The Cote D'Azur is the term that refers to the French Riviera and encompasses - among others - the three cities Nice, Cannes, and Monaco. The latter is a "Principality", which is self-governed and sovereign from the rest of France.
The area is served by Nice Cote D'Azur International Airport, which is approximately 2 hours flight from the UK. Although, this is slightly dependent upon the airport you depart from. Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, and Stansted would all fall into this travel category, where as Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester would all be closer to 2 ½ hours travel time.
Due to the close proximity of the three cities mentioned, I have never been to this region of France without visiting all three together!! Although, of the 3, Nice is probably the city I have spent the least amount of time, maybe because it is located in the middle of the three, with Cannes to the west and Monaco to the east.
NICE
Population: Nice is the 5th largest city in France, with a population of approximately 350,000.

Located in Southern Europe at the southeastern extremity of France, Nice is a privileged crossroads between the Alps, Provence, Corsica and Italy. The city occupies an exceptional natural site in the heart of the French Riviera. It stretches over a coastal plain open southward onto the Mediterranean and bounded from East to West by a succession of wooded hills. In the background, rise the first peaks of the Alpine foothills, some reaching over 9,000 foot above sea level, only 31 miles from the coast.
Prior to 1860, when Nice became French, the city was independent with very strong links to Italy. The Greeks founded Nice, before the Romans took it and in fact, the word 'Nice' is derived from 'Nikaia', which is the Greek word for 'Victory'. The border of the city was the 'River Var'. There is a very large English influence throughout the city because Queen Victoria often visited Nice during the summer months - you can see the hotel in the 'Cimiez' district - and you will find that many road names, for example, are named accordingly i.e. 'Promenade des Anglais'.
The symbol of Nice is The Eagle. However, it's not a bald one like Spence! lol (Sorry mate, couldn't resist !!)

• Airport is located in Nice and a very short (10 minutes) transfer into the centre
• Approximately 11,000 3-star and above hotel bedrooms
• 5th largest city in France
• Diverse culture
• An abundance of shops and restaurants
• Coastal location
• Weather ~ Sun and moderate to hot weather from early March until late October
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  Cons of the Destination:
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• The hotels are not that large; with the Radisson being the largest with only 350 bedrooms.
• High cost in peak season
• Peak seasons can be a very over-crowded on the beaches!

• French
• Nicoise - which is now making a resurgence as many of the younger generation are taking pride in their local history and do not want the language to become obsolete
• Italian - many Italians have holiday homes in Nice and therefore the language is quite prevalent in some parts of the city.
  In honesty, this whole Mediterranean region has language similarities from Italy, along the French coast, to Spain and the Basque and Catalan regions, where I know from experience that people can often get away with speaking Italian to someone who doesn't and yet be understood …. Near enough! Quite impressive considering no one understands us Scousers, Geordies, or the Scottish in England!
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  Transportation:
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With more than 8 million passengers, 2 terminals, nearly 45 scheduled airline companies and nearly 80 direct flights; Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is France's second intercontinental airport.
7 kilometers from the city centre, the airport has regular bus links to the centre of Nice and to the main towns on the Riviera. Many taxis are also at the disposal of travelers, although this can be an expensive option of reaching neighbouring towns/cities.
There are also helicopter links from Nice Airport to Monaco, Cannes & Saint-Tropez. In fact, the helicopter option is pretty excellent way to travel to and from Monaco, but the cities do experience fairly gusty winds and helicopter transfers can from time to time be cancelled due to safety reasons. Plus, they are very expensive and generally only utilised by major corporate clients, super rich-folk and Hollywood film stars. I don't fall into any of those categories, but have been fortunate enough to take the Helicopter transfer from Monaco back to Nice, after I had been to the Monaco Grand Prix back in 2001. I couldn't tell you the cost I am afraid, as I didn't pay! The transfer time was approximately 12-15 minutes, which is around half the time it takes by road.
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Climate:
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Nice has the advantage of an exceptional microclimate, which has contributed to its worldwide renown for almost 200 years. Although the city opens onto the sea, Nice is protected from the wind by the surrounding hills and the Esterel Mountains to the west, and the northwestern barrier of the Mercantour Alps. The sea breezes give a mild climate in the winter and reduce the heat in the summer. It is not unusual to lunch outdoors in the Cours Saleya in a T-Shirt in February, while the rest of France is shivering in the cold!!
Now, I actually wrote that last paragraph for a work review 6-years ago and what strikes me regarding the paragraph and what I had factually reported at the time does appear inaccurate in some senses since I have been back. It is true that the city of Nice itself is actually well shielded from the winds, but I can assure you that Nice Airport itself isn't, and is probably one of the windiest airports I have ever flown into. On my 3rd or 4th visit 5 years ago, the plane - approaching from the west - was literally inches from the runway, when I felt a sudden thrust (waheeeyyyy!!!) and the plane had accelerated and pulled up again, shooting beyond the runway, much to the fear of many of the passengers on board at the time. That's not to say they jumped off fearing for their lives by the way!
The plane circled for 10-15 minutes and then approached from the east side of the airport, which is a more dangerous approach because you can't get a straight enough line in at the runway because of the coast and mountains, so it proved to be one of the shakiest and evidently nervous (for some) landings I have ever had. I must admit that in some strange way, I was loving it in the same way as a rollercoaster ride, never for a minute thinking I was in any mortal danger, other than from any loose baggage that may have fallen from the overhead compartments onto my ikle noggin!
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Average Monthly Temperatures:
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January: 8.7 °C to 13.6 °C
February: 9.4 °C to 13.1 °C
March: 10.9 °C to 13.3 °C
April: 13.2 °C to 14.2 °C
May: 16.4 °C to 17.2 °C
June: 19.9 °C to 20.4 °C
July: 22.9 °C to 23.8 °C
August: 23.0 °C to 25.2 °C
September: 20.5 °C to 22.5 °C
October: 17.0 °C to 19.9 °C
November: 12.4 °C to 17.3 °C
December: 9.6 °C to 14.9 °C
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Places of Interest:
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The main hotel groups represented in Nice are as follows:

There are also a number of independently owned and operated hotels, such as the famous "Negresco" along the waterfront, between the Le Meridien and Radisson SAS hotels, and a number of guest houses and other lodgings available in and around Nice and close by in Provence.

• 2nd largest centre for Tourism in France
• Over 3.2 million visitors during 1999
• 2nd airport in France, with more than 8 million passengers a year, connecting to 80 destinations in 28 countries
• Top cruising port in France: 193,780 passengers used the Port of Nice Villefranche in 1999, including 55,116 cruise passengers for Nice alone
• 2nd Congress and Convention City in France with the Acropolis voted several times Best Convention Centre in Europe. In 1999, 112,000 delegates attended professional events and an overall total of 495,000 to all events.
• 19 museums and galleries (largest after Paris)
• 2nd largest hotel facilities in France, making up a third of the total hotel capacity of the French Riviera, with 190 hotels and some 10,000 rooms: 21-four star hotels & 57-three star hotels
  CANNES:
  Population: 70,000
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  Destination Details:
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  Cannes is at the heart of Southern Europe and as such forms an international crossroads from which the Capitals of Europe can be reached in less than 2 hours using the many easy means of access.
  Cannes as a destination attracts approximately 2 million tourists & business delegates per year and is ideally located on the French Riviera or "Cote D'Azur", approximately 30-50 minutes by road from Nice International Airport, which is the 2nd largest International airport in France*.
  Pictures of Cote D'Azur, South of France

  

  Me & Ferrari

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  Famous for the film festival, Cannes also hosts numerous prestigious trade fairs / exhibitions throughout the year at the "Palais des Festivals et des Congres", which is located on the sea front along "La Croisette" - the main street of Cannes.
  It is here at the "Palais des Festivals" that the Cannes film festival actually takes place, and I was only here during the last film festival, the weekend prior to the last Cannes film festival (2006).
  · Please refer to the section on Nice for broader details.
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  Pro's of Destination
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• Climate / Sea / Mountains / Islands
• Ambiance
• Cheaper than Monaco
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  Cons of Destination
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• 100 days of Festivals / Congresses
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  Transportation:
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  None of the hotels are able to offer shuttle bus services due to the council owned taxi companies whose livelihood would be greatly affected by such a service. However, there are good bus & train links along the whole Cote D'Azur.
  A regular shuttle bus along the motorway serves the International Airport, located 17 miles from Cannes - this takes between 30-50 minutes dependent on traffic and costs approximately 20 Euros per person. Conversely, the same journey in a taxi would cost 90-100 Euros. Cannes train station is served by international trains (Trains Bleus: the Paris-Nice-Ventimiglia Express, TEE: the Trans Europe Express and TGV: high-speed trains). Cannes can also be accessed from the A8 Esterel Motorway.
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  Government / Political Situation:
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  Cannes has a Mayor who is elected to office. This is very important in French Law, unlike UK law, as the Mayor has tremendous power.
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  Places of Interest:
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  In the 5th Century a local Island saw the arrival of monk Honoratus where he founded an Abbey. Between the 10th - 19th Centuries, the settlement developed further and saw the expansion of fishing & culture. The island is now known as "Saint-Honorat" and Wine Tasting is available at the Monestry.
  Between 1687-1698 the prison of the "Fort Royal" on the island of "Sainte-Marguerite" imprisoned the famous "Man in the Iron Mask". Themed evenings allow delegates to "Travel back in time and experience the atmosphere of the 17th century at the 'Fort Royal' on the Island of Sainte-Marguerite …"
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  Main hotel groups represented in Cannes:
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  1. Inter-Continental
  2. Hilton
  3. Concorde
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  Unique or Little-known locations of great prestige:
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  The following are details on unique or little-known destinations of great prestige, which are perfect for gala dinners, cocktail parties and receptions for 20 to over 4,000 guests:
  
