Columbus Cruise Review - Villefranche

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Time Zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Currency: Euro (€) = 100 cents or FFr6.60.

Language: French.

Sightseeing: Villefranche is ideally located for visits to Nice, Monaco, Cannes and the French Riveria. Villefranche itself is a deep-water port which has been used by pleasure yachts and navies for centuries. Nearby are the two most famous resorts on the Riveria – Nice and Cannes. Nice is the largest metropolis on the coast, a thriving commercial city as well as a year-round resort, and Cannes is a beautiful resort, famed for the annual film festival which takes place in May. The whole area is generally accepted as one of the most beautiful resort spots in the world. There is an abundance of palm trees, blue sea and beautiful beaches; sparkling cities and villages are set against backdrops of high green mountains. Other towns nearby include Juan-les-Pins, with a neat harbour, beaches and pine forests in the hills; Antibes and Cap d’Antibes, very popular but expensive resorts; and St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, an exclusive and expensive resort consisting of great private mansions and seaside estates. The Côte d’Azur is an extraordinary playground with every kind of amusement. There are excellent museums, historic places dating from the pre-Christian era to the present day, hills, mountains, lakes and rivers, gorges and alpine skiing trails.

Shopping: Good buys include olive oil, perfume from Grasse, and Pastis, the aniseed-flavoured aperitif popular in the South of France.

Eating Out: Regional specialities include seafood, local cheeses, Niçoise salad, ratatouille and bouillabaisse fish stew.