Nice Travel Blog: Table of Contents
Where, How?
Nice on C&C
Best Time To Visit Nice
Personal Notes
Where to Sleep
Let’s Eat!
Let’s Go For a Drink
What to See and Do
Tipping in Nice
Common Scams & What to Avoid
C&C’s Google Map of the City
Nice Travel Blog: Where, How?
Nice, France, Western Europe, Europe.
Population: 342 295 (2013)
Currency: Euro (€)
Airport(s)
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
Airport Notes: The airport is located 7 kilometres away from the city center. It has 2 terminals handling more than 12 million passengers every year. It also serves Monaco due to its close proximity.
Transportation to-and-from the airport: The airport is connected with Nice’s railway stations. You can also take the regular bus or, for a slightly higher price, Airport Express Bus.
Intra-City Transportation
There is only a single tram line in Nice. The best ways to move around are to take the bus or rent a bicycle for a really low price.
A Note on Taxis:
Always make sure the driver uses the meter and ask how roughly how much the journey will cost. Note that if you call a taxi, the meter starts running from wherever you are when you call.
Just like anywhere, Uber is cheaper and safer. If you don’t already have an account, use this link and get 15 dollars off your first ride!
Neighborhoods
Vieux Nice, the old town, is the city’s biggest attraction. There you will find Palais Lascaris and Cathédrale de Sainte Réparate. The New Town and its Promenade de Anglais is a must-see, and Cimiez is where the best museums are. For nice views and food head to The Port area, which is usually less crowded with tourists than other places.
Navigation tips: As a tourist in Nice, you will mostly travel between the old town and the central avenue. The two are divided by the Promenade du Paillon which is difficult to miss.
More About Nice on C&C
- NICE: LUXURY HOLIDAYS ARE WITHIN REACH
- ADDRESS BOOK: THE BEST OF NICE, FRANCE
- RESTAURANT PROFILE – LE VINGT4 IN NICE: GREAT WINES… GREAT FOOD… AND SMILES ALL AROUND
- HOTEL PROFILE – THE WINDSOR: ONE OF THE BEST NICE HOTELS
- RESTO PROFILE – LES GARÇONS IN NICE: A BACKSTREET LOOK WITH THE MENU OF A GOOD BISTRO
- RESTO PROFILE – LA P’TITE COCOTTE, NICE – THE ONLY PLACE TO EAT IN OLD NICE
- RESTAURANT JAN IN NICE: PERFECTION IS SOUTH AFRICAN
Best Time To Visit Nice
Average Monthly Minimum And Maximum Temperatures
Average Monthly Hours Of Sunshine
Average Monthly Rainfall Or Snowfall
Nice Travel Blog: Personal Notes
What’s This Place About?
Nice is on the Côte d’Azur, and it’s a city that’s all about the sea. It’s the point of reference, tourists flock there for that reason, and it has a beautiful laid-back and casual feel to it. There’s some beautiful architecture and great food to be had!
I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time in Nice. For me, this city represents a careless time of sitting on the pebble beach below the Promenade des Anglais at night, hiding a bottle of red in my bag and stealing sips of it when no one’s looking, and having great food everywhere I went.
It’s also right between Monaco and Cannes. There are plenty of reasons to visit this beautiful city!
Nice Travel Blog: Where to Eat in Nice
If you are in a hurry and don’t want to waste much time on searching where to eat in Nice, go here straight.
La Maïoun Guesthouse and Hostel Meyerbeer Beach are the only hostels I recommend in Nice. Both are very comfortable and clean. The first one is quite expensive for a hostel, but you get what you pay for.
Hotel Negresco is one of the most iconic hotels in Europe.
The mid-range hotels of my choice are Best Western Plus Hôtel Massena Nice, Hôtel Brice Garden and Hotel 64 Nice.
As for major chain hotels, there are AC Hotel Nice by Marriott, Le Meridien Nice and Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée.
I’ve personally visited Hotel WindsoR and I liked it a lot!
