Villa Gea

Suggested General Activities

• Monaco/Eze - take a guided sightseeing trip to Monaco or Eze
• Market trip - enjoy a market in a town close to your villa and buy finest meats, olive, oils, wines and cheese of the region
• Private Art Class - try your hand at landscape painting as a professional artist teaches you the fundamentals in your own villa for a half or full day
• Luxury yacht - charter a luxury yacht, powerful speedboat or traditional sail boat and truly immerse within the culture of this cosmopolitan and chic region. Arriving by boat at Club 55 (St Tropez) and other beach restaurants is extra fun!
  
• F1 Experience - get privately chauffeured to the region of the Var; home to an FIA approved circuit. Tour through the garages, observe mechanics at work, before heading out to the track with expert drivers to study its corners and cambers and pick up top tips
• Explore the beautiful medieval villages of Ramatuelle, Gassin and Grimaud and the 'arriere pays' in the Provencal hills
  

Suggested Sporting Activities

• Cycling - France provides wide, empty roads and flat or rolling countryside suitable for biking
• Boules - this typical French game can be played nearly everywhere; many towns provide dirt, gravel, hard-packed sand squares as playing surface for boules. The famous squares in St Paul de Vence and St Tropez are particularly enjoyable places to enjoy a game of boules
  
• Hiking - plenty of hiking paths are found throughout southern France, notably  the Var region, including the Chemin des Douaniers around the St Tropez peninsula
• Windsurfing - five excellent windsurfing schools with rental facilities for equipment can be found (St Tropez/Pampelonne or Theoule-sur-Mer)
• Waterskiing - try waterskiing at a water sports school in St Tropez (Pampelonne Beach) or Theoule-sur-Mer
• Swimming - take a swim in the sea and discover one of many beaches around St Tropez, Nice or Cannes
• Golf - approximately 20 golf courses can be found in this region. The temperate climate means golf can be played all year round, perfect for an off-season break. Beauvallon, an 18 hole course, has stunning sea views
  
• Scuba Diving - there are diving centres at St Tropez, Ramatuelle and Theoule-sur-Mer
• Tennis - Tennis courts are reasonably numerous throughout the region, including those at St Tropez, l'Escalet and Theoule-sur-Mer
• Sailing & Kayaking - boats may be rented from various points along the Cote d'Azur, including l'Escalet, Ramatuelle
  

Selection of local attractions

• Nice, Cours Saleya Market - Tuesday to Sunday mornings
• Nice, Fine Arts Museum - Open all year round
• Nice, Musee d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain - Open all year round
• Nice, Palais de la Mediterranee
• Nice, Old Town of Nice (Vieille Ville)
• St Tropez, The Musée de l'Annonciade (Annunciation Museum) - the museum displays a number of Impressionist paintings - closed in November
• St Tropez, The Musée de la Citadelle
  
• St Tropez, The house of Butterflies - Open from April to October
• St Tropez, Fish Market - Open every morning
• St Tropez, La Cave de Saint-Tropez (Wine Domain) - Open all year round
• Monaco, Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium - Open all year round
• Monaco, Exotic Garden - Open all year round
• Monaco, Wax Museum of the Princes of Monaco - Open all year round
• Monaco, Prince’s Palace (State Apartments) - Open from June to October
• Grasse, International Museum of Perfume - Open all year round
• Grasse, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence - Open all year round
• Grasse, Church of Placassier
• Visit the unspoilt islands of Port Cros and Porquerolles, where there are great nature reserves, super seaside restaurants and good snorkelling
  

Time Zone

GMT +1 hour

Language

French

Currency Information

The official currency is the Euro (€). Coins are available in 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50, cent , €1 & €2 denominations. Notes are available in €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500 denominations.

Money Matters

Travellers cheques are widely accepted for exchange or purchase in major cities, but in more rural areas, visit a bank to exchange them for Euros. Major credit cards are widely accepted here (though a limited number of merchants have American Express accounts) and ATM access is widespread. Exchange currency only at authorized outlets such as banks and hotels, and exchange only what you think you will spend in-country. Coins cannot be reconverted on departure. Save all receipts from any currency exchange transaction. You may be asked to produce them when you exit the country, and they are required if you intend to reconvert local currency.

Tipping Suggestions

Tips in restaurants are usually added on at 10/15 % of the bill. However, it is often a subject of controversy whether this amount actually goes to the waiter or not, therefore it is your choice whether to tip more.

Arrival & Departure Formalities

Travel documents are your responsibility. In general you should have:

• A signed, valid passport that will remain valid for at least 6 months beyond the completion of your trip. Your passport must have enough blank pages (excluding amendment pages) available for entry and exit stamps issued when entering and exiting immigration points.
• Visas are required for certain nationalities and you are strongly advised to check your status allowing plenty of time for visa application.

Weather

Due to its favourable climate and geography Côte d'Azur has an average of 300 sunny days, an average temperature of 16°C and short but periodical rain-showers. During summer it can be very hot with average temperature of 27ºC and about 11 hours of sun a day. The average water temperature in the summer months is about 20ºC. In autumn and spring you can rely on warm weather as well. With around 8 hours of sun per day, these seasons are quite mild as well. By the Mediterranean climate the winters are pleasant.

Health

It is advisable to contact your doctor before you travel if you have any specific health concerns and take out appropriate travel and medical insurance.

Electricity

Electrical service in France is supplied at 220-240 volts/50 hertz.

Driving InfoRMATION

• Traffic from the RIGHT has right of way, except at roundabouts or if the road has a white line across it.
• Passport or national ID as well as driver's license/insurance papers/ownership papers must be carried all the time.
• National speed limit is 50kmh (31mph) in towns, 90kmh (56mph) on secondary non-urban highways, 110kmh (68mph) on dual carriageways, 130kmh (80mph) on motorways (auto route).
• Speeding fines: 30 – 300 Euros.
• Minimum driving age is 18.
• For use of the highways (auto route) it is invariably necessary to pay a toll before access. Payment can be made by coins or by credit card.
• There are strict laws concerning drinking and driving. Blood alcohol levels must not exceed 0.05%. There are random breathalyser tests carried out regularly by the police.
• An international driving licence is not required for European citizens. Your locally issued driving licence, as long as it is accompanied by the passport, will suffice.