We had the very fortunate opportunity to spend 9 days this summer in this enchanting seaside town. Known by the French as "The pearl of France", Menton is the last French Riviera town before the Italian border. Menton offers the perfect European beach vacation while remaining comparatively unvisited by American tourists.

Less known than many destinations: At least by Americans. There are plenty of visitors from Italy, France, and Russia. I'm of the mindset that some of the best vacations do not involve an hour-by-hour agenda of attractions to see. I place this disclaimer at the start so that readers will understand that Menton, while having interesting cultural sites, does not offer the same opportunities to visit countless museums as other locations you could visit. If you are looking for a gorgeous, relaxing central base with easy access to numerous other cities of interest, Menton is for you. It is about 1/2 hour by bus to Monaco and 1 hour by bus to Nice. One can also visit Genoa or Italy's Cinqua Terra in a long day trip or perhaps an overnight side trip.

Location: In the Southeast of France, known as the Alpes-Martimes region for it's "mountainous" (i.e. really big hills) terrain. Menton is about 15 miles east of Nice and about 5 miles east of Monaco. Travel to Menton is easy by flying into Nice and either driving with a rental car or taking a bus directly from the Airport. (More on travel to Menton below.)

Climate: All the Riviera towns have an enviable climate, but Menton claims to have it's own "microclimate" that leads to it being more pleasant than its more visited neighbors. Menton was once a preferred destination for Tuberculosis patients who believed the dry, warm climate would cure their condition. We visited in August during the height of the Summer tourist season. I can't lie, it was hot. Probably 95 degrees or so in the middle of the day. That said, one of our main pleasures was swimming in the Mediterranean sea and eating Gelato, so the heat wasn't a big issue for us.

Beaches: I have read that Menton's beaches are "uncomfortable" because they are pebble rather than sand. I suppose that if you wanted to lay on the ground and sun tan all day this would be a fair criticism, though easily remedied with an inflatable floating "mattress." In any event, I prefer swimming. In August the water was close to 80 degrees and very comfortable, not to mention the incredible blue that has led to the name "Cote d'Azur" for the Riviera. In some ways, pebbles beaches have advantages to sand beaches in that one does not come away with sand clinging to all parts of the body after a swim. Basic showers on the beaches also help a swimmer stay clean. This being France, there are many more smokers than in the U.S. and cigarette butts are found littered here and there. The beaches do become very crowded during August, but adults can find less crowded (and narrower) beaches simply by walking along the boardwalk. Some of the less crowded beaches have large boulders on them and require some minimal athleticism to climb over and around to find that "perfect spot."

Autostrada: Both France and Italy have a coastal road that is continuous and winds through most of the coastal towns of the Riviera/Ligura region. It is beautiful, but it is best to avoid this road during the summer. There are many lights and congestion can be horrible. The Autostrada is a toll road that is much more similar to a 2-lane highway in the U.S. As in Germany, one drives in the right lane until needing to pass. Once passed a slower vehicle, it is wise to get back to the right lane so as to not block others who may be trying to pass you. In the Riviera region, the Autostrada is about 85% tunnels and bridges as it passes through the mountainous terrain. France has frequent toll booths. In Italy, one picks up a ticket at the start of one's trip, (the on-ramp to the Autostrada), and then gives it to an attendant in a booth when exiting the Autostrada. Although this can lead to massive congestion at the actual off-ramps, (especially for large towns), we found it to be nicer than constantly stopping for toll booths.

Food and accommodations: This is a tourist town, so there are many restaurants and hotels. We prefer to use VRBO.com (vacation rent by owner) and wound up staying in an apartment that was in an old hotel that has been converted to private residential units. Menton has at least two daily farmer's markets during the summer and we were able to buy fresh produce, cheese and bread to make many of our own meals since we were trying to save some money and wanted to have more of a "living like a local" feel to our vacation. As in most parts of Europe, Menton does not have American style "Supermarkets" but does have small grocery stores scattered throughout the town. There is also a visitor center in the heart of the town on the main street leading into Menton from the Autostrada where they can provide a map of the town and (probably) speak to you in English. I say "probably" because we simply did not encounter too many locals who spoke English. Most locals speak French and Italian. Speaking neither, we were able to get by with a bit of High School Spanish (very similar to Italian) and some basic French phrases learned from a Rick Steve's phrase book. As long as you are polite, people seemed willing to try to understand what you are asking.

Sights: Old town Menton is a must. This area of town has a much more Italian feel than the rest of the town and is pictured in the first two photographs on this page. There is an old cemetery at the top of the hill somewhat comparable to what one might see in New Orleans in style. There is also a great kid's beach at the bottom of the hill that has shallow water extending for a long distance. Most beaches also have rafts kids can swim out to, but these seem to be extremely popular with young teens.

There are several museums in Menton, but none particularly spectacular. We visited the Jean Cocteau museum that is housed in an old Bastion that separates Old Town Menton from the sea. There is also the former summer Palace of one of the Grimaldi's further North that is free and sits in an interesting sculpture garden. The French government is very supportive of Arts and Culture, so the State run museums are free.