The bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur
TheMediterranean.com The Luxury Gateway
DestinationsStayResortsSailCruisesFlyTrainsLiveLuxury Real EstateShopDineExperiencePlan a Trip

Home›Mediterranean destinations›France

France

From the palace hotels of Cap d'Antibes and Cap Ferrat to the beach clubs of Saint-Tropez, the lavender of Provence and the great tables of Paris: France at its finest on the Mediterranean, chosen by one rule: first class or not at all.

Villefranche-sur-Mer, the Côte d'AzurPhotograph: Valentina Rossoni

La culture

The Riviera, Provence and Paris

The Côte d'Azur became the world's idea of the Riviera in the late nineteenth century, when Queen Victoria and Europe's aristocracy wintered there, and again in the 1920s, when artists and writers made it a summer place. Matisse, Picasso, Chagall and Renoir all lived and worked along this coast, and their museums and chapels are still here.

Inland, Provence keeps its Roman theatres and arenas at Orange and Arles, the papal palace at Avignon, hill villages such as Gordes, and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau in early summer. Paris, the capital, holds the Louvre, the couture houses and more palace hotels than any other city in France.

French cooking is the model the world's great kitchens learned from. This guide brings together only the first class: the palace hotels, every three-star table on our list, the harbours of Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Tropez, and the great events of the Riviera year.

A few words of French
EnglishFrenchSay it
HelloBonjourbohn-ZHOOR
PleaseS'il vous plaîtseel voo PLAY
Thank youMercimair-SEE
Good eveningBonsoirbohn-SWAHR
The bill, pleaseL'addition, s'il vous plaîtlah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLAY
Rows of lavender in flower on the Valensole plateau in Provence, with mountains beyond
Lavender on the Valensole plateau, Provence

Where to go

The best places to visit in France

Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Cap Ferrat and Corsica: the best time to visit, the one best hotel, restaurant and beach club, and how to arrive by private jet, helicopter or yacht.

Saint-Tropez

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: the yachts, beach clubs and villas are all in full swing, without the August crush, and September brings Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Most of the town's hotels and beach clubs close from late autumn to spring.

  • Stay
    Cheval Blanc St-Tropezone of the 25 Finest Resorts

    LVMH's small hotel on the Baie des Canoubiers has its own sandy beach and is home to La Vague d'Or, one of only a handful of MICHELIN three-stars on the coast.

  • Dine
    La Vague d'Or

    Arnaud Donckele's restaurant holds three MICHELIN stars.

  • Beach
    Le Club 55

    The founding name of Pampelonne beach life, run by the de Colmont family since 1955 and still the reference lunch for yachts anchored offshore.

Arrive privately
By private jet
Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE / LFMN), about 1 hour 30 minutes or more by car, which is why most arrivals continue by helicopter. La Môle-Saint-Tropez (LTT / LFTZ), about 20 minutes away, has a short 1,071-metre runway that takes smaller aircraft only, and Toulon-Hyères (TLN / LFTH), about 1 hour away, takes larger jets. Sky Valet, the private aviation arm of the Côte d'Azur airports group, runs the private terminal at La Môle.
By helicopter
The usual way in from Nice, about 20 minutes. The flights are operated by Héli Sécurité and Monacair and booked through BLADE, which has sold their seats and private flights since 2022 and has been part of Joby Aviation since 2025.
By sea
Port de Saint-Tropez, about 730 berths, with superyachts moored stern-to along the village quays; on the waterfront of the village itself.
Good to know
La Môle is weather-sensitive and requires a specific pilot qualification, so a fallback to Toulon-Hyères or Nice is worth planning.

The full Saint-Tropez guide ›

Cannes and Antibes

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: warm sea, open beach clubs and the big yacht shows of September, without the peak of July and August. May is glamorous but book far ahead: the Film Festival fills every suite on the coast.

  • Stay
    Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Rocone of the 25 Finest Resorts

    The grande dame of the Riviera, on Cap d'Antibes since 1870, with its seawater pool cut into the rocks; it fills with film stars during the Cannes Film Festival.

  • Dine
    La Villa Archange

    Bruno Oger's restaurant in an 18th-century Provençal house in Le Cannet, ten minutes above the Croisette, holds two MICHELIN stars, the only two-star serving Cannes and Antibes.

  • Beach
    La Guérite

    A private beach and restaurant on Île Sainte-Marguerite off Cannes, reached only by boat and a regular lunch stop for superyachts.

