Mother and Daughter vacation in Nice

Guest: Diane (New York City, New York)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 11/20/11

I was looking for a special place to take my 17 year old daughter for a week in the South of France. I happened upon Palais Bel Mare on the VRBO site and immediately I felt this was the place. Since this was the first time I had rented sight unseen, I was a little nervous about the idea. Olivia put me right at ease. Her familiarity with Nice and the surrounding areas, combined with the love she has for her special apartment sold me. When we arrived and opened the french doors, my daughter and I both gasped when we saw the beautiful view of the Harbor and the sea. The apartment was a perfect size for us. It was clean, charming and delightful to return to after a day of sight seeing. Each morning,I would walk to a place that Olivia recommended in her guest book, to pick up a few of the most delicious croissants. My daughter and I would sit on the balcony, looking out at the sea, eating our croissants and I drinking my coffee. It was a great way to start the day. The apartment is not in the center of town, but you can certainly walk,10 minutes to the harbor and 15 minutes to old Nice. I did rent a car and I was glad because it gave us the freedom and flexibility to come and go. Finding a parking spot in front of the apartment was never a problem. This apartment was at the center of our magical trip to the South of France. Whether we were exploring in Saint Paul de Vence, or grabbing a bite to eat in Villefranche, shopping in Monaco, or people watching while we strolled along the Promenade des Anglais, it always felt great when we returned to the quiet 6th floor apartment that became our home away from home.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Fantastic View and Location

Guest: TAR (Las Vegas, NV)
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 10/31/11

My week at this lovely apartment was fantastic. The views from the large windows is wonderful whether it is in the morning as the sun rises or the spectacular sunsets. It continues with the night time lights of the bay. The location is close to the port and a nice walk to the old town and sea walk. The bus stop outside the apartment was so wonderful to get to Monaco and the towns in between. The buses around the port area will get you everywhere else. The location is very safe and nice. Be sure to have the steamed mussels at the port.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

Fabulous apt and location

Guest: Doglover from Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/30/11 Review Submitted: 10/22/11

My friend and I spent 5 nights at this apt as part of a 3 week France holiday. The pictures on this site are great but the apt is better and bigger then we expected. This is the best location to stay in Nice. We could walk almost everywhere and the bus stop in front of the apt block made day trips a breeze. As others have mentioned, the owner is wonderful to deal with. I highly recommend this place and plan to come back.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Amazing place wish we had more time........

Guest: The Canadians (Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 08/24/11

After spending 8 days in Paris we spent 4 nights in Palais Bel Maire and absolutely loved it. The rustic decor of the property really gives it that homey feel and a real sense of comfort. The wonderful view is also amazing accompanied by the soft ocean breezes flowing through the 2 sets of balcony doors in the evening which reminds you where you are. Like the previous reviews stated, the location is very good, as you are away from the "touristy" area but close enough to walk there in 10-15 minutes. The bus is outside your door and you can go most places for 1 Euro. Great cliff beaches 5-10 min walk down the street. One restaurant to try is La Voglia, you will return for sure, as in my opinion it has the best quality food and value for your dollar. Olivia was a breath of fresh air and was a delight to deal with, communicating was very easy and check in/out was seamless. Thank you so much Olivia for providing a property that makes wonderful family memories! We hope to return next year

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Value in Nice!

Guest: Amanda P. (Philadelphia, PA)
Date of Stay: 05/31/11 Review Submitted: 06/19/11

We were lucky to book this flat last minute. Olivia was great to deal with, and was very accommodating even though we booked at the eleventh hour. The apartment was well appointed, comfortable, and recently updated. The balcony had a great sea view and was great to have a drink on to unwind after a long day. The bus to Monaco was right outside the front door of the building, the port of Nice was a five minute walk, and another 10min to old Nice. Our last minute trip could have easily been a disaster due to our lack of accommodations a few days before arriving, but we were pleasantly surprised at our luck, and will definitely consider returning.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, girls getaway.

Nice, Of course!

Guest: Jon (Pozzuoli (NA), Italy)
Date of Stay: 06/06/11 Review Submitted: 06/19/11

Nice is a cross between the ritz and glamour of Monte Carlo and the quaintness of a French fishing village. We rented this apartment for a week, it was close to rocky, cliff-like beaches where I snorkeled and my wife and I soaked in the sun, serenity, and simplicity of what became our stay-cation. The apartment was a close walk to the sea, where there are literally miles of walking/biking paths right next to the water. The port, with its grand yachts and more simple fishing skiffs (each painted as beautiful as a picture), is a great spot to take a walk, it’s also close to the apartment. The kitchen is quite convenient for everything from cooking pasta primavera to making some tomato and cheese sandwiches on baguette. Of course the best place to eat your meal is the lovely balcony in the apartment where you can see much of the coast as it wraps around the Mediterranean Sea. Nice’s old town and a lovely strip of restaurants rests just on the other side of the port. Also on that side of town is the Promenade des Anglais, with a lovely rock beach. Though not as private as the cliff-like beach near the apartment, this was a great place to go swimming and sun bathe. Personally we preferred the part of Nice that this apartment is in, East of the port. This area isn’t over run by tourists and has everything you need within a short walk. While any one of these would be reason enough to take a trip to Nice, this diamond of a town has much more to offer than we could experience in a week. But Olivia’s apartment was a perfect place to set out and explore the Blue Coast of France!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Excellent - A Wonderful Apartment in a Great Location.

