The five hour drive from Lyon to Cannes wasn’t difficult, but maybe a bit expensive. Toll roads are not something I am use to, and a 22 Euro bill for a 100km stretch seems a little outrageous. But, at the same time, with a solid transportation infrastructure, the French people are not nearly as dependent on cars as Americans. By having a toll they are able to maintain high quality roads and push the cost of such a luxury to those who use it rather than forcing the burden on the entire nation (the entire nation does NOT use the highway system in France).

My first impression of Cannes was that it was use to people with money. Apparently, Tiger Woods parks his yacht not far from where our hotel was located. The city was a little rich for my blood though. We stayed at a nice hotel only a block away from the shoreline. Cannes has a beautiful pathway along the ocean that is inundated with “private beaches” offering space to sit for a mere 10 Euro (15USD), towels for 4 (6USD) and club sandwiches for only 15 Euro (22USD). What a deal!

To be honest we didn’t spend much time in Cannes. Instead we took day trips out to Monaco (Monte Carlo), St. Paul (a medieval walled city on a hill), and Nice. I actually enjoyed all three locations. Monaco was pretty impressive. Ferraris everywhere… and the obligatory tourists leaning against them having photos snapped. We walked part of the path where the Grand Prix takes place, saw yachts bigger than houses, and even gambled a little (I won 6 euro, lol). Essentially, it was an opportunity to see what large amounts of cash can buy you.

In comparison to ritzy cities like Cannes and Monte Carlo Nice doesn’t really offer that first “WOW” impression. However, I saw Nice as a more typical city with real residents and not just a vacation city with inflated prices. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable this day so we didn’t explore nearly as much as we’d hoped. But, there is a nice market in the old city and some really good seafood restaurants. The beach, to the surprise of some people, is not sand but small stones and it stretches on for a good while with a path for jogging and biking that is even nicer than Cannes. Given the small amount of time we spent here compared to its rather large size it would be unfair to give a definitive opinion about Nice, but I think it has great potential as a city where you could spend a longer amount of time and use as a home base to explore the surrounding area.