January 14, 2023
Nice travel guide (perfect for first time visitors)
Nice travel guide: our guide covers everything you need to know to plan the ultimate trip to this bucket list destination. If you’re wanting to explore the French Riviera, we definitely recommend making Nice your home base. This is especially true if you’re planning on traveling around by public transport. Nice has an incredible amount of connections to nearby towns and villages by train and bus at very affordable rates. In fact, most places on the Cote d’Azur can be reached from Nice.
Our Nice travel guide covers all the best villages and towns nearby to Nice that we think should be on any south of France itinerary. We provide information on how to get to Nice, how to get around, what day trips to take and all the best highlights of Nice itself.
If you’re looking for more guides to southern France we have plenty available. Guides include a 10 day south of France itinerary (by public transport), city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille, Cassis, Marseille, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Monaco, and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
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Other guides for South of France:
Tip: avoid the biggest mistake we made. If you ask for water at a restaurant they will give you bottled still or sparkling water. They will never bring you free tap water. To save yourself the money, ask for a carafe of water by saying the following ‘carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît’.
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In this article
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What to see and do in NiceWhat to see and do in Nice
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What to pack for NiceWhat to pack for Nice
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Where to stayWhere to stay
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How to get to NiceHow to get to Nice
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Getting around NiceGetting around Nice
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When to visit NiceWhen to visit Nice
Nice travel guide:what to see and do
1. Beach day
Private beaches
No Nice travel guide would be complete without a beach day. A lot of beach clubs on the promenade are first in best dressed. Though you will be able to call ahead for some to make a reservation (such as at Place Beau Rivage). You really need to be there by 10am to have your pick. A very popular option is Ruhl Plage (€30 per person), which has the iconic blue and white umbrellas. We arrived at about 10.30am and there was absolutely no availability! We ended up at Plage Beau Rivage, which was priced exactly the same and had a wonderful atmosphere, great menu and incredibly attentive staff.
Things to consider
You can opt for half day passes (if availability allows, typically in the afternoon) which is typically half the price. Note that there is an extra charge in a lot of places to have the umbrella up. Food and drinks are obviously quite expensive no matter which beach club you pick. Expect to pay between €15 and €20 for a starter, €20 to €40 for most mains and €40 to €60 for certain seafood.
We saw plenty of people leave their towels and books and leave the beach clubs for lunch. It’s not a far walk into the Old Town where you can find plenty of cheap options for takeaway lunches like baguettes or socca (a must try local dish).
The famous Ruhl Plage at sunrise
Public beaches
If you don’t want to fork out the cash for a private beach club, there is no shortage of space in the public areas. All of Nice’s beaches are pebbles so make sure you pack everything you need (we have a section towards the end of this post about what to pack including what you’ll need for the beach). There’s only really one public toilet on the beach, just to the east of Plage publique de l’opera.
2. The old port
On the other side of Castle Hill is the old port where tours depart for Cannes and St Tropez, such as this one. Huge mega yachts line the harbour, alongside small colourful wooden boats that are called pointus. You can visit by descending Castle Hill from the opposite side to where you came up near the promenade.
During the summer there is a free historic boat ride called Lou Passagin, that takes you across Port Lympia. The attraction opens mid May and runs for 4 months between 10am and 7pm (no reservation needed). Just keep an eye out for signs in the harbour directing you to the boats.
An absolute highlight here is Le Plongeoir, a unique overwater restaurant. You can go just for cocktails, but we highly recommend dinner at sunset. The staff are great, the food is great, the views are great, the vibes are great (we could go on). It’s a very romantic spot and makes for a great holiday date night spot. If you’re going to eat out anywhere, make sure it’s here.
3. The old town
Vieux Nice is the incredible old town of Nice. You don’t need to plan out a route really, it’s not that big of an area. A couple of notable stops include Cathedral of Saint Reparata and Musée du Palais Lascaris. The beautiful narrow cobblestone streets are filled with stores selling Niçoise and Provençal goods. This is where you will find most restaurants, from busy pubs to affordable socca eateries. If you’re going to try socca anywhere, make it Chez Rene Socca,an affordable, casual and festive outdoor restaurant. Follow it up with the best gelato in Nice at Fenocchio.