Guest: Jennifer (Philadelphia, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 05/31/11 Review Submitted: 06/18/11

We are seasoned travelers that decided to take a quick girls get away to explore the French Rivera, and were lucky to find Palais Bel Mare. This charming flat, decorated with a vintage/bohemian flare, has a breath taking view of the harbor and beach through the French doors in the bedroom and living room, as well as balcony. The location is great, just a few blocks from the port, beaches and old Nice, yet situated on the side of a quiet street…we slept with the doors open! The owner was great, she provided a full binder of maps, restaurants (which we tried and were excellent.) and directions to stores, shops and places of interest. The apartment contained all the amenities, phone, tv, internet and washer machine, with clear directions on how to operate each. I would highly recommend this apartment to anyone traveling to Southern France. I would like to return soon with my family and wouldn’t think of staying anywhere else. A big thank you to the owner, Olivia for all you did we had a wonderful trip!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Best Vacation Yet

Guest: NiceLover (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Date of Stay: 05/07/11 Review Submitted: 05/28/11

My husband and I wanted to get away and decided to explore the French Riviera for the first time. We were a little nervous because we brought our 18 month old son, but the experience couldn't have been better, thanks to this charming flat and its great owners. They really do go above and beyond to help with the whole process (it was our first VRBO), and before we knew it, we were feeling like Palais Bel Mar was our own home. That's the advantage of renting a flat versus a hotel. The view is breathtaking and we took full advantage while our son took a nap and when we put him to bed for the night. We didn't rent a car, but you really don't need to. We enjoyed Nice's beautiful weather on our walks. When we went to Monaco or were just exhausted from the day, we easily hopped on the bus to get us there quickly and comfortably--the bus stop is just in front of the building! We will definitely be returning to Nice, and would love to stay again in this wonderful flat.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Palais Bel Mare

Guest: John and Cailyn (Thetford, Vermont)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/18/11

Palais Bel Mare was the perfect anchoring spot for my daughter and I as we explored the culture of southern France and Italy for the very first time. Wonderful beaches are less than 5 minutes away by foot. Excellent restaurants, bakeries and markets are within easy walking distance. The apartment is well furnished and maintained with a very helpful property manager. The owners go out of their way to make you feel relaxed and welcomed by providing a written guide to the apartment and local hot spots and activities. My only regret is that we only had seven short days to enjoy all that Palais Bel Mare has to offer. I am looking forward to a return visit in the very near future.

Owner response:Sharing our treasure with acquaintances is especially rewarding for us, particularly when they come home bubbling with enthusiasm and ready to go back. And, in all honesty, even though we're friends, we really didn't pay them to write this! Thank you John and Cailyn for bringing back our favorite "Maille, Moutard Fine de Dijon au vinaigre..."

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Excellent place to stay in Nice

Guest: IL (North West UK)
Date of Stay: 08/18/10 Review Submitted: 02/07/11

I stayed in this flat with my two young children for 4 months and enjoyed every moment of it. We were very comfortable, had everything we needed and found the owner and the villa management company very responsive and helpful. The view is lovely and looks over a very quiet residential area that is paces from the sea. The front of the building has access to the main bus route that leads to Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Villefranche. This was very handy. It was an easy walk downhill to the port and only a bit further to the old town, with all its fun and great restaurants. Walking up to Mont Boron leads to some unparalled views of the Riviera. The ambiance of the building was great...very French. There is a street (Rue Stalingrad) very nearby with a great baker, fishmongers and undoubtedly he best pizza on the Riviera (La Tartane). We liked the flat and the location so much that we will be back again this year (already booked). Highly recommended. PS we did not have a car during our 4 months and managed very well (and got fit by walking all around Nice...very easy to do)

Owner response:Ira kept in close contact with me by e-mail: "...the internet is really fast! (it was snail's pace at work, so I am very aware of this)." Throughout her stay she provided me with wonderful anecdotes and ideas for further exploration of Nice as well as surrounding areas, which I'll be adding to our guest booklet. Do consider staying with us long term during the off season when we're happy to offer discounted rates.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.