Start with your feet
The single most useful thing you can bring to the Riviera is a pair of comfortable shoes with grip. Eze is a village of stone steps. Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Old Town of Nice are cobbled. Castle Hill is a climb. I watch guests in sandals and leather soles struggle every week, and I watch guests in good walking shoes enjoy the same lanes without thinking about them. Trainers are perfectly acceptable everywhere by day, including Monaco.
Monaco and the evening
Monaco is relaxed by day and dressier by night. For a daytime visit, smart casual is plenty, and shorts are fine on the Rock. If you plan to enter the gaming rooms of the Casino in the evening, bring a jacket for men and something elegant; the dress code is applied. The same light jacket or wrap will serve you at dinner on the Promenade, where the sea breeze makes even July evenings cooler than you expect.
The beach reality
Nice's beaches are pebbles, not sand. Bring water shoes if you want to swim comfortably, or accept the local technique of a brisk, undignified entry. Antibes, Villefranche and Menton have sandier stretches. A light towel and a dry bag for your phone are more useful than a full beach kit, because the best swims of a guided day are often spontaneous ones, after lunch in Villefranche or at the end of a walk by the Hidden River.
Sun, heat and water
From May to October, the sun is serious. A hat, proper sunscreen and sunglasses are not optional in the villages, where shade is scarce at midday. Carry a refillable bottle: Nice has fountains, and I always have water in the car. In July and August, choose linen and light cotton; the heat in the Old Town lanes at three in the afternoon is real, which is why I move my summer days toward the coast and the shade at that hour.
What to leave at home
A heavy rain jacket, unless you come between October and March. High heels for the villages. A large suitcase of formal wear; one elegant outfit covers every occasion. Cash in large amounts; cards work everywhere, though a few coins help at the markets. And the fear of looking like a tourist: everyone on the Promenade des Anglais is a visitor from somewhere, including half the locals.
The small things that matter
A European plug adapter (type E, two round pins). A scarf or shawl for churches and the chapel in Villefranche. A small cross-body bag rather than a backpack in crowded markets. Your driving licence is unnecessary with me, since I drive. And a little room in the suitcase, because you will leave with olive oil, soap, a bottle from Bellet and, if you did the workshop in Eze, your own perfume.
Live It With Me
These private experiences are the natural next step after this article. Prices are per group, never per person.
Frequently asked
Do I need formal clothes for Monaco?
Not by day. Smart casual is fine everywhere, including the Palace and the Casino atrium. Only the Casino gaming rooms in the evening ask for a jacket and elegant dress.
Are the beaches in Nice sandy?
No, they are pebble beaches. Water shoes make swimming much more pleasant. For sand, Antibes, Villefranche and Menton are better.
What shoes are best for Eze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence?
Closed shoes with a grippy sole: trainers or walking sandals with straps. Eze in particular is steep stone steps the whole way, and smooth leather soles slip.