountain villages.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Bus 11 runs from Ajaccio Airport (AJA) to the centre in about 20 to 30 minutes. The island also has airports in Bastia, Calvi and Figari.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Prices rise sharply in July and August.
• 👮 Safety: A safe island. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so drive carefully and expect journeys to take longer than the map suggests.

Corsica lies in the Mediterranean south of the Riviera, and it’s the French island where the mountains run right down to the sea. You’ll find sandy beaches with clear water, mountain villages, citadels and hiking trails, and the island feels wilder than the rest of France. It’s an island for a road trip, as the highlights are far apart and the buses run infrequently.

I’ve chosen Ajaccio as the base because the town has the island’s largest airport, ferries from the mainland and stays open for most of the year. Napoleon was born here, and his family home is in the Old Town behind the harbour. It’s quite a drive to the beaches around Porto-Vecchio and the clifftop town of Bonifacio in the south, so on a week’s holiday I’d split my stay between Ajaccio and the southern tip. In my guide to where to stay in Corsica, I go through six towns, and in the guide to things to do in Corsica you’ll find what you shouldn’t miss on the island.

See hotels in Ajaccio here.

Corsica’s tourist board states that the island has four airports: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari. If you want to bring your own car, ferries sail from Marseille, Toulon and Nice and from several ports in Italy. If you’re hiring a car on the island, see car hire in Corsica here, and book early for July and August, as cars can sell out.

Travel in June or September if you can. The sea is warm enough for swimming, and there are fewer people on the roads and beaches than in high season. Many hotels outside the towns close in winter, so if you’re travelling out of season, Ajaccio and Bastia are the safest choices.

Hotels in Ajaccio

Hotel San Carlu Citadelle - four-star hotel by the citadel and the town’s little beach

Hotel San Carlu sits opposite the citadel in the Old Town, close to the small Saint-François beach. The hotel has a restaurant, bar and sun terrace, and you can book a massage.

The rooms are small for a four-star hotel. The smallest double rooms are 16 square metres, and several guests mention that the rooms are rather small. Breakfast costs extra, and the hotel makes it with local island produce.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location and comfortable, clean rooms.”

See photos and book Hotel San Carlu Citadelle here.

Hôtel Fesch & Spa - three-star hotel with a spa and rooftop pool in the Old Town

Hôtel Fesch is on Rue Cardinal Fesch, the town’s charming shopping street, about 400 metres from the citadel. The hotel has a spa with a sauna and hot tub, a gym, a restaurant and a small rooftop pool that’s open in season.

This is my pick if you want a spa and pool in the middle of town for a lower price. The smallest double rooms are 14 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. One guest found that the air conditioning didn’t work, so tell reception straight away if that happens to you.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Fantastic location.”

See photos and book Hôtel Fesch & Spa here.

Hotel le Dauphin - two-star hotel close to the ferries

Hotel le Dauphin is on Boulevard Sampiero near the ferry terminal, about 900 metres from the citadel. It’s a simple hotel with a bar, terrace, lift and air conditioning.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions and handy if you’re arriving or leaving by ferry. The smallest double rooms are 14 square metres, and one guest missed having a kettle and fridge in the room. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest says on Booking.com: “The room was small but clean, and the air conditioning was good.”

See photos and book Hotel le Dauphin here.

6. Lyon - best city for food and a city break without the big crowds 🍷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The three hotels are on the Presqu’île and in Vieux Lyon, no more than about 800 metres from Place Bellecour, as the map shows.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro, tram and the funicular up to Fourvière. You can get around most of the centre on foot.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Rhônexpress runs from Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS) to Part-Dieu in about half an hour, and from there you continue by metro.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Usually cheaper than Paris for the same standard.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city in the centre. Take care around Place Gabriel Péri in Guillotière in the evening.

For many French people, Lyon is the country’s number one food city, and it makes an obvious stop between Paris and the South of France. Here you eat in the traditional bouchons, shop in the Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse food hall and wander through the hidden passageways, the traboules, in Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse. The city’s historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I’ve picked hotels on the Presqu’île, the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers, and in Vieux Lyon below Fourvière hill. From here you can walk to most things, and the metro takes care of the rest. If you’d rather stay somewhere more local in Croix-Rousse or close to the trains at Part-Dieu, read my guide to where to stay in Lyon, where I go through six areas.

See hotels in Lyon here.

From Paris Gare de Lyon, the fastest trains take just under two hours, and it’s just under two hours to Annecy on the fastest direct trains. That makes Lyon a good stop on the way to the Alps or further south through the Rhône Valley to Avignon and Marseille.

Two to three nights is enough for most people. That gives you time for Fourvière, Vieux Lyon and a few long dinners, and it’s a good idea to book a table well in advance at the well-known restaurants at weekends. During the Fête des Lumières festival of light in early December, hotels are expensive and fully booked.

Hotels in Lyon

Villa Florentine - five-star hotel with a pool and views over the city

Villa Florentine sits on the slope above Vieux Lyon, just under 300 metres from Saint-Jean Cathedral and about 800 metres from Place Bellecour. The hotel has a heated outdoor pool with a view, a spa, sauna, gym and restaurant.

Rooms start at 25 square metres, and this is the hotel for a romantic weekend. The downside is its location on a steep hill, which one guest also mentions, so take a taxi when you have luggage. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel. Comfortable beds.”

See photos and book Villa Florentine here.

Carlton Hotel Lyon MGallery - four-star hotel with a spa on the Presqu’île

Carlton Hotel Lyon is on the Presqu’île close to Place de la République, about 500 metres from Place Bellecour. The hotel has a spa with a steam room, a bar and a 24-hour reception.

This is my pick if you want to stay centrally with a bit of luxury. The smallest double rooms are 18 square metres, and breakfast costs 28 euros per person (around £25). One guest noticed a bad smell from the drain in the lobby, so it’s not quite perfect.

A happy guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was fantastic, and we were upgraded to a superior room.”

See photos and book Carlton Hotel Lyon MGallery here.

Hôtel Silky by HappyCulture - four-star hotel with a terrace close to Cordeliers

Hôtel Silky is on a small square close to Cordeliers, about 600 metres north of Place Bellecour. It has a 24-hour reception and a terrace, and you can walk to both Vieux Lyon and Les Halles.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions in Lyon. The smallest double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. One guest felt the room didn’t look like the photos, so read the room description carefully.

One guest highlights on Booking.com: “The location is good, with a short walk to the sights.”

See photos and book Hôtel Silky by HappyCulture here.

7. Annecy & the Alps - best area for lakes, mountains and hiking 🏔️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows Palais de l’Isle in the Old Town. Two of the hotels are by the railway station, less than a kilometre away, and the third is by the lake, about 1.5 kilometres away.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around Annecy on foot, and buses and boats run around the lake. Chamonix is about an hour and a half away by car. That’s an estimate.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 1 hour and 10 minutes on bus 272 from Geneva Airport (GVA) to Annecy railway station, or about 45 minutes by car without traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Highest in summer, when lots of people come for the lake.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Watch out for pickpockets on the Old Town bridges in high season, and check the weather before you head into the mountains.

Annecy sits on a clear Alpine lake surrounded by mountains, and its Old Town, with canals and flowers on the bridges, is one of the prettiest in France. In summer you can swim in the lake, cycle along the shore and take the boat to the little towns around it. Annecy is the best base if you want both a town and nature in the French Alps.

I’ve picked hotels in Annecy itself because the town has restaurants, trains and buses and is close to Geneva Airport. If you’d rather stay out by the lake, read my guide to where to stay in Annecy, where I also cover Sévrier and Talloires.

See hotels in Annecy here.

If you want to go higher into the mountains, Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc is the next step. It’s France’s best-known mountain town, with hiking trails in summer and skiing in winter, and according to Chamonix tourist office the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi reaches an altitude of 3,842 metres. I’d give Annecy two to three nights and add a couple of nights in Chamonix afterwards if you want to hike. See hotels in Chamonix here.

Direct TGV trains run from Paris to Annecy in just under four hours, and from Lyon it takes just under two hours. If you’re flying from the UK, Geneva Airport is the easiest way in, and you’ll be in Annecy in just over an hour by bus. If you’re heading on across the border, I’ve also written a guide to where to stay in Switzerland.

Hotels in Annecy

Impérial Palace - four-star palace hotel by the lake with a spa and casino

Impérial Palace sits right on the lakeshore in Albigny, about 1.5 kilometres from the Old Town along the promenade. The hotel has an indoor pool, spa, sauna, gym, restaurant, bar and casino.

Rooms start at 28 square metres, and the hotel suits you if you want the lake right outside the door. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest felt the pillows could be better. Prices are high in summer.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff are fantastic, so helpful and friendly, and the hotel is excellent.”

See photos and book Impérial Palace here.

Best Western Plus Hotel Carlton Annecy - four-star hotel right by the railway station

Hotel Carlton is just under 200 metres from the railway station and about 400 metres from the Old Town, so you can walk to the train with your suitcase. There’s a bar, 24-hour reception and garage parking.

This is my pick if you’re arriving by train or bus from Geneva. The smallest double rooms are only 11 square metres, so choose a larger category if there are two of you with suitcases. Breakfast costs extra.

On breakfast, one guest writes on Booking.com: “Breakfast was good, as it always is at a Best Western hotel.”

See photos and book Best Western Plus Hotel Carlton Annecy here.

Hotel Les Terrasses - three-star hotel with a garden near the railway station

Hotel Les Terrasses is in a quiet neighbourhood just over 250 metres from the railway station and about 800 metres from the Old Town. The hotel has a garden, terrace, bar and private parking.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions, and the rooms are bigger than at many hotels in town. The smallest double rooms are 20 square metres. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest found parking difficult.

After their stay, one guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was spacious, bright and modern.”

See photos and book Hotel Les Terrasses here.

8. Strasbourg & Alsace - best area for Christmas markets, wine and half-timbered houses 🎄

• 📍 Distance to the centre: All three hotels are on the island of Grande Île, no more than about 600 metres from the cathedral, as the map shows.
• 🚋 Transport: Trams and pedestrian streets. Regional trains run to the wine villages of Alsace, and the train to Colmar takes about half an hour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About half an hour from Strasbourg Airport (SXB) on the airport train to the main station, then a tram or a short walk.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. Prices rise sharply during the Christmas market in December.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city. Keep a firm grip on your bag in the crowds around the cathedral and at the Christmas markets.

Strasbourg sits right on the German border, and the city is a mix of French and German. Grande Île, the island between the two arms of the River Ill, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is home to the Gothic cathedral, the half-timbered houses of Petite France and the canals where the sightseeing boats glide past. In December the city hosts one of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets, dating back to 1570.

The city is also the gateway to Alsace, with its wine route and small towns such as Colmar, Riquewihr and Eguisheim. Without a car, you can take the train to Colmar and stay there for a couple of nights, and with a car you can drive the wine route between the villages. If you want help choosing a neighbourhood in Strasbourg, I’ve written a guide on where to stay in Strasbourg, covering six areas from Grande Île to the European Quarter.

See hotels in Strasbourg here.

The fastest trains from Paris Est reach Strasbourg in 1 hour and 45 minutes, so the city is easy to combine with a few days in Paris. If you’re going for the Christmas market, book as early as you can, as many hotels sell out in December and prices are far higher than the rest of the year.

Two nights is enough for the city itself. Add one or two nights in Colmar or out on the wine route, and you get the best of Alsace on the same trip.

Hotels in Strasbourg

Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa - five-star hotel with a spa near Place Kléber

Maison Rouge is on Grande Île near Place Kléber, just under 400 metres from the cathedral. The hotel has a spa with a sauna, steam room and hot tub, plus a gym, restaurant and bar.

The smallest double rooms are 19 square metres, and several guests feel the rooms are small for a five-star hotel. Breakfast costs extra. On the plus side, you’re staying in the heart of the city and can walk to all the Christmas markets.

One guest sums it up on Booking.com: “The location is fantastic.”

See photos and book Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa here.

HANNONG Hotel & Wine Bar - four-star hotel with a wine bar between Place Kléber and Petite France

HANNONG is on Rue du 22 Novembre between Place Kléber and Petite France, about 600 metres from both the cathedral and the railway station. The hotel has a wine bar, a terrace and garage parking.

This is my pick if you want to stay centrally with a bit of style and a glass of Alsace wine in the bar. The smallest double rooms are only 13 square metres, and one guest felt the room was too small. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest highlights the interior on Booking.com: “Beautiful and superbly designed with great attention to detail.”

See photos and book HANNONG Hotel & Wine Bar here.

Le Kléber Hôtel - three-star hotel on Place Kléber

Le Kléber Hôtel is right on Place Kléber, the city’s main square, just under 500 metres from the cathedral. The hotel has a 24-hour reception, a lift and garage parking.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions. The smallest double rooms are 12 square metres, and one guest writes that there was hardly any space beside the bed and that the décor was worn. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location, friendly and helpful staff and a good breakfast.”

See photos and book Le Kléber Hôtel here.

9. Normandy - best area for D-Day, the coast and Mont-Saint-Michel 🎖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: I use Bayeux as my base. The three hotels are no more than about 250 metres from the cathedral, as the map shows.
• 🚆 Transport: Trains from Paris Saint-Lazare take just over two hours. To get out to the D-Day beaches and Mont-Saint-Michel, you’ll need a car or a guided tour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 3 hours and 15 minutes by car from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. Cheaper than Paris, but the town has few hotels, so book early for the summer.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and peaceful. Watch out for traffic on the narrow roads out by the beaches.

Normandy means the chalk cliffs at Étretat, the harbour in Honfleur, the abbey island of Mont-Saint-Michel and the beaches where the Allies landed on 6 June 1944. The region is close enough to Paris for a long weekend, but the sights are spread far apart, so I’d give it at least three nights.

I’ve chosen Bayeux as my base because the town is close to the D-Day beaches and has trains from Paris. Bayeux escaped the war almost undamaged, so you’ll be staying in a medieval town with a huge Gothic cathedral. The town is also famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, but the museum can be closed for periods, so check before you go. From Bayeux you can reach Arromanches, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in half an hour.

See hotels in Bayeux here.

If D-Day isn’t the main reason for your trip, Honfleur or Rouen are better choices. Honfleur is the most charming harbour town, and Rouen has the most trains from Paris. I cover six towns in my guide to where to stay in Normandy, where you’ll also find my suggestions for a night at Mont-Saint-Michel. The abbey island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the atmosphere is at its best early in the morning and in the evening, once the day-trippers have gone home.

The beaches are spread along many kilometres of coastline, and buses are infrequent, so a car makes a big difference here. Take the train from Paris to Caen and hire a car there, so you avoid the traffic around Paris.

Hotels in Bayeux

Villa Lara Hotel - small five-star hotel with free parking close to the cathedral

Villa Lara is on Place du Québec, just under 200 metres from the cathedral. It’s a small five-star hotel with a bar, garden, terrace and free private parking.

Rooms start at 30 square metres, and breakfast may be included in the price, so check when you book. One guest was surprised that there were only two hot dishes at breakfast. The hotel is expensive for a small town, but it’s the place to stay if you want a touch of luxury in Normandy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location, and the room was lovely and clean.”

See photos and book Villa Lara Hotel here.

Churchill Hotel Bayeux Centre - three-star hotel on the town’s main street

Churchill Hotel is on Rue Saint-Jean, about 250 metres from the cathedral. The hotel has a bar, a terrace and a 24-hour reception.

The smallest double rooms are only 13.5 square metres, and one guest missed having a kettle in the small room. On the other hand, you get a lot for your money, and guests praise the breakfast. I’d choose it if you want to stay in the middle of town and spend your days out at the beaches.

On the breakfast, one guest writes on Booking.com: “Breakfast was excellent and good value for money.”

See photos and book Churchill Hotel Bayeux Centre here.

Hotel Reine Mathilde - two-star hotel with a restaurant close to the cathedral

Hotel Reine Mathilde is just under 150 metres from the cathedral in the heart of Bayeux. The hotel has a restaurant, bar and terrace.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions. The rooms are small, with the smallest doubles just under 11 square metres, and one guest found the shower too small. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was excellent for a two-star hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Reine Mathilde here.

10. Loire Valley - best area for châteaux, wine and cycling 🚲

• 📍 Distance to the centre: I use Amboise as my base. The three hotels are no more than about 400 metres from Château d’Amboise, as the map shows.
• 🚆 Transport: Direct regional trains run from Paris Austerlitz in just under two hours, or you can take the TGV from Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and change there. To reach the châteaux you’ll need a car or a bike, or you can join a guided tour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: There’s no major airport nearby, so most people travel via Paris. With the fastest train connections, it takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes from Paris to Amboise.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Most hotels are small, and the best ones get booked up early for spring and summer.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and peaceful. Watch out for cars if you’re cycling on the smaller roads between the châteaux.

The Loire Valley is France’s château country. UNESCO has added around 280 kilometres of the valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes to its World Heritage List, and this is where you’ll find châteaux such as Chambord, Chenonceau, Blois and Amboise. The landscape is flat and green, with vineyards and small towns along the river, and it’s one of the best places in France for cycling.

I’ve chosen Amboise as a base because the town sits right between the big châteaux and is a lovely place to stay. Château d’Amboise stands on the cliff above the river, and a short distance away is Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years. Chenonceau is about 20 minutes away by car and Chambord about 45 minutes. Both times are estimates.

See hotels in Amboise here.

Without a car, you can cycle. The La Loire à Vélo cycle route follows the river, and in Amboise you can hire bikes to ride out to the châteaux. If you’d rather stay in a bigger city, Tours is a handy alternative with more trains, restaurants and hotels, and from there the train to Amboise takes about 20 minutes.

Give the Loire Valley at least two nights, ideally three, so you can see a couple of châteaux a day without rushing. Go in May, June or September, when the gardens look their best and there are fewer people than in July and August. If you want to drive yourself between the châteaux, see car hire in France here.

Hotels in Amboise

Le Clos d’Amboise - four-star hotel with a pool and garden in the middle of town

Le Clos d’Amboise is on Rue Rabelais in the centre of Amboise, just under 400 metres from the château. The hotel has an outdoor pool, garden, sauna, restaurant and bar, and parking is free.

The smallest double rooms are 20 square metres. It’s the most expensive of my three suggestions and suits couples who want a pool and garden after a day of châteaux. The pool is only open in season, breakfast costs extra, and one guest mentions that the driveway into the hotel is narrow.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was fantastic.”

See photos and book Le Clos d’Amboise here.

Hôtel Le Pavillon des Lys - four-star hotel with a garden and free parking

Hôtel Le Pavillon des Lys is on Rue d’Orange, about 200 metres from the château and just over 500 metres from Clos Lucé. The hotel has a garden, terrace, bar and free parking.

This is my mid-range suggestion. The smallest rooms are only 10 square metres, and one guest was given a room in a small annexe by the car park, so read the room description before you book. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest highlights the staff on Booking.com: “Lovely staff who could give us good advice and tips.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Pavillon des Lys here.

Hôtel Le Blason - two-star hotel in the middle of town

Hôtel Le Blason is on Place Richelieu in the centre, about 350 metres from the château. It’s a simple hotel with a 24-hour reception, a terrace and private garage parking.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions. The rooms are small, the smallest being 10 square metres, and one guest feels the price is a little high for a two-star hotel. Breakfast may be included in some rates, so check when you book.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A wonderful little hotel right in the middle of everything.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Blason here.

11. Bordeaux - best city for wine and vineyards 🍇

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The three hotels are between just under 400 metres and about a kilometre from Place de la Bourse, as the map shows.
• 🚋 Transport: Trams and pedestrian streets. Regional trains run to the wine town of Saint-Émilion, and for the châteaux in the Médoc you’ll need a car or a guided tour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 35 minutes by tram from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD) to Hôtel de Ville, followed by a walk of about 15 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. Most expensive at weekends and in summer.
• 👮 Safety: The centre feels safe. Keep an eye on your bag around Saint-Jean station, especially in the evening.

Bordeaux is an elegant city with pale limestone façades, broad quays along the River Garonne and some of the world’s most famous vineyards right on its doorstep. The city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at Place de la Bourse the façades are reflected in the huge Miroir d’eau water mirror.

Wine is the reason many people come here. The Cité du Vin wine museum sits by the river north of the centre, and from Bordeaux you can take day trips to Saint-Émilion, the Médoc and Pessac-Léognan. You can reach Saint-Émilion by regional train, whereas you’ll need a car or a guided tour for the châteaux in the Médoc. If you want help choosing a neighbourhood, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Bordeaux, covering six areas from Saint-Pierre to Chartrons.

See hotels in Bordeaux here.

The fastest trains from Paris Montparnasse take about two hours, so Bordeaux is easy to combine with the capital. The city also makes a good stop on the way south towards Biarritz and the Basque Country, and if you’re carrying on across the border into Spain, you can read my guide to where to stay in San Sebastian.

Two to three nights suits most people. That gives you a day in the city and a day in the vineyards. Stay in the centre if it’s your first visit, and choose Chartrons if you want wine bars and a more local feel in the evening.

Hotels in Bordeaux

InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel - five-star hotel opposite the Grand Théâtre

InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel is on Place de la Comédie, directly opposite the Grand Théâtre opera house and just under 400 metres from Place de la Bourse. The hotel has a spa with an indoor pool, a sauna, a gym, restaurants and a bar.

