First-Class Cannes & the Côte d'Azur

Meeting the Tour Manager and fellow travellers this morning at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar service to Paris. Travelling in Eurostar Plus, a light meal is served at our seats enroute. In the French capital, we change trains for the First Class service to Cannes, dashing through the heart of the country and arriving on the French Riviera in the evening.

Our base for six nights is an elegant Belle Époque hotel on the edge of Cannes Old Town. The location is a short distance from the stylish promenade and old port where yachts are berthed. After checking in, we head out to a local restaurant for our first dinner together, and are introduced to the flavours of this part of France.

• Eurostar Light Meal
• Dinner

We get acquainted with Cannes during a two-hour guided tour. Its origins as a small fishing village can still be uncovered in the cobbled streets of hilltop Le Suquet. Today, however, Cannes is famed for its annual film festival and the palm-lined Croisette boulevard, which stretches along the town's golden sand beaches. There is free time over lunch to stroll down the promenade or wander the charming backstreets.

This afternoon, we enjoy a highlight of our holiday at a villa formerly owned by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, a socialite and art collector of the prominent Rothschild dynasty. This pink-hued Belle Époque mansion in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is surrounded by nine manicured gardens, including a rose garden. There's time to explore these beautiful havens and the villa's interior before heading into the ornate Tea Room. In the refined surrounding of Béatrice's dining room, we enjoy tea and a pastry with fantastic views over the Bay of Villefranche towards Nice.

Later, we return to Cannes where complimentary drinks are served together with a light snack at our hotel between 6.30pm-8.30pm each evening. You are free to dine independently for dinner at your leisure.

• Breakfast

A coach journey to Monaco takes us along the Lower Corniche Road, clinging to coastal cliffs with views of the azure waters. Our destination is the world's second-smallest sovereign state, renowned as a playground for the rich and famous.

Led by an expert guide, we discover the principality's most iconic sights, beginning by viewing the world-famous Monte-Carlo Casino. Our tour also provides the opportunity to witness the time-honoured Changing of the Guards ceremony at the Palais du Prince, the residence of the current Prince of Monaco. There's free time afterwards to experience Monaco on your own. Maybe have a flutter in the casino or enjoy a drink in the Café de Paris, Monte Carlo's prime people-watching spot.

Leaving Monaco, we stop for time at leisure in nearby Èze. This medieval village of labyrinthine lanes is set high on a rocky peak. Overlooking the terracotta rooftops sits Èze's ruined castle and an unusual cactus garden, the ideal spot to look out across the scenic Côte d'Azur.

Returning to Cannes, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

• Breakfast, Dinner

With a day at leisure, you could make use of Cannes' transport connections. Cosmopolitan Nice is a 40-minute train ride along the coast. Here, you can wander the charming streets of its Old Town and visit the mouthwatering food market along Cours Saleya. In hilltop Cimiez, you can find museums honouring the work of renowned artists Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse.

Another option is to take the ferry from Cannes to the popular coastal town of St Tropez. Taking just over an hour each way, you can spend the afternoon exploring the ochre-hued streets lined with upmarket shops. Alternatively, soak up the atmosphere around its harbour, sipping a pastis or enjoying a slice of Tarte Tropézienne - a sweet brioche-style cake filled with crème pâtissière and buttercream.

While there are complimentary drinks at our hotel this evening, you dine independently. Cannes has many excellent restaurants in which to try local seafood dishes including the traditional fish soup, bouillabaisse.

• Breakfast

This morning, we travel by coach to Grasse, a hilltop town that has been renowned as the 'perfume capital of the world' since the late 1700s. The town is surrounded by jasmine, which gives the fragrances their delectable bouquet. On arrival in Grasse, we enjoy a tour of one of the most revered of France's perfumeries, Fragonard, where an array of perfumes and soaps are created.

Continuing to St-Paul-de-Vence, there is free time to explore the medieval walls and shaded squares. The narrow lanes contain many galleries, craft stores and eateries. Among its many restaurants is La Colombe d'Or, where the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque and Miró stayed rent-free in exchange for paintings. As such, an impressive range of artworks now adorns its walls.

Afterwards, we meet a local pétanque player for a lesson in this characteristically Provençal pastime, played on a hard sand surface called a 'terrain'. We take part in a game under the shade of plane trees beside the ancient walls of St-Paul-de-Vence before returning to Cannes.

• Breakfast

Today is free to explore at your own pace. You could return to Le Suquet to wander its delightful streets or visit the 17th-century Church of Notre Dame d'Espérance. Heading along the coast from Cannes, you can find stylish Juan-les-Pins, a resort known for its sandy beaches and high-fashion boutiques. The medieval port of Antibes has attracted visitors for centuries, including Pablo Picasso. His former residence is now the site of the Picasso Museum and houses a collection of the artist's work.

Taking to the Mediterranean's glistening water, you could opt for a ferry to one of the nearby Lérins Islands. Heavily wooded with umbrella pines and eucalyptus trees, Île Sainte-Marguerite is the location of Fort Royal, a former prison where the mysterious 'Man in the Iron Mask' was detained during the 17th century. The smaller Île Saint-Honorat is an unspoilt haven of nature maintained by the monks of the ancient Lérins Abbey, who silently go about their roles cultivating vineyards.

This evening, we regroup to enjoy our final dinner together at a local restaurant.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A blend of gleaming coastal towns and picture-perfect hilltop villages, the Côte d'Azur revealed its charms on this holiday from our base in Cannes. Exploring Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its elegant gardens provided a fitting introduction to the French Riviera, while a guided tour of Monaco afforded a glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous. Heading into the Provençal hills, we learned about the region's renowned perfumes and took part in the traditional pastime of pétanque.

Leaving Cannes this morning, we travel to Paris in First Class. In the French capital, we board the Eurostar in Plus class, enjoying a light meal on our way back to the UK. We arrive back in London this evening and say farewell to our holiday on the Côte d'Azur.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Light Meal