On a budget - Backpackers youth hostel
As you travel around Europe, you'll find many college students or recent grads wandering around with their backpacks strapped on, sleeping on trains and in youth hostels to save money. Unfortunately, you won't find many of them on the riviera: while the Cote d'Azur is beautiful, it's definitely not in the budget of most students. There are, however, a few hostels, mostly in the major metropolis of Nice, that welcome college students. You can easily stay in Nice and take day trips to the nearby villages and towns of the riviera, or else do as the locals do, and pull a nuit blanche or all-nighter in one of the towns before going back to your hostel in Nice in the morning to sleep it off!
Villa Saint-Exupery
The Villa Saint-Exupery, so named for the famed writer of Le Petit Prince, is actually a converted monastery located within a private park in Nice. This hostel is well-rated with international hostel review teams worldwide. It offers a free, unlimited breakfast as well as a cheap bar and free Internet - all great things for those looking to save a few bucks while on the riviera! In addition to all the free stuff, the hostel also offers a different experience from most hostels: it is family-run with excellent staff and a great atmosphere, and the setting means that the lounge of the hostel is decorated with stained-glass windows, and the park surrounding it is quiet and peaceful. All in all, the Villa Saint-Exupery is one of the best places to base yourselves while traveling around the riviera... the only downfall is the distance from the city center, but the hostel itself provides a free bus shuttle service.
Home Sweet Home
For something a bit more private also in Nice, try the Home Sweet Home bed and breakfast, located in the historic old part of the city and within walking distance of the beach. The Home Sweet Home B&B is in a renovated 19th century building and provides private rooms for those who are not too keen on sharing a dorm with half a dozen snoring backpackers. It has the added bonus of being extremely central - great for exploring the city!
Hostel Menton
If you'd rather venture out of Nice, try the Hostel Menton, right next to the border with Italy. The hostel is located within the municipal campsite, less than two kilometers from the Menton city center. The hostel offers free breakfast with your bed (less than 18 euros!) and an option to eat dinner with the other 80-some-odd guests. You can quickly reach the Medieval quarter, the beach or the foothills of the Alps, and you're sure to make fast friends with the other travelers staying here.