The smallest double rooms are 20 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. This is the hotel for you if you want to stay at the city’s finest address. One guest feels the décor is a little old-fashioned, but the location could hardly be better.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A first-class hotel in every way!”

See photos and book InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel here.

Hôtel de Sèze & Spa - four-star hotel with a spa on Allées de Tourny

Hôtel de Sèze is on Allées de Tourny close to the Grand Théâtre, about 600 metres from Place de la Bourse. The hotel has a spa with a sauna and steam room, a gym, a restaurant and a bar.

This is my pick if you want a spa at a lower price than at Le Grand Hotel. The smallest double rooms are 18 square metres, and one guest writes that there wasn’t enough space for two people and two suitcases. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Good location and a lovely hotel.”

See photos and book Hôtel de Sèze & Spa here.

Hôtel Notre Dame - small three-star hotel in the Chartrons district

Hôtel Notre Dame is on Rue Notre-Dame in Chartrons, about a kilometre north of Place de la Bourse. The street is known for its antique shops and small restaurants.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions. According to one guest, the hotel is on the third floor of a building with no lift, so pack light. The smallest double rooms are 15 square metres, and breakfast costs 11 euros per person (around £9).

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Clean, tidy hotel in a good location.”

See photos and book Hôtel Notre Dame here.

12. Toulouse - best city for South-West France and Carcassonne 🌹

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The three hotels are no more than about 350 metres from Place du Capitole, as the map shows.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro and buses, but you can easily get around the centre on foot. The train to Carcassonne takes about an hour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 30 to 40 minutes on the Navette Aéroport from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) to the Jeanne d’Arc stop, then a 5 to 10-minute walk from there.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. Usually cheaper than Bordeaux and Paris.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city centre. Keep your wits about you around Matabiau station in the evening.

Toulouse is known as the pink city because its buildings are made of red brick that glows in the evening sun. Airbus has its headquarters here, the city has a large student population, and it’s cheaper than most big French cities. In the middle of town is Place du Capitole with the city hall, and in the evening young people gather on the quays along the River Garonne.

Toulouse is the best base in South-West France if you want to see the Canal du Midi and the medieval town of Carcassonne without changing hotels every day. The Canal du Midi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and runs right through the city, and the train to Carcassonne, with its fortified Cité, takes about an hour. If you need help choosing a neighbourhood, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Toulouse, covering five areas from Capitole to Saint-Cyprien.

See hotels in Toulouse here.

From Paris, the fastest direct TGV trains take about four and a half hours, so many people fly here instead. If you’re travelling with children, the Cité de l’espace space centre and the Aeroscopia aviation museum by the airport make great day trips.

Toulouse is also well placed if your trip continues towards the Pyrenees and Spain. If you’re heading on to the Mediterranean on the Spanish side, have a look at my guide to where to stay on the Costa Brava, or the guide to where to stay in Barcelona.

Hotels in Toulouse

Le Grand Balcon Hotel - four-star hotel right by Place du Capitole

Le Grand Balcon is just under 100 metres from Place du Capitole. The hotel is famous for having housed the pilots of the airmail company Aéropostale, among them Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and it has a bar and a 24-hour reception.

The smallest double rooms are 18 square metres, and breakfast costs 18 euros (around £15) per person. It’s the most expensive of my three suggestions and ideal for a weekend for two. One guest would have liked a bit more space in the lobby and communal areas.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful hotel with lovely rooms and helpful staff.”

See photos and book Le Grand Balcon Hotel here.

Hotel Albert 1er - three-star hotel on a side street off Place du Capitole

Hotel Albert 1er is on Rue Rivals, just over 200 metres from Place du Capitole. The hotel has a 24-hour reception and a lift.

It’s my mid-range pick and a good choice if you want to walk everywhere. The rooms are small, with the smallest doubles at 13 square metres, and one guest found their room very small. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “I would recommend this hotel to everyone.”

See photos and book Hotel Albert 1er here.

Hôtel Ours Blanc Wilson - simple hotel by Place Wilson

Hôtel Ours Blanc is close to Place Wilson, about 350 metres from Place du Capitole. The hotel has a 24-hour reception and a lift.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions. The smallest double rooms are 13 square metres, and one guest describes their room as small but fine for a couple of nights. Breakfast costs 11 euros (around £9) per person.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Great location with very helpful staff and a good breakfast.”

See photos and book Hôtel Ours Blanc Wilson here.

Where not to stay in France?

I wouldn’t try to see all of France in one trip. Getting from Strasbourg to Bordeaux or from Normandy to the Riviera takes a whole day of travelling, and your holiday ends up being spent packing suitcases. Pick one part of the country instead, and stay at least two nights in each place.

I also wouldn’t stay at the big TGV stations outside the cities, such as Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV, or in the business parks by the motorways, just because the hotels are cheaper. You save a little on the room, but you pay for it in time every day. Don’t stay in a small village without a car either, as buses in the countryside are infrequent. Brittany, the Dordogne and Champagne aren’t among the twelve bases, because they’re best suited to a road trip where you stay in the region for the whole holiday.

If you have a week, I’d spend three nights in Paris and four in either Normandy, the Loire Valley or Alsace, all of which are easy to reach by train. With two weeks, you can take the train from Paris to Lyon and Provence and finish on the Riviera, or you can fly to Nice and split your time between the Riviera, Provence and Marseille. Corsica deserves a week of its own.

May, June and September are the best months in most of the country. July and August are hot and expensive on the coast, and many French people go on holiday at the same time. You’ll find inspiration for the regions on the official French tourist board website France.fr.

France is also easy to combine with its neighbours. The Riviera continues into Italy, so if you’re carrying on along the coast, have a look at my guide to where to stay in Genoa. If you’re coming from the north, where to stay in Brussels is a good place to start before taking the train on to Paris.

The post Where to Stay in France? The 12 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Deciding where to stay in Toulouse mostly comes down to whether you want to be right in the Old Town, by the railway station or close to the planes in Blagnac. Here are my five picks for areas, with three hotels in each, from luxury to budget.

Where to Stay in Toulouse: The Best Areas

• Capitole & the city centre - best area for first-time visitors
• Carmes & Saint-Étienne (Old Town) - best area for food lovers and couples
• Saint-Cyprien - best area for a local feel and good prices
• Matabiau & Canal du Midi - best area for trains and day trips
• Blagnac - best area for aviation fans and early flights

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in November for two people. When Stade Toulousain play at home, or there are big trade fairs and concerts, prices rise across the whole city, so book well ahead.

1. Capitole & the city centre - best area for first-time visitors 🏛️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You are staying in the centre itself. From Place du Capitole it is about a 10-minute walk to the Garonne and 15 to 20 minutes to Matabiau station.
• 🚇 Transport: Capitole metro station on line A is right under the square, and Jean Jaurès, where lines A and B meet, is just one stop away.
• ✈️ Time from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport: About 30 to 40 minutes on the Navette Aéroport to the Jeanne d’Arc stop and a 5 to 10-minute walk from there, or about 25 minutes by taxi without traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost about 65 to 235 euros (around £55 to £195) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy until late in the evening. Watch out for pickpockets on the square and on the metro, and keep an eye on your bag on the café terraces.

Place du Capitole is Toulouse’s grand main square, and it is where most people begin their first day. The long, pink façade of the Capitole houses both the town hall and the Théâtre du Capitole opera house, and in the middle of the square is a large Occitan cross with the signs of the zodiac set into the paving. You can visit the historic rooms, including the Salle des Illustres and Henri Martin’s large murals, for free, but they close for weddings and council meetings, so check the opening hours with the city before you go.

From the square, Rue du Taur leads up to the Basilique Saint-Sernin, one of Europe’s largest Romanesque churches and part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela. The Couvent des Jacobins with its famous palm-tree column is five minutes to the west, and to the east you will find the covered market Marché Victor Hugo, where you can have lunch in the restaurants on the first floor.

See hotels near Capitole and in the city centre here.

I would stay here if it is your first trip to Toulouse, or if you only have a weekend and want to walk everywhere. If you would like a good overview with a guide, you can book a walking tour of Toulouse’s main sights for around 35 euros (about £30).

The downside is that you pay for the location, and many of the hotels are in old buildings with small rooms. In the evening the square and the streets around Rue Saint-Rome are lively, so ask for a room away from the street if you are a light sleeper. Parking is expensive, and if you have a hire car, it will need to go in one of the underground car parks.

Hotels near Capitole and in the city centre

Le Grand Balcon Hotel - four-star hotel with aviation history by Place du Capitole

Le Grand Balcon is on Rue Romiguières on the corner of Place du Capitole, and this is where the pilots of the airmail company Aéropostale stayed, among them Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. There is a lift, a bar and air conditioning, breakfast costs 18 euros (around £15) per person, and you can leave your car in the car park under the square at a discounted rate. It was the most expensive hotel near Capitole when I searched, and some guests feel it is a little pricey.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “This is one of the loveliest hotels I have ever stayed in.”

See photos and book Le Grand Balcon here.

Plaza Hotel Capitole Toulouse - large four-star hotel right on Place du Capitole

Plaza Hotel Capitole is at number 7 on the square itself and has over 8,000 reviews on Booking.com. There is a restaurant, a bar, a terrace, a gym and a lift, and the hotel’s parking service costs 26 euros (around £20) per night. Some guests say it is tricky to find your way to the car park through the one-way streets.

From one review: “All in all, we were very happy with the hotel, and I would warmly recommend it to my friends.”

See photos and book Plaza Hotel Capitole here.

Hotel Wilson Square - simple, cheap hotel between Capitole and Place Wilson

Hotel Wilson Square is on Rue d’Austerlitz, about 400 metres from Place du Capitole, and was the cheapest hotel in the centre when I searched. It is a simple two-star hotel with air conditioning and a 24-hour reception, but there is no lift and no breakfast, and several guests find the décor a little worn.

One guest highlights: “It was spotlessly clean, and the staff were so friendly.”

See photos and book Hotel Wilson Square here.

2. Carmes & Saint-Étienne (Old Town) - best area for foodies and couples 🍷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’ll be staying in the southern part of the Old Town. From Place des Carmes it’s about a 10-minute walk to Place du Capitole and 5 minutes to the Garonne.
• 🚇 Transport: Carmes metro station on line B is right in the middle of the neighbourhood, and Esquirol on line A is about a 5-minute walk to the north.
• ✈️ Time from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport: About 45 minutes on the Navette Aéroport to Jean Jaurès and then two stops on metro line B to Carmes, or about 25 minutes by taxi without traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below cost from about 70 to 285 euros (around £60 to £240) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Safe both during the day and in the evening. The bars around Place de la Trinité and Rue des Filatiers can be noisy at weekends, while Saint-Étienne is quiet once it gets dark.

Carmes is the part of the Old Town where I’d go hunting for food. Narrow streets such as Rue des Filatiers and Rue des Polinaires are packed with cheese shops, wine bars and small restaurants, and in the middle of the neighbourhood you’ll find the covered Marché des Carmes, with stalls selling cheese, meat and vegetables. Between the houses stand several of the grand mansions that merchants built in the 16th century on the trade in the dye plant pastel (woad), among them Hôtel d’Assézat near the river.

Head east and the streets grow quieter around Cathédrale Saint-Étienne, a cathedral built over several hundred years, so the nave and the choir don’t even line up. Around Place Saint-Étienne you’ll find antique dealers and galleries, and a little further north is the Musée des Augustins, the city’s art museum, housed in an old 14th-century Augustinian monastery with a large collection of Romanesque sculpture.

See hotels in Carmes and Saint-Étienne here.

I’d stay here if you’re a couple, or if food and wine are a big part of why you’re going to Toulouse. If you’d like a local to show you the best spots, you can join a food tour with tastings in Toulouse for around 64 euros (around £55).

The downside is that there are few larger hotels, and many are in old buildings without a lift. The streets are narrow, with pavements you can barely squeeze along with a suitcase, and if you have a car, it’ll need to go in the car park at Marché des Carmes or at Saint-Étienne. On Fridays and Saturdays the bars around Place de la Trinité can keep you awake, so ask for a room away from the street.

Hotels in Carmes and Saint-Étienne

La Cour des Consuls Hotel & Spa - five-star MGallery hotel with a spa in the heart of the Old Town

La Cour des Consuls is on Rue des Couteliers between Place des Carmes and the Garonne, and is a five-star hotel from the MGallery chain. There’s a spa with a hammam, a restaurant, a bar and a lift, and the hotel will park your car for you for 39 euros (around £35) a day. It was the most expensive hotel in this guide when I searched, and some guests find the breakfast mediocre.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful and elegant hotel.”

See photos and book La Cour des Consuls here.

Hôtel Croix Baragnon - small hotel with a terrace on the way to the cathedral

Hôtel Croix Baragnon is on Rue Croix-Baragnon, the old street of shops and galleries between Carmes and Saint-Étienne. It’s a two-star hotel with a terrace and air conditioning, breakfast costs 9.50 euros (around £8), and the hotel has a deal with the car parks at Carmes and Saint-Étienne for 20 euros (around £17) a day. There’s no lift, which several guests mention.

From a review: “A really good hotel in a fantastic location if you want to explore the Old Town. I can highly recommend it.”

See photos and book Hôtel Croix Baragnon here.

Residhotel Toulouse Centre - budget apartments with kitchens near the Garonne

Residhotel is on Avenue de la Garonnette on the south-western edge of Carmes, a few minutes from the river and Carmes metro station. All the studios and apartments have a kitchen, and there’s a lift, so it suits families and longer stays well. On the other hand, there’s no air conditioning, and the rooms can get hot in summer.

One guest highlights: “All in all, my stay was really good, and I’m very happy with the hotel.”

See photos and book Residhotel Toulouse Centre here.

3. Saint-Cyprien - best area for local atmosphere and good prices 🌅

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Saint-Cyprien sits on the left bank of the Garonne, directly opposite the Old Town. Crossing Pont Neuf, it’s about a 15-minute walk to Place du Capitole.
• 🚇 Transport: Saint-Cyprien-République metro station on line A gets you to Esquirol and Capitole in a few minutes, and on foot you simply cross the river via Pont Neuf or Pont Saint-Pierre.
• ✈️ Time from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport: Around 20 minutes by taxi without traffic, as the area is on the airport side of the river. By bus 31, the T1 tram and metro line A from Arènes, it takes around 45 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€. The three hotels below were around 65 to 90 euros (around £55 to £75) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Generally safe and full of locals. Around Place Saint-Cyprien and the metro station it gets a bit scruffier in the evening, so keep an eye on your bag.

Saint-Cyprien is the neighbourhood on the other side of the Garonne, and it feels more like an ordinary part of town than a tourist area. Around the covered market on Place Roguet you’ll find bakeries, small cafés and cheap places to eat side by side, and prices are lower than in the Old Town. Facing the river is the great copper dome of the Chapelle Saint-Joseph de la Grave, one of Toulouse’s landmarks, and next to it lies the Prairie des Filtres park, where the city gathers in the sunshine in summer.

In a former slaughterhouse on Allées Charles de Fitte you’ll find Les Abattoirs, the city’s museum of modern and contemporary art, open from Wednesday to Sunday. By Pont Neuf stands the Château d’Eau water tower, which is now a photography gallery, and in the evening you can watch the sun set behind the dome of La Grave from the Quai de la Daurade on the other side of the river.

See hotels in Saint-Cyprien here.

I’d stay here if you want more for your money while still being a quarter of an hour’s walk from the Old Town, or if you’d rather stay among locals than other tourists. The aparthotels with kitchenettes also make it a good choice for families and longer stays, when it’s nice to be able to make your own breakfast.

The downside is that there aren’t many hotels, and the area is a little rough around the edges near Place Saint-Cyprien and Avenue Étienne Billières. There’s less going on in the evening than across the river, so if you fancy a nice dinner out, you’ll be heading over Pont Neuf. On the other hand, if you’re coming by car, parking is easier here than in the Old Town.

Hotels in Saint-Cyprien

Aparthotel Adagio Original Toulouse Centre La Grave - highly rated four-star aparthotel by Pont Saint-Pierre

Adagio La Grave is on Rue du Pont Saint-Pierre, right by the bridge and the dome of La Grave, so you can cross the river to the Old Town in a few minutes. The apartments have kitchenettes, there’s a lift and a 24-hour reception, and parking costs 20 euros (around £17) per night. It was the most expensive of the three, and some guests feel the breakfast could be better.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “An excellent place to stay.”

See photos and book Adagio La Grave here.

Hotel Gascogne - simple hotel with a bar and private parking near Les Abattoirs

Hotel Gascogne is on Allées Charles de Fitte near Les Abattoirs, about a 10-minute walk from Pont Neuf. It’s a two-star hotel with a bar, terrace and lift, and private parking costs 12 euros (around £10) per night. Breakfast isn’t included in the price, and some guests find it a bit pricey.

From a review: “Good quality for the price and a modern room.”

See photos and book Hotel Gascogne here.

Aparthotel Adagio Access Toulouse St Cyprien - budget studios with kitchenettes and private parking

Adagio Access is on Avenue Étienne Billières in the western part of Saint-Cyprien, about a 5-minute walk from Saint-Cyprien-République metro station. The studios and apartments have kitchenettes, and parking costs 10 euros (around £8) per night, though several guests say it fills up quickly.

One guest highlights: “We’ve stayed here several times. It’s comfortable, and the bedding is lovely.”

See photos and book Adagio Access St Cyprien here.

4. Matabiau & Canal du Midi - best area for trains and day trips 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The station is just over a kilometre north-east of Place du Capitole, and you can walk into the centre along Allées Jean Jaurès in 15 to 20 minutes.
• 🚆 Transport: Marengo-SNCF metro station on line A is right by the railway station, and from here it’s two stops to Capitole. Long-distance and regional trains run from Matabiau.
• ✈️ Time from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport: Around 25 to 40 minutes on the Navette Aéroport, which goes all the way to the station, or around 25 minutes by taxi if there’s no traffic.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 85 to 150 euros (around £70 to £125) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: As at most big railway stations, people hang around outside, in the evening too. Keep an eye on your luggage and stick to the well-lit boulevards rather than the side streets.

Matabiau station sits right on the Canal du Midi, the canal running from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau lagoon on the Mediterranean, which Pierre-Paul Riquet built between 1667 and 1694 and which is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A path runs along the water beneath the plane trees, where you can walk or cycle towards Port de l’Embouchure, where the Canal du Midi meets the Canal de Brienne and the Canal latéral à la Garonne.

From the station, Allées Jean Jaurès, a wide boulevard with trees and walkways down the middle, leads straight towards the centre. East of the canal is the quieter Saint-Aubin district with a big Sunday market, and if you want to see more of the canal, you can take an e-bike tour along the Garonne and the Canal du Midi with a cable car ride for around 55 euros (around £45).

See hotels near Matabiau and the Canal du Midi here.

I’d stay here if you’re arriving or moving on by train, or if you want to do day trips. Regional trains reach the medieval city of Carcassonne in about an hour, and the TGV to Paris takes just over four hours, so if you’re staying in the capital before or after, you can read about where to stay in Paris. Trains also run to Bordeaux in around two hours, and here’s my guide to where to stay in Bordeaux.

The downside is that the streets right around the station are busy and a bit run-down, and you’re not staying among the old buildings. On the other hand, you’re in the Old Town in a few minutes by metro, and the hotels here often give you more space for your money than those near Capitole.

Hotels near Matabiau and the Canal du Midi

FirstName Toulouse, part of JdV by Hyatt - modern four-star hotel on Allées Jean Jaurès

FirstName Toulouse belongs to Hyatt’s JdV brand and is on Allées Jean Jaurès, around 400 metres from the station and close to the Canal du Midi. There’s a restaurant, bar, terrace and lift, and the hotel’s own car park costs 28 euros (around £23) per night. It was the most expensive of the three, and some guests mention that parking can be hard to find around the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A fantastic stay close to the centre of Toulouse.”

See photos and book FirstName Toulouse here.

Matabi Hotel Toulouse Gare by HappyCulture - popular three-star hotel right opposite the station

Matabi Hotel is on Boulevard Bonrepos, around 150 metres from the station, and has almost 5,000 reviews on Booking.com. There’s a lift, air conditioning and a 24-hour reception, but no parking, so you’ll need to leave the car in the multi-storey car park at the station. Some guests find the atmosphere a little basic.

From one review: “Good location and helpful staff.”

See photos and book Matabi Hotel here.

Hôtel d’Orsay Grand Matabiau - budget hotel with a garden close to the station

Hôtel d’Orsay is also on Boulevard Bonrepos, around 200 metres from the station, and was the cheapest of the three when I searched. There’s a garden, terrace and lift, breakfast costs 10 euros (around £8), and you can park at the hotel if you book in advance. Several guests mention that there can be street noise at night.

One guest highlights: “An excellent hotel at a very reasonable price in the middle of Toulouse.”

See photos and book Hôtel d’Orsay here.

