Things to do in Menton

Menton is the last French town before the Italian border, a 35-45 minute train ride east of Nice along the coastal TER line via Villefranche and Monaco.

It has a quieter, less crowded feel than Monaco or Èze in high season, built around lemons rather than casinos: Jardin Serre de la Madone, the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange overlooking the old port, and the Musée Jean Cocteau. The town joined France in 1861, a year after Nice's own 1860 attachment.

Its Fête du Citron runs February-March, a separate event from Nice's own Carnival, which also falls in February. Old-town streets are steep and colourful, best explored on foot rather than by car.