
French Riviera Boat Rental Made Easy with SamBoat
Are you thinking of renting a boat on the French Riviera? A friend who specializes in small group tours once told us the best way to see a country’s coastline is on a boat. They were right! The viewpoint from the water provides an often unexpected and relaxing perspective. Since …
Are you thinking of renting a boat on the French Riviera? A friend who specializes in small group tours once told us the best way to see a country’s coastline is on a boat. They were right! The viewpoint from the water provides an often unexpected and relaxing perspective. Since …

My Fête de la Transhumance Experience in Provence’s Tinée Valley
A Sea of Sheep I pressed my back tight against the stone facade of the ancient house on the narrow street where I stood. Around me were dozens of other people doing the same. How, I wondered, was that huge mass of sheep barreling toward us going to fit through? …
A Sea of Sheep I pressed my back tight against the stone facade of the ancient house on the narrow street where I stood. Around me were dozens of other people doing the same. How, I wondered, was that huge mass of sheep barreling toward us going to fit through? …

Mercantour National Park a Multi-day Hiking Adventure
When most people think of the Côte d’Azur, they visualize elegant, glittering cities like Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez or Antibes. Grand hotels and opulent beaches. Extravagant villas, splendid boulevards and stylish promenades. Of course, all of this is true but what many people who never venture very far from the …
When most people think of the Côte d’Azur, they visualize elegant, glittering cities like Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez or Antibes. Grand hotels and opulent beaches. Extravagant villas, splendid boulevards and stylish promenades. Of course, all of this is true but what many people who never venture very far from the …

Visiting the Alpes-Maritimes Highlights Seaside to Summits
At first blush, many visitors may not realize that the Alpes-Maritimes department expands from the beaches of the French Riviera to the ski resorts of the southern Alps to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes has densely populated urban areas, famous Côte d’Azur cities, …
At first blush, many visitors may not realize that the Alpes-Maritimes department expands from the beaches of the French Riviera to the ski resorts of the southern Alps to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes has densely populated urban areas, famous Côte d’Azur cities, …

Southern French Alps 5 Must-See Natural Sites
What’s not to like about a beach and a lounge chair facing the Mediterranean? For some, the weather is too hot and cultural venues may not suit the whole family. Or, perhaps you are just looking for a getaway from the summer crowds on the French Riviera. Head to the …
What’s not to like about a beach and a lounge chair facing the Mediterranean? For some, the weather is too hot and cultural venues may not suit the whole family. Or, perhaps you are just looking for a getaway from the summer crowds on the French Riviera. Head to the …

The Circuit des Crèches Lucéram Holiday Tradition
Nestled in the Alpes-Maritimes above the Cote d’ Azur is the medieval village of Lucéram. One day before Christmas, my friend decided to take me on a tour of the “Circuit des Crèches.” We drove high up the winding roads to the alpine region above the sea. Circuit des Creches …
Nestled in the Alpes-Maritimes above the Cote d’ Azur is the medieval village of Lucéram. One day before Christmas, my friend decided to take me on a tour of the “Circuit des Crèches.” We drove high up the winding roads to the alpine region above the sea. Circuit des Creches …

Is Col de la Bonette the Highest Road In Europe?
In the easternmost part of Provence, near the border with Italy, lies the wild and rugged Mercantour National Park. It is famous for its natural beauty, its Bronze Age stone carvings and its growing population of grey wolves. It is also home to the Route de la Bonette, a road …
In the easternmost part of Provence, near the border with Italy, lies the wild and rugged Mercantour National Park. It is famous for its natural beauty, its Bronze Age stone carvings and its growing population of grey wolves. It is also home to the Route de la Bonette, a road …

Sainte-Agnès: A Hidden Treasure in the Alpes-Maritimes, France
Sainte-Agnès, France is a perched medieval village, 10 kilometers inland from Menton, in the southeastern corner of the Cote d’Azur. This rocky outcrop gracefully dangles at an altitude of 800 meters above the sea. Since 1997, this medieval village has been classified as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de …
Sainte-Agnès, France is a perched medieval village, 10 kilometers inland from Menton, in the southeastern corner of the Cote d’Azur. This rocky outcrop gracefully dangles at an altitude of 800 meters above the sea. Since 1997, this medieval village has been classified as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de …

Weekend Wanderlust on the Riviera
Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Wanderlust (noun): A strong desire or impulse to travel. I spend so much time writing about the French Riviera that I neglect to share other great travel journeys I’ve experienced. Such as sharing a barbecue lunch on a tropical atoll in Aitutaki, trekking through …
Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Wanderlust (noun): A strong desire or impulse to travel. I spend so much time writing about the French Riviera that I neglect to share other great travel journeys I’ve experienced. Such as sharing a barbecue lunch on a tropical atoll in Aitutaki, trekking through …

Wolves in the South of France
Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Wolves used to be endemic to France but persecution and human encroachment on their habitat drastically reduced their numbers and by 1940 they were declared extinct in France. However in 1992 a pair of grey wolves was discovered in the Mercantour National Park in …
Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Wolves used to be endemic to France but persecution and human encroachment on their habitat drastically reduced their numbers and by 1940 they were declared extinct in France. However in 1992 a pair of grey wolves was discovered in the Mercantour National Park in …