Cours Saleya is an outdoor market that hosts multiple kinds of markets with the most popular being the fresh flower market held Tuesdays to Sundays. The flower stalls stay open until about 5.30 in the afternoon and the light at this time is very beautiful. Between June and September there is also a night market which is mostly crafts. Cours Saleya is located in the old town on a pedestrian street.
The main historic square in Nice is called Place Massena and is easily recognised by its large red buildings and unusual black and white geometric tiled floor. It’s located just outside of the Old Town and makes for a great place to take in the views and people watch at a nearby restaurant, or go shopping along the boulevard.
Left: Place Massena, Right: Nice Old Town
4. Best spots for sunset
The promenade
Make sure you end at least one day with sunset at the beach. Pick up a pizza and a bottle of wine nearby (most corner stores near the promenade will be able to provide you with some paper cups, just make sure you don’t buy a wine bottle that needs a bottle opener). We bought a pizza a couple of times from Vabbuo and LOVED it both times. Doing this was one of our favourite evenings in Nice, just the two of us on a towel watching the candy coloured sky darken while people played in the water.
Castle Hill
You can’t miss Castle Hill. It dominates the landscape in Nice and will be one of the first things you notice. It divides Nice, separating the Old Town and the Old Port, offering gorgeous views over both. The steps up to Castle Hill will only take 10 minutes from the promenade, but there is also an elevator built into the rock that can take you up for free (you’ll see signs pointing you to where it is). From the top is where people take the most recognisable photos of Nice, absolute bliss at sunset!
Left: Golden hour on top of Castle Hill, Right: Fairy floss sunset on Nice beach
5. Some other notable spots worth mentioning
Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice
This Eastern Orthodox cathedral is stunning! Construction finished in 1912 and is actually in possession of the Russian Federation (which I didn’t know at the time of visiting). The church is usually open daily from (May – October) 9am-12pm, 2pm-6pm and (November – April) 9.30am-12pm, 2pm-5.30pm. It’s free to enter and remember it’s an orthodox church so covered knees and shoulders to be respectful.
Hôtel Negresco
Staying at this iconic hotel on Promenade des Anglais, Hôtel Negresco does cost around €355 a night, which we may not all be able to afford. Regardless, this famous hotel has drawn the attention of international visitors since its opening over 100 years ago. Beautiful from every angle, it’s worth checking out and snapping a quick photo while strolling the promenade.
Left: Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice, Right: Hôtel Negresco at sunset
6. Take a day trip
Nice is so incredibly convenient for day trips all around the French Riviera and you should take advantage of it. Our top picks are Menton, Èze and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which we provide some detail on below.
Menton
You will need to take the train to Menton. From your closest train station (Nice Ville or Nice Riquier) take the line towards Ventimiglia (Ventimille) and hop off at Mention station after 35 minutes. You’ll need to walk 15 minutes into town from here. The trip will cost €3-5 per person each way.
You can wander through the streets of this beautiful pastel town for hours and you will mostly have it to yourself. There are small pockets that are busy, but the majority of the area is very quiet and calm. It’s a sleepy town, but we thought that made it extra special!
If you’re looking for a beach day, definitely consider Menton. Plage des Sablettes is very large, sandy, and there are even bathrooms here! There are of course a few beach clubs if you prefer but either way you’ll have stunning views of the colourful buildings in Menton set against the backdrop of the vast Italian mountains.
Left: Plage des Sablettes at sunset, Right: Menton’s Old Town
Èze
You need to be careful about getting to Èze. There is Èze village and then the beach at Èze-sur-Mer. Most people visit the village, which is a hilltop town. The best way to reach the village is by bus. The train will take you to the beach which is then a 45+ minute steep hike to the village. We personally took the bus to Èze village, then hiked down to Èze-sur-Mer and took the train back to Nice. Bus 82 leaves from Vauban bus station in Nice (€1.50 each way) and will take you straight to Èze village in about 20 minutes. Just pay the bus driver when you get on. The train back from Èze-sur-Mer to Nice (if you decide to walk down) takes 13 minutes and will cost €2-3 each way.