Arrive privately
By private jet
Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE / LFMN), about 25 minutes by car to Antibes and about 35 to 45 minutes to Cannes. Cannes-Mandelieu (CEQ / LFMD), 5 km from Cannes and about 15 minutes by car, is devoted to business aviation and suits light and mid-size jets. Sky Valet runs the private terminal at Cannes-Mandelieu.
By helicopter
A regular option from Nice to Cannes, about 10 minutes, operated by Héli Sécurité and Monacair and booked through BLADE.
By sea
Port Vauban, Antibes, where the International Yacht Club d'Antibes (IYCA) has 19 berths for yachts of 50 to 165 metres; in the old town of Antibes, about 25 minutes by car to Cannes.

The full Cannes guide ›

Nice and Cap Ferrat

Best time to visitLate May to June and September are ideal: the sea is warm, the days are long and the coast is calmer than in July and August. October still has a 19°C (67°F) sea, but brings more rain.

  • Stay
    Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotelone of the 25 Finest Resorts

    A Belle Époque palace in six hectares of gardens at the tip of the Riviera's most exclusive peninsula, with a funicular down to its Club Dauphin seawater pool.

  • Dine
    La Chèvre d'Or

    In the perched village of Èze, minutes from both Nice and Cap Ferrat, chef Tom Meyer holds two MICHELIN stars.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE / LFMN), about 20 minutes by car to central Nice and about 30 minutes to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Sky Valet and DC Aviation G-OPS run private aviation terminals (FBOs) at the airport.
By helicopter
Not needed for the short drive; Nice airport is the Riviera's helicopter hub, with flights on to Monaco, Cannes and Saint-Tropez operated by Héli Sécurité and Monacair and booked through BLADE.
By sea
Port de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, for yachts up to 50 metres; in the village itself, and about 30 minutes by car to central Nice.

The full Nice guide ›

Corsica

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: a warm sea, the hotels and beach restaurants open, and the coves and harbours far calmer than in July and August. Most of the island's best hotels close from late October to April.

  • Stay
    Domaine du Mouflon d'Or (two MICHELIN Keys)

    An estate in the Alta Rocca hills above the gulf of Porto-Vecchio, Corsica's highest-rated hotel.

  • Dine
    Casadelmar

    On the gulf of Porto-Vecchio, Corsica's only two-MICHELIN-star restaurant, a two-star since 2009.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Figari Sud-Corse (FSC / LFKF), with a 2,480-metre runway, is the airport for Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, each about 25 to 30 minutes by car. Calvi Sainte-Catherine (CLY / LFKC) is about 10 to 15 minutes by car from Calvi. Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte (AJA / LFKJ), about 5 km from Ajaccio harbour, serves the west coast, and Bastia Poretta (BIA / LFKB) the north-east.
By helicopter
No regular transfer service; private helicopter charters can be arranged from all four airports.
By sea
No superyacht marina here yet meets our standard. The harbours of Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and Calvi each lie at the foot of their old towns.

The full Corsica guide ›

Beyond the coast

Provence and the hill country

The Luberon

The hill country of Provence, with the perched villages of Gordes, Roussillon and Bonnieux, lavender fields and cherry orchards. The Luberon is protected as a regional natural park and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Best time to visitMay to July (the lavender flowers from mid-June into July), and September to October.

The Alpilles and Les Baux-de-Provence

A small limestone range between Avignon and Arles, with olive groves, vineyards and the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh painted some of his best-known canvases. Les Baux, a ruined citadel on a rock spur, is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October.

  • Stay
    Baumanière

    A family-run house at the foot of Les Baux since 1945, with two restaurants holding MICHELIN stars and three MICHELIN Keys.

Aix-en-Provence

The old capital of Provence, a city of fountains, plane-shaded squares and 17th- and 18th-century mansions. Paul Cézanne was born here and painted the nearby Montagne Sainte-Victoire many times, and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence brings opera to the city each July.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October; July for the festival.

  • Stay
    Villa La Coste

    A villa hotel within the Château La Coste wine and art estate just north of the city, with three MICHELIN Keys.

Avignon

The walled city where the popes lived in the 14th century, dominated by the Palais des Papes. The historic centre, with the Papal Palace, the Episcopal Ensemble and the Pont d'Avignon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1995), and the Festival d'Avignon fills the city with theatre each July.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October; July for the festival.