5. Blagnac - best area for aviation enthusiasts and early flights ✈️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Blagnac is about 7 kilometres north-west of Place du Capitole, right next to the airport and the Airbus factories.
• 🚋 Transport: Tram T1 links Blagnac and Aeroscopia with Arènes, where you change to metro line A, and the journey into Capitole takes around 40 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport: About 5 to 10 minutes. Several of the hotels run a shuttle bus to the terminal, and bus 31 runs from the airport to the tram in Blagnac.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€. The three hotels below cost around 60 to 100 euros (around £50 to £85) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Quiet and safe. In the evening it’s peaceful around the airport hotels, and restaurants are few and far between.

Toulouse is Europe’s aviation city, and Blagnac is where it all happens. This is home to the airport, Airbus headquarters and the huge hangars where the planes are assembled, and all day long you can watch aircraft taking off and landing over the town. Blagnac itself has a small centre by the Garonne with a church, a square and the Odyssud arts centre, but most of the hotels are in the business parks around the airport.

The big draw is the Aeroscopia aviation museum, where Concorde, the Super Guppy transport plane and an A380 you can walk through stand side by side. Admission is 16 euros (around £13) for adults, and the tourist office’s page on Aeroscopia has opening hours and prices. The Let’s Visit Airbus tour also starts from the museum, taking you to viewpoints overlooking the A321 or A350 assembly line. It lasts an hour and a half and costs 18 euros (around £15), but you need to book with Manatour at least two working days in advance and bring your passport or ID card.

See hotels in Blagnac here.

I’d stay here if you’re an aviation enthusiast who wants to spend a whole day at Aeroscopia and Airbus, or if you have an early flight home. If you’re heading out into the region to Carcassonne, Albi or the Pyrenees, it’s also easy to pick up a car at the airport, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com.

The downside is that you’re a long way from the Old Town and the city’s restaurants, and the evenings are quiet. If you want to go into town for dinner, it’s the tram and metro there and back or a taxi, so for more than a night or two I’d rather stay in the centre and take the tram out here on a day trip.

Hotels in Blagnac

OSKO Hôtel Toulouse Aéroport - four-star airport hotel with a restaurant and free parking

OSKO is on Rue Bordebasse in Blagnac, close to the airport, and has a restaurant, bar, gym and free parking. The hotel runs a shuttle bus to the airport from morning to evening, but some guests say that neither the shuttle nor dinner was available at the weekend. It was the most expensive of the three when I searched.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A good airport hotel, clean, friendly and comfortable.”

See photos and book OSKO Hôtel here.

Holiday Inn Express Toulouse Airport - highly rated three-star hotel with a free shuttle bus

Holiday Inn Express is on Avenue du Général de Gaulle in Blagnac and runs a free shuttle bus to the airport from early morning until late evening. There’s a bar, garden, lift and a seasonal outdoor saltwater pool, and parking costs 8 euros (around £7) per night, which some guests feel ought to be free.

From one review: “Really good breakfast. A comfortable, quiet room that suited my limited mobility.”

See photos and book Holiday Inn Express here.

Campanile Toulouse Blagnac Aéroport - budget chain hotel with free parking

Campanile is on Avenue Didier Daurat, about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the terminal, and was the cheapest hotel in the whole guide when I searched. There’s free parking, a bar, garden and restaurant, but no shuttle bus, and some guests mention that the restaurant was closed during their stay.

One guest highlights: “Good value for money. The staff are friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Campanile Blagnac Aéroport here.

Where not to stay in Toulouse?

I’d avoid the hotels in the business parks far from the centre, such as Basso Cambo, Labège and along the ring road. They look cheap, but you’ll spend a lot of time travelling, and there’s nothing to do in the evening. The residential districts of Le Mirail, Bagatelle and Empalot in the south-west and south of the city aren’t places you’ll get much out of as a tourist either.

Also be wary of the cheapest hotels in the side streets just behind the railway station, where it can be rowdy at night, and check the calendar before you book. When Stade Toulousain play at home, or there are big trade fairs at the MEETT exhibition centre, prices rise and the best hotels in the centre sell out quickly.

If it’s your first trip to Toulouse, I’d stay around Capitole, where you can walk to everything. If you’re after food, wine and atmosphere in narrow streets, Carmes and Saint-Étienne are the best choice, and if you want more for your money and to stay among locals, take a look at Saint-Cyprien. If you’re arriving by train or planning day trips, Matabiau is the practical choice, and if it’s the planes you’ve come for, spend a night or two in Blagnac.

The nearest airport is Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, north-west of the city, and the Navette Aéroport shuttle runs into the centre for about 9 euros (around £8). Airport connections are being expanded with new tram and metro lines, so check the current route in the Tisséo app before you travel. Toulouse also makes a great stop on a longer trip around the south of France, and if you’re carrying on east, you can read where to stay in Marseille, or my guide to where to stay in Provence.

The post Where to Stay in Toulouse? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are my five suggestions for areas, with three hotels in each, and I’ll say it straight away: Annecy is expensive in summer.

Where to Stay in Annecy: The Best Areas

• Vieille Ville (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors
• City centre & the station - best area for trains, buses and a practical base
• Le Pâquier & Albigny - best area for the lake and romance
• Sévrier - best area for families, beaches and cycling holidays
• Talloires & Menthon-Saint-Bernard - best area for luxury and peace by the lake

Below I go through the areas one by one, with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a November weekend for two people, except for Talloires, where several hotels close for the winter. In July and August you should expect much higher prices across the board.

1. Vieille Ville (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the historic centre. From Palais de l’Isle it’s about a 5-minute walk to the lake and 10 minutes to the station.
• 🚶 Transport: The streets are largely car-free, and you can walk everywhere. The train station and bus station are about a 10-minute walk to the north-west.
• ✈️ Time from Geneva Airport: About 1 hour and 10 minutes on bus 272 to the bus station by the train station, then a 10-minute walk, or about 45 minutes by car or taxi without traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around €110 to €315 (around £90 to £265) per night when I searched, and they cost a lot more in summer.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy until late in the evening. Watch out for pickpockets in the crowds on the bridges and at the markets in high season.

Vieille Ville is Annecy’s Old Town, and this is where you’ll find the postcard view the town is famous for. The River Thiou flows from the lake through the district in narrow canals, and along the water stand pastel-coloured houses, with flowers on the bridges and arcades at street level. In the middle of the river sits Palais de l’Isle, a small 12th-century fortress that was used as a prison right up until 1864. Today it houses a small museum on the town’s history. Admission costs about €4 (around £3.50), a little more in summer, and it’s closed on Tuesdays.

Above the Old Town stands Château d’Annecy, where the Counts of Geneva lived in the 13th and 14th centuries. The castle was later used as barracks and today houses the town museum and an observatory on the Alpine lakes, and from the terrace you look out over the rooftops and the lake. Down in the streets there’s a market several mornings a week, and from the canals it’s a five-minute walk to the Le Pâquier lawns by the lake.

See hotels in Annecy’s Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Annecy, or if you only have a couple of nights and want to walk to everything. In the evening, once the day-trippers have gone home, the canals get quieter, and this is where you’ll find most of the restaurants serving fondue, raclette and tartiflette from Savoie.

The downside is that the Old Town is packed with people from June to September, and the hotels are few, small and expensive for what you get. Many of the buildings are old with narrow staircases, and the streets are closed to cars, so if you have a hire car, it’ll need to go in one of the paid underground car parks in the centre. The bars along the canals can also be noisy until late at night at weekends.

Hotels in Vieille Ville

Les Loges Annecy Vieille Ville - five-star hotel with a hammam in the heart of the Old Town

Les Loges is on Rue Sainte-Claire, the long arcaded street in the western part of the Old Town, and is one of the few five-star hotels in Annecy itself. There’s a lift, a hammam, a bar and a terrace, and some of the units are set up as small apartments. It was the most expensive hotel in the Old Town when I searched, and some guests feel the breakfast doesn’t live up to the price.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful apartment right in the centre, fantastic location.”

See photos and book Les Loges here.

Hôtel du Palais de l’Isle - classic town hotel on the canal, right opposite the old prison island

The hotel is on Rue Perrière by the Thiou canal, a few metres from Palais de l’Isle, so the location is hard to beat. There’s air conditioning and a lift, but the lift only goes up to the fourth floor, and you reach the fifth floor by the stairs. The rooms are small, and several guests mention there’s little space for suitcases.

From a review: “Good location and good staff, and the air conditioning was fantastic.”

See photos and book Hôtel du Palais de l’Isle here.

Hôtel du Château - small family-run hotel with a sun terrace just below the castle

Hôtel du Château is on Rampe du Château, the steep road up to the castle in the upper part of the Old Town, and has a sun terrace and breakfast. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but there’s no lift, and the rooms are small. Parking at the hotel is limited, so if you’re coming by car, you should plan on using a public car park.

One guest highlights: “Great location, lovely rooms with the most comfortable beds and really clean.”

See photos and book Hôtel du Château here.

2. City Centre & Station: Where to Stay in Annecy for Trains, Buses and a Practical Base 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The centre lies between the railway station and the lake. It’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Old Town and around 10 minutes to the lakeside at Le Pâquier.
• 🚆 Transport: The railway station and bus station sit side by side. From here, trains run towards Geneva, Lyon and Paris, and buses go around the lake.
• ✈️ Time from Geneva Airport: Around 1 hour and 10 minutes on bus 272, which stops at the bus station right by the railway station, or around 1 hour and 40 minutes by train via Genève-Cornavin.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below were around 90 to 185 euros (around £75 to £155) a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and well lit. As at most railway stations, a few more people hang around in the evening, so keep an eye on your bag.

Between the railway station and the lake lies Annecy’s modern centre, with the shopping streets Rue Royale, Rue Sommeiller and Rue Vaugelas, plus cafés, banks and most of the town’s chain hotels. It’s not the prettiest neighbourhood, but it’s practical, and right down by the water you’ll find the Bonlieu arts centre and the town hall, Hôtel de Ville, where the centre meets the lake and the Old Town.

It’s also the easiest place to come and go from. Bus 272 runs directly between Annecy and Geneva Airport from the bus station by the railway station, and a single ticket costs around 6 to 19 euros (around £5 to £16) depending on the time and ticket type. Trains run to Geneva, where you can change for the airport or carry on around the country, and if you’re heading further into the Swiss Alps, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Switzerland. There are also direct TGV trains to Paris Gare de Lyon in about four hours, and if you’re staying in Paris before or after, you can read where to stay in Paris.

See hotels in Annecy’s city centre here.

I’d stay here if you’re arriving without a car and want to do day trips by train and bus, or if you want the most hotel for your money within walking distance of the Old Town. This is also where you’ll find the most hotels with a lift and a 24-hour reception.

The downside is that you won’t get canals and lake views from your window, and there’s traffic in the streets around the station all day. On the other hand, you’re in the Old Town in a few minutes, so staying somewhere a bit duller doesn’t cost you much, and you’ll often save a good deal compared with the hotels by the water.

Hotels in the city centre and near the station

La Chapelle: four-star boutique hotel with one of the town’s highest guest ratings

La Chapelle is on Avenue de Cran, around 600 metres from the railway station and just over a kilometre from the lake. There’s a lift, a bar, a garden and a private garage, which costs 22 euros (around £18) a night. It was the most expensive of the three, and some guests feel the service doesn’t live up to a four-star hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the place is very clean, tastefully decorated and cosy.”

See photos and book La Chapelle here.

Allobroges Park Hôtel: highly rated adults-only hotel close to the station

Allobroges Park Hôtel is on Rue Sommeiller, around 260 metres from the railway station and a 10-minute walk from the lake, and it only accepts adults. There’s a lift, a bar, air conditioning and its own parking for 12 euros (around £10) a night, while breakfast costs 14 euros (around £12) per person. Some guests find the room, the breakfast and the parking all on the pricey side.

From one review: “The room was clean and comfortable and had air conditioning.”

See photos and book Allobroges Park Hôtel here.

Hôtel du Nord: cheap and friendly hotel close to the station

Hôtel du Nord is also on Rue Sommeiller, around 285 metres from the railway station, and it was the cheapest hotel in the whole guide when I searched. There’s a lift and air conditioning, and breakfast costs 11 euros (around £9) per person. There’s no parking at the hotel itself, but you can park for free overnight nearby and for around 1.10 euros (around £1) an hour during the day, and several guests mention that the bathrooms are small with a narrow shower cubicle.

One guest highlights: “The reception staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming.”

See photos and book Hôtel du Nord here.

3. Le Pâquier & Albigny - best area for the lake and romance 🦢

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Le Pâquier lies just east of the Old Town, and Albigny stretches a further 1 to 1.5 kilometres along the lakeshore to the north-east.
• 🚶 Getting around: You can walk along the lake into the Old Town in 5 to 20 minutes. Avenue d’Albigny is the road along the shore, and the town’s buses run here.
• ✈️ Time from Geneva Airport: Around 1 hour and 10 minutes on bus 272 to the railway station and 10 minutes by taxi from there, or about 45 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below were around 125 to 385 euros (roughly £105 to £320) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and full of walkers and runners along the lake. In the evening the stretch between Le Pâquier and Impérial goes quiet.

Le Pâquier is the big lawn by the lake just outside the Old Town, and this is where Annecy gathers on a sunny day for picnics and views across the water to the mountains. Next to it is the Jardins de l’Europe, a park with tall, old trees, and between the two the Pont des Amours footbridge crosses the Canal du Vasse, where the boats are moored. In summer you can hire pedalos and electric boats at the quay, and in the evening half the town strolls along the water.

The boats head out onto the lake from the quays at Le Pâquier. Compagnie des Bateaux du Lac d’Annecy runs trips ranging from an hour around the northern part of the lake to an hour and a half all the way round, and if you want to eat on board, you can book a lunch cruise on the lake with Libellule for about 90 euros (around £75). Along Avenue d’Albigny the promenade continues past villas and parks to the beach at Impérial, where you can swim in summer, and behind Albigny lies the quieter residential area of Annecy-le-Vieux.

See hotels near Le Pâquier and Albigny here.

I would stay here if you’re a couple who want to wake up to a view of the lake, or if you want to run, swim and walk along the water while still having the Old Town within walking distance. It’s also a good choice for families who want lawns and a beach right on the doorstep.

The downside is the price. Lake views cost extra in Annecy, and in summer the lakeside hotels are among the most expensive in the whole area. There aren’t many restaurants along Avenue d’Albigny either, so in the evening you’ll walk into the Old Town or the centre, and parking costs extra at all three hotels below.

Hotels near Le Pâquier and Albigny

Impérial Palace - the town’s grand hotel with a spa and indoor pool by the lake

Impérial Palace sits in a park right on the lakeshore in Albigny and has a spa, a heated indoor pool, several restaurants and a casino. It was the most expensive hotel in this guide when I searched, and parking costs 30 euros (around £25) a day. Some guests feel that everything is rather pricey.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We loved everything! The location was excellent.”

See photos and book Impérial Palace here.

Le Splendid Hotel - four-star hotel facing the lake and Le Pâquier

Le Splendid is on Quai Eustache Chappuis directly opposite Le Pâquier and the canal, so you have both the lake and the Old Town right outside the door. There’s a sauna, a gym and air conditioning, but your car has to go in a nearby public car park for around 15 euros (about £13) a day. Some guests think the price is too high.

From a review: “The location was fabulous, the staff were lovely and the breakfast was wonderful.”

See photos and book Le Splendid Hotel here.

Hôtel Catalpa - quiet three-star hotel 300 metres from the lake

Hôtel Catalpa is on Avenue d’Albigny about 300 metres from the lake, halfway between Le Pâquier and Impérial. There’s a restaurant open a few days a week, a gym and private parking for 16 euros (around £13) a day, but no pool. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched.

One guest highlights: “The hotel staff were all very accommodating and professional.”

See photos and book Hôtel Catalpa here.

4. Sévrier - best area for families, beaches and cycling holidays 🚲

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Sévrier sits on the west shore of the lake, about 5 kilometres south of Annecy, and the hotels at the northern end are just 3 to 4 kilometres from the Old Town.
• 🚗 Getting around: By car you can be in Annecy in 10 to 15 minutes if there’s no traffic. The cycle path along the lake takes you into town in around half an hour, and Sibra buses run along the main road.
• ✈️ Time from Geneva Airport: Around 50 minutes by car. By public transport, take bus 272 to Annecy and continue by local bus or taxi from there.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €160 to €270 (around £135 to £225) per night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: Very quiet and safe. The lakeside is peaceful in the evenings, so remember lights on your bike if you’re cycling back from town.

Sévrier is a small town on the west shore of the lake, with beaches, sailing clubs, campsites and holiday homes between the water and the wooded hills. This is where lots of French families spend their summer holidays, because there’s space, there are lawns running down to the lake and it’s cheaper to stay than in Annecy itself. The town doesn’t really have an old centre to speak of, but it does have a long string of small beaches and swimming spots along the water, and behind the town the roads climb into the hills with views across the lake to the mountains on the east shore.

The big draw is the cycle path. The Voie verte du lac d’Annecy is around 33 kilometres long and runs traffic-free from Annecy along the west shore through Sévrier, Saint-Jorioz and Duingt to Val de Chaise, then carries on all the way to Albertville. The path is almost flat, so it’s great for children, and you can hire bikes and e-bikes both in Annecy and in the towns around the lake. Between rides, you can swim from the public beaches or hire a kayak.

See hotels in Sévrier here.

I would stay here if you’re a family wanting beaches, bikes and a bit more space for your money, or if you have a car and want Annecy on one side and the mountains on the other. If you’re picking up a car in Geneva, you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com, and with a car it’s easy to drive on south towards Albertville and the Alps.

The downside is the main road. The Route d’Albertville along the west shore is the only through road, and in summer and at weekends the traffic into Annecy often comes to a standstill. There’s also not much to do in the evenings, so if you want restaurants and nightlife, you’ll need to head into town.

Hotels in Sévrier

Black Bass Hotel - five-star hotel with a spa right on the lake

Black Bass is on the Route d’Albertville at the northern end of Sévrier, right by the lake and the cycle path, and has an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a spa and a restaurant. Parking is free, but breakfast costs €35 (around £30), which several guests feel is expensive.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic views and décor. Excellent location right by the lakeside path and an easy walk into Annecy.”

See photos and book Black Bass Hotel here.

Hôtel Beauregard, The Originals Relais - family-friendly lakeside hotel with a pool and free parking

Hôtel Beauregard is on the Route d’Albertville a few hundred metres from Black Bass, on the lakeshore in Sévrier. There’s a seasonal outdoor pool, a sauna, a restaurant with a view, family rooms and free parking with electric car charging points. Some guests find the bathrooms a little dated.

From one review: “Great location and a spectacular view!”

See photos and book Hôtel Beauregard here.

L’Aurore du Lac - simple place with a garden 100 metres from the lake

L’Aurore du Lac is on the Route des Mongets in the southern part of Sévrier, around 100 metres from the lake. It’s a simple three-star place with a garden, a terrace and free parking, and some of the units have their own kitchen. There’s no restaurant, and several guests feel the buildings could do with some attention on the outside.

One guest highlights: “So close to the lake. Private. Neat and tidy.”

See photos and book L’Aurore du Lac here.

5. Talloires & Menthon-Saint-Bernard - best area for luxury and peace by the lake ✨

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Menthon-Saint-Bernard is about 9 kilometres and Talloires about 13 kilometres from Annecy along the road on the eastern shore.
• 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car here. Buses run along the eastern shore to Annecy, but connections are sparse in the evening.
• ✈️ Time from Geneva Airport: About 1 hour by car, and allow longer at weekends in summer.
• 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€€. The three places below cost around 125 to 370 euros (roughly £105 to £310) per night for a weekend in May when I searched, and in July and August the best hotels are far more expensive.
• 👮 Safety: Very quiet and safe. The road along the eastern shore is narrow and winding, so drive carefully after dark.

On the lake’s eastern shore, where the mountains drop right down to the water, you’ll find the two small towns of Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Talloires. This is where the well-known luxury hotels and restaurants on Lake Annecy are, and where you can sit on a waterside terrace watching paragliders drift down from the mountains. Between the two towns lies the Roc de Chère nature reserve, with woodland trails and views over the lake.

Above Menthon, Château de Menthon sits on a rock overlooking the lake. The castle has been owned by the same family for almost 1,000 years, and it’s open to visitors in season for about 12 euros (around £10) for adults. Above Talloires is the Col de la Forclaz, where the paragliders take off, and if you fancy trying it yourself, you can book a tandem paragliding flight over the lake from Talloires for around 135 euros (around £115). Sibra buses run along the eastern shore to Annecy, but if you want to be free in the evenings, a car is the easiest option.

See hotels in Talloires and Menthon-Saint-Bernard here.

I’d stay here if you want to treat yourselves on a romantic trip or for a milestone birthday, and if it’s the lake and the scenery you’ve come for rather than the town. It’s also a good choice if you’re driving around in a hire car and want to carry on up into the mountains over the Col de la Forclaz.

The downside is that many hotels and restaurants close during the winter months, and prices in summer are high, even at the simpler places. Restaurants are few and far between in the evening, and without a car you’re fairly tied to your hotel. Abbaye de Talloires, a former monastery by the water, is a beautiful alternative, but it was even more expensive than the hotels below when I searched.

