Once you are there...

All of the towns in the French Riviera are best explored by walking. Most towns are very small and easy to navigate. Make sure to stop at each tourist office for a map (these are usually located within a short distance or in the train station). In places such as Villefranche-Sur-Mer or Vielle Nice, you will find charming little alleyways and plenty of narrow, hilly streets but not to worry, it is surprisingly difficult to get disoriented!

It is easier to pick a central location from which to begin your explorations - Nice or Monaco are good options because they both have an airport. From there you'll want to visit a lot of the surrounding towns such as: Hyeres, St-Tropez, St-Raphael, Cannes, Grasse, Juan Les Pins, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Menton. 

 A good option for RIviera-hopping is the TER.  The TER is the local rail service that is fast (from Monaco to Cannes in an hour), cheap and reliable and runs through most of the important towns. Lines 3, 4 and 6 are the ones that are most useful. Between 1 July and 30 September you can purchase the "Carte Isabelle" which is an unlimited day pass.

There are also three coastal routes through the region: the low, middle and high Corniche. The ports, beaches and villages are in the low Corniche, the scattered, large villas are in the middle, and the high Corniche offers a spectacular view of cliffs and everything below.