  • Stay
    La Mirande

    A historic mansion at the foot of the Palais des Papes, holding two MICHELIN Keys.

Gorges du Verdon

One of Europe's great canyons, cut by the turquoise Verdon river, with cliffs up to 700 metres high and the Lac de Sainte-Croix at its western end. It lies within the Verdon regional natural park, beside the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.

Best time to visitMay to June, and September; July and August are crowded.

  • Stay
    No hotel here yet meets our standard; visit as a day trip from Aix-en-Provence.
The ochre and pink old town of Menton below the bell tower of Saint-Michel, palms along the harbour
The old town of Menton

Stay

Luxury hotels and resorts in France

Seven of the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean are on the French Riviera; the hotels below, the finest Paris palaces among them, each hold Forbes Five-Star, two or three MICHELIN Keys, or France's Palace distinction.

Saint-Tropez

Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

LVMH's Riviera hotel stands in a pine garden on the Baie des Canoubiers, minutes from the old port yet far from its crowds, with its own sandy beach below.

Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Saint-Tropez

Château de la Messardière

Built in the 19th century as a cavalry officer's wedding gift to his bride, this château rises from a 13-hectare park of umbrella pines above Pampelonne Bay.

Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
near Saint-Tropez

La Réserve Ramatuelle

Michel Reybier's hideaway sits in its own estate of Provençal scrubland above one of the Riviera's most beautiful bays. It is a short drive from Saint-Tropez yet entirely private.

Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel

This Belle Époque palace stands in six hectares of gardens at the tip of Cap Ferrat, the Riviera's most exclusive peninsula, and has welcomed guests for more than a century.

Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Èze

Château de la Chèvre d'Or

Since 1953 the Chèvre d'Or has occupied a cluster of stone houses at the top of Èze, a medieval village on a limestone peak between Nice and Monaco, with the Mediterranean far below.

Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

See all 27

Private villas and estates

  • Le CollectionistParis (Mediterranean coverage)

    Founded in 2014 and B Corp certified, it grades its homes into three collections; we point to the top two, Signature and Iconic, its most exceptional houses, each backed by concierge support from local offices. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • John TaylorCannes

    Founded in Cannes in 1864 by a young British gardener who had settled on the Riviera, the house rents luxury seasonal villas from its own Riviera offices, among them Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Nice and Monaco. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

A tasting menu laid out on a stone table: small plates, flowers and a glass
A tasting menu

Dine

The best restaurants in France

France's three-MICHELIN-star restaurants on our list, in the south and in Paris, the finest two-stars, and the most celebrated beach clubs.

Three MICHELIN stars

See all 17
  • Kei✦✦✦Paris

    Kei Kobayashi's French cooking near the Louvre, in the 1st arrondissement.

  • Plénitude✦✦✦Cheval Blanc Paris

    Arnaud Donckele, also of La Vague d'Or, in the Samaritaine building above the Seine.

  • Arpège✦✦✦Paris

    Alain Passard's vegetable-led cooking, from his own kitchen gardens, in the 7th arrondissement.

  • Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen✦✦✦Paris

    Yannick Alléno, in the historic pavilion in the gardens of the Champs-Élysées.

  • Le Cinq✦✦✦Four Seasons Hotel George V

    Christian Le Squer, in the palace hotel off the Champs-Élysées.

  • Épicure✦✦✦Le Bristol

    The palace hotel's restaurant on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, opening onto its French garden.

  • Le Gabriel✦✦✦La Réserve Paris

    Jérôme Banctel, in the hotel near the Champs-Élysées.

  • Pierre Gagnaire✦✦✦Paris

    Pierre Gagnaire's flagship in the 8th arrondissement.

  • Le Pré Catelan✦✦✦Paris

    Frédéric Anton, in a pavilion in the Bois de Boulogne.

Two MICHELIN stars

  • La Voile✦✦Ramatuelle

    At La Réserve Ramatuelle, one of the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • La Chèvre d'Or✦✦Èze

    The restaurant of the Château de la Chèvre d'Or, one of the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean, in the medieval village high above the sea. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • La Villa Archange✦✦Le Cannet (Cannes)

    Bruno Oger's restaurant in an 18th-century Provençal house in Le Cannet, ten minutes above the Croisette, and the only two-star serving Cannes and Antibes.

