French Riviera corniches

Route description

Antibes has old ramparts on the sea, a harbour full of yachts and a Picasso museum in the Château Grimaldi. Inland, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a walled hill village of galleries, with the Fondation Maeght nearby; it is small and busy, so park below the village.

Nice is next, with the Promenade des Anglais, the old town and the views from Castle Hill. From Nice three corniche roads run east to Menton at different heights: the lower corniche along the sea, the middle corniche (M6007) and the grand corniche high above.

The middle corniche passes Èze, a medieval village clinging to a rock 400 m above the sea, with a cactus garden at the top. Beyond Monaco, the road reaches Menton, a warm town known for lemons and gardens, right next to the Italian border.

Traffic and parking are the main challenges on the Riviera, and many towns restrict motorhome parking, so use campsites or aires inland and travel by train or bus along the coast. Spring and autumn are more relaxed than July and August.