Before visiting the French Riviera, I genuinely thought every town would be equally beautiful. I figured I’d hop from one place to the next and they’d all have the same charm, just with slightly different views. After spending three days based in Nice and visiting Monaco and Menton, I quickly realized that wasn’t true at all. Some places completely exceeded my expectations, while others felt a bit overrated. So instead of giving you another generic list of towns on the French Riviera, I wanted to rank the ones I’ve experienced myself and tell you which ones I’d actually recommend if you only have a few days in the region. If…

When people think about the French Riviera, they usually imagine luxury hotels, beach clubs, champagne, and billionaires parking their yachts in Monaco. And while all of that definitely exists, that’s not how I experienced it at all. I spent three days exploring the French Riviera as a backpacker, staying in Nice and using it as my base to visit places like Monaco and Menton without spending a ridiculous amount of money. If there’s one thing I learned during this trip, it’s that visiting the French Riviera on a budget is absolutely possible—you just need to know where to stay, how to get around, and what to avoid wasting your money…