Hotels in Talloires and Menthon-Saint-Bernard

Le Palace de Menthon - five-star palace hotel with a beach and views of the castle

Le Palace de Menthon is on Route des Bains in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, with a garden and beach area right on the lake. There’s a heated indoor pool, spa, restaurant and free parking, and many rooms have lake views. Some guests feel the indoor pool isn’t warm enough.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view from our bedroom and balcony was amazing, across the lake and up to the castle.”

See photos and book Le Palace de Menthon here.

Hôtel Beau Site Talloires - classic summer hotel with a private beach in Talloires

Hôtel Beau Site is on Rue André Theuriet in Talloires, with a garden and a private beach on the lake. There’s a heated indoor pool, spa, restaurant, playground and free parking, so it suits families too. The hotel couldn’t be booked for November when I searched, so expect it to be mainly a hotel for the summer half of the year.

From a review: “Loved the private beach and the great location by the lake.”

See photos and book Hôtel Beau Site here.

Domaine des Ecuries - apartments with a kitchen and free parking in Talloires

Domaine des Ecuries is in Echarvines in the northern part of Talloires, a short distance from the lake, and has furnished apartments with a fully equipped kitchen and terrace. Parking is free and the price was the lowest of the three, but there’s no pool, spa or restaurant, and some guests find the beds uncomfortable.

One guest highlights: “Very good location. Excellent bathroom.”

See photos and book Domaine des Ecuries here.

Where not to stay in Annecy?

I’d avoid the hotels in the business parks in Cran-Gevrier and Seynod and by the motorway north of town. They’re cheaper and look fine on the map, but you’ll be staying among roundabouts and shopping centres, and it’s a long walk to both the lake and the Old Town. Also watch out for places with Lac d’Annecy in their name that are actually up in the hills or right down at the southern end of the lake around Doussard, where you’ll have to drive for everything.

If you’re a light sleeper, avoid rooms facing the canals in the Old Town, where things stay lively until late at weekends in summer. And book early if you’re travelling in July and August, as the best hotels sell out well in advance and the rest become very expensive.

If it’s your first trip to Annecy, I’d stay in the Old Town or in the centre near the railway station, where you can walk everywhere. If you want the lake right outside your door, Le Pâquier and Albigny are the obvious choice, and if you’re travelling as a family with bikes and swimming gear, Sévrier is your best bet. If you want to treat yourself in peace and quiet, stay in Talloires or Menthon-Saint-Bernard, but bring the car.

The nearest major airport is Geneva Airport, about 45 to 50 kilometres away, and if you land at Lyon Saint-Exupéry instead, it’s about 125 kilometres to Annecy. Many people combine Annecy with a trip to Lyon, and if you’re heading on there, you can read where to stay in Lyon.

The post Where to Stay in Annecy? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The region is simply big, so where you base yourself matters a lot. Pick the wrong spot and you’ll spend every day in the car instead of exploring. Here you’ll find six towns, each with its own strengths, and three hotels in each.

Where to Stay in Normandy: The Best Towns

• Rouen - best town for culture and train travellers
• Honfleur - best town for couples and a cosy atmosphere
• Étretat - best town for cliffs and walks
• Deauville & Trouville - best town for beaches and families
• Bayeux - best town for the D-Day beaches and history
• Mont-Saint-Michel - best area for a night by the abbey

I go through the towns from east to west, in other words in the order you’ll reach them when driving from Paris. For each town you get a map, distances, price level and three hotels in different price brackets. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and they rise noticeably in July, August and around the D-Day anniversary in early June.

1. Rouen - best town for culture and train travellers ⛪

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Old Town sits on the north bank of the Seine, and from the cathedral it’s a five-minute walk to the Gros-Horloge and ten minutes to Place du Vieux-Marché.
• 🚆 Transport: Trains from Paris Saint-Lazare to Rouen Rive Droite take around 1 hour 10 minutes to 1.5 hours. From the station it’s a 15-minute walk down to the cathedral, and in the Old Town you can do everything on foot.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: Around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Without a car, take the train into Paris and continue from Saint-Lazare.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £250 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe in the Old Town. The area around the station and the south bank at Saint-Sever feels more run-down in the evening, so stay north of the river.

Rouen is the capital of Normandy and the city I’d start a trip with, especially if you’re arriving by train. The Old Town is full of half-timbered houses, and in the middle of it all stands Notre-Dame Cathedral, which Claude Monet painted again and again in different light. Rue du Gros-Horloge leads you under the great Renaissance clock and out onto Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431. Today a modern church stands on the square in her memory.

The city is strong on art, too. The Musée des Beaux-Arts has one of France’s largest Impressionist collections outside Paris, and the permanent collection is free to visit. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, so plan around that. In the evening, people sit out on the terraces around Saint-Maclou and along Rue Martainville, where the crooked houses are some of the best preserved in the city.

See hotels in Rouen here.

I’d stay in Rouen if you’re travelling without a car, if you only have a long weekend, or if you’re combining Normandy with a few days in Paris. If you need help with the capital, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Paris. Rouen also makes a sensible first night if you land in the afternoon and don’t want to drive all the way to the coast the same day.

The downside is that Rouen is a city, not a coastal town. It’s around an hour by car to both Honfleur and Étretat, so if you stay here all week, you’ll spend a lot of hours behind the wheel. Better to give Rouen two nights and then move on westwards.

Hotels in Rouen

Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, Autograph Collection - five-star mansion with an indoor pool

Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde is on Place de la Pucelle, a few minutes’ walk from Place du Vieux-Marché, in an old Renaissance mansion with an indoor pool, spa, sauna, steam room and restaurant. It’s the city’s only five-star hotel, and there’s valet parking if you arrive by car. A few guests do feel that the décor is worn and doesn’t quite live up to the five stars.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel has always been excellent, with a lovely location and a very welcoming atmosphere.”

See photos and book Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde here.

Mercure Rouen Centre Cathédrale - four-star hotel right by the cathedral

The Mercure is on Rue Croix de Fer, a couple of minutes’ walk from the cathedral and the Gros-Horloge. There’s a restaurant, bar, gym, soundproofed rooms and an underground car park, which is rare this central in Rouen. A couple of guests mention minor issues in the rooms, such as a plug socket that didn’t work.

From one review: “Fantastic location, very helpful staff, a good hotel.”

See photos and book Mercure Rouen Centre Cathédrale here.

Aparthotel Adagio Access Rouen Centre Cathédrale - budget aparthotel within walking distance of everything

Adagio Access is on Rue du Docteur Robert Rambert, around a five to ten-minute walk from the cathedral, and was the cheapest of my three suggestions when I searched. There’s air conditioning, soundproofed rooms, family rooms and a 24-hour reception, and its score on Booking.com is higher than the Mercure’s. On short stays the room isn’t cleaned every day, which annoys some guests.

One guest highlights: “A very pleasant hotel with good beds, a good breakfast and friendly staff!”

See photos and book Adagio Access Rouen here.

2. Honfleur - best town for couples and a cosy atmosphere ⛵

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Honfleur is small. From the Vieux Bassin, the old harbour, it’s no more than a 10 to 15-minute walk to any hotel in town.
• 🚗 Transport: There’s no railway station, so you’ll arrive by car or by bus from Le Havre, Caen or Deauville. Across the Pont de Normandie, it’s about 25 minutes to Le Havre and 20 minutes to Deauville.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: About 2.5 hours by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below came to roughly £65 to £270 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. The biggest problems are the crowds around the harbour on summer weekends and finding a parking space.

Honfleur is the most picture-postcard town in Normandy. Tall, narrow slate and half-timbered houses huddle around the Vieux Bassin, sailing boats bob in the water in front of them, and in the evening the whole quayside becomes one long pavement of restaurants. It’s no coincidence that the painter Eugène Boudin and his pupil Monet painted here, and the tourist office still calls the town the cradle of Impressionism.

Walk a few streets up from the harbour to Sainte-Catherine, the largest wooden church in France, with a bell tower that stands on its own across the square. Around it you’ll find small galleries, cider and calvados shops, and lanes where you’re almost alone, even when the quayside is packed. The Saturday market by the church is a good place to buy cheese, cider and fish.

See hotels in Honfleur here.

I’d stay in Honfleur if you’re a couple, or if you want a base that’s lovely in the evening once the day-trippers have gone home. The town is also centrally located: Étretat and Deauville are easy day trips, and you can even reach the D-Day beaches on a long day. If you only have one base and a car for the whole trip, Honfleur is the place I’d choose, because you can reach both the cliffs to the north and the beaches to the west in under an hour.

The downsides are the prices and the crowds. Honfleur is one of the most visited towns in Normandy, so the restaurants right on the harbour are expensive and not always the best, and in summer you’ll need to book your hotel well in advance. Eat a few streets back into town instead, and take a morning stroll around the harbour before the coaches arrive.

Hotels in Honfleur

L’Absinthe Hôtel - small boutique hotel a few steps from the harbour

L’Absinthe is on Rue de la Ville, a couple of minutes’ walk from the Vieux Bassin, and has one of the highest ratings among the town’s hotels. It’s a small hotel with just a few rooms, and there’s a bar, air conditioning and a private underground car park, which is worth its weight in gold in Honfleur. Breakfast has to be ordered in advance, and several guests mention that the choice is limited.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was very clean and beautifully presented.”

See photos and book L’Absinthe Hôtel here.

Le Rituel Hotel & Spa - spa and outdoor pool at a mid-range price

Le Rituel is on Cours Albert Manuel in the western part of town, about a five-minute walk from the centre. It’s a four-star hotel with a spa, sauna, steam room, heated outdoor pool in summer, restaurant and its own parking, and the price was lower than at most of the three-star hotels by the harbour. Some guests feel breakfast is expensive for what you get.

From a review: “A beautiful hotel, and it’s only a five-minute walk to the centre.”

See photos and book Le Rituel Hotel & Spa here.

L’escale honfleuraise - budget apartment five minutes from the Vieux Bassin

L’escale honfleuraise offers apartments with a terrace on a quiet street west of the centre, about a five-minute walk from the old harbour. It was by far the cheapest of my three suggestions and has a high rating, but it’s an apartment rather than a hotel, so don’t expect a reception or breakfast, and you park on the street. One guest mentions a dripping sound from the water pipes.

One guest highlights: “It was a lovely apartment. Very private and quiet.”

See photos and book L’escale honfleuraise here.

3. Étretat - best town for cliffs and walks 🌊

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The town is a village, and from the seafront promenade it’s a 10-minute walk to the foot of either cliff and around 20 minutes up to the viewpoints.
• 🚌 Transport: There’s no railway station. Taking the train to Le Havre and the bus onwards takes around an hour from Le Havre, and by car it’s 30 minutes to Le Havre and an hour to Honfleur.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: Around 2 hours and 45 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around £125 to £350 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Stay behind the fences on the clifftops, don’t go too close to the edge, and check the tides before you walk along the foot of the cliffs.

Étretat is the reason many people come to Normandy in the first place. The white chalk cliffs rise on either side of a small pebble beach, and to the west stands the Falaise d’Aval with the Porte d’Aval arch and the L’Aiguille rock needle out in the water. To the east is the Falaise d’Amont, with the little Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde chapel on top. Monet painted the cliffs in every kind of weather, and you’ll understand why when the sun sets behind the arch.

The best thing about staying here is that you can walk up onto the cliffs early in the morning or late in the evening, once the day-trippers have gone. The path along the Falaise d’Aval carries on past La Manneporte, an even bigger arch, and further along the coast, and the Le Havre and Étretat tourist office has maps of the routes. The town itself is small, with a covered wooden market, a few streets of restaurants and a promenade where you can tuck into moules frites with views of the cliffs.

See hotels in Étretat here.

I’d stay in Étretat if you’re coming for the nature, want to go on long walks or photograph the cliffs in good light. One or two nights is enough for most people. Combine it with Honfleur or Rouen so you get both nature and a city on the same trip, and bring decent shoes, as the paths up the cliffs are steep and can be slippery after rain.

The downside is that Étretat is expensive for what you get, and the choice of hotels is small, so many of the best places are villas and guesthouses. On summer weekends the town is packed to bursting and the car parks are full by mid-morning, so arrive early or stay here. In the evenings, on the other hand, there isn’t much to do apart from eating out.

Hotels in Étretat

Domaine Saint Clair - Le Donjon - château hotel with a pool and views over the town

Le Donjon sits on the hillside above Étretat along Chemin de Saint Clair, with an outdoor pool, spa, sauna, restaurant and free parking. It’s the most luxurious address in town, and from the garden you look out over the rooftops towards the sea. On the other hand, several guests mention wear and tear in the rooms and communal areas, and the price is the highest in Étretat.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view was amazing. The hotel is beautiful.”

See photos and book Domaine Saint Clair here.

Dormy House - four-star hotel with a garden and terrace above the bay

Dormy House is on Route du Havre at the western end of town, close to the path up the Falaise d’Aval. There’s a garden, terrace, restaurant, bar and private parking, and its Booking.com score is the highest of the three. Not every room has space for an extra bed, so if you’re travelling with children, choose your room type carefully.

From one review: “We absolutely loved the hotel! Everything was perfect.”

See photos and book Dormy House here.

Hotel Le Rayon Vert - cheapest option with the sea right outside the door

Le Rayon Vert is right on the seafront promenade, with the sea and the cliffs just outside the door. There’s a restaurant, bar and 24-hour reception, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions. You’ll need to find parking in town yourself, and several guests feel the breakfast is disappointing.

One guest highlights: “A wonderful hotel right by the sea. Friendly staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Le Rayon Vert here.

4. Deauville & Trouville - best towns for beaches and families 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The two towns sit on opposite banks of the River Touques. From Deauville’s beach it’s about a 15-minute walk across the bridge to Trouville’s fish market.
• 🚆 Transport: The towns share Trouville-Deauville station, and according to SNCF the fastest trains from Paris Saint-Lazare take around 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: About 2.5 hours by car. Deauville also has its own small airport, but it has few routes.
• 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £140 to £500 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. In summer there are lots of people and cars, so keep an eye on the children along the roads by the beach.

Deauville is the Parisians’ seaside weekend getaway and has been for more than a hundred years. Here you’ll find Les Planches, the famous wooden boardwalk along the beach with its colourful parasols, a large casino, two racecourses and half-timbered Norman villas. Every September the town hosts a festival of American film, and that’s when the hotels fill up.

Trouville, across the river, is Deauville’s more down-to-earth sister. It’s an old fishing town with a fish market on the quay where you can eat oysters and prawns standing up, a long sandy beach with its own boardwalk and narrow streets with cheaper restaurants. The painter Eugène Boudin painted the first bathers on the beach here, and the grand villas along the promenade date from the same era. In fact, many people prefer to stay in Trouville and walk over the bridge to Deauville when they want a taste of the glamour.

See hotels in Deauville and Trouville here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling with children and want a proper sandy beach, or if you fancy a classic seaside holiday with good food and a touch of glamour. With direct trains from Paris, it’s also the easiest place on the coast to reach without a car, and Honfleur is only 20 minutes away.

The downside is the cost. Deauville is the most expensive town in Normandy, and at weekends and during holidays prices climb even higher because half of Paris heads up here. Out of season, many restaurants close on weekdays, and the water in the English Channel is cold, even in summer. On the plus side, you can often get the smart hotels for far less in spring and autumn.

Hotels in Deauville & Trouville

Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy - Deauville’s famous grand hotel by the casino

Le Normandy is the large half-timbered hotel next to the casino and one of the best-known hotels in France. There’s an indoor pool, spa, gym, kids’ club and tennis court, and Les Planches is just a few minutes’ walk away. It’s the most expensive hotel in this entire guide, and some guests complain that they can hear the neighbouring rooms.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were always very polite and helpful.”

See photos and book Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy here.

Le Flaubert - four-star hotel right on the beach in Trouville

Le Flaubert is on Rue Gustave Flaubert, right on Trouville’s beach and promenade, and the fish market is a ten-minute walk away. There’s a bar, family rooms and valet parking, and its Booking.com score is one of the highest on this stretch of coast. If there’s a group staying, the breakfast room can be fully booked, so ask about it when you check in.

From one review: “Lovely staff, great location and beautiful rooms.”

See photos and book Le Flaubert here.

ibis Styles Deauville Centre - the cheapest sensible option in central Deauville

ibis Styles is on Rue Fossorier in the middle of Deauville, a few minutes’ walk from both the beach and the market square. There’s a bar, terrace, air conditioning and family rooms, and breakfast is included at most ibis Styles hotels, but check when you book. Some guests say the staff could be more welcoming.

One guest highlights: “Very clean, and you can park in front of the hotel.”

See photos and book ibis Styles Deauville Centre here.

5. Bayeux - best town for the D-Day beaches and history 🎖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Bayeux is a small town, and from the cathedral it’s no more than a 10 to 15-minute walk to the hotels in this guide. The coast at Arromanches is about 10 kilometres away.
• 🚆 Transport: Bayeux has a railway station with trains from Paris Saint-Lazare via Caen, taking about 2 to 2.5 hours. To get out to the beaches, you’ll need a car or a guided tour.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: About 3 hours and 15 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £100 to £270 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and peaceful. The town is quiet in the evenings, and the only thing you need to watch out for is the traffic on the narrow roads out by the beaches.

If you’re wondering where to stay in Normandy for the D-Day beaches, Bayeux is the obvious base. The town was liberated just one day after the landings in June 1944 and escaped almost undamaged, so you’ll be staying in a charming medieval town with canals, half-timbered houses and a huge Gothic cathedral consecrated in 1077. The town is also famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, the roughly 70-metre-long embroidery telling the story of William the Conqueror. The museum where the tapestry is displayed may be closed at times, so check the town’s page about the tapestry before you go.

From Bayeux you can reach all the major sites within half an hour: Arromanches with the remains of the artificial harbour, Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where nearly 9,400 Americans are buried. The beaches are on the UNESCO World Heritage List and are spread along about 80 kilometres of coastline, so this is where a hire car from Booking.com really makes a difference. If you’d rather have the stories told to you, a full-day tour of the American D-Day sites from Bayeux for around 190 euros (around £160) is a good choice.

See hotels in Bayeux here.

I would stay in Bayeux if D-Day and the Second World War are the main purpose of your trip, and I would give the town at least two nights. It’s small enough to walk everywhere, and in the evening you can eat well at sensible prices in the streets around the cathedral.

The downside is that Bayeux is quiet in the evenings and a long way from the rest of Normandy. Honfleur and Étretat are more than an hour away by car, so you’re better off combining Bayeux with Mont-Saint-Michel, which lies about 1.5 hours to the south-west. Around the anniversary on 6 June, hotels sell out months in advance.

Hotels in Bayeux

Domaine de Bayeux - manor house with a garden and the town’s highest rating

Domaine de Bayeux is on Rue de Cremel on the eastern edge of town, about a ten-minute walk from the cathedral. It’s a four-star manor house with a garden, terrace, free parking and an EV charging point, and with a score of 9.4 it has the highest rating of all the hotels in this guide. The driveway is narrow, so take it slowly if you’re driving a large car.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A truly special hotel… very friendly staff.”

See photos and book Domaine de Bayeux here.

Churchill Hotel Bayeux Centre - charming hotel on the town’s main street

Churchill Hotel is on Rue Saint-Jean, the main street in the middle of Bayeux, and it’s a five-minute walk to the cathedral. There’s a bar, terrace, air conditioning and a 24-hour reception, and you’ll be right among the cafés and shops. Some guests mention that the rooms are small and there’s no kettle.

From one review: “Fantastic location, a beautiful hotel and spotlessly clean.”

See photos and book Churchill Hotel here.

Le Declic - small budget hotel with bags of charm

Le Declic is on Rue Alain Chartier in the western part of the centre, about a ten-minute walk from the cathedral. It’s a small hotel with a terrace, street parking and an EV charging point, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions. A couple of guests say the Wi-Fi signal is weak on the top floor.

One guest highlights: “A charming hotel with lots of character.”

See photos and book Le Declic here.

6. Mont-Saint-Michel - best area for a night by the abbey 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The hotels are either on the island itself or in La Caserne on the mainland, just over 2 kilometres from the island. From there it’s a good half-hour walk, or you can take the free shuttle bus out to the island.
• 🚌 Transport: The Le Passeur shuttle bus is free and runs continuously from 7.30am until midnight, according to the tourist office. By train, you’ll usually travel to Rennes or Pontorson and take a bus for the last stretch.
• ✈️ Time from Paris-CDG: About 4 hours by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £125 to £220 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but never walk out onto the tidal flats in the bay without a guide. The tide comes in fast, and there’s quicksand.

Mont-Saint-Michel is Normandy’s best-known sight: a rocky island in a bay with a Benedictine abbey on top and a small village of houses and walls beneath it. The island is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the bay has the biggest tides in continental Europe, so during the highest tides the island is surrounded by water for a couple of hours. A ticket to the abbey costs €13 (around £11), and EU citizens under 26 get in free.

The reason to stay the night here is that most visitors leave again in the late afternoon. In the evening and early morning you’ll have the Grande Rue and the ramparts almost to yourself, and the island is lit up after dark. Parking as a day visitor costs about €10 (around £8) in high season, but if you stay at a hotel in La Caserne, you’ll get an access code that lets you drive right up to the hotel.

See hotels near Mont-Saint-Michel here.

I’d stay here for one night on the way between Bayeux and Brittany, or if you want to photograph the island at sunset and in the morning light. Arrive a couple of hours before high tide if you want to watch the water flow in around the island, and check the tide tables before you set off. Bayeux is about 1.5 hours away by car, so the two fit together nicely.

