If you have ogled at the wealthy idling around the French Riviera in their Ferraris and multi-million dollar yachts and thought you could never afford to go there, think again. With a little bit of savoir faire and planning you can skip along Europe’s most glitzy stretch of coastline without smashing your budget.

It’s really easy to rent a car or take the Combi van and do-it-yourself, but there is little need with the excellent public transport system. The buses are cheap and frequent and the trains fast and efficient. There are numerous stations along the coast and some of the most spectacular rail-side scenery anywhere in the world, including the renowned Nice to Monte Carlo run — a favourite of rail buffs the world over. St Tropez is one of the most famous resorts, but unfortunately the prices here match the wallets of the mega-rich visitors. A better bet is to head to the twin towns of St Raphael and Frejus.

They offer clean beaches and inexpensive restaurants that won’t destroy your budget. There is also an excellent youth hostel which is set in a picturesque wine valley. The hostel runs daily buses to the beaches and the train station. St Raphael has a great, sweeping stretch of clean sand, which always seems to have enough space to accommodate everyone, even on its busiest days. There aren’t many people in the world who haven’t heard of Cannes, but unfortunately its fame comes at a price — literally.

Many hopeful travellers arrive thinking prices will have plummeted after the end of the film festival.

They have, but are still way above the average budget traveller range, though there are a couple of cheaper hostels within walking distance from the railway station. Unless you want to shatter your budget the best idea is to make Cannes a day trip. There is not much to see outside the film festival and the beach is not the best in the region. A better option is to head further along the coast to Antibes, which is my personal favourite on the whole Cote D’Azur. Here you will discover a charming old town, replete with winding cobble streets and a castle, as well as an impressive marina and a couple of great beaches. To top it all, prices for everything are surprisingly cheap for the location. Antibes has got it all when it comes to night life — if you want a quiet night savouring a great meal, stick around the atmospheric town centre. If you’d rather have a wild night partying out on the town, head along to Juan-les-Pins, which is just a short walk around the coast. The night life here in summer is a match for anything that Nice has to offer. Moving steadily further east we come to Nice itself, the tourist epicentre of the Riviera.

On first sight you may wonder why it’s so popular as it lacks that crucial attraction that draws people to the Riviera — a sandy beach. Nice’s ramble of rocks may be nothing to look at, but the bubbling lifestyle that is on show all along the waterfront more than makes up for it with hawkers, street entertainers and stunt roller-bladers all spicing up the Promenade des Anglais. Just grab a seat and join in the people-watching frenzy. Unlike Cannes and St Tropez there are plenty of cheap hostels and pensions available in Nice and plenty of inexpensive eats to match. Culture vultures should check out the string of art galleries which showcase the works of Matisse, Chagall, Monet and Degas. The nightlife here is also the best on the whole coast. The old town streets around Vieux Nice buzz into life after the sun slips down over the Mediterranean, with every type of bar and club imaginable.

If you’re here to party this is the place to be. The stretch of coastline from Nice around to the principality of Monte Carlo is one of the finest stretches of coastal scenery anywhere in the world. The train skips through countless tunnels and sweeps around picturesque bays as it forces its way through the rugged terrain, all the time clinging as closely as it can to the balmy waters of the Mediterranean.

Next up is Monte Carlo, where money drips from every polished Porshe and gleams from every pair of designer shades. Many visitors often tend to feel a little out of place here, but in truth everyone who is not a millionaire will probably feel a touch intimidated. Monte Carlo can be covered in a day trip, but if you managed to land one of the coveted berths at the Monte Carlo youth hostel you can spend a night watching how the other half lives.

If you don’t manage to stay the night, don your best clothes and head for the Casino (entry £7) and you can revel in the plush surroundings and watch frighteningly rich people spend frighteningly large amounts on the roulette tables. Nothing then, is stopping you from mingling with the rich and famous. Hire a car or hop on a train, book a few hostels and you can laze around in this millionaire’s playground, staying weeks for what the other half fling away on Monte Carlo’s roulette wheels in one throw.

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