Is the French Riviera worth it, or too crowded?
The Riviera is worth it when you choose the right base and accept that summer has a machine around it. Go for coast, light, trains and town-hopping; skip it if you want quiet beaches without strategy.
Answer
The Côte d’Azur is famous for reasons that still hold: sea light, old towns, rail-linked coast, museum days and long evenings near the water. The friction is also real. Summer brings crowds, heat, higher prices, busy trains and beaches that may not match the empty-blue fantasy. The better trip chooses a base carefully, starts early, uses rail for short hops and gives up on seeing every town. The Riviera is not ruined by popularity; it is ruined by pretending popularity will not affect your days.