The downside is that Mont-Saint-Michel isn’t a place you stay for several days. The hotels on the island are old, expensive for what you get and mean carrying your suitcase up stairs, while the hotels in La Caserne are mostly practical chain hotels along a road. The restaurants on the island are touristy and pricey, so you’re better off eating in La Caserne or in Pontorson.

Hotels near Mont-Saint-Michel

Hôtel la Croix Blanche - sleep on the island itself with views over the bay

La Croix Blanche is on the Grande Rue on the island, and from several of the rooms you look straight out over the bay. It’s expensive for a three-star hotel, but you’re paying for the experience of being on the island once the day-trippers have gone. There are lots of stairs up to the rooms, so pack a small overnight bag and leave your suitcase in the car.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic views, and it’s wonderful to stay overnight ON the island.”

See photos and book Hôtel la Croix Blanche here.

Mercure Mont Saint Michel - four-star hotel by the shuttle bus

The Mercure is in La Caserne close to the shuttle bus stop and has a restaurant, bar, garden, terrace and private parking. It’s the most comfortable choice on the mainland, and the rooms have air conditioning and soundproofing. A few guests have complained about flies in the restaurant at breakfast in summer.

From one review: “Excellent location, parking and nice rooms.”

See photos and book Mercure Mont Saint Michel here.

Hôtel Vert - simple, budget hotel in La Caserne

Hôtel Vert is also in La Caserne, a few minutes’ walk from the shuttle bus, and has a restaurant, bar, terrace and private parking. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions and has over 5,000 reviews on Booking.com. However, several guests say the rooms are starting to look worn and dated.

One guest highlights: “The location is excellent, and the hotel met all the basic needs.”

See photos and book Hôtel Vert here.

Where not to stay in Normandy?

Avoid the cheap chain hotels on the business parks by the motorway exits outside Caen and Rouen. You’ll save a few pounds, but you’ll be staying among warehouses and roundabouts and will have to get in the car for dinner. Le Havre is practical if you’re arriving by ferry, and the centre was rebuilt in concrete after the war, but it isn’t the charming coastal town most people dream of. Cherbourg, right out on the Cotentin Peninsula, is too far from most things unless you’re catching the ferry. And don’t stay only at Mont-Saint-Michel to see the rest of Normandy: from there it’s almost three hours to Honfleur.

If it’s your first trip to Normandy and you have a week, I’d split it into three: two nights in Honfleur with day trips to Étretat and Deauville, two or three nights in Bayeux for the D-Day beaches and one night at Mont-Saint-Michel. If you’re travelling by train and have a long weekend, choose Rouen or Deauville, where you can manage without a car. If you’re travelling with children, Trouville and Deauville with their long sandy beaches are the most relaxed choice, and if you’re a couple, Honfleur is hard to beat.

If you’re flying to Paris and want to pick up a hire car at the airport, my guide to getting from Charles de Gaulle can help you with the logistics. If you have a few days in Paris before or after, you’ll also find my guide to things to see in Paris. From there, Normandy is only a couple of hours away.

The post Where to Stay in Normandy? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are my picks for the 17 best things to see and do in Nice, with prices, opening hours and transport tips. Prices are in euros, and €1 is roughly £0.84. Several of the museums, including the Musée Matisse and the Musée Chagall, are closed on Tuesdays, and on Mondays the flower market on the Cours Saleya is replaced by an antiques market, so read the sections before you plan your days. The last five sections are about trips along the coast.

1. Promenade des Anglais

The Promenade des Anglais stretches almost seven kilometres along the Baie des Anges, from the airport in the west to the foot of the Colline du Château in the east. It began in 1824, when the British clergyman Lewis Way had a path laid out along the coast to provide work after a hard winter, and it’s named after the English colony of winter visitors who helped create it. Today it’s a wide promenade with palm trees and the famous blue chairs, where people walk, run and cycle with the sea right beside them.

The promenade is a big part of the reason Nice was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021 as a winter resort town of the Riviera. The beaches below the promenade are pebble beaches, not sandy ones, and there are both public beaches, where you just lay down your towel, and private beach clubs, where you pay for a sunbed and a parasol.

My tip is to walk a stretch of the promenade westwards from the Old Town early in the morning or at sunset, when the light is softest, and to bring water shoes, because the pebbles are hard underfoot. Bus 12 runs along the promenade, and tram line 2 runs along the western part out towards the airport. If you’d like to wake up to a view of the bay, you can see hotels on the Promenade des Anglais here.

2. Old Town (Vieux Nice)

The Old Town, called Vieux Nice in French, lies between the Colline du Château and Place Masséna. It’s a maze of narrow streets with ochre and pink houses, washing hung between the windows and small squares with cafés. The city’s cathedral, Sainte-Réparate, stands on Place Rossetti, and all around the neighbourhood you’ll find baroque churches, delis and stalls selling socca, the thin chickpea flour pancake that’s Nice’s best-known street food.

It’s free to walk around, and the area is at its best in the morning, before the day-trippers arrive, or in the evening, when the restaurants fill the streets with tables. I’ll be honest: the restaurants on the most central squares are often expensive and mediocre, so walk a couple of streets away before you sit down. Rue Droite and Rue de la Préfecture are good streets to start in.

The Old Town is also the most obvious place to stay if it’s your first visit to the city, and it’s the first area in my guide to where to stay in Nice. Here you can see hotels in Vieux Nice. If you’d like the history too, a guided walking tour is a good way to start your stay.

Book a guided walking tour of the Old Town and the Colline du Château.

3. Cours Saleya and the Flower Market

The Cours Saleya is the long square in the southern part of the Old Town, just behind the seafront promenade. The square is known for its flower market, but the stalls also sell fruit, vegetables, olives, spices and local specialities, and the market has been named one of the 100 most picturesque markets in France. Around the square there are cafés and restaurants with tables out on the cobbles.

The flower market is held from Tuesday to Sunday, while every Monday the square fills up with the antiques market, selling everything from old postcards and silverware to paintings and furniture. In summer there are also stalls with art and crafts in the evening. It’s free to walk around, and the market is liveliest in the morning, so come early.

My tip is to buy a piece of socca from one of the stalls and eat it while it’s still hot. You’ll get the best view over the square from the top of the steps at Les Ponchettes, opposite Place Pierre Gautier. If you’d like to taste your way through the local cuisine with pan bagnat, pissaladière and socca, there are food tours with a local guide through the Old Town.

Book a food tour with local tastings in Nice.

4. Colline du Château

The Colline du Château is the green hill between the Old Town and the harbour. The city’s castle once stood here, but it was pulled down in the early 1700s, and today the top is a park with shady paths, playgrounds, ruins and an artificial waterfall, the Cascade du Château, where many local families head on hot days. The city’s old cemetery is also on the hill.

This is where you get the classic view of Nice, with the Baie des Anges, the red roofs of the Old Town and the harbour on the other side of the hill. The park is free to enter and open every day from 8.30am to 6pm from October to March and until 8pm from April to September. You can walk up the steps from the eastern end of the seafront promenade or from the Old Town, and there’s also a lift if you’d like to save your legs.

The walk up the steps takes about a quarter of an hour at a gentle pace. My tip is to go up late in the afternoon and stay for the sunset, and to bring water, because it gets hot on the steps in summer. If you walk down the other side of the hill, you’ll come out right by Port Lympia, so you can easily combine the hill and the harbour in one outing.

5. Place Masséna and the Promenade du Paillon

Place Masséna is Nice’s main square and the link between the Old Town and the newer part of the city around Avenue Jean Médecin. The buildings around the square are painted in the red and ochre shades typical of Nice, and the paving is laid in a black and white chequered pattern. At the southern end stands the Fontaine du Soleil with a large statue of Apollo, and above the square seven figures by the Catalan artist Jaume Plensa sit on tall poles. In the evening they light up in changing colours.

From the square, the Promenade du Paillon park runs to the north-east. It’s a 14.5-hectare city park, and right by Place Masséna is the Miroir d’eau, a 3,000-square-metre water mirror with 128 jets, where both children and adults run around when it’s hot. The park is free and open from 7am to 9pm from October to March and until 11pm from April to September, while the water mirror is switched on from 9am to 8pm in winter and until 10pm in summer.

Tram line 1 stops at Masséna, and line 2 stops at Jean Médecin, a couple of minutes’ walk away. My tip is to come back after dark, when the statues are lit up and the water mirror is covered in mist. Avenue Jean Médecin is the city’s main shopping street if you want to hit the shops.

6. Port Lympia and Place Garibaldi

East of the Colline du Château lies Port Lympia, Nice’s old harbour. The façades around the basin are painted ochre, yellow and red, and along the quays luxury yachts are moored side by side with around a hundred traditional wooden boats, known as pointus. The ferries to Corsica also leave from here, and if you’re heading on to the island, you can read my guide to where to stay in Corsica.

From the harbour, you walk along Rue Cassini up to Place Garibaldi, a large arcaded square named after the hero of Italian unification, Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was born in Nice. The area between the harbour and the square feels more local than the Old Town, with wine bars, fish restaurants and antique shops. Tram line 2 terminates at Port Lympia, and line 1 stops at Garibaldi.

The harbour is a good choice if you want to stay somewhere a little quieter than the Old Town but still be able to walk everywhere, and you can see hotels by the harbour in Nice here. My tip is to take a short boat trip along the coast towards Villefranche and Cap Ferrat, so you can see the grand villas from the water.

Book a one-hour cruise from Nice to the bay of Villefranche.

7. Musée Matisse

Henri Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954, and the museum bearing his name is housed in a red 17th-century Genoese villa in the middle of the olive grove in Cimiez. The collection follows his whole career, from the early paintings through drawings and sculptures to the large paper cut-outs he made in his final years, and you can also see objects from his studio.

The museum is open from 10am to 6pm from April to October and from 10am to 5pm from November to March. It’s closed on Tuesdays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December, and the ticket office closes half an hour before the museum. A ticket costs €10 (about £8), and a museum pass valid for four days at ten of the city’s museums costs €15 (about £13). Under-18s and students get in for free with proof.

Cimiez is on a hill north of the centre, so take the bus up there and find the easiest connection in the Lignes d’Azur journey planner. My tip is to combine the Matisse museum with the Roman ruins and the monastery garden right next door and finish at the Chagall museum on your way back down towards the centre. That gives you a good half day, and with the museum pass you only pay once.

8. Musée National Marc Chagall

The Musée National Marc Chagall was built for the artist’s great biblical series, Le Message Biblique, and opened in 1973, while Chagall was still alive. The main works are 17 large paintings with scenes from the Old Testament in strong blues, reds and greens, and the museum also has mosaics, stained glass windows in the concert hall and a small garden with Mediterranean plants.

The museum is closed on Tuesdays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. It’s open from 10am to 6pm from May to October and until 5pm from November to April, and in March it closes as early as 4.30pm. At times the museum has closed in the middle of the day from 1pm to 2.30pm, so check the tourist office’s page before you go. Admission costs €10 (about £8), or €12 (about £10) when there’s a special exhibition. Under-18s get in for free, and so does everyone on the first Sunday of the month.

The museum is on Avenue du Docteur Ménard at the foot of Cimiez, and you can walk there from Nice-Ville station. My tip is to spend a good hour here before you carry on up the hill to the Matisse museum, or to plan your visit for the first Sunday of the month if you’re in town anyway.

9. Cimiez with Roman Ruins and a Monastery Garden

Cimiez was an elegant villa district for winter visitors in the 19th century, but its history goes back much further. The Roman town of Cemenelum stood here, and at the Musée d’Archéologie de Nice-Cimiez you walk among three Roman bath complexes, a residential quarter, an amphitheatre and an early Christian church complex. The cold bath in one of the bathhouses still stands more than ten metres high.

The museum is on Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez right by the Matisse museum and is open from 10am to 6pm from May to October and until 5pm the rest of the year. It’s closed on Tuesdays. Admission costs €5 (about £4), and the €15 (about £13) museum pass is valid here too.

Right next door is the olive grove of the Jardin des Arènes, which is free to enter, and a little further on is the Franciscan monastery with its church, a monastery garden with views over the city and the cemetery where Matisse and the painter Raoul Dufy are buried. The cemetery is open from 8.30am to 6pm from March to October and until 5pm in winter. My tip is to bring a packed lunch and eat it in the shade of the olive trees before you head on to the museums.

10. Saint-Nicolas Russian Orthodox Cathedral

It’s a bit of a surprise to find a Russian Orthodox cathedral with onion domes in the middle of a residential area in Nice, but it makes sense once you know that Russian aristocrats and the tsar’s family spent their winters on the Riviera in the 19th century. Saint-Nicolas Cathedral was consecrated in 1912 and is the largest Russian Orthodox church in Western Europe. Inside, there are icons, carved wood and a heavy scent of incense.

According to the regional tourist board, entry is free, while a guided tour of about 35 minutes costs €10 (about £8) for adults and is free for children under 12. Respectful clothing is required, and men aren’t allowed in bare-chested. It’s a working church, so you can’t walk around during services, and opening hours can vary.

The cathedral is on Avenue Nicolas II, about a quarter of an hour’s walk from Nice-Ville station, so it fits in nicely if you’re taking the train anyway. My tip is to drop by on your way to or from one of the day trips, and to bring a scarf or a cardigan if you’re walking around in shorts and with bare shoulders in summer.

11. Palais Lascaris

The Palais Lascaris is a 17th-century aristocratic palace in the middle of the Old Town, and the tourist office calls it the most remarkable example of baroque architecture in Nice outside the churches. From the narrow Rue Droite, you go in through the gateway and up a grand staircase with frescoes to salons with painted ceilings, tapestries and furniture.

Today the palace is a museum of 17th- and 18th-century art and music, and its large collection of historic musical instruments is the reason many people come. You’ll see violins, harps, guitars and wind instruments, among others, and some of them came to the museum as a gift from the collector Antoine Gautier in 1904.

The palace is open from 10am to 6pm every day except Tuesday and is closed on 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May and 25 December. Admission costs €5 (about £4), and children under 13 get in for free. It’s not a place most tourists find, and that’s exactly why I think it’s a good stop. My tip is to save it for a hot afternoon or a rainy day, because it’s cool behind the thick walls, and a visit takes about an hour.

12. Mont Boron and Fort du Mont Alban

East of the harbour, Mont Boron rises between Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer. The whole hill is a 57-hectare forest park with 11 kilometres of paths among the pine trees, and it’s free to enter. It’s the best place to get away from the traffic without leaving the city, and along the way you look down on the luxury villas on the slopes.

At the top stands the Fort du Mont Alban, a 16th-century fortress. According to the tourist office, from the terrace you can see all the way from Bordighera in Italy to the Estérel mountains west of Cannes, and on clear days you can sometimes see Corsica. Tours inside the fort have been suspended, so expect to see it from the outside, and check the page before you count on getting in.

You can walk up from the harbour along paths and steps, but it’s a steep climb, so bring good shoes and water. If you’d rather not walk, there are guided tours in small electric cars that drive up to the viewpoint at the Fort du Mont Alban and on to Villefranche-sur-Mer. My tip is to head up late in the afternoon, when the sun is low over the Baie des Anges.

Book a guided electric car tour to the Fort du Mont Alban and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

13. Villefranche-sur-Mer

Villefranche-sur-Mer sits on the bay just east of Mont Boron and is one of the most beautiful small towns on the whole Riviera. The colourful houses climb the hill from the harbour, and behind the waterfront there are narrow alleys and stairways, including the covered street Rue Obscure. By the harbour stands the large 16th-century citadel, which today houses the town hall and a couple of small museums.

By the fishing harbour is the Chapelle Saint-Pierre, which the poet and artist Jean Cocteau decorated between 1956 and 1957. The chapel is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm and closes every year from mid-November to mid-December. Admission costs €4 (about £3), and children under 15 get in for free.

The train from Nice-Ville takes about five minutes, and a single ticket costs €3.60 (about £3). At the town’s beach you can swim in calm water, and you can easily see it all in half a day. My tip is to stay for dinner by the harbour, once the day-trippers have gone home. If you’d like to stay somewhere quieter than Nice, you can see hotels in Villefranche-sur-Mer here.

14. Day Trip to Monaco and Monte-Carlo

The Principality of Monaco is a short train ride from Nice and the most popular day trip from the city. Monaco is an independent country but uses the euro, and there are no passport checks at the border, although you need to bring ID. Monaco-Ville with the Prince’s Palace sits on the rock known as Le Rocher, and the changing of the guard in front of the palace takes place every day at 11.55am and lasts seven minutes. The palace’s Grands Appartements can be visited from April to October, and a ticket costs around €10 (about £8).

The rock is also home to the Musée Océanographique, where a ticket costs €22.50 (about £19) for adults and €14 (about £12) for children aged 4 to 17. It’s open every day except 25 December and the Formula 1 weekend. Down in Monte-Carlo is the casino, which you can look around inside in the morning from 10am to 1pm for €20 (about £17). From 2pm the gaming rooms also cost €20, but then you have to be over 18 and show a passport or ID card, and there’s a dress code.

The train from Nice-Ville takes about 20 minutes, and a single ticket costs €6.10 (about £5). I think Monaco is worth seeing once, but eating and drinking there is expensive, so feel free to bring a packed lunch up to the rock. If you’d rather go by boat, there’s also a ferry from Nice.

Book a return ferry ticket from Nice to Monaco.

15. Day Trip to Èze

Èze is a medieval village perched like an eagle’s nest on a clifftop high above the sea between Nice and Monaco. The streets are so narrow and steep that cars can’t get through, and the old stone houses are now home to galleries, small shops and restaurants. At the very top, in the ruins of the old castle, is the cactus garden, the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, 429 metres above sea level with views along the whole coast.

The garden is full of cacti, aloes and agaves among sculptures and viewpoints, and it costs €10 (about £8) for adults and €6 (about £5) for young people aged 12 to 17 and students, while children under 12 get in for free. The garden is open every day from 9am to 4.30pm from November to March, until 6.30pm in April, May, June and October and until 7.30pm from July to September. Down by the main road is the Fragonard perfume factory.

Bus 82 runs from Vauban in Nice up to the Eze Village stop, but departures are few and far between, so check the timetable. You can also take the train to Èze-sur-Mer and walk up the Chemin de Nietzsche, but it’s a steep path that takes about an hour. My tip is to arrive early in the morning, before the tour coaches, or to join an organised tour that combines Èze with Monaco.

Book a half-day trip to Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo from Nice.

16. Day Trip to Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a fortified hilltop village inland between Nice and Cannes. The 16th-century ramparts still encircle the small village centre, and inside the walls the streets are full of art galleries, because the village has drawn painters and artists for many years. Marc Chagall lived here in his final years and is buried in the small cemetery at the southern end of the village.

Just outside the village is the Fondation Maeght, one of France’s most important private museums of modern art, with works by Miró, Giacometti, Chagall and Braque, among others, in buildings and gardens created for the collection. The museum is open every day from 10am to 6pm and until 7pm in July and August, and a ticket costs €18 (about £15), or €14 (about £12) for young people aged 16 to 18 and students.

From Nice, take the train to Cagnes-sur-Mer and then bus 655 towards Vence to the St Paul Village stop, from where it’s about a ten-minute walk to the Fondation Maeght. My tip is to arrive early, because the narrow streets are packed in the middle of the day in summer. The village gives you a good taste of Provence, and if you want to head further inland, you can read my guide to where to stay in Provence.

17. Day Trip to Antibes and Cannes

West of Nice, two of the Riviera’s best-known towns lie on the same railway line. Antibes has its own Old Town inside the harbour walls and the Port Vauban marina, and the Musée Picasso is housed in the Château Grimaldi by the sea. Picasso worked at the château from mid-September to mid-November 1946, and when he returned to Paris, he left behind 23 paintings and 44 drawings. The museum is closed on Mondays, and a combined ticket for the town’s museums and Fort Carré costs €15 (about £13) and is valid for seven days.

Cannes is the film festival town. Here you can stroll along the seafront promenade La Croisette, see the steps of the Palais des Festivals, where the stars walk up the red carpet, and climb up to the historic Le Suquet quarter. From the old harbour, boats sail to the island of Sainte-Marguerite, where you can see the cells in the Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was held prisoner. Today the fort houses the Musée du Masque de Fer et du Fort Royal.

The train from Nice-Ville to Antibes takes about 20 minutes and costs €7 (about £6), and to Cannes it takes about 35 minutes and costs €9.70 (about £8). My tip is to visit Antibes in the morning and carry on to Cannes in the afternoon. The train continues along the coast, and if Marseille is also on your list, I’ve written about where to stay in Marseille.

Book a full-day tour to Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Èze and Monaco from Nice.

Practical Travel Tips for Nice

You can easily walk between the Old Town, the Promenade des Anglais and the harbour, and for the rest of the city you use the Lignes d’Azur trams and buses. A Solo ticket costs €1.70 (about £1) and is valid for one journey with transfers within 74 minutes. If you’ll be getting around several times a day, the Pass 1 jour costs €7 (about £6) for 24 hours, and the Pass 7 jours costs €20 (about £17). The buses to Èze and Villefranche-sur-Mer are also run by Lignes d’Azur, while the train to Monaco, Antibes and Cannes requires a TER ticket.