  • Casadelmar✦✦Porto-Vecchio

    Corsica's only two-star, on the gulf. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Beach clubs

  • Le Club 55Ramatuelle (Pampelonne)

    The founding name of Saint-Tropez beach life, run by the de Colmont family since 1955 and supplied by its own organic estate. It remains the reference lunch for yachts anchored off Pampelonne. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • LoulouRamatuelle (Pampelonne)

    A beach restaurant in a 1950s Riviera style serving southern French, Italian and Sicilian dishes, open daily in season. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • BagatelleRamatuelle (Pampelonne)

    The Saint-Tropez house of the Bagatelle group, known for its festive lunch on the sand, with a lounge and garden. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • La Réserve à la PlageRamatuelle (Pampelonne)

    The beach restaurant of La Réserve Ramatuelle, designed by Philippe Starck, with cooking by Eric Canino of the hotel's MICHELIN-starred La Voile. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • La GuériteÎle Sainte-Marguerite (Cannes)

    A Mediterranean restaurant and private beach on an island off Cannes, reached only by boat and a regular lunch stop for superyachts. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

  • Chefs TalentsFrance and abroad

    A private-chef agency that sends chefs to cook at clients' homes, villas and yachts, with destination pages for the Riviera, the Balearics and the Greek islands. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Potel et ChabotParis and the French Riviera

    Founded in Paris in 1820 and a member of the Comité Colbert, the association of French luxury houses, Potel et Chabot is France's oldest major event caterer. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Cooking schools

The pastel houses of La Ponche in Saint-Tropez, with blue and green shutters, along the edge of the sea
La Ponche, Saint-Tropez

Sail

Yacht charter in France

The superyacht harbours of Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Tropez, the brokers and crew agencies of Antibes, and a seven-day route from Monaco to Saint-Tropez.

Superyacht marinas

  • Port VaubanAntibes

    Europe's largest marina by water area, taking yachts up to 165 metres; its International Yacht Club d'Antibes (IYCA), known as the billionaires' quay, takes superyachts of 50 to 165 metres. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • IGY Vieux-Port de CannesCannes

    About 640 berths, some 55 of them for superyachts and the largest for yachts up to 140 metres, beside the Palais des Festivals; home of the Cannes Yachting Festival each September and a berth for yachts during the Film Festival. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Port Pierre CantoCannes

    553 berths for yachts up to 90 metres at the eastern end of La Croisette, and the second site of the Cannes Yachting Festival. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Port de Saint-TropezSaint-Tropez

    About 730 berths in two basins, with superyachts moored stern-to along the quays of the village and host to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez regatta. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

A week at sea

The French Riviera: seven days from Monaco along the coast to Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Cap d'Antibes, the Îles de Lérins and Saint-Tropez.

Read the itinerary

Superyacht charter brokers with an office here

Yacht services

  • Hill RobinsonAntibes

    Founded in Antibes in 2001 by Nick Hill and Niall Robinson and an early specialist in superyacht management; it covers new-build and refit project management, yacht management, crew services and owners' wider estates. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • YPI CrewAntibes

    A crew recruitment agency founded in Antibes in 2002, placing deck, engineering, interior and senior officers on private and charter superyachts; MLC 2006 compliant and majority-owned by the Schulte Group. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • The Crew NetworkAntibes, Palma and Viareggio

    The crew recruitment agency of the Fraser group, interviewing and placing vetted crew for luxury yachts from offices in Antibes, Palma, Viareggio and Fort Lauderdale. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • BluewaterAntibes and Palma

    A yachting firm with offices in Antibes, Palma and Fort Lauderdale offering yacht management, new-build consultancy, crew placement and crew training alongside charter and sales. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Refit and maintenance

  • Monaco MarineFrench Riviera and Provence

    A network of nine yards from Marseille and La Ciotat to Antibes, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco, servicing superyachts up to about 160 metres and 6,000 tonnes, with 30 years in refit and maintenance. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • IMS ShipyardSaint-Mandrier (Toulon)

    A refit and maintenance yard for sail and motor yachts in Toulon harbour, with a 670-tonne travelift, about 100 berth slots ashore and more than 15 trades on site. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Cruises

France by sea

The cruise ports of France, and where the luxury lines call.

Marseille is France's great cruise port; on the Riviera the ships anchor off Villefranche, Cannes and Saint-Tropez, and in Corsica they call at Ajaccio, Calvi and Bonifacio.

