I explored a French hidden gem - here are 8 spots I highly recommend

The vast French Riviera, known as the Côte d'Azur, stretches from the Massif de l'Esterel rock formation to Menton, which is by the Italian border.

Flying into Nice Airport from London Stansted Airport, it made sense for me and my travel companion to first venture to the French city on the Mediterranean coast.

Nice city centre is easily accessible from the airport by tram in less than 30 minutes. If you're travelling by car into the city centre, you can expect to be in the buzzy area within 20 minutes.

As expected of a major city, shoppers will delight in the lengthy high street of high street fashion retailers, from Zara to H&M.

Nice's true appeal, however, is its Old Town with picturesque cobblestone streets, beautiful churches, and charming squares to sip on delightful coffee or French wine.

Art lovers are highly encouraged to visit Musée Matisse, set in a pretty 17th-century villa, which is dedicated to the work of expressive artist Henri Matisse.

The Promenande des Anglais along the pebbly beach is also worth walking along on a gorgeously sunny day to feel the sea breeze in the air and look out at turquoise waters.

Already in Nice, the next logical stop was a 30-minute train ride into the glamorous Monaco City.

While Monaco's Casino is a must-see (passports are required for entry inside, and the fee to go inside is currently €19), as well as the yachts, the Café De Paris Monte-Carlo beside the legendary venue is a perfect place for people watching.

What you may not know, however, is that Monaco has a darling shingles Larvotto Beach. Featuring beachfront restaurants, and stylish boutiques, even the toilets are upmarket.

Yet, the star of the show is the Costa bakery, which serves the most delicious and fresh sandwiches, which are surprisingly modestly priced.

My friend and I enjoyed a freshly made, and generously filled sandwich, while sitting on the shingles beach and looking out at the soft, crashing waves of the blue sea – simply perfection.

Another top beach destination is Juan-les-Pins, where we drove to on another day; parking is easily accessible, especially if you go later on in the day.

We got there for 2pm, after spending a leisurely morning by the pool where we were staying. As there is free parking right beside the stretch of beach from 6pm, we paid less than €4 for four hours – and had the evening to take our time exploring the area.

Later on in the evening, we dined at Yolo Plage – a pretty beachfront restaurant where we watched the sunset among dreamy waters and our toes in the sand.

The fun continued at Pam-Pam, a lively Brazilian-themed bar where a live band plays and exotic performers dance the night away.

One more notable place along the French Riviera (among many more, if we had time) is Antibes, which isn't too far from Juan les Pin and Pam-Pam.

Much of Antibes can be seen via the hop-on and hop-off Le Petit Train, which is highly recommended to get around the city – just make sure to visit the thriving superyacht port while you are there.

Eight spots highly recommended:

1. Nice Old Town
2. Musée Matisse
3. Promenande des Anglais
4. Monaco's Casino
5. Café De Paris Monte-Carlo
6. Costa bakery at Larvotto Beach, Monaco
7. Yolo Plage, Juan-les-Pins
8. Pam-Pam, Antibes