The Cote d’Azur, including Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo, is where the who’s who of the celebrity world hang out each summer. Events such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Rally are just some of the events which the rest of the world views with envy. However, you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to enjoy this beautiful part of Southern France. By staying in affordable holiday rentals in Nice and knowing where to eat and what to do on a budget, you too can live like a rock star this summer. Here’s how:

Nice is generally the cheapest place to stay on the French Riviera and is an easy drive along the gorgeous coast road to the more exclusive destinations of Cannes and Monaco. There is an excellent bus service along the coast which costs an amazing €1 each way. Just pay and hop onboard. It’s not worth the hassle of driving and parking, plus you get to sit back and admire the scenery. As well as running along the coast to Monaco, buses also serve quaint villages such as Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze and Antibes for the same nominal fee.

Exploring Nice on a Budget

There is a tram running around Nice but it is an easy city to explore on foot. The main square always has something going on – dance troupes, mime acts, magicians and singers – or you can just enjoy people-watching. The Cours Saleya Flower Market is a beautiful place to visit. It sells fresh fruit, bread, olives and vegetables as well as flowers and on Mondays it becomes a vibrant antiques market - perfect for picking up cheap bric-a-bric and souvenirs.

Most museums in Nice are free on the first Sunday in the month, so take your pick from the Musee Matisse, the Musee Marc Chagall and the Musee des Beaux-Artes among others.

Take a stroll along the famous Promenade des Anglais from the city to the Colline du Chateau where there is an impressive natural waterfall. The chateau is worth walking up to for the splendid views of the city. If you don’t want to walk along the seafront, a mobile phone and a credit card will allow you to borrow a bike from one of the Velobleu stands around the city for around €1. The pebbly beach is also free if you take something to sit on.

Best value eats in Nice include the Fennocchio Maitre Glacier ice cream parlour on Place Rosetti. Ice creams start from a couple of euros and there are 94 flavours to choose from! The Port area offers a number of cheap local restaurants which offer set price Plat du Jour. If you just want something light, choose a bar which offers free nibbles and hors d’oeuvres when you order a drink, to get value for money. You can also improvise with a picnic on the beach after picking up filled baguettes, croissants and pastries from the Monoprix supermarket or a local boulangerie.

There are some affordable stand-up bars, Irish themed pubs and happy hour specials in Nice at places like Chez Wayne’s ex-pat hangout. Some places do charge a cover-fee before you even start to order a drink.

If you can’t afford the bar prices, do an evening pre-party before leaving your holiday rental apartment. Wine and beer are readily available in the supermarkets, and champagne is much cheaper than in Britain. However, it is far more fun to take along your own container such as a 2-litre water bottle and buy wine straight from the barrel at a local wine store. Best of all, you can taste samples before you buy and the range usually starts with some pretty inexpensive table wines.

Street food is cheap in Nice. Try Socca, a savoury pancake which is great with a glass of rosé wine or try Petit Farcis, small stuffed vegetables.

Cannes on a Budget

Hanging out in Cannes during the Film Festival is free but it gets crowded around the red carpet area. Better sit back and watch the activity larger-than-life on the big screen on the Green. Cannes Tourism Office sells tickets to the Cinema de a Plage on the beach every evening but you need to get there early as they sell out fast. Hang around in bars, get chatting to those in the industry and you may get a comp ticket or join the crazies who dress up and stand outside the cinemas with signs hoping for a free ticket.

The best celebrity spotting is around the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel or around the marina as the rich and famous come and go from their floating palaces. Even when the film festival is over, Cannes is still all about the movie industry with hundreds of exhibitions and cinemas to visit.

Cannes is one place where even eating down a side street is not cheap. Ambience seems to be added to the bill! Belliard on rue Chabaud offers overpriced quiches and tarts to takeout and Citronelle on rue du Bivouac Napoleon does delicious sandwiches and smoothies at a price. The only way to eat cheaply in Cannes is by finding a pizzeria, shopping at the Monoprix supermarket or eating back at your holiday rental.

Monte Carlo on a Budget

If you visit Monte Carlo in May during the Grand Prix, many areas will unfortunately be off-limits to the hoi-poloi. The best you can hope for is to hear the cars speeding around the course as you sit on the beach. Cheapest tickets with some kind of standing view are “Rocker” tickets which starts at around €50. At other times it is fun to walk the Grand Prix route from the starting grid at the harbour, past the casino and through the tunnel to the finish line. 

Even the gorgeous Larvotto Beach is not free. Sun loungers are pricey and even if you sit on the beach you will be expected to buy drinks and may even have to make a prior reservation for the privilege! However it is a beautiful experience with a pier for diving in and warm clear waters with a man-made sandy bottom.

Visitors can stroll around the casino gardens and visit the Princess Grace Theatre. You can also look around the fabulous casino, but there is an entrance fee, even for gamblers. The Monaco Cathedral remains free to enter to see the grave of the Hollywood legend, Grace Kelly. The Princess Grace Rose Garden is also free to wander around and you can admire the grand Princes Palace while watching the changing of the guards.

The only cheapish place to eat is the Fontvieille Shopping Centre food court or pack a picnic and watch the boats come and go in this chic paradise.

And remember to take plenty of photographs of your stay to really impress your friends and colleagues!