Where the luxury lines call

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Travel

First-class travel in France

The great hotel trains, first-class rail and the chauffeurs at our standard. Private jet arrivals are covered in the questions below.

First-class rail

The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice

    Belmond's restored 1920s and 1930s Art Deco carriages run the train's signature overnight route between Paris and Venice in both directions, with variants via Verona and via Florence, across a season that runs from March to December. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice via Cannes

    A Riviera routing of the same train, running Paris to Lyon, Cannes and on to Venice, offered in May. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Istanbul

    The train's long-distance journey via Budapest and Bucharest to Istanbul, once a year: eastbound at the end of May and westbound in June. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Paris to Istanbul

    An eight-day journey between Paris and Istanbul through Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria, with departures in spring and autumn. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • Carey InternationalFrance, Spain and Italy

    Founded in 1921, Carey is one of the oldest names in executive chauffeured transport, operating in more than 80 countries, with long-term franchise partners in France, Spain and Italy running Carey-branded vehicles. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Azur LimousinesCannes and Saint-Tropez

    With bases in Cannes and on the Saint-Tropez harbour, the firm owns more than 15 vehicles, including Mercedes S-Class, EQS and V-Class and Range Rover Vogue, and covers the Riviera from Monaco to Saint-Tropez with a focus on private-aviation and yacht guests. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Elite Rent-a-CarNice, Cannes and Monaco

    A Geneva-based luxury and supercar hire firm with agencies in Nice, Cannes and Monaco on the Riviera, and delivery and collection across France. The fleet includes Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Porsche. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Car4RentMonaco, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice Airport

    Luxury and sports car hire with agencies at 9 boulevard Albert 1er in Monaco, 10 rue Hibert in Cannes, 15 place Vieille in Grimaud for Saint-Tropez, and at Nice Airport, as well as in Paris. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Luxury RivieraVillefranche-sur-Mer

    Self-drive luxury cars and a chauffeur service from an office at 19 avenue du Général de Gaulle in Villefranche-sur-Mer, with a second office for the French Alps. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • MC Luxury RentalMonaco

    Supercar and luxury car hire from 30 boulevard Princesse Charlotte in Monaco, delivering to Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and further afield. The fleet includes Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Porsche and Maserati. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in France

The great shopping streets of Paris and the Riviera, the French jewellers and watchmakers, the perfumers of Grasse and the ateliers of Provence.

The great shopping streets

  • La CroisetteCannes

    The seafront boulevard of the palace hotels, facing the beaches, where Chanel, Hermès, Cartier and Christian Dior keep boutiques. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • The Golden TriangleSaint-Tropez

    The old village between the port, Place de la Garonne and Place des Lices, where the great houses keep boutiques in village houses behind garden gates, among them Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès, with Hermès on Place Georges Grammont and Louis Vuitton on rue François Sibilli. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Avenue MontaigneParis

    The avenue of the haute couture houses between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, where Christian Dior has had its house at No. 30 since 1946, with the flagships of the great fashion houses on both sides.

  • Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Place VendômeParis

    The street of Hermès, whose flagship has stood at No. 24 since 1880, and, a few minutes away, the square of the great Paris jewellers, the world's best-known address for high jewellery.

Jewellers and watchmakers

Artisan ateliers

Auction houses

  • Christie's Parisavenue Matignon

    Christie's saleroom in France, between the Champs-Élysées and the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, holding auctions since 2001, when France opened its auction market to foreign houses; it is now also where Christie's holds its sales of Italian art. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Sotheby's Paris83 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

    Sotheby's home in France since October 2024, in the former Galerie Bernheim-Jeune on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, with larger salerooms and galleries. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Art galleries

  • Gagosian Paris

    Gagosian's Paris galleries, in the city and in a former aircraft hangar at Le Bourget redesigned by Jean Nouvel. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • PerrotinParis

    Emmanuel Perrotin's gallery, founded in 1990, in a Marais hôtel particulier on the rue de Turenne, one of the leading contemporary galleries in Europe with spaces across the world.

  • Mennour (Kamel Mennour)Paris

    A leading contemporary gallery based on the rue Saint-André-des-Arts in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with further spaces on the rue du Pont-de-Lodi and the avenue Matignon, showing artists including Kader Attia, Adel Abdessemed and Larry Clark.