Èze may be the most pretty and photogenic village in all of Cote d’Azur. Take some time to wander through the maze of alleys that are full of boutique stores, art galleries and traditional cafes, restaurants and hotels. For a particularly pretty corner, head to 30 Rue Principale.
Le Jardin Exotique garden is the reason most people visit Èze village. This beautiful botanical garden sits at the very top of town with panoramic views over the Mediterranean. Entry costs €3.50 – €6 (depending on whether you’re a student or adult). There are incredible viewpoints all throughout the gardens.
Left: Èze’s OId Town, Right: Le Jardin Exotique
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Take Bus 15 from Promenade des Arts or your closest stop in Nice and ride for about 35 to 45 minutes to Passable / Rothschild (€1.50 each way). From there it’s only a 7 minute walk to the villa.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild opens at 10am and standard entry is €15. Tickets can be bought ahead online. Admission includes an audio guide which we highly recommend!
The villa and gardens are typically open 10 am to 6 pm. Always check the website however, as the entire villa can be booked out for private events and can therefore be closed on some days. In summer it will be open until 7 pm and in winter there are reduced hours on weekdays. You will need to have a ticket to visit the Tea Room as well.
Nice travel guide:What to pack
For the beach
Unless you plan on only visiting organised beach clubs, you will need to bring your own towel. You will be able to find quite a few stalls, bazaars and shops in the old town and near the promenade that sell beach towels if you have forgotten to bring one with you.
Most beaches in the French Riviera are pebble beaches. While you can lay on a towel for a little while, you will be uncomfortable if you’re staying for long. This is where a beach mat will come in handy. Some hotels will have beach mats that you can borrow but these will also be available from the same shops you’ll find towels in. The pebble beaches can be uncomfortable to walk on (and hot!) so water shoes or sandals will also be really helpful during your visit for walking around and getting in and out of the water.
Finally, there is more or less no shade at the majority of beaches (literally no shade at the public beaches in Nice). Again, a lot of hotels will have beach umbrellas that you can borrow. But if they don’t and you plan on spending a fair bit of time at the beach, you should pick one up (ask your hotel to keep it when you leave and lend it out to future guests so that it’s not trashed).
Universal adaptor
Don’t forget to bring your adaptor! If you don’t already have one, make sure you buy one that has USB and USB C ports so that you can plug in your phone chargers as well.
European sim
All European data and minute plans are interconnected, so if you’re arriving from another European country your sim card will work in France. You will only need to worry about picking up a sim card if you’re arriving from outside of the EU.
Try and pick up a European sim card (like Lycamobile, Giffgaff or Lebara) on your arrival at Nice airport. You can find sim cards at ‘Relay’, a large newsagent which has stores in both terminals at the airport. Relay will close at 9.30pm however. So if you’re arriving late at night you might need to wait until you get into the city. Once you’re in Nice you’ll be able to pick up cheap sim cards at the tobacco stores and corner shops. If you need help installing a sim card, you will be best off going directly to a provider’s store such as Orange.
Nice promenade at sunset
Nice travel guide:Where to stay
For this Nice travel guide, we suggest that you try to stay in the area between the train station and the old town / beach. These are the areas of Le Carré d’Or (green in map above), Thiers (red in map aboce) or Carabacel (purple in map above). We split our visit between staying very close to the train station for a few days, and then a few days very close to the promenade.
Hôtel Byakko Nice
At Hotel Byakko Nice we paid €490.50 for 3 nights in August 2022 (the MOST EXPENSIVE time of year to visit Nice). The hotel’s location was perfect for day trips, being only a 6 minute walk to the train station. It was also only a 15 minute walk into the old town and a 20 minute walk to the promenade. We really liked this hotel. The staff were really friendly, the aircon was cold, and the room was perfect for a few nights with enough space to spread out our luggage. An added bonus was the rooftop here, perfect for a rose at the end of the day.
Hôtel de la Fontaine
We also stayed at Hotel de le Fontaine and paid €585 for 4 nights in August 2022. It was only a 2 minute walk to the promenade, which was perfect for our beach days, and sunsets on the beach with a pizza and a bottle of wine. It was a 15 minute walk into the old town, and a 15 minute walk to the train station (or take the tram for €1.50 and you will cut down walking time to just 7 minutes). The distance to the promenade was our favourite thing about this hotel, but again the staff were incredibly friendly and the rooms were super spacious for a few nights.
