Champagne moments in the French Riviera

As if sailing on you own private yacht or catamaran in the beautiful French Riviera wasn’t enough, there are some bits of the coastline, and some beaches and bars which should be considered completely unmissable – these are the places where we’re sure you’ll enjoy sharing champagne moments with the crew which you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.

We asked our experts for their top picks to make the absolute most of time spent sailing in the French Riviera - and they didn't disappoint: (in no order)

 Lunch on board opposite pretty Menton 

A fine picnic deserves a fine destination – and there might not be many more picturesque places to sit and quaff a glass of champagne and eat the finest food France has to offer than the beautiful Menton. It’s a village with colourful buildings dotted along the seafront, which is best enjoyed from a boat (ideally at anchor), in the sunshine, and with a basket of delicious French food.

If you’re feeling adventurous, then sea-food always tastes so much better when you’re out at sea – it must be something about the sea air which adds to the flavour – so why not steam up the galley with some moules mariniere, fresh prawns, or a nice bit of local fish?!

 Bask at a Beach bar in Saint Tropez 

There’s nowhere in the world that does beach bars quite like Saint Tropez – chic, stylish, luxurious, and a place where it’s almost impossible not to smile and think ‘how lucky am I to be here!’

Spend the afternoon basking in the sunshine, enjoy cocktails at sunset, and delight as the music starts to play and the evening brings with it real holiday vibes.

Our favourite beach bar is the classic Club 55 on Pampelonne beach, but there’s many beach bars out there which are exceptional!

 Sunset from La Croisette, Cannes 

Sitting down together to watch a colourful sunset is such a wonderful thing to do that it’s surprising that we don’t all do it a lot more often.

The best place to watch the sunset in the whole of the French Riviera is in Cannes, where the coastline juts north to give you a perfect view of the sun going down slowly over the horizon, often accompanied by a cascade of orange, pink and even purple sky.

And the best place to watch the sunset in Cannes is in one of the many brilliant bars which run along the main beachside promenade (La Croissette). Sit down, relax, and enjoy the view. Bliss!

 Drink or Gamble at Casino de Montecarlo 

If you’re going to sail into Montecarlo, then you’ve surely got no choice but to head to the salubrious Casino de Montecarlo – it’s not just THE place to go in the city, it’s also THE most famous casino in the world.

It’s a very stylish and historic building that has featured in multiple James Bond films (amongst others) - but you don’t have to be a high-roller to head here. In fact, you don’t even have to gamble: you can just go there for classy drinks and to pretend that you’re some kind of superstar.

Be warned there is a dress code, and you won’t get through the doors in shorts and flip-flops!

 Sold it you yet? 

Be sure to check out our destination guides to find out a LOT more about sailing in France, or search in the pink box for yachts and catamarans in the French Riviera / Cote d'Azur with live pricing and availability, or contact our award-winning Customer team through LiveChat, UK Freephone or email!

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This is part of our 'Destination Highlights' week of blogs focussing on sailing in France - including What's so special about sailing the French Riviera, Moor up in Monaco for less than you think, Champagne moments in the French Riviera, and Top 3 anchorages in the French Riviera. You might also be interested in checking out our similar Destination Highlights: Croatia, Destination Highlights: Italy, Destination Highlights: Malta, Destination Highlights: Scotland, Destination Highlights: Bahamas and Destination Highlights: Spain blog series from previous months!