From the airport, tram line 2 runs directly to Jean Médecin and on to the harbour. You can read about all the options in my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre.

Plan the museums around the days of the week. The Musée Matisse, the Musée Chagall, the Palais Lascaris and the archaeological museum in Cimiez are closed on Tuesdays, and the Musée Picasso in Antibes is closed on Mondays. On Mondays there’s an antiques market instead of the flower market on the Cours Saleya, and on the first Sunday of the month the Chagall museum is free. The swimming season runs from June to September, but I think May, September and October are the best months for sightseeing, because it’s warm without being as crowded as in July and August.

If you’d like to see the full range, you can see all hotels in Nice on Booking.com.

The post 17 Best Things to Do in Nice: Sights, Prices & Tips appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The city is small, but the areas are very different. Here are my recommendations for six areas with hotels in several price ranges, so you can pick the base that suits your trip.

The Best Areas in Strasbourg

• Grande Île - best area for first-time visitors and the Christmas market
• Petite France - best area for couples and a romantic weekend
• Krutenau - best area for food and nightlife
• Neustadt - best area for peace and quiet close to the centre
• Around the Station - best area for train travellers and a smaller budget
• European Quarter and Orangerie - best area for families and drivers

Below, I’ll take you through the six areas one by one, with three hotels in each area in different price ranges, from luxury hotels on Place Kléber to cheap rooms by the station.

1. Grande Île - best area for first-time visitors and the Christmas market 🎄

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: You’ll be staying in the middle of the Old Town on the island between the two arms of the River Ill, and it’s no more than ten minutes’ walk to the cathedral.
• 🚶 Transport: Large parts of Grande Île are pedestrianised, so you’ll get around on foot. Trams stop at several points on the island, including near Place Kléber, if you’re heading further out.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Around half an hour on the airport train to the station, followed by a tram or a 15-minute walk.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £65 to £200 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Grande Île is safe, but it gets very crowded around the cathedral and at the Christmas markets, so keep a firm grip on your bag in the crush.

Grande Île is the obvious choice if it’s your first time in Strasbourg. The island is the city’s historic centre and, together with Neustadt, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is where you’ll find Notre-Dame Cathedral, the carved half-timbered Maison Kammerzell, Place Kléber and Place Gutenberg, and almost everything you’ll want to see is within walking distance.

The cathedral is 142 metres tall and can be seen from large parts of the city. Every day at 12.30pm, the figures on the astronomical clock inside the church come to life, and if you want the view, you can climb the roughly 330 steps up to the platform 66 metres above the square.

This is also where you’ll find the Christmas market. According to the city’s official Christmas market website, the Christkindelsmärik started in 1570, and today there are markets on a number of squares in the centre, including Place Broglie, the squares around the cathedral and Place Kléber, where the big Christmas tree stands. The markets are usually open from late November until 24 December.

See hotels on Grande Île here.

Book a walking tour with a local guide past the cathedral and Petite France here.

The downsides are the price and the crowds in December. When I searched for a weekend in mid-December, Hôtel Gutenberg cost more than three times as much per night as in June, and many of the hotels were completely sold out. If you’re coming for the Christmas market, book as early as you can, and choose a room facing a side street if you want a quiet night’s sleep.

Places to Stay on Grande Île

Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection - best luxury hotel on Place Kléber

Maison Rouge is a five-star hotel in the pedestrian streets right by Place Kléber, where the big Christmas tree stands in December. The hotel has a spa with a sauna and a Turkish bath, the rooms range from around 20 to 42 square metres, and the guest rating is 8.8. The spa costs extra, and private parking is around €50 (about £40) a night, which several guests feel is expensive.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location, friendly staff, very helpful. Highly recommended.”

See photos and book Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection here.

Hôtel Gutenberg - best mid-range hotel between Place Kléber and the cathedral

Hôtel Gutenberg is on Rue des Serruriers between Place Gutenberg and Place Kléber, so you’re just a few minutes’ walk from both the cathedral and Petite France. It has four stars, a lift and a breakfast buffet, and the guest rating is 8.6. The standard rooms are small at around 14 square metres, and some guests mention noise from nearby nightclubs.

One guest highlights the breakfast on Booking.com: “The location is excellent. The breakfast was fantastic.”

See photos and book Hôtel Gutenberg here.

Hôtel Patricia - my cheapest pick in the Old Town

Hôtel Patricia is a simple one-star hotel on Rue du Puits near Place Gutenberg, and it was by far the cheapest of my three picks on Grande Île when I searched. The guest rating is 8.0 from more than 3,000 reviews. There’s no lift, breakfast is served at a nearby café, and some of the rooms have a shared bathroom, so check the room type before you book.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was good, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The bed was comfortable.”

See photos and book Hôtel Patricia here.

2. Petite France - best area for couples and a romantic weekend 💕

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: Around ten minutes’ walk from Place Benjamin Zix to the cathedral.
• 🚶 Transport: You’ll walk everywhere, and it’s around 15 minutes on foot to the station, so you can easily walk from the train with your suitcase.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Around 25 minutes on the airport train to the station and a walk from there.
• 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £95 to £230 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. In many places, the canals have low edges without railings, so keep an eye on small children, and watch out for the slippery cobbles in winter.

Petite France is the Strasbourg you’ve seen on postcards. The quarter lies at the western end of Grande Île, where the River Ill splits into several canals, and the white half-timbered houses stand close together along the water. It’s my first choice for couples and for a romantic weekend.

According to the Strasbourg tourist office, Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes was once the tanners’ street, and the open lofts at the top of the houses were used to dry hides. Maison des Tanneurs is on Place Benjamin Zix, and a little further west you’ll reach the Ponts Couverts, where three towers from the medieval city wall still stand by the bridges.

Head up to the terrace on the Barrage Vauban, the dam from the time of Louis XIV. From there, you look out over the Ponts Couverts, Petite France and the cathedral, and it’s one of the best places to see the city from, both during the day and when the lights come on in the evening.

See hotels in Petite France here.

In the evening, there are winstubs and restaurants along the canals, and in December there’s also a Christmas market on Place Benjamin Zix and Place Saint-Thomas. Once the day-trippers have gone, it gets quiet, and that’s when the quarter is at its most beautiful.

The downside is that there are few hotels in Petite France itself, and the best ones get booked up quickly. The streets are cobbled and narrow, so getting around by car or with big suitcases is a hassle. That’s why several of the hotels are just outside the quarter towards Place Kléber or the station, but from there you can still walk to the canals in a few minutes.

Places to Stay in Petite France

Hotel & Spa Régent Petite France - best luxury hotel by the canals

Régent Petite France is a five-star hotel on Rue des Moulins right by the water in Petite France, and it has a spa with a sauna and a hot tub. The rooms range from around 26 to 89 square metres, and the guest rating is 8.9. Some guests do mention, though, that the bathrooms could do with a renovation.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A wonderful hotel in a fantastic location.”

See photos and book Hotel & Spa Régent Petite France here.

HANNONG Hotel & Wine Bar - best mid-range hotel with a wine bar

Hannong is on Rue du 22 Novembre between Petite France and Place Kléber, a few minutes’ walk from the canals. The hotel has a wine bar, the classic double rooms are around 23 square metres, and the guest rating is 8.8 from more than 4,000 reviews. There’s no private parking, but the hotel has an arrangement with the car park at Place Kléber, and some guests still find the rooms small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was excellent and had a beautiful location.”

See photos and book HANNONG Hotel & Wine Bar here.

ibis Strasbourg Centre Petite France - my cheapest pick between the station and the canals

ibis Strasbourg Centre Petite France is on Rue du Faubourg National, a few minutes’ walk from the station and less than ten minutes on foot from the canals in Petite France. It was the cheapest of my three picks in the area, and there’s a lift and a breakfast buffet. The rooms are around 16 square metres, the guest rating is 7.8, and some guests feel the rooms are a little worn.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location and a comfortable, quiet room.”

See photos and book ibis Strasbourg Centre Petite France here.

3. Krutenau - best area for food and nightlife 🍷

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: Less than ten minutes’ walk from Place de Zurich across the river to the cathedral.
• 🚋 Transport: You can walk to most places, and the trams run along the edge of the quarter. According to the CTS transport company, a single ticket is valid for an hour, including changes between bus and tram.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Around half an hour on the airport train and a tram.
• 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £90 to £205 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Krutenau is safe, but the bars stay lively until late, especially at weekends, so choose a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.

Krutenau is just across the River Ill to the south-east of the cathedral, and it’s where many locals go out. The quarter has a student feel thanks to the nearby university, and it’s my pick if you want to eat well and have bars and cafés within walking distance.

Along Quai des Bateliers by the river, you’ll find restaurants and winstubs looking out over the water towards Palais Rohan and the cathedral, and around Place de Zurich and Rue de Zurich there are cafés and small bars. Place du Corbeau at the western end is right by the bridge over to Grande Île.

See hotels in Krutenau here.

If you’d like to get to know Alsatian cooking, you can join a food tour with tastings, where you’ll try pretzels, sausages, cheese and other specialities from Alsace along the way.

Krutenau is also a good choice for the Christmas market. You can walk across the bridge to the markets around the cathedral in a few minutes but sleep a little away from the biggest crowds, and in the evening there are enough restaurants that you won’t need to queue on Grande Île.

The downside is that you don’t get the postcard charm of Petite France, and there are few hotels in the quarter itself. The rooms in the smaller hotels are often small, so check the square metres before you book. I’d choose Krutenau for a weekend with friends or for couples who’d rather have good restaurants than half-timbered houses outside the window.

Places to Stay in Krutenau

Cour du Corbeau Hotel Strasbourg - MGallery Collection - best luxury hotel on Place du Corbeau

Cour du Corbeau is a four-star MGallery hotel on Rue des Couples by Place du Corbeau, right next to the bridge over to Grande Île. It has one of the highest guest ratings in my search, 9.3, and the largest rooms are around 37 square metres. Breakfast costs around €25 (about £20) per person, and some guests mention that there aren’t always enough seats in the breakfast room.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful building with character and a central location. Spacious and well-equipped rooms.”

See photos and book Cour du Corbeau Hotel Strasbourg - MGallery Collection here.

Hotel Roses - best mid-range pick with an Alsatian breakfast

Hotel Roses is on Rue de Zurich in the middle of Krutenau and has three stars, a sauna and a gym. The breakfast buffet includes Alsatian specialities, and the guest rating is 8.1. There’s no lift, the double rooms are around 14 square metres, and a few guests have complained about the cleaning.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location and very friendly staff!!”

See photos and book Hotel Roses here.

Hôtel De L’Ill - my cheapest pick by Quai des Bateliers

Hôtel de l’Ill is on Rue des Bateliers a few steps from the river, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in Krutenau when I searched. There’s a lift and a breakfast buffet, and the guest rating is 8.4. The standard rooms are only around 10 square metres, and there’s no parking at the hotel, so it suits couples who travel light best.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Top marks for the breakfast and the location.”

See photos and book Hôtel De L’Ill here.

4. Neustadt - best area for peace and quiet close to the centre 🏛️

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: Around ten minutes’ walk from Place de la République to the cathedral.
• 🚋 Transport: Trams run through the quarter, but from most places it’s just as quick to walk into Grande Île.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Around half an hour on the airport train and a tram.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £160 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Neustadt is a calm quarter with wide streets and few bars, so it’s quiet in the evening.

Neustadt is the new town the Germans built after Strasbourg became part of the German Empire in 1871. Today the quarter is on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Grande Île, and according to the tourist office’s page about Neustadt, the large squares, wide avenues and monumental buildings were meant to show off Prussia’s power.

At its heart is Place de la République, a round square with a park, where you’ll find the Palais du Rhin, the national theatre and the BNU university library. From here, Avenue de la Liberté runs down towards the Palais Universitaire, and the side streets are lined with beautiful Art Nouveau buildings that very few tourists see.

I’d choose Neustadt if you want to stay close to the centre but sleep in peace. You can walk to Grande Île and the Christmas markets in ten minutes without having the crowds right outside your door, and the streets are wide and easy to find your way around.

See hotels in Neustadt here.

Neustadt borders the European Quarter and the Orangerie park, so it’s also a good compromise if you want to see both the Old Town and the European institutions. The hotels here are often smaller and more personal than the chain hotels by the station.

The downside is that Neustadt doesn’t have the same atmosphere as the Old Town. There are fewer restaurants and bars, and in the evening you’ll need to walk into the centre or over to Krutenau to find some life. For a short weekend where you want everything right on your doorstep, Grande Île is the better choice.

Places to Stay in Neustadt

Hôtel Régent Contades - best four-star hotel on Avenue de la Liberté

Régent Contades is on Avenue de la Liberté near the Palais Universitaire, around ten minutes’ walk from the cathedral. The hotel has four stars, a sauna and a steam room, and the guest rating is 8.7. The classic rooms are around 16 square metres, and the private garage costs around €30 (about £25) a night. Some guests find the parking awkward.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location, beautiful room and a large, lovely bathroom.”

See photos and book Hôtel Régent Contades here.

Maison LUTETIA R - best mid-range hotel with a high guest rating

Maison Lutetia R is a small three-star hotel on Rue du Général Rapp, around 15 minutes’ walk from the cathedral. It has one of the highest guest ratings in this guide, 9.2, and there’s a lift, a bar and a breakfast buffet. On the other hand, there’s no restaurant, and the single rooms are only around 13 square metres.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about our stay here was absolutely perfect!”

See photos and book Maison LUTETIA R here.

Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre Republique - my cheapest pick near Place de la République

Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre République is on Rue Oberlin a few minutes’ walk north of Place de la République, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in Neustadt. The guest rating is 8.4. The rooms are small at around 13 square metres, and there’s no parking at the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is central and very beautiful. The room was very clean and cosy.”

See photos and book Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre Republique here.

5. Around the Station - best area for train travellers and a smaller budget 🚆

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: Around 20 minutes’ walk or a few minutes by tram.
• 🚆 Transport: This is where the TGV trains from Paris, the regional trains and the airport train stop, and trams run from the station into the centre.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Less than ten minutes on the airport train.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £85 to £125 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: The area around the station is busy and a bit more run-down than the rest of the centre. It’s fine during the day, but stick to the main streets late in the evening.

The area around the station is my pick for train travellers and for anyone who wants to keep costs down a little. The station is easy to spot thanks to the big glass dome in front of the old building, and from Place de la Gare it’s less than a kilometre to the canals in Petite France.

According to Strasbourg Airport, the train from the airport to the station takes just 8 minutes, and there are up to five trains an hour. On the fastest TGV trains, you can get here from Paris in just under two hours, so Strasbourg also works well as an extension of a trip to the French capital.

If you’d like a few nights in Paris first, you can read my guide to where to stay in Paris, and if you’re landing at Charles de Gaulle, I’ve also written about getting from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city centre.

See hotels near the station here.

Around Place de la Gare, there are lots of chain hotels and smaller three-star hotels, and in my search the prices were generally lower than on Grande Île. If you’re arriving late or catching an early train, you’ll also avoid dragging your suitcase through the cobbled streets.

The downside is that there isn’t much to see right around the station, and you’ll need to walk or take the tram to the sights. I’d choose the station area for a short trip, or if you want to combine Strasbourg with other cities by train. If you’re heading south to Lyon, you can read my guide to where to stay in Lyon.

Places to Stay Near the Station

Hotel des Vosges BW Premier Collection - best four-star hotel right opposite the station

Hotel des Vosges is on Place de la Gare right opposite the station and is a four-star hotel from Best Western’s Premier Collection with a sauna and a gym. The guest rating is 8.7, and the Comfort rooms are around 15 square metres. A few guests mention that the sauna and gym couldn’t be used during their stay.

One guest highlights on Booking.com: “Friendly staff, the location, the quality of the room and the comfortable bed.”

See photos and book Hotel des Vosges BW Premier Collection here.

Hotel Saint Augustin - best mid-range hotel with renovated rooms

Hotel Saint Augustin is on Rue Kuhn a few minutes’ walk from the station and had the highest guest rating of the hotels around the station in my search, 8.9. The rooms are around 15 square metres, and there’s a lift and a breakfast buffet. Some guests find that the rooms get too warm.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very friendly and helpful staff, nicely renovated room, clean and comfortable.”

See photos and book Hotel Saint Augustin here.

Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre Gare - my cheapest pick on Place de la Gare

Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre Gare is right on Place de la Gare, and it was the cheapest of my three picks by the station. It has two stars, a lift and a guest rating of 8.0 from more than 4,000 reviews. The rooms are only around 12 square metres, and parking costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Perfect stay, good location, clean and simple hotel and lovely, friendly staff.”

See photos and book Ibis Budget Strasbourg Centre Gare here.

6. European Quarter and Orangerie - best area for families and drivers 🌳

• 📍 Distance from the cathedral: Around two kilometres, which is half an hour’s walk or a short ride by tram or bus.
• 🚋 Transport: Trams and buses run into the centre, and it’s easier to park here than in the narrow streets of the Old Town.
• ✈️ Time from Strasbourg Airport: Around 40 minutes by train and tram or around half an hour by car.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £120 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: A calm and safe quarter with lots of offices and institutions, and it’s very quiet in the evening.

The European Quarter lies north-east of the centre, and it’s home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Right next door is the Parc de l’Orangerie, the largest park close to the centre and the most popular with locals.

According to the City of Strasbourg, the park covers around 26 hectares and has a lake where you can go out in a rowing boat and a free zoo, where the storks are one of the big attractions. That makes the area my first choice for families who want green spaces and playgrounds close to their hotel.

See hotels in the European Quarter here.

A couple of the hotels here have both parking and a spa, and Villa La Florangerie even has a pool. If you’re driving in from Germany or further afield, it’s much easier to stay here than to find a parking space close to Grande Île.

In the weeks when the European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, the hotels in the quarter can fill up with politicians and journalists, and then prices go up. So check prices for several dates if you’re flexible about when you travel.

The downside is that you’re staying outside the atmosphere most people come to Strasbourg for, and restaurants are few and far between in the evening. I’d choose the European Quarter for families, for drivers and for a longer holiday, where you want peace and space and don’t mind taking the tram into town.

Places to Stay in the European Quarter and Orangerie

Hôtel Villa La Florangerie - SPA & Piscine - best hotel with a pool and spa by the park

Villa La Florangerie is on Rue Westercamp a few minutes’ walk south of the Parc de l’Orangerie. The hotel has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool in summer and a spa, and access to the wellness area is included in the price. The guest rating is 8.6. The classic double rooms are only around 15 square metres, spa treatments need to be booked in advance, and the garage costs around €40 (about £35) a night.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room, the breakfast, the staff and the pool were all absolutely exceptional!”

See photos and book Hôtel Villa La Florangerie - SPA & Piscine here.

Residence Inn by Marriott Strasbourg - best choice for families, with a kitchenette

Residence Inn by Marriott is on Boulevard de Dresde near the European Parliament, and every room has a kitchenette. The studios are around 22 square metres, there’s a gym, and parking costs around €20 (about £15) a day. The guest rating is 8.8, but some guests mention that the rooms aren’t cleaned often enough.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Big, clean room, really good curtains and built-in air conditioning. I slept like a baby.”

See photos and book Residence Inn by Marriott Strasbourg here.

Hotel de l’Orangerie - my cheapest pick near the park

Hotel de l’Orangerie is on Allée de la Robertsau a few minutes’ walk from the Parc de l’Orangerie, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area. It has three stars and a guest rating of 7.8. The standard rooms are small at around 11.5 square metres, and some guests would like more facilities.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very clean and newly renovated room.”

See photos and book Hotel de l’Orangerie here.

Where should you avoid staying in Strasbourg?

I wouldn’t choose Kehl on the German side of the Rhine, even though the hotels there are sometimes cheaper. The tram crosses the river to the centre of Strasbourg, but the journey takes around 20 minutes each way, and in the evening you’ll have to head back across the border when the restaurants and Christmas markets close.

I’d also avoid the hotels in the business parks on the outskirts of the city and by the airport in Entzheim. They’re handy for an early flight, but you lose all the atmosphere and have to take the train or the car in every day.

Strasbourg is small enough that you can walk to most places, so it rarely makes sense to save a few pounds by staying far out and spending the time on transport instead.

If it’s your first time in Strasbourg or you’re coming for the Christmas market, I’d stay on Grande Île or in Petite France if your budget allows. Krutenau is the best choice for food and bars, Neustadt suits you if you want to sleep in peace close to the centre, and the station area is the most practical if you’re arriving by train or want to keep costs down. Families and drivers get the most space in the European Quarter.

Book early if you’re travelling in December, because the best hotels in the centre sell out quickly. If you’d like to combine Strasbourg with a trip further south in France, I’ve also written about where to stay in Provence, and if you’re carrying on to Switzerland, you can read my guide to where to stay in Switzerland.

The post Where to Stay in Strasbourg? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

That’s why your choice of base matters so much. Avignon and Arles are easy by train, Aix-en-Provence has the most going on, and Saint-Rémy, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Gordes are best if you’ve got a car. Here are my recommendations for six towns, with hotels in several price ranges.