Just like everywhere, Airbnb is a very interesting option. If you’re not already a member, you can use this Airbnb link to get $40 off your first reservation. There are far too many options on where to eat in Nice. All you have to do is keep eyes and ears open.
Nice Travel Blog: Let’s Eat!
Famous Foods and Specialties
- Ratatouille – vegetable stew.
- Salade nicoise.
- Pissaladière – an anchovy and onion “pizza” – it’s in fact pizza’s ancestor
- The large majority of French classics
The Best Drunk Food
- Kebabs, of course
Our Suggestions – Dishes And Restaurants
I was lucky enough to visit a few exceptional restaurants in Nice. They’re all listed in this article: ADDRESS BOOK: THE BEST OF NICE, FRANCE. Don’t look for where to eat in Nice far away from a good restaurant and dining options.
I can’t recommend enough Le Vingt4. The generosity of the people at this restaurant is stunning.
My meal at JAN is one of the best I’ve had in France ever.
Remember: there are plenty of tourist traps in Nice. Simply avoid eating at any restaurant on the pedestrian rue Massena.
The restaurant called Flaveur is on my list: next time I go to Nice, I’ll be eating there for sure.
Nice Travel Blog: Let’s Go For a Drink
What Do the Locals Drink?
All kinds of wine. Also apéritif, which is usually a cocktail, drunk before meals.
Drinking in Public
Drinking in public is forbidden in France.
Our Suggestions – Bars and Pubs
Nice is full of bars, restaurants and pubs where you can drink to your heart’s content.
When you decide on where to eat in Nice, keep in mind the bar and beverage options available.
Snug and Cellar Bar (22 rue Droite) is a nice, cozy place perfect for a drink before going out. What makes it even better is that happy hour lasts from 8 to 10 p.m.!
Beau Rivage (Promende de Anglais), a beach bar next to a hotel, offers great views, reasonable prices and relaxing atmosphere. You can also hire a sun lounger.
l’Effervescence (10 Rue de la Loge), based in a converted wine cellar, serves a great range of France’s iconic drink, champagne – not this sparkling wine you will find everywhere.
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
Le Negresco Hotel (37 Promenade des Anglais) hosts Nice’s most iconic bar (it’s also located in a stunningly beautiful hotel). Featuring antique woodwork and great cocktails and cognac, it certainly isn’t cheap. Still, it is affordable.
As regular readers of this column know, I don’t know anything about clubs. Sorry!
Nice Travel Blog: What to See and Do
When you pick your option on where to eat in Nice based on what you want to do and see in the city.
Promenade des Anglais is 7 kilometres long and offers beatiful views, pebbly beaches and many bars. It is also a favored place for locals to relax during weekends. Cours Saleya, the other Nice’s famed street, is where the flower market lies, with fresh fruit and vegetables available.
Musée Matisse is a museum dedicated to Henri Matisse – it displays his paintings, drawings, sculptures and some photos and artifacts from artist’s personal collection. Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain is located in the very center of Nice and features a large collection of modern art.
Parc du Chateau is the highest altitude in old town, offering breathtaking view, alongside its remnants of castle.
If you are tired of noise and looking for a place to relax, Nice’s olive grove welcomes you. It is a secluded, relatively small park with many areas fit for picnicking!
Carnaval de Nice is one of the largest in the world. Every year since 1872, thousands people come there to enjoy many attractions, including Parade of Lights and ‘flower battles’ that happen few times throughout the event.
Tipping in Nice
Just like in most of Europe, no tip is expected but it is always a nice gesture. You can tip 7-10% of the total cost of the bill if you have received good service.
Nice Travel Blog: Common Scams & What to Avoid
France isn’t the safest country on earth. That being said, Nice is a smallish coastal city that sees a lot of tourism and its main downtown areas – Old Nice, the rue Massena area and the Promenade des Anglais – are all very safe. When you decide on where to eat in Nice, be sure to avoid these places.
Regular warnings apply.
How to Stay Safe: Tips and Tricks
READ MORE: Travel Canada Advisory for France.