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

See all 11

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in France

The French year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Wine estates that receive visitors

  • Château La CosteLe Puy-Sainte-Réparade (Provence)

    An organic estate near Aix-en-Provence with a Jean Nouvel-designed cellar, wine-tasting workshops, an art and architecture walk across about 200 hectares, and the Villa La Coste hotel. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Domaines OttChâteau de Selle, Taradeau (Provence)

    The central cellar of the Ott family's three Provence estates offers vineyard and cellar visits with tastings by appointment. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Château d'EsclansLa Motte (Provence)

    The home of Whispering Angel and Garrus rosés offers bookable estate experiences through its own website. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Golf

Health spas

  • La Réserve Ramatuellenear Saint-Tropez

    Its Nescens spa is built around health, fitness and anti-ageing programmes. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Lily of the ValleyLa Croix-Valmer near Saint-Tropez

    A Philippe Starck-designed hotel whose 2,000-square-metre Shape Club runs weight-loss, detox, sport and better-ageing programmes built with nutritionist Dr. Jacques Fricker; named on The Times and The Sunday Times list of the world's 50 best spas in 2025. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Sport and motoring

  • Polo Club Saint-TropezGassin, France

    A members' club in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, open to members all year, with a season from May to September at its busiest in July and August: more than 170 matches, 50 teams and 600 horses. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Les Voiles d'AntibesAntibes, France

    Since 1996, the June regatta that opens the Mediterranean season for classic yachts, racing out of Port Vauban. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Mouratoglou AcademyBiot, France

    Founded by Patrick Mouratoglou near Paris in 1996 and on the Riviera since 2016, at Biot between Nice and Cannes, where he coaches leading tour players. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Tour de Corse HistoriqueCorsica, France

    A week-long historic rally each October, about 1,000 km around the island with some 400 km of timed stages, named Rally or Tour of the Year at the International Historic Motoring Awards.

  • BugattiMolsheim

    Château Saint Jean, Ettore Bugatti's estate in Alsace, and the Atelier beside it, where every modern Bugatti is assembled by hand. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Cité de l'Automobile – Collection SchlumpfMulhouse

    Not on the Mediterranean, but the world's great collection of its kind: some 400 historic, luxury and racing cars assembled by Fritz Schlumpf, classed as a historical monument in 1978, among them a Bugatti Type 41 Royale. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Weddings and celebrations

  • Villa Ephrussi de RothschildSaint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

    Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild's Belle Époque palace stands between Nice and Monaco with nine themed gardens over the sea. It takes private receptions and weddings. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Château Saint-Martin & SpaVence

    An Oetker hotel with France's Palace distinction, on a hilltop above the Riviera with six Provençal villas among olive trees. It hosts weddings and private events across several spaces. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

After dark

  • Les Caves du RoySaint-Tropez

    The nightclub of the Hôtel Byblos, open since 1967 and the best-known name in Saint-Tropez nightlife, with a long record of celebrity guests; it opens each summer season. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in France

A home in France: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • BARNES International RealtyParis

    A prestige property group present in more than 20 countries, with Mediterranean offices including Mallorca and the Côte d'Azur, and an office in Marrakech (see Morocco). Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Michaël Zingraf Real EstateCannes

    Founded in Cannes in 1977 and the exclusive Christie's International Real Estate affiliate for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur since 2012, with agencies in Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Cap d'Antibes, Mougins and Nice. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International RealtyCannes

    The Sotheby's affiliate for the Riviera from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border, with six offices including Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • John TaylorCôte d'Azur

    Luxury real estate firm with a history of more than 160 years and Riviera offices in Cannes, Cap d'Antibes, Saint-Tropez and Mougins, plus offices in Spain, Italy and Cyprus. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Emile GarcinProvence

    Emile Garcin began dealing in houses in the Alpilles and the Luberon in the early 1960s; the firm that bears his name now has offices across Provence, the French Riviera and Corsica, as well as in Paris and Marrakech, and says it takes on only about one property in seven. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Branded residences and new developments

  • Le ProvençalCap d'Antibes / Juan-les-Pins

    John Caudwell's restoration of the landmark 1920s Hôtel Provençal into 41 apartments, penthouses and garden villas of up to 877 m², with five-star concierge services from the neighbouring Hôtel Belles Rives. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Architects and designers

  • Wilmotte & AssociésParis, France

    Jean-Michel Wilmotte's firm designed The Maybourne Riviera at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and restored the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, and takes on private residences as well as hotels. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Studio KOParis, France

    Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, with offices in Paris, London and Marrakech, designed the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech and private houses in Morocco including Villa K at Tagadert and Villa E in the Ourika valley. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Charles ZanaParis, France

    The Tunisian-born architect and interior designer works on private residences and hotels, including Hotel Lou Pinet in Saint-Tropez and Crillon le Brave in Provence; he was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2019. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Private banks and advisers

  • Rothschild & Co Wealth ManagementMonaco, France, Italy and Spain

    The family-controlled group's wealth management arm has Mediterranean offices in Monaco, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Milan and Madrid, the last opened in 2021. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

International schools

  • International School of NiceNice

    An IB World School for ages 3 to 18 with IGCSE in the upper years, accredited by CIS and the Middle States Association, and part of the Globeducate group. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

  • Mougins British International SchoolMougins (near Cannes)

    Founded in 1964, it teaches the English National Curriculum for ages 2 to 18 through IGCSE and A-levels, with more than 55 nationalities on its campus. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in France and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

When is the best time to visit France?

Saint-Tropez: June and September are ideal: the yachts, beach clubs and villas are all in full swing, without the August crush, and September brings Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

Cannes and Antibes: June and September are ideal: warm sea, open beach clubs and the big yacht shows of September, without the peak of July and August.

Nice and Cap Ferrat: Late May to June and September are ideal: the sea is warm, the days are long and the coast is calmer than in July and August. October still has a 19°C (67°F) sea, but brings more rain.

Corsica: June and September are ideal: a warm sea, the hotels and beach restaurants open, and the coves and harbours far calmer than in July and August.

Where are the best luxury hotels in France?

Saint-Tropez: Cheval Blanc St-Tropez (one of the 25 Finest Resorts).

Cannes and Antibes: Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc (one of the 25 Finest Resorts).

Nice and Cap Ferrat: Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel (one of the 25 Finest Resorts).

Corsica: Domaine du Mouflon d'Or (two MICHELIN Keys).

France has 3 of the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean: Château de la Messardière; La Réserve Ramatuelle; Château de la Chèvre d'Or.

How do you arrive in France by private jet?

Saint-Tropez: Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE / LFMN), about 1 hour 30 minutes or more by car, which is why most arrivals continue by helicopter.

Cannes and Antibes: Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE / LFMN), about 25 minutes by car to Antibes and about 35 to 45 minutes to Cannes.

Nice and Cap Ferrat: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE / LFMN), about 20 minutes by car to central Nice and about 30 minutes to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

Corsica: Figari Sud-Corse (FSC / LFKF), with a 2,480-metre runway, is the airport for Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, each about 25 to 30 minutes by car.

Which are the best restaurants in France?

France has 17 restaurants with three MICHELIN stars on our list: Auberge du Vieux Puits (Fontjoncouse); L'Oustau de Baumanière (Les Baux-de-Provence); Le Petit Nice (Marseille); AM par Alexandre Mazzia (Marseille); La Villa Madie (Cassis); La Table du Castellet (Le Castellet); La Vague d'Or (Saint-Tropez); Mirazur (Menton); Kei (Paris); Plénitude (Cheval Blanc Paris); Arpège (Paris); Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris); Le Cinq (Four Seasons Hotel George V); Épicure (Le Bristol); Le Gabriel (La Réserve Paris); Pierre Gagnaire (Paris); Le Pré Catelan (Paris).

Do you tip in France?

Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in France?

Dress respectfully in churches. On the Riviera, several towns, including Nice, Cannes, Menton, Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphaël, ban swimwear and bare chests in town, with fines. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.

More of the Mediterranean

Luxury travel across the Mediterranean

A bonfire blazing on a beach at sunset, the sea and a driftwood branch beyond
A fire on the beach at sunset

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in France

How France does things.

Language
French. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants on the Riviera and in Paris.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting. Among friends, la bise (cheek kisses); the number varies by region, two being most common. Always say bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening) on entering a shop or speaking to staff; use monsieur / madame.
Dress
Dress respectfully in churches. On the Riviera, several towns, including Nice, Cannes, Menton, Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphaël, ban swimwear and bare chests in town, with fines. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch typically 12–2 pm; dinner from about 7.30–8 pm. Book ahead at good restaurants. The bill comes when you ask.
Tipping
Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know
Many shops close on Sundays, and in smaller towns for a long lunch. Restaurants often stop serving lunch around 2 pm.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.