This dispatch is part of From the Window Seat, a series of immersive, long-form personal trip reflections, in-depth destination pieces, and sharp hospitality evaluations grounded in firsthand reporting and personal experience.
Few locales are more seductive to me than the French Riviera. I feel called to France more so than any other place for reasons I haven’t totally figured out yet, so when I was planning my first-ever trip to Europe to celebrate turning 30 a couple of years ago, the South of France seemed like the obvious choice.
In the middle of May, we flew from New York’s JFK into Nice’s Côte d'Azur Airport for seven days in one of the world’s most luxurious regions. What followed were romantic coastline drives, cinematic hotel backdrops, awe-inspiring vistas, and a burgeoning (now full-blown) obsession with tarte tropézienne.
Read on for:
The exact hotels we stayed at—plus the one that inspired this whole trip
What to pack to blend in (and stand out) in the land of effortless chic
The best thing I ate, the biggest mistake we made, and the drink I’ll dream about forever
The apps, upgrades, and booking tips that made everything smoother
What I’d skip next time—and where I wish we’d stayed longer