The Best Towns in Provence

• Avignon - best town for first-time visitors and train travellers
• Aix-en-Provence - best town for cafés, markets and nightlife
• Arles - best town for Roman ruins and Van Gogh
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence - best town for couples and food lovers
• L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue - best town for antiques markets and a quiet base
• Gordes - best base for lavender and the hilltop villages of the Luberon

Below, I go through the six towns one by one, from Avignon and Aix-en-Provence to the small towns in the Alpilles and the Luberon, and recommend three hotels in each town in different price ranges.

1. Avignon - best town for first-time visitors and train travellers

• Location: On the River Rhône in the western part of Provence. The Old Town sits inside the old city walls.
• Transport: TGV trains stop at Avignon TGV outside the town, and from there a local train runs to Avignon Centre in around five minutes. Inside the walls, you’ll get around on foot.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around an hour by car.
• Price range: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £85 to £310 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Avignon is generally safe. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds on Place de l’Horloge and during the festival in July, and stick to well-lit streets at night.

Avignon is my first choice if you’re going to Provence for the first time, or if you’re arriving by train. The town was the residence of the popes in the 14th century, and the enormous Palais des Papes still stands in the middle of the Old Town, along with the cathedral and the famous half bridge, Pont Saint-Bénézet. The whole area is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Inside the walls, you’ll find narrow streets, small squares with cafés and lots of restaurants, and almost everything is within walking distance. In the evening, the town gathers on Place de l’Horloge and the little squares around it, where you can sit outside until late.

Avignon is also the most practical base if you want to see a lot without a car. According to SNCF, the train to Arles takes less than 20 minutes, and there are local trains to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and buses to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. If you want to see the lavender fields in the Luberon without driving yourself, lots of guided day trips start here too.

See hotels in Avignon here.

Book a guided day trip to the lavender fields and Sénanque from Avignon here.

If you’re coming from Paris, the fastest TGV trains get you here in just over two and a half hours. If you’d like a few days in the capital first, I’ve written about where to stay in Paris, and if you’re driving down through the Rhône Valley, Lyon is a good stop on the way. Have a look at my guide to where to stay in Lyon.

The downside is that Avignon is expensive and packed in July, when the Festival d’Avignon theatre festival takes over the town and the hotels get booked up well in advance. In summer, it can also get very hot between the stone buildings. I’d choose Avignon for the first nights of your trip or for a short break without a car.

Places to Stay in Avignon

Hotel d’Europe - best luxury hotel close to the Palais des Papes

Hotel d’Europe is a five-star hotel in a 16th-century building on Place Crillon inside the city walls, a few minutes’ walk from the Palais des Papes and Pont Saint-Bénézet. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a garden, and it has a guest rating of 8.6. There’s no pool, and a few guests mention problems with the parking service and rooms that need some maintenance.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful hotel with so much history.”

See photos and book Hotel d’Europe here.

Hôtel Le Colbert - best mid-range hotel for adults only

Le Colbert is on a side street off Cours Jean Jaurès, close to Avignon Centre station and around ten minutes’ walk from Place de l’Horloge. It’s a small adults-only hotel with a terrace and a garden, and it has a guest rating of 8.8. There’s no lift, and several guests mention that the rooms are small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “From the moment I arrived, everything went perfectly with this hotel.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Colbert here.

Hôtel Central - cheapest option on the main street

Hôtel Central is right on Rue de la République, the main street between the station and Place de l’Horloge. It was the cheapest of my three picks in Avignon when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 8.0 from more than 2,000 reviews. Some guests feel a few of the rooms are a bit worn and that the cleaning can be hit and miss.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Clean and tidy place. Fantastic location. Helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Central here.

2. Aix-en-Provence - best town for cafés, markets and nightlife

• Location: In the southern part of Provence, around 30 km north of Marseille.
• Transport: Buses from the bus station run to Marseille and the airport, and Aix-en-Provence TGV station is outside the town. The Old Town is compact and easy to walk around.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around half an hour on the A2 airport bus to the bus station in Aix.
• Price range: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £100 to £335 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Aix is a safe university town. It can get lively around the bars late at weekends, and as in any tourist town, you should watch out for pickpockets at the markets.

Aix-en-Provence is the most elegant of the towns in Provence and my choice if you’d like nightlife, good restaurants and cafés while still having the rest of the region within reach. The main street, Cours Mirabeau, is a wide avenue with plane trees, fountains and cafés, and behind it lies the Old Town with narrow streets and small squares.

The town has a market almost every day with fruit, vegetables, cheese and flowers, and on Saturdays it spreads out across several of the squares. Aix is also Paul Cézanne’s town. He was born here, and you can visit his studio just north of the centre.

Aix is the easiest town to reach from the airport. The A2 bus runs from Marseille Provence Airport via Aix-en-Provence TGV station to the bus station in town around every half hour, and you can check the timetable with La Métropole Mobilité.

See hotels in Aix-en-Provence here.

It’s also not far to Marseille, and if you’d like to combine Provence with a big city and the sea, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Marseille. Lots of people start or end their trip there, because Marseille Provence is the biggest airport in the area.

The downside is that Aix is further from the lavender fields and the hilltop villages of the Luberon than Avignon and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, so you’ll need to allow more time in the car to Gordes and Sénanque. The hotels in the Old Town are also fairly expensive, and many don’t have their own parking.

I’d choose Aix for couples and friends who want a town with life in the evening and are only planning a couple of day trips during their holiday.

Places to Stay in Aix-en-Provence

Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel - best luxury hotel with a pool and spa

The Renaissance is a five-star hotel around ten minutes’ walk from La Rotonde at the western end of Cours Mirabeau. You get both an indoor and an outdoor pool, a spa, a gym and a restaurant, and the hotel has a guest rating of 8.5. Some guests feel the rooms are a little old-fashioned for a five-star hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff and the restaurant were excellent.”

See photos and book Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel here.

Hôtel des Augustins - best mid-range hotel in an old monastery

Hôtel des Augustins is set within the walls of a 12th-century monastery on Rue de la Masse, right by Cours Mirabeau. It’s hard to stay more centrally in Aix, and the hotel has a guest rating of 8.3 from more than 2,000 reviews. There’s no pool, and some guests mention that the rooms are basic and that some face an inner courtyard.

One guest singles out the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were very helpful and friendly.”

See photos and book Hôtel des Augustins here.

Hôtel Le Mozart - cheapest option with parking

Le Mozart is on Cours Gambetta in the eastern part of town, around a quarter of an hour’s walk from Cours Mirabeau. It was the cheapest of my three picks in Aix when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 8.4 and its own parking, which is rare this close to the centre. Several guests mention that some of the rooms are small and a little old-fashioned.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location and the parking were good.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Mozart here.

3. Arles - best town for Roman ruins and Van Gogh

• Location: On the Rhône in the south-western part of Provence, where the river splits and the Camargue begins.
• Transport: The train from Avignon takes around 20 minutes. In town, you can walk everywhere, but for the Camargue and Les Baux you’ll need a car or a tour.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around an hour by car.
• Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £85 to £230 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Arles is a quiet town. A few streets on the outskirts can feel deserted in the evening, so stick to the centre after dark.

Arles is the town in Provence where you’ll get closest to Roman times. In the middle of the Old Town stands the large amphitheatre, the Arènes d’Arles, which is still used for concerts and bullfights, and right next to it is the ancient theatre. Together with the cryptoporticus under the town hall, the Baths of Constantine, the Alyscamps burial ground and Saint-Trophime Cathedral with its cloister, they’re part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Arles is also Van Gogh’s town. He lived here from 1888 to 1889 and painted some of his best-known pictures in and around the town. Just outside the Old Town is the LUMA Arles arts centre with its shimmering tower designed by Frank Gehry, so the town is just as much for you if you’re into modern art.

See hotels in Arles here.

Arles is the gateway to the Camargue, with flamingos, white horses and black bulls in the wetlands that run down to the Mediterranean. If you haven’t got a car, you can take a guided day trip to the Camargue from Avignon, but by car it’s less than an hour to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the coast.

The hotels in Arles are cheaper than in Avignon and Aix, and you get a lot for your money. Many of them are in old town houses close to the amphitheatre, so you can walk to the restaurants on Place du Forum in the evening. In summer, the Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival fills the town with exhibitions, so book early if you’re travelling in July.

The downside is that the town is small and there isn’t much going on in the evening outside the summer. I’d choose Arles for two or three nights if you’re interested in history and art, or as a base for the Camargue and the Alpilles.

Places to Stay in Arles

Jules César Hotel & Spa Arles - MGallery Collection - best luxury hotel in an old convent

Jules César is on Boulevard des Lices in a former Carmelite convent, and it’s the only five-star hotel among my picks in Arles. There’s a heated outdoor pool in season, a spa with a hammam and a restaurant, and the guest rating is 8.1. Some guests feel the decor is a little old-fashioned and that the breakfast selection is limited.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The spa was excellent, and the beds were super comfortable.”

See photos and book Jules César Hotel & Spa Arles - MGallery Collection here.

Hotel Spa Le Calendal - best mid-range hotel with a spa by the amphitheatre

Le Calendal is on Rue Porte de Laure, a few steps from the amphitheatre and the ancient theatre. The hotel has a garden and a spa with a hammam and a hot tub, and it has the highest guest rating of my three picks in Arles at 8.9. There’s no pool, and some guests mention old-fashioned bathrooms and noise when there are events nearby.

One guest praises the service on Booking.com: “The staff were exceptional, and the service was considerably better than at many five-star hotels.”

See photos and book Hotel Spa Le Calendal here.

Le Régence - cheapest option close to the Rhône and the station

Le Régence is a small, simple hotel in the northern part of the centre, close to the Rhône and the station, so it’s an obvious choice if you’re arriving by train. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 8.7. There’s no lift, and some guests feel the bathrooms are cramped.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything. Fantastic location, fantastic staff, fantastic service.”

See photos and book Le Régence here.

4. Saint-Rémy-de-Provence - best town for couples and food lovers

• Location: At the foot of the Alpilles mountains, around 20 km south of Avignon.
• Transport: The town has no railway station, but the ZOU! bus from Avignon takes around 45 minutes. For Les Baux and the small villages, a car is easiest.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around an hour by car.
• Price range: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £120 to £305 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Very safe. The centre gets very busy on market day, so keep an eye on your bag, and watch out for cyclists on the narrow country roads.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a small, well-to-do town with a ring of boulevards around the Old Town, and it’s my pick for couples who want good restaurants, beautiful hotels with pools and the countryside right outside the door. The streets are full of little shops, galleries and cafés under the plane trees.

Van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to Saint-Paul de Mausole just south of the town from May 1889 to May 1890, and according to the Bouches-du-Rhône tourism website, you can visit the cloister and see his room. Right next door are the ruins of the ancient town of Glanum, which you can walk around. The town is also the birthplace of Nostradamus, and the house where he was born is on one of the narrow streets in the Old Town.

On Wednesdays, there’s a big market in the streets with olives, spices, cheese and pottery, and it’s a good day to be in town if you don’t mind the crowds.

See hotels in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence here.

Saint-Rémy is the best base for the Alpilles. The little hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence is just on the other side of the hills, and here you can also see the light show in the old quarries at Carrières des Lumières. Avignon and Arles are around half an hour away by car.

The downside is that Saint-Rémy is expensive, especially in high season, and it’s hard to get around without a car. Many of the best hotels are also a little way outside the centre.

I’d choose Saint-Rémy for a romantic trip or for a longer stay where you want to relax by the pool and take short trips around the area.

Places to Stay in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Le Vallon de Valrugues Hotel Spa & Villas - best luxury hotel with a spa and pools

Vallon de Valrugues is a five-star hotel around a kilometre east of the centre with an indoor and an outdoor pool, a spa, a tennis court and a restaurant. It has a guest rating of 8.7 and suits a special occasion or a few days of pampering. Some guests do feel the rooms are small for a five-star hotel and that the spa could be better.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were fantastic. The hotel is lovely, and it was a treat for my birthday.”

See photos and book Le Vallon de Valrugues Hotel Spa & Villas here.

Le petit hotel - best mid-range hotel with a pool close to the centre

Le petit hotel is on Avenue Fauconnet, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town, and has a garden, a heated pool and a very high guest rating of 9.4. It’s a good choice if you want to be able to walk out for dinner and still have a pool to come back to. A few guests mention that the rooms can be dark and that there’s little space for clothes.

One guest sums up their stay on Booking.com: “The decor, the staff, the quiet and practical location, the pool and the breakfast. Very comfortable.”

See photos and book Le petit hotel here.

Mas des Tourterelles - cheapest option with a pool and free parking

Mas des Tourterelles is a bed & breakfast in a Provençal farmhouse around five to ten minutes’ walk from the centre. It was the cheapest of my three picks in Saint-Rémy when I searched, and you get an outdoor pool, a garden and free parking. The guest rating is 8.3, and some guests mention that in some rooms the bathroom is separate from the bedroom.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “This was everything we’d dreamed of!”

See photos and book Mas des Tourterelles here.

5. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue - best town for antiques markets and a quiet base

• Location: On the River Sorgue around 25 km east of Avignon, between Avignon and the Luberon.
• Transport: The local train from Avignon Centre to L’Isle-Fontaine-de-Vaucluse station takes around 25 minutes, and from there it’s about ten minutes’ walk to the centre.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around an hour and a quarter by car.
• Price range: € to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly £75 to £345 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Safe. On Sunday mornings, the streets are packed with people at the market, so watch out for pickpockets, and keep an eye on children along the canals.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a small town where the River Sorgue splits into canals that run all the way around the Old Town. Old mill wheels turn along the water, and in summer people sit at the cafés by the bridges. It’s one of the most charming towns in Provence to wander around, and it feels more relaxed than Gordes and Saint-Rémy. Because of the canals, it’s often called the Venise Comtadine.

The town is known for its many antiques dealers and brocante shops, and according to the regional tourist board, there’s a market on Thursday and Sunday mornings. The Sunday market is the biggest, so come early if you want to find a parking space and see the stalls before it gets really hot.

See hotels in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue here.

The town is well placed between Avignon and the Luberon. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, where the Sorgue wells up from a spring at the foot of the cliffs, is a few kilometres away, and Gordes is around half an hour by car. In summer, you can hire a kayak at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and paddle down the Sorgue.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is also one of the few small towns in the area that you can reach by train, so it works as a compromise between the towns and the countryside. There are restaurants and supermarkets within walking distance, and in the evening the streets are quiet.

The downside is that there isn’t much going on in the evening, and several of the best places to stay are a little way outside the centre. I’d choose the town for a couple or a family with a car who want a quiet base that’s close to both Avignon and the Luberon.

Places to Stay in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

L’Isle de Leos Hotel & Spa - MGallery Collection - best luxury hotel with pools and a spa

L’Isle de Leos is a five-star hotel a few minutes’ walk from the Notre-Dame-des-Anges church in the middle of town. The hotel has an indoor and an outdoor pool, a spa, a gym, a restaurant and a bar, and it has a guest rating of 9.2. Some guests do find the service in the bar and restaurant hit and miss.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location, beautiful decor and fantastic bar areas.”

See photos and book L’Isle de Leos Hotel & Spa - MGallery Collection here.

Côté Court - best adults-only bed & breakfast

Côté Court is an adults-only bed & breakfast around ten minutes’ walk from the centre, with a garden, a terrace and free parking. It has a guest rating of 9.4, and a continental breakfast is served. There’s no pool, and it isn’t suitable for larger groups.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We had a wonderful stay! The hosts were incredibly kind and caring.”

See photos and book Côté Court here.

Une Chambre en Ville - cheapest option with private parking

Une Chambre en Ville is a small bed & breakfast on Avenue Voltaire Garcin, around 700 metres from the church in the centre. It was the cheapest of my three picks in the town when I searched, and it has a garden, free private parking and a guest rating of 9.3. Some guests feel the rooms are a little small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “What a wonderful stay! The room is fantastic, and we had a lovely time.”

See photos and book Une Chambre en Ville here.

6. Gordes - best base for lavender and the hilltop villages of the Luberon

• Location: On a clifftop in the northern part of the Luberon, around 40 km east of Avignon.
• Transport: You’ll need a car. There are no trains, and public transport is very limited, so most people drive themselves or take a guided day trip.
• Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Around an hour and a quarter by car.
• Price range: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly £150 to £365 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Very safe. The roads up to the village are narrow and winding, and the car parks fill up quickly in summer, so get there early.

Gordes is one of the best-known villages in Provence, and when you see it from the road below, you’ll understand why. The pale stone houses climb up the cliff below the castle, and from the village there are views across the whole of the Luberon. It’s the town I’d choose if the lavender is the main reason for your trip.

The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque lies in a valley just north of Gordes and is surrounded by lavender fields. It was founded in 1148, and monks still live there. According to the Luberon tourism website, the lavender in the Luberon usually flowers from mid-June to mid-July, while the fields at Sénanque are typically in full bloom in early July.

See hotels in Gordes here.

From Gordes, you can drive on to the other hilltop villages in the Luberon, such as Roussillon with its red ochre cliffs and Ménerbes, and it’s not far to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. You can easily fit in three or four villages in a day.

If you want to go inside the abbey itself, check the abbey’s page on Luberon Tourisme first, because the guided visits need to be booked. You can walk around the area by the abbey and the lavender fields without a ticket.

The downside is the price. Gordes is one of the most expensive places in Provence, and there are few hotels in the village itself, so many of them are out in the countryside with pools and views. During the day, the village is full of tourists, but in the evening it gets quiet again. I’d choose Gordes for couples who want views and peace and quiet and have a car.

Places to Stay in Gordes

Hotel Les Bories & Spa - best luxury hotel on the road to Sénanque

Les Bories is a five-star hotel on the road to the Abbaye de Sénanque, around five minutes’ drive from the centre of Gordes. You get an outdoor infinity pool and an indoor pool, a spa, a tennis court and a restaurant, and the guest rating is 9.0. Some guests feel the service in the restaurant could be better and that the furniture is a little old-fashioned.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel in a beautiful area.”

See photos and book Hotel Les Bories & Spa here.

Mas des Romarins, The Originals Relais - best mid-range hotel within walking distance of the village

Mas des Romarins is in a 19th-century building around five minutes’ walk from the centre of Gordes and has a heated outdoor pool with a view and free parking. It has a guest rating of 9.3 and is one of the few places where you can walk to the restaurants in the evening. Several guests mention that the rooms are small and that the food options on site are limited.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely hotel, super helpful staff, good location, new and beautiful room. Highly recommended.”

See photos and book Mas des Romarins, The Originals Relais here.

Le Verger - cheapest option with a saltwater pool in the countryside

Le Verger is a bed & breakfast out in the countryside around five kilometres from Gordes, with an outdoor saltwater pool, a garden and free parking. It was the cheapest of my three picks when I searched, and the guest rating is an impressive 9.5. You’ll need a car, and it isn’t suitable for families with young children.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The place is furnished with great taste and care for the guests.”

See photos and book Le Verger here.

Where should you avoid staying in Provence?

I wouldn’t stay by the TGV stations in Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. They’re outside the towns, and although the hotels there are handy for an early departure, you’ll end up spending a lot of time travelling every day.

Also avoid the chain hotels in the business parks on the outskirts of the towns. They’re often cheaper, but they’re surrounded by big roads and shopping centres, and you lose the atmosphere that’s the reason for going to Provence in the first place.

If you’re after lavender, don’t stay on the coast. Marseille is a great city, but it’s a long way from there to the Luberon and Sénanque, so it’s better to split your stay. And don’t pick a small village if you haven’t got a car, because the buses between the towns are infrequent, and you won’t get to the markets or the restaurants.

If you’re going to Provence for the first time without a car, I’d stay in Avignon and take the train to Arles and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. If you want nightlife and easy access to the airport, Aix-en-Provence is the best choice, while Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Gordes suit couples with a car who want to stay close to the lavender fields and the hilltop villages.

If you’ve got a week, you can split your stay and spend a few nights in Avignon or Aix and the rest in the Luberon. If you’re carrying on along the coast to the Riviera, I’ve written about where to stay in Nice, and if you’re flying home from there, you can read my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre.

The post Where to Stay in Provence? The 6 Best Towns & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Where you stay matters a lot in Marseille, because the atmosphere changes from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and some of the streets around the railway station are less pleasant in the evening. Here are my recommendations for six good areas and hotels in several price ranges.

The Best Areas in Marseille

• Vieux-Port - best area for first-time visitors
• Le Panier - best area for charm and history
• Joliette - best area for museums and easy transport
• Cours Julien and Notre-Dame-du-Mont - best area for food, bars and street art
• Endoume and Vallon des Auffes - best area for sea views and romance
• Prado and the beaches - best area for beaches and families

Below, I’ll take you through the areas one by one, with a map, the key practical information and three hotels from luxury to budget, so you can find the base that suits your trip to Marseille.

1. Vieux-Port - best area for first-time visitors ⚓

• 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying right in the centre. The Vieux-Port is the heart of the city, and the main street, La Canebière, starts at the harbour.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro line M1 stops at Vieux-Port, and the boats to the Château d'If and the Frioul islands leave from the quays.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: The Navette shuttle bus runs to Saint-Charles in around 30 to 50 minutes. From there, it’s two stops on M1 to Vieux-Port.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £370 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: The harbour is full of people until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds and on the metro.