• Rotonde Riviera:
  Located at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. The hall is situated on the ground floor of the "Palais" extension with a panoramic view from "Illes de Leirns" to the "Vieux Port" - accommodating up to 2,300 guests for dinner.
• Marché Forville:
  A stone's throw from the "Palais des Festivals et des Congres", this is a unique area perfect for recreating a Mediterranean atmosphere - accommodating up to 1,500 guests for dinner.
• Salon des Ambassadeurs:
  The room is located on the top floor of the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, overlooking Cannes bay - ideal for gala dinners, accommodating up to 1,000 guests.
• Fort Vauban:
  An open-air site on the Island of Sainte-Marguerite, 15 minutes by boat from the centre of Cannes. The "Fort Vauban" was the prison of the mysterious "Man in the Iron Mask" - accommodates up to 1,200 guests for dinner.
• Beaches:
  The beaches of Cannes can offer the option of private evenings with fireworks and laser shows, held on the beach for numbers up to 4,000.
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  Restaurants:
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  Cannes is very much a gastronomic destination, the stage for many talented chefs to display their skills in front of the many stars who visit the town during the annual film festival.
  There are over 20 restaurants listed in the Michelin guide and the GaultMillau guide.
  For groups of 10 to 350 guests, you may personalise your functions in one of the many restaurants in Cannes. The choice is varied from traditional cuisine in a typical setting to specialities from around the world.
  There are also a number of back street restaurants that are very popular and can set a very romantic mood, with good food and good wine.
  I enjoyed a romantic meal with a French girl a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening during the film festival, and we did not need to book the restaurant. The food was good, as was the wine, and the company even better ! However, the latter is not something you can pay for off of a menu… not in this city anyway! ;-)
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  Activities:
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  There are a whole host of activities available in Cannes, especially as the bay allows for nautical activities as well as aquatic activities.
  For a start there are 10 golf courses situated around Cannes and numerous tennis courts. Groups can go on treasure hunts around the Islands, enjoy one of the many fishing expeditions in the area, participate in regattas in the bay, create their own perfume, go white water rafting, rallying, mountain biking, trekking or rock climbing.
  MONACO
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  Population:
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  30,000 - 6,000 of who are Monegasque. Something like 12,000 people travel to Monaco to work every day.
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  Destination Details:
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  Monaco - home of the world's most famous Formula 1 Grand Prix is the 2nd smallest principality in the world (after the Vatican in Rome).
  Situated in the far south-east corner of France, the Principality of Monaco stretches along a narrow four kilometre strip of coast, along the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the southern Alps.
  Its particularly mild and temperate climate together with an exceptional amount of sunshine - more than 300 days per year - make it a very welcoming place.
  The principality of Monaco is a completely independent and sovereign state and a member of the United Nations. This independence, unequivocally recognised since the 16th century, was won, then protected thanks to the intelligence, courage and tenacity of the Grimaldi dynasty, which has ruled the Rock for more than … 700 years!
  All year round, the Principality of Monaco is the setting for numerous events and dazzling festivities, which include artistic, cultural and sporting occasions. Despite its size and with no natural resources, the Principality of Monaco has over the last 30 years experienced exceptional and consistent growth, thanks to the policies of its Sovereign, H.S.H. Prince Rainier III.
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  Pro's of Destination:
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• Very safe & secure, due to all the security cameras / Very little crime
• Easily accessible & unique destination.
• Climate / 300 days of sun
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  Con's of Destination:
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• Cost of living
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  Languages:
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  French is the Mother tongue, although Italian is widely spoken due to the large numbers of Italian's living and working within the Principality. The Italian Border is very close to the principality.
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  Dress Codes:
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  Due to the nature of the destination, the dress code is generally smart casual, unless you are spending the day in the beach. I state this because the famous Casino expects gentleman, for example, to wear a jacket & tie.
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  Transportation:
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  Nice International airport is approximately 20-30 minutes by road or a 7 minutes' flight away. 2 helicopter companies offer a service, seven days a week, operating 165 daily transfer flights which connect perfectly with all national and international flights, a facility enjoyed by some 12,000 passengers a year. The cost per person for a flight is 90-100 Euros and includes a complimentary shuttle service to the hotel that is accommodating the guests.
  
  The hotels and properties, which are owned by Societe des Bains de Mer (Hotel Hermitage, Hotel de Paris, The Thermes Marins, The Winter Sporting Complex, Hotel Mirabeau & Monte Carlo Beach Hotel) have a shuttle service which runs between the hotels and to and from the airport. The remainder of the hotels have no such service, and will cost between 110-130 Euros in a taxi to the airport, taking approximately 30 minutes.
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  Government / Political Situation
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  As detailed above, the Grimaldi family has ruled over the principality for over 700 years with H.S.H. Prince Rainier III reigning as the current sovereign.
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  High Season & Low Season:
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  Monaco is a very sought after destination - May, June, September & October are the peak months. However, the hotels still run at 70% occupancy from November - March.
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  Places of Interest:
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  1. The world famous Casino of Monte-Carlo
  2. The Palace - Changing of the guard every day at 12:00
  3. Exotic Garden
  4. Oceangraphic Museum
  5. Car Museum
  6. The streets of the principality, which make up the circuit of the famous Grand Prix

Thanks fo reading !