Stop over: Nice

Sitting at the edge of the Mediterranean on the Cote d'Azur, Nice is a region of beauty and diversity. It is also the playground of the rich and famous but that doesn't mean the Champagne lifestyle of the South of France is out of reach for the rest of us.

Here are some ideas to live like the A-list and enjoy all the South of France has to offer.

Scoot around
The long Promenade des Anglais, which curves around the water's edge of the Bay of Angels, is a stretch of footpath dotted with palm trees that has been popular since the first section was built in the 1820s. Hire a bike, rollerblades, scooter or even a skateboard and whizz along it in cool style. Or, if you'd prefer to let someone else do the driving, spend a couple of hours seeing Nice from the back of a classic Citroen 2CV soft-top car. The experienced drivers will point out all the important sights.

Sweet smell
All the starlets have their own perfume, so why not create your own signature scent? The historic Maison Molinard was founded in Grasse, about a 40-minute drive from Nice, in 1849, and remains a family-run perfumery to this day. Become a budding alchemist and combine essences to create a bottle of your own reminder of the Mediterranean.

Meet the locals
Locals know all the secret spots and the Greeter concept lets visitors tap into their expert knowledge. Book an informal, tailor-made guided tour with one of the passionate residents, the only rule: it must be off the beaten track and they cannot take you on a tour with a heritage theme. nice-greeters.com

Art by tram
The relatively new tram system is a bit of fun, especially in the evening. Travel through Nice on the tramway after dark and follow the guided itinerary of 13 works created by world-renowned artists that give the urban landscape its distinctive style. It will shed new light on the city.

Eat - then drink - like royalty
Start the day with a cooking class, where you tour the markets before tackling some traditional French classics under the watchful eye of a local chef. And end things with a two-hour Provencal wine-tasting tour, guided by an English-speaking sommelier. Bon appetit.

• en.nicetourisme.com