Practicalities
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Antibes

Antibes's gare SNCF lies to the north of the old town at the top of avenue Robert-Soleau. Turn right out of the station and three minutes' walk along avenue R.-Soleau will bring you to place de Gaulle. The tourist office is on this square, at no. 11 (July & Aug daily 9am–7pm; Sept–June Mon–Fri 9am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm, Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 04.92.90.53.00, www.antibes-juanlespins.com). The gare routière is off the adjoining place Guynemer (tel 04.93.34.37.60), with frequent buses to and from the gare SNCF (Mon–Sat); otherwise it's a five-minute walk from the train station. Bus #2A goes to Cap d'Antibes; bus #1A and #3A to Juan-les-Pins, #10A to Biot. Bikes can be rented from three outlets on boulevard Wilson, at nos. 43, 93 and 122. Rue de la République leads into the heart of Vieux Antibes around place Nationale, from where rue Sade leads to cours Masséna, beyond which lie the cathedral, the castle and the sea. For Internet access, head to Xtreme Café, at 6 rue Aubernon (Tues–Sat 3–11pm, Sun 10am–9pm), or 8 bd d'Aguillon (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 10am–2pm).

The most economical hotel in Antibes, Le Nouvel Hôtel, 1 av du 24-Août (tel 04.93.34.44.07, fax 04.93.34.44.08; €40–55) is a stone's throw from the gare routière. For greater comfort, try the Mas Djoliba, 29 av de Provence (tel 04.93.34.02.48, www.hotel-djoliba.com; €70–85), between the old town and the beach, or Le Ponteil, 11 impasse Jean-Mensier (tel 04.93.34.67.92, fax 04.93.34.49.47; €100–125; half-board obligatory), in a quiet location at the end of a cul-de-sac close to the sea.

There's a hostel on Cap d'Antibes, the Relais International de la Jeunesse on boulevard de la Garoupe (tel 04.93.61.34.40, fax 04.93.42.72.57; closed Oct–May; buses #1 & #2 stop right outside), which needs booking well in advance. All of Antibes' campsites are three to five kilometres north of the city in the quartier of La Brague (bus #10A or one train stop to Gare de Biot). The three-star Logis de La Brague (tel 04.93.33.54.72; closed Oct–April) is closest to the station, while the two-star Idéal-Camping (tel 04.93.74.27.07; closed Nov–Feb) is south of the station; both are on the route de Nice and close to the sea.

Place Nationale and cours Masséna are lined with cafés; rue James Close is nothing but restaurants and rue Thuret and its side streets also offer numerous menus to browse. For pizzas, there's Don Juan, 17 rue Thuret, and La Famiglia, a cheap family-run outfit at 34 av Thiers (closed Wed). Le Romantic, 5 rue Rostan (tel 04.93.34.59.39; closed Wed lunch & Tues), lives up to its name and offers lunch menus from €20, although in the evening the terroir-dominated carte will take the bill over €33. A better bet for dinner is the Aubergine, 7 rue Sade (tel 04.93.34.55.93; evenings only & Sun lunch, closed Wed), with a menu at €25. Chez Juliette, 18 rue Sade, serves regional specialities downstairs in the cave, which helps diners beat the midday heat (tel 04.93.34.67.37; lunch menu €13).

Juan-les-Pins has one of the star restaurants of the Côte, La Terrasse, on avenue Gallice (tel 04.93.61.20.37; closed Mon–Wed; lunch menu €50, otherwise €84 minimum), with original 1930s decor, exquisite fish and seafood dishes and mouth-melting desserts. At the other end of the scale you can get brasserie food, crêpes, pizzas and similar snacks from street stalls till the early hours, and many shops and bars also keep going in summer till 3am or 4am. Juan-les-Pins is also one of the liveliest places along the coast for nightlife, with a whole host of nightclubs and bars for you to spend any surplus euros. Entrance is typically €15 with a "complimentary" drink. You might like to try Le Village/Voom Voom at 1 bd de la Pinède, which attracts a young crowd and goes on till dawn; or Le Pam-Pam, 137 bd Président Wilson, with frequent live Brazilian bands.

Finally, if you've run out of reading material, Heidi's English Bookshop at 24 rue Aubernon in Antibes (daily 10am–7pm) is the cheapest English bookshop on the coast.