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        <title>Been there | Tips</title>
        
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        <description>
            Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love,
            live in or have just visited - are what make this guide.
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                <title>Cote d'Azur for fun</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23166</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[The French Riviera and in particular Nice, Cannes and those areas are always good to visit, but I want to recommend the town of Valbonne. I had a really nice stay there a while ago and resided in a villa nearby that had its own pool and tennis court. Nearby is Grasse for perfume and shopping, Mougins and of course Cannes and long sandy beaches. I can certainly recommend this area.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Auberge de La Penne</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21857</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[This is a great auberge (hotel-restaurant) just above Nice in a cute little provincial village just one hours drive. But it's worth it. The view is magnificent and so is the food. The french chef really makes you feel how he loves what he does. Everything is homemade with fresh produce, which in the summer, comes from the organic farm which he runs with his english wife.  Good value too! Menu 31 and 36 euros. But you must reserve as they're very popular on the weekend and during the summer.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Riviera rental</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18516</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Range of accommodation from studios and two/three bedroom apartments with sea views on the beachfront. Three or five bedroom villas in Nice or Cannes for all budgets for your summer holiday or winter break on the French Riviera. Personal and friendly service with airport pick-up on arrival with guided drive to your holiday apartment.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Chez Riviera</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17717</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[There are hundreds of estate agents along the French Riviera. I have dealt with these in the recent past and my experience was very positive. They are fully registered estate agents, so the buyer is protected.<br><br>They don't do rentals themselves but can put you in touch with property managers who can organise a great apartment to rent for a week or so!<br><br>Just a quick tip. Hope it helps someone.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Nice Pebbles</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17594</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[A very reliable, friendly rental service run by Matthew, Gale and Annina. It is the third time we have stayed with Nice Pebbles and we can't recommend them highly enough. Part of the job is easy since they are promoting such a great place, but you can't fault their commitment and attention to detail on the apartments we have stayed in.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Book direct with owners</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11488</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[I do believe there is so much investment in Nice from foreigners, that there are ample opportunities to rent your apartment direct with an English speaking owner. <br><br>Gone are the days where the agent is king. The direct approach seems to me to have more choice and it is more cost effective. I booked direct with a stunning apartment just a couple of streets from the famous Negresco Hotel and one minute from the beach. I got an excellent two week deal with a pretty good discount. <br><br>I did scour around whilst I was there to get prices for hotels. Every thing at the time of my trip was over €100 per night for a double room. I paid €65 per night, plus I had all the comforts of my own kitchen and plenty of space.<br><br>So in all I saved €490 for the two week period, which effectively made our flights free and gave us a couple of decent nights out in town. <br><br>We eventually booked with a couple who have lived there for over three years. They handled everything professionally and we were very impressed. We will be back for sure. There are plenty of sources on the web to find owners but we did find this particular couple very friendly and professional.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Villa la Tour Hotel</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10265</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[This is a small, friendly hotel in the Old Town. I am not usually a fan of hotels, I prefer apartments these days, but I needed to pop to Nice for just two days and Villa la Tour was recommended to me. It is right in the Old Town on Rue de la Tour. It has less than 10 rooms and used to be a nunnery until the owners converted it. The lady who runs it used to work at the Negresso and she has customer service sewn up. They have their own website if you need to look them up. A cute and reasonably well-decorated place to stay for a short break.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Nice Pebbles</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10012</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Nice Pebbles rents out apartments to holidaymakers. Friendly, fantastic service and superb apartments. As it was our honeymoon there were flowers, champagne and chocolates for our arrival. We also had waffle robes. We stayed in Alexandre Mari, so incredibly special with views of all of Nice. The restaurants they recommended to us were also very very good, especially Oliviera on Rue de Collet in the Old Town.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Beware when renting an apartment</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8542</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Be wary when selecting property rental companies. Try to get as much information as possible about the property before you arrive.<br><br>We stayed in Nice for a week last year with accommodation organised by TotallyNice, a rental company. Unfortunately, the apartment was entirely unsuitable for us. It was located near the train station, which turned out to be one of the most dangerous areas of Nice, and the neighbours downstairs were a nightmare, playing loud music until 5am.<br><br>For anybody booking an apartment in Nice: the 'undesirable neighbourhoods' are the area near the train station, the port and Malaussena. Anywhere else in the centre of town seemed perfectly safe.<br><br>Personally, I plan to avoid using 'rental companies' in the future, and approach the property owner directly.<br><br>However, don't let my bad experience put anybody off Nice. I had a wonderful time there and I plan to return very shortly. It's a beautiful city.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Tourist Advice Bureau</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6003</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Free, cheerful help to find accommodation within your budget. The multilingual staff will ring likely places for you to make sure there is a vacancy and are especially good at finding cheap rooms in the old city.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Hotel Le Grimaldi</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5994</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[A real gem of a hotel with diamond staff too. Beautifully finished rooms offer an inviting and intimate experience. It's incredible value: a boutique hotel yet budget price.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Hotel Notre Dame</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5940</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Small, reasonably priced and clean 1-star hotel (but deserves 2) in a very central location between the seaside and the railway station - and great value for money.  <br><br>Recommended by lots of major guide books. <br><br>Kevin, the friendly British owner, has a blog with tips on visiting the Riviera on his website, which makes for an interesting read.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Hotel St Georges</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5903</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[A two-star hotel located near the railway station (SNCF) off Jean Medecin. <br><br>It’s a small family-run place with 30 rooms tastefully decorated and adequately sized. <br><br>Good price range for well-maintained and secure location. <br><br>The friendly multi-lingual manager offers guests every assistance to ensure they have an enjoyable stay.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Le Grimaldi</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/818</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Good hotel far enough from the seafront to be calm and near enough to pop down in your swimmers. Good value - standard rooms at under 100 euros a night a double.]]></description>
                
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