No trip to Nice or Monaco is complete without a day trip to Eze, France.
I’ve told several people who’ve traveled to the south of France to add Eze to their itinerary and it has yet to disappoint.
Located in the cliffs of the French Rivera, this medieval town will transport you back in time. You’ll want to spend hours getting lost in the cobblestone streets and meandering alleys. The view from anywhere in Eze will have you saying, “Oh my God!” throughout the day. You are quite literally on top of the Mediterranean Sea. On a perfectly clear day, you can even see planes taking off from Nice airport.
Eze is filled with locally owned shops including handmade jewelry, leather goods, boutiques and some of the most amazing hand painted art I’ve ever seen. My sister and I spent almost an hour in one of the jewelry shops trying to choose the perfect delicate piece among the shop owner’s collection.
Getting there is incredibly easy and pretty cheap, which is surprising for this notoriously expensive part of Europe. From Monaco, take bus 112 straight to Eze which is roughly 3.50 Euro round trip! From Nice, you can also take bus 112 which stops there on it’s way to Monaco.
You cannot leave Eze without having lunch at the Château de la Chèvre d’Or, a hotel located in the heart of town. The garden cafe is the cheapest of the four restaurants at the hotel and it features pizzas, salads and a variety of wines. The food is delicious but the view is what makes it truly worth it. Pro tip! Make sure you make a reservation! Even for the garden cafe.
Shout out to my future husband (whoever you are), we will be honeymooning at this hotel, so get ready!
The gardens of Eze have some of the most exotic flowers in Europe. The gardens sit about 1,400 feet above sea level so you’ll also find the best views of the Mediterranean. Keep your eyes open for statues by Jean-Philippe Richard dotted throughout the gardens.
There can be a line to get into the gardens because only a certain number of people are allowed entrance at one time. The gardens are open until 4:30 p.m. in the winter and 7:30 p.m. in the later summer months. There is a small entrance fee of 6 Euros from March 6 to December 3 and 4 Euros December 4 to March 5. Children under 12 are free all year round.
One of the things I really liked about Eze is that other than the restaurants and gardens, the town felt fairly empty. Even though buses loaded with tourists empty in the town throughout the day, the shops and alleyways weren’t too crowded. Although it definitely got busier in the afternoon so do try to get there early if you can!
You do not want to visit the French Riviera without a visit to Eze. It truly is the cutest, most romantic town in the Med. It will not disappoint! So add it to your itinerary and get ready to drown yourself in rosé and spectacular views.