Nice, Cannes or Antibes? Where to Stay on the French Riviera

• Nice is the strongest choice for a first visit combining restaurants, cultural sights and day trips along the eastern Riviera.

• Cannes suits travelers planning sandy beach days, shopping on the Croisette and time on the water around the Lérins Islands.

• Antibes combines a historic old town with sandy beaches, while neighboring Juan-les-Pins offers a more traditional seaside resort setting.

• Luxury stays include Le Negresco in Nice, Carlton Cannes on the Croisette and Hôtel Belles Rives on the waterfront in Juan-les-Pins.

• All three have railway stations. Your hotel’s location matters as much as the town when planning a holiday without a car.

Choosing where to stay on the French Riviera starts with how you want to spend your days. Nice offers markets, museums and a substantial city to explore between swims. Cannes puts grand hotels and sandy beaches along the same waterfront. Antibes brings together ramparts, a Provençal market and a coastline that changes from small beaches to the rocky shores of Cap d’Antibes.

The railway makes it possible to visit all three from one base, so there is little reason to change hotels simply to see each town. Choose somewhere you will enjoy returning to for dinner, then build your excursions around it. For a first trip with frequent sightseeing, Nice has the clearest advantage. For a week shaped by swimming and leisurely meals, Antibes and Cannes deserve closer consideration.

Nice is the best base of these three for travelers who want variety. Begin in Vieux Nice, where narrow streets lead between shops, restaurants and the market stalls of Cours Saleya. Continue toward Castle Hill for views across the rooftops and the Baie des Anges, then return to the Promenade des Anglais for a waterfront walk.

Food gives the city a distinct identity. Try socca, the chickpea pancake associated with Nice, and look for restaurants carrying the Cuisine Nissarde label, which recognizes traditional local cooking. A morning spent exploring the old town can easily become the centerpiece of the day.

Nice also works particularly well without a car. Tram line 2 connects the airport terminals with the city center and port, while coastal trains serve destinations including Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton. For Èze, remember that the railway station is beside the sea; reaching the hilltop village requires an onward journey.

The main consideration is the beach. Nice’s central shoreline is predominantly pebbly, so travelers imagining long afternoons stretched out on sand may prefer Cannes or Antibes. Nice makes more sense when swimming shares the itinerary with sightseeing, shopping and evenings in different neighborhoods.

Hotel Le Negresco has occupied its Promenade des Anglais address since 1913. Its art collection, period furnishings and individually decorated accommodation make the hotel part of the cultural experience. Choose a room with a sea view if looking over the Mediterranean is a priority. The location suits travelers who want a landmark hotel on the waterfront while keeping central Nice within reach on foot.

For an introduction to the city’s flavors, we recommend doing a Food & Wine Lovers Tour of Nice combines a guided walk with regional food and wine. The tour gives you an inside scoop on Nice’s food scene and includes samples of wine, olive oils, cheese, pastries, chocolate and more.

Cannes is the strongest choice for travelers who want their hotel and beach days to anchor the trip. The Croisette brings together waterfront promenading, luxury boutiques and some of the Riviera’s most recognizable hotels. Its sandy beaches make it easy to alternate between swimming, lunch and an afternoon back at your room.

There is plenty to explore beyond the seafront. Walk through Le Suquet, the historic hillside quarter, for narrow streets and views over the town and bay. Rue d’Antibes offers another concentration of shops, while the Lérins Islands provide a reason to leave the mainland for a day. Sainte-Marguerite has woodland paths and Fort Royal; Saint-Honorat is associated with its monastery.

Cannes has both public beaches and private beach establishments, so a stay here need not involve reserving a lounger every morning. The Midi beaches offer another option west of the old port. Choose a central address if you want to combine beach time with restaurants, shopping and access to the railway station.

Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel stands on Boulevard de la Croisette, with its beach club across the waterfront road. An interior garden and infinity pool add another setting for an afternoon outdoors. Book here when you want the hotel to play a substantial part in the holiday, and be sure to book an ocean view room.

For time on the water, book a private boat tour of the Lérins Islands and the Bay of Cannes, enjoy four hours exploring the off the coast of Cannes. Swim, snorkel or try paddleboarding, then enjoy drinks and snacks aboard.

Cannes hosts the Cannes Film Festival in May, the Cannes Lions advertising and creative communications festival in June, and the MIPIM international property conference in March. These events bring extra energy to town and increased demand for hotel rooms. Plan around them if you enjoy a lively atmosphere, or choose other dates for a quieter stay.

Antibes suits travelers who want a historic town to explore between beach visits. Start around the Provençal market, continue along the ramparts and leave time for the Picasso Museum in Château Grimaldi, where Picasso worked in 1946. The appeal lies in having several rewarding outings close together, with cafés and restaurants along the way.

For swimming, La Gravette is a sheltered sandy beach beside the old town. Ponteil and Salis offer further sandy stretches toward Cap d’Antibes. Juan-les-Pins, part of the same municipality, has its own resort center and beaches. Decide which setting you prefer before choosing accommodation; staying beside the old town creates a different holiday from staying on the Juan-les-Pins waterfront.

Hôtel Belles Rives is a five-star Art Deco hotel in Juan-les-Pins with connections to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Its waterfront terrace, private beach and Fitzgerald Bar suit a stay organized around the sea. Choose it for leisurely hotel days, allowing separate time to visit old Antibes.

Take a private two-hour walking tour of Antibes to discover landmarks such as Château Grimaldi and Port Vauban, with a local guide adapting the walk to your group’s pace and interests. Book it near the beginning of your stay for stories about the town’s history and recommendations to help you explore independently.

Choose Nice if you want to spend your days exploring museums, eating in the old town and taking trains to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco or Menton. Choose Cannes if your ideal stay revolves around a grand hotel on the Croisette, sandy beaches, designer shopping and a boat trip to the Lérins Islands. Choose Antibes if you prefer mornings at the Provençal market, walks along the ramparts and afternoons swimming at La Gravette or Salis. You can visit all three without changing hotels, so let the evenings decide: dinner in Nice’s old town, drinks along the Croisette or a stroll beside Antibes’s ramparts before heading back to your room.