The Vieux-Port is where Marseille began, and it’s still where the city comes together. In the morning, the fishermen sell the day’s catch from small stalls on the Quai des Belges, and in the evening, the cafés along the quays fill up. Under the big mirrored canopy, the Ombrière, you can see yourself and the harbour upside down.

I’d choose the Vieux-Port if it’s your first time in Marseille and you’ve only got a few days. You can walk to Le Panier, MuCEM and the Abbaye Saint-Victor, and the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde sits on the hill right above the harbour. Several companies sell boat trips along the Calanques from the quay, and it’s the easiest way to see the cliffs if you don’t want to hike.

Getting around is easy, too. The Navette shuttle bus from the airport runs to Saint-Charles station, and you can check the departures on the airport’s page about buses. The metro, trams and buses are run by RTM, and you can pay with a contactless bank card directly at the validator.

See hotels around the Vieux-Port here.

If you’re coming by TGV from Paris, the journey to Saint-Charles takes around three hours, and you can buy tickets from SNCF Connect. If you’d like to spend a couple of nights in the capital first, I’ve also written a guide to where to stay in Paris.

The price of the location is noise and crowds. Rooms facing the harbour can be noisy in the evening, so ask for a room facing the courtyard if you’re a light sleeper. Don’t walk up La Canebière towards Belsunce late in the evening either, when you can stick to the harbour and the streets to the south.

The restaurants right on the quay are also more expensive than in the rest of the city, and many of them live off tourists. If you walk a couple of streets back towards Rue Sainte or up into Le Panier, you’ll often get better food for your money.

Places to Stay around the Vieux-Port

Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port - best luxury hotel with views over the harbour entrance

The Sofitel is on Boulevard Charles Livon by the Palais du Pharo, around 500 metres from the Vieux-Port, high above the entrance to the harbour. The hotel has a spa and a restaurant, but no pool, and parking in the garage costs around 32 euros (about £25) a day. Guests especially praise the view, while some mention that the cleaning doesn’t always live up to the price.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view from the hotel is absolutely amazing.”

See photos and book Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port here.

Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port - best classic hotel right on the harbour

The Grand Hotel Beauvau is on Rue Beauvau right by the Vieux-Port, and you can look out over the harbour from several of the rooms. The classic double rooms are small at around 17 m², so choose a higher category if you want more space. A few guests have had unclear information about when the restaurant and room service are open.

One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were incredibly quick to reply and helpful with my questions, even before we arrived.”

See photos and book Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port here.

Hôtel Hermès - cheapest location right by the harbour

Hôtel Hermès is around 35 metres from the Vieux-Port and was the cheapest of the three when I searched. The rooms are very small, with the smallest at just 12 m², but the hotel has a roof terrace with a view over the harbour. Guests mention noise from the rooftop bar, so it suits you best if you’ll mostly be there to sleep.

One guest sums it up briefly on Booking.com: “The location was perfect.”

See photos and book Hôtel Hermès here.

2. Le Panier - best area for charm and history 🏘️

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Le Panier sits on the hill just north of the Vieux-Port, and you can walk down to the harbour in 5 to 10 minutes.
• 🚇 Transport: No metro runs through the neighbourhood itself. The nearest stations are Vieux-Port and Colbert on M1 and Joliette on M2.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Take the Navette shuttle bus to Saint-Charles and the metro on to Vieux-Port or Colbert, then walk the last stretch up the hill.
• 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels cost roughly £110 to £340 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: The neighbourhood is calm and full of visitors during the day. The narrow streets at the top go quiet in the evening, so stick to the well-lit streets.

Le Panier is Marseille’s oldest neighbourhood and sits on the hill where the Greeks founded the city around 2,600 years ago. Today, it’s a maze of narrow streets, steps and small squares with colourful façades, washing hung between the houses and shops selling Marseille soap.

In the middle of the neighbourhood is the Vieille Charité, a former almshouse from the 1600s with a Baroque chapel in the middle of the courtyard. Today, the building houses two museums, and the permanent collections are free. It’s a good place to start before you explore the streets around it.

I’d choose Le Panier if you’d like to stay somewhere with atmosphere and don’t mind hills. You can walk down to the Vieux-Port in a few minutes, and in the other direction, La Major cathedral and MuCEM are right down by the water.

See hotels in Le Panier here.

The downside is the terrain. The streets are steep, there are steps in many places, and cars can’t get all the way to every address. If you’ve got a big suitcase or bad knees, check the hotel’s location on the map before you book, because there’s a big difference between staying at the bottom and the top of the hill.

The neighbourhood is also quieter than many people expect. In the evening, most of the shops close, and the places to eat that stay open are clustered around the small squares. If you want more life, it’s only a short walk down to the harbour, where the cafés stay open late.

During the day, on the other hand, the narrow streets can get crowded when groups on walking tours pass through. If you’re staying here, you can go for a walk early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the neighbourhood is at its quietest.

Places to Stay in Le Panier

InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu - best luxury hotel with a pool and spa

The InterContinental is in the historic Hôtel-Dieu hospital on the edge of Le Panier, around 350 metres from the Vieux-Port. You get an indoor pool, a spa and a view over the harbour that lots of guests highlight. Valet parking costs around 49 euros (about £40) a night, and some guests find the service at breakfast slow.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Spectacular view, breakfast until 10.30 and discreet, friendly and helpful service.”

See photos and book InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu here.

Le Couvent Marseille - best apartments for a longer stay

Le Couvent is an aparthotel on Rue de la Fonderie Vieille at the foot of Le Panier, a few minutes’ walk from the harbour. The apartments have kitchenettes, and the largest are over 50 m², so it works well for families or a longer stay. The guest rating is high, but some guests have had problems with the cleaning and with the apartment they were given.

One guest describes it like this on Booking.com: “Very well located and comfortable.”

See photos and book Le Couvent Marseille here.

Hôtel Ligo by HappyCulture - best design hotel for the price

Hôtel Ligo is on Rue Jean Trinquet on the northern edge of Le Panier, close to Rue de la République and less than a kilometre from the Vieux-Port. The standard rooms are 22 m², and there’s a breakfast buffet. There’s no pool or restaurant, and some guests feel a few of the rooms could do with an update.

One guest singles out the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were so kind and welcoming and always ready to help.”

See photos and book Hôtel Ligo by HappyCulture here.

3. Joliette - best area for museums and easy transport 🏛️

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 15 minutes’ walk from the Vieux-Port along the waterfront.
• 🚊 Transport: Metro line M2 and the trams stop at Joliette, and it’s two stops on the metro to Saint-Charles.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Take the Navette shuttle bus to Saint-Charles and then M2 two stops to Joliette.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€. The three hotels cost roughly £65 to £170 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: The streets along the waterfront are wide and well lit. In the evening, the office streets further inland go quiet.

Joliette is Marseille’s new waterfront. Old warehouses and port terminals have been converted into shops, offices and hotels, and a long promenade runs along the water from La Major cathedral to MuCEM, the museum of European and Mediterranean civilisations.

MuCEM is housed in a dark concrete building at the harbour entrance, and a footbridge links the museum with the Fort Saint-Jean fortress. From here, you can carry on over another bridge up into Le Panier, so you’re close to both the new and the old Marseille.

I’d choose Joliette for a trip where you want a modern hotel at a reasonable price and easy transport. The metro and trams stop in the middle of the area, and the Les Terrasses du Port shopping centre has a large terrace facing the water, where you can watch the ferries come and go.

See hotels in Joliette here.

This is also where the big ferries leave from. If you’re heading on to Corsica, the ferry terminal is at Joliette, and you can read more in my guide to where to stay in Corsica and my list of things to do in Corsica.

The downside is that Joliette lacks the old Marseille atmosphere. Many of the streets are dominated by office buildings, and in the evening there’s far less life than at the Vieux-Port once the shops have closed. In return, you’ll often get a bigger room for your money than down by the harbour.

The area is still being developed, so there may be building work and closed-off sections in some places. Choose a hotel close to the waterfront or on the edge of Le Panier if you want the shortest walk to both the museums and the restaurants. If you stay further north, you’ll rely more on the metro and tram when you head into the Vieux-Port in the evening.

Places to Stay in Joliette

NH Collection Marseille - best hotel between Joliette and Le Panier

NH Collection is on Boulevard des Dames between Joliette and Le Panier and has the highest guest rating of my three picks in the area. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a gym, but no pool. Some guests feel the decor is starting to look worn.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was good, with lots of entertainment nearby and a pleasant, safe walk down to the Vieux-Port.”

See photos and book NH Collection Marseille here.

Novotel Suites Marseille Centre Euromed - best choice for families who want space

Novotel Suites is on Boulevard de Dunkerque, around two minutes’ walk from Joliette metro station. The rooms are suites with kitchenettes and room for extra beds, so it works well for a family. The breakfast room is small and can get busy, and some guests feel the furniture is showing its age.

One guest is delighted on Booking.com: “Everything was perfect. I can highly recommend the hotel and will definitely be back!”

See photos and book Novotel Suites Marseille Centre Euromed here.

B&B HOTEL Marseille Centre La Joliette - the cheapest hotel in the whole guide

The B&B Hotel is on Rue de Forbin, around 150 metres from Joliette metro station, and was the cheapest hotel in the whole guide when I searched. The rooms are simple, and the guest rating is lower than at the others, but it’s based on several thousand reviews. Some guests mention that the cleaning could be better and that they couldn’t leave their luggage before check-in.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A budget hotel that exceeded expectations. The rooms are simple but really clean, and the bed is comfortable.”

See photos and book B&B HOTEL Marseille Centre La Joliette here.

4. Cours Julien and Notre-Dame-du-Mont - best area for food, bars and street art 🎨

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 15 minutes’ walk from the Vieux-Port, up the hill south of La Canebière.
• 🚇 Transport: Metro line M2 stops at Notre-Dame-du-Mont, and Noailles station is at the foot of the steps up to Cours Julien.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Take the Navette shuttle bus to Saint-Charles and then M2 two stops to Notre-Dame-du-Mont.
• 💰 Price range: €€. The three hotels cost roughly £110 to £145 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: The area is lively in the evening. Stick to the bigger streets on your way home, and take the metro rather than walking through Noailles late at night.

Cours Julien is Marseille’s alternative neighbourhood. Almost every wall is covered in graffiti and murals, and the long square with its fountains and trees is lined with bars, small restaurants, record shops and vintage shops.

Right next door is Notre-Dame-du-Mont and the square known as La Plaine, which has a market on set days of the week. This is where the locals eat out, and it’s easy to find food from all over the Mediterranean at lower prices than by the harbour. In the evening, life moves out onto the pavements, and the terraces are packed until late.

I’d stay here on a trip as a couple or with friends, when the evenings are an important part of the plan. You can walk down to the Vieux-Port in a quarter of an hour, and the metro runs directly to both Saint-Charles and Prado.

See hotels near Cours Julien here.

To the north is Noailles, with the city’s most colourful market, where you can buy spices, olives and fresh bread. During the day, it’s one of the liveliest places in Marseille, but in the evening I’d take the metro or avoid the narrow streets.

Cours Julien isn’t for everyone. The graffiti is everywhere, some streets are dirty, and there can be noise from the bars until late at night. There aren’t many hotels, and they’re a little spread out across the surrounding neighbourhoods, so book early if you’re travelling in high season.

The area also sits higher than the harbour, so the walk home is uphill or up steps. It isn’t far, but after a long day in the heat, it’s nice to know that the metro runs from Vieux-Port to Notre-Dame-du-Mont in a few minutes, so you can avoid walking through Noailles.

Places to Stay near Cours Julien

Maison Olea - best guesthouse with personal service

Maison Olea is a small guesthouse on Rue Adolphe Thiers north of Cours Julien, around five to ten minutes’ walk from the square. It has the highest guest rating of all the places in this guide, and the host is praised in lots of reviews. There’s no air conditioning, which you’ll notice in summer, and some guests feel the building looks worn.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Sophie was a fantastic host. So kind and so generous.”

See photos and book Maison Olea here.

Grand Juste - best hotel with a garden and family rooms

Grand Juste is on Rue Auguste Blanqui, just east of Notre-Dame-du-Mont, and has a guest rating of 9.0. The hotel has a garden, a terrace and family rooms, and guests praise the little details. Some mention noise from building work nearby and an unpredictable water temperature in the shower.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel got everything right. I loved the thoughtful details.”

See photos and book Grand Juste here.

Mama Shelter Marseille - best choice if you want a lively hotel

Mama Shelter is on Rue de la Loubière, around seven minutes’ walk from Notre-Dame-du-Mont metro station. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar with a relaxed atmosphere, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area. The bar on the ground floor can be noisy in the evening, and some guests feel the rooms could do with an update.

One guest singles out the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were super friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Mama Shelter Marseille here.

5. Endoume and Vallon des Auffes - best area for sea views and romance 🌅

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 2 to 3 km from the Vieux-Port along the Corniche Kennedy coast road.
• 🚌 Transport: The metro doesn’t come out here. Bus 83 runs from the Vieux-Port along the Corniche Kennedy, past Plage des Catalans and on towards Prado.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Take the Navette shuttle bus to Saint-Charles, the metro to Vieux-Port and a bus or taxi for the last stretch. Allow a little over an hour as a rough guide.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three places cost roughly £80 to £840 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: Endoume is a quiet residential area. Take care on the rocks when you swim, and watch out for traffic on the narrow coast road.

Endoume is the neighbourhood I’d choose if you want to stay by the water and still have the city within reach. It sits on the cliffs south of the harbour, and this is where the Marseillais live in small houses and flats looking out over the Mediterranean.

The neighbourhood’s gem is Vallon des Auffes, a small fishing harbour tucked under a stone bridge on the Corniche Kennedy. The colourful fishing boats are moored close together, and a couple of restaurants serve fish with a view of the harbour. A little further south is Malmousque, where the locals jump into the water from the rocks in summer.

It’s a good choice for a couple who want romance and sunsets. In the evening, people sit on the wall along the Corniche Kennedy and watch the sun go down behind the Frioul islands.

See hotels in Endoume here.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde stands on its hill above the neighbourhood, and you can walk up there via steep streets. Plage des Catalans is the nearest sandy beach and lies where the Corniche Kennedy begins. The tourist office’s page on public transport has an overview of tickets and passes for the bus, metro and tram.

The downside is transport. There’s no metro, the buses can be packed in summer, and the restaurants are few and far between in the evening. If you’ve only got two days in Marseille, I’d stay at the Vieux-Port and take bus 83 out here one afternoon.

The choice of hotels is also small. Many of the places to stay are private apartments and small guesthouses, so read the description carefully before you book, and check whether there’s air conditioning, a lift and parking. It gets hot in summer, and the coast road is busy, especially at weekends, when the whole city heads for the water.

Places to Stay in Endoume and by Vallon des Auffes

Le Petit Nice Passedat - the city’s most exclusive hotel by the water

Le Petit Nice sits right by the water on Rue des Braves off the Corniche Kennedy, and its restaurant has three Michelin stars. The hotel has an outdoor seawater pool and private parking. The price is in a class of its own, and several guests feel the hotel itself doesn’t quite live up to it, so it’s a place for a truly special occasion.

One guest is honest on Booking.com: “Fantastic location and view, but the hotel felt disappointing for the price.”

See photos and book Le Petit Nice Passedat here.

Le Rhul - best sea views from the Corniche Kennedy

Le Rhul is right on the Corniche Kennedy with a view over the Mediterranean and has its own restaurant serving local specialities. Guests love the location close to Malmousque and Vallon des Auffes. There’s no lift, parking is difficult, and rooms facing the road can be noisy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is beautiful and perfectly located by Malmousque.”

See photos and book Le Rhul here.

Domus Sea and City - affordable apartment in a quiet residential area

Domus Sea and City is an apartment with a kitchen and a terrace on Rue Aicard in the eastern part of Endoume, close to Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. It’s around a quarter of an hour’s walk to the nearest beach, and it was the cheapest of the three places when I searched. There’s no air conditioning, and several guests mention that parking is difficult.

One guest describes the apartment on Booking.com: “The apartment was spacious, quiet, cosy and clean.”

See photos and book Domus Sea and City here.

6. Prado and the beaches - best area for beaches and families 🏖️

• 📍 Distance from the centre: The beaches are around 5 km south of the Vieux-Port.
• 🚌 Transport: Buses 19 and 83 run to the Plages du Prado, and metro line M2 stops at Rond-Point du Prado further inland.
• ✈️ Time from Marseille Provence Airport: Take the Navette shuttle bus to Saint-Charles, M2 to Rond-Point du Prado and a bus or taxi from there. If you’ve got a car, it’s easiest to drive straight there.
• 💰 Price range: €€. The three hotels cost roughly £110 to £225 a night when I searched for a weekend in September.
• 👮 Safety: The beaches are popular with families. Don’t leave your phone and wallet on your towel while you swim.

Prado is Marseille’s beach district. A string of wide beaches, together known as the Plages du Prado, runs along the coast, and behind them is the large Parc Borély, with lawns, a lake and a botanical garden. At the roundabout by the beach stands a large copy of Michelangelo’s David.

I’d choose Prado for a family holiday or a summer trip where the beach is the main event. There’s plenty of room to play, and in the afternoon, it’s often windy enough for the kitesurfers to head out on the water.

Inland is the Stade Vélodrome, where Olympique de Marseille play, and a little further south stands Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse apartment block, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. You can even stay in the building itself.

See hotels around Prado here.

Prado is also a good base for the Calanques. If you follow the coast road south past Pointe-Rouge, it ends at the fishing village of Les Goudes, where the national park begins, and in summer, shuttle boats sail from the Vieux-Port to Pointe-Rouge and Les Goudes. Check Parc national des Calanques before you set off, because the trails can close on days with a high fire risk, and on the busiest summer days you’ll need to book a free slot to walk down to Sugiton.

The downside is the distance from the centre. The hotels are spread out, and from several of them it’s quite a way to both the metro and the beach. If you want to see the city and swim, Prado is easiest with a car or on a longer holiday when you’re not in a hurry.

The beaches aren’t the most beautiful in the area either. They’re man-made, and in summer they get crowded, especially at weekends. If you want the turquoise water from the postcards, you’ll need to head out to the Calanques.

Places to Stay around Prado and the Beaches

nhow Marseille - best hotel with a pool and sea views

nhow sits high up on the Corniche Kennedy north of the Plages du Prado with a view over the sea, and it has a seasonal outdoor pool, a spa and a restaurant. It’s around four kilometres to the centre, so you’ll need a bus or taxi. The guest rating is just under 8, and several guests mention a lack of maintenance and a pool that could be cleaner.

One guest praises the breakfast on Booking.com: “The breakfast was probably close to the best we’ve had at a hotel.”

See photos and book nhow Marseille here.

AC Hotel by Marriott Marseille Prado Vélodrome - best mid-range hotel by the Vélodrome

The AC Hotel is around 270 metres from the Stade Vélodrome and has an outdoor pool in the summer season, a restaurant and a gym. It’s a good choice for families and football fans, and the metro stops at Rond-Point du Prado nearby. Parking costs around 25 euros (about £20) a day, and some guests feel the choice of food is limited.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good central location, comfortable rooms and friendly, welcoming staff.”

See photos and book AC Hotel by Marriott Marseille Prado Vélodrome here.

Hotel le Corbusier - best choice for architecture lovers

Hotel le Corbusier is inside the Cité Radieuse on Boulevard Michelet, so you’re staying in the World Heritage building itself. The rooms are small and simple, and there’s free parking. The hotel is around four kilometres from the centre and a couple of kilometres from the beach, and guests mention noise from the busy road and a slight lack of maintenance.

One guest describes the experience on Booking.com: “It’s a bit like staying in a museum. You don’t just walk around and look at a beautiful place created by one of the greatest geniuses of the last century, you can also stay in it.”

See photos and book Hotel le Corbusier here.

Where should you avoid staying in Marseille?

I’d avoid the cheap hotels right around Saint-Charles station and in the Belsunce neighbourhood between the station and La Canebière. It’s practical when you arrive by train or on the Navette shuttle bus, but the streets are run-down, and it isn’t pleasant to walk around there with a suitcase in the evening.

The same goes for the upper part of La Canebière and Noailles late in the evening. They’re fine to visit during the day, but I wouldn’t stay there when there are better alternatives a few minutes away.

The districts north of the centre are a long way from the sights, and there’s no reason to stay there as a tourist. The hotels at the airport are far outside the city and only make sense if you’ve got a very early flight.

If you’re going to Marseille for the first time and only have a few days, I’d stay at the Vieux-Port, or in Le Panier if you’d like more atmosphere and can handle the hills. Joliette gives you modern hotels at lower prices and easy transport, and Cours Julien is the place if food and bars matter most.

If you’d like to be close to the water, the choice is between Endoume, with its views and peace and quiet, and Prado, with beaches and room for the family. Both suit a trip of at least four or five days best, when you’ve got time for a day in the Calanques.

Marseille also makes a great stop on a longer trip through the South of France. The train carries on along the coast towards Nice, and I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Nice and a guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre if you’d like to fly home from there. The lavender fields and hilltop villages of Provence are close by too, so have a look at where to stay in Provence if you’d like to see more of the region. If you’d rather head north or west, you can read about where to stay in Lyon or carry on to Bordeaux.

The post Where to Stay in Marseille? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.