French Riviera: Cannes and Antibes

The French Riviera stretches along the Mediterranean from St-Tropez to the Italian border. Two popular destinations are Cannes and Antibes. With exclusive hotels lining mostly private stretches of sandy beach — Cannes is for strolling, dreaming of meeting a movie star, and lounging on the seafront. Don't look for any actual sights to tour. If you missed the film festival (usually held in late-May), there's little to do other than shop and enjoy the beach. Just up the coast, Antibes has a down-to-earth, easygoing ambience that's rare in this area. Its old town is a maze of narrow streets and red-tile roofs rising above the turquoise sea, protected by twin medieval towers and wrapped in rugged ramparts. Picasso called Antibes home for a time and the town's cultural claim to fame, the Picasso Museum, shows off a great collection of his sketches, paintings and ceramics in a fine old seaside castle. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.