Cap d'Ail is a small town in the south of
France between
Nice and
Monaco, and one of the nicer places to spend a few nights if you are
backpacking around
Europe.
There is a wonderful hostel there with a great terrasse which overlooks the Mediterranean. The hostel itself is actually a villa, nestled between multi-million dollar estates. It is hard to believe such a beautiful place is available to cash-strapped wanderers. Indeed, the time you spend here will seem magical and too short (they limit your stay at the hostel to three nights). The hostel manager is a great cook, and for a few bucks you can eat a great meal on the terrasse with fellow travellers. There are beaches just a short distance away, but you can swim pretty much anywhere off the rocks. During the summer, you can catch live open air Jazz concerts on Tuesdays at one of the beaches.
If you feel like tasting the high-life, Monte Carlo is only a 20-minute walk along the sea wall.
Hostel Information:
Relais International de la Jeunesse
ph. +33 4.93.78.18.58
Access: Take the train East from Nice, get off at Cap d'Ail. You will find signs pointing the way to the hostel (about a 5 minute walk).