Nice travel guide:How to get to Nice
Nice is a fantastic home base to explore the French Riviera due to its:
- Proximity to an international airport
- Train and bus connections to nearby villages and beaches
- Accommodation and restaurant options
- Sightseeing options for your downtime
You will pick up flights direct to Nice from most destinations in Europe as well as further afield in the US, North Africa and the Middle East. The closest airport is Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, an international airport situated just 8km away from the city centre. It is the third busiest airport in France after the two that service Paris, so that gives you an idea of how popular this destination is!
Getting from Nice airport into the city is soooo pleasant and easy! Inside the airport you’ll see signs directing you to the tram. Take tram line 2 in the direction of Port Lympia for €1.50 each way. There are multiple stops in town depending on where your hotel is. The main stop in the city centre is Jean Médecin. The whole journey won’t take longer than 30 minutes. The tram leaves the airport every 8 minutes and runs from around 4am to after midnight depending on the day. You can find more information including timetables here.
Left: Nice’s Old Port, Right: Iconic beach club in Nice – Ruhl Plage
Nice travel guide:Getting around
I wanted to cover off the basics on how to get around Nice and the surrounding villages that I’m sure you’re dying to visit along the French Riviera. We think southern France is one of the easiest regions to travel around by public transport that we have ever experienced! It’s so well interconnected and affordable. Below we cover off all the major options for traveling around southern France including public and private transport.
Walking
While in Nice you will be able to get around almost exclusively on foot. When traveling larger distances there is a tram line you can take but it won’t save you much time.
Public transport
To get to destinations outside of Nice you will want to take public transport. It’s quick, affordable and you won’t have to worry about traffic and parking.
Train
There are two train stations in Nice, Nice Ville and Nice Riquier. If you’re booking your tickets in advance be sure to check which station is closer to your accommodation. Nice Ville is to the north west of the old town. If you’re planning on staying close to the promenade this will probably be the closer option for you. Nice Riquier is further east, just above Quartier du Port. We found using the Trainline app to book our tickets ahead of time to be very easy and convenient. The prices are the same, and the schedule is accurate and up to date.
Bus
You will find that the train will get you to most surrounding villages much quicker than the bus, but there are exceptions. A notable example is Èze. The train station goes to the town on the coast, whereas most people want to visit the village at the top of the hill which can only be reached by bus. Bus tickets can be bought from the bus driver, just bring cash with you (typically a ticket will cost you €1.5 each way).
Tours
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of organising your own day trips, you will find plenty of tours leaving Nice that visit surrounding towns and villages. This tour goes to the village of Èze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Antibes over 10 hours and costs €75. Or you can opt for a half day tour like this one to Eze, Monaco, & Monte-Carlo for €40.
Car
None of the locations we have included in this guide require you to have a car as they are all very easily accessed by public transport. Arguably a lot of destinations are much more convenient to visit by public transport due to the availability and cost of parking in many villages. If you do need to hire a car, there are plenty of options in Nice both at the airport and in town. This is a hugely popular destination, so booking your hire car in advance will help you to secure a good price and the kind of vehicle you are after. If you’re driving make sure you plan your days so that you are arriving at your destination early in the morning so that you can find parking, and also make sure you’re factoring in parking fees in your budget as this will add up.
Castle Hill at sunset
Nice travel guide:When to visit
We visited in August and honestly I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s very hot and France isn’t made for the heat. Between the hot trains, the beaches without shade and all of the outdoor eateries, Nice would be much nicer in June or September. There are obviously crowds in summer, but we didn’t find them so bad. In fact, the crowds create a great atmosphere in Nice and add to the European summer vibe. Some of the trains got a bit uncomfortably packed towards the end of the day, but we didn’t struggle with anything else.
If you are visiting in the summer be sure to book restaurants ahead of time, like you would for anywhere in Europe. Between November and May a lot of tour operators, beach clubs and some restaurants will be closed. The weather will still be pleasant though. You will just have a quieter time and will have to plan ahead more to make sure what you want to do is possible.
Nice travel guide: Travel Budget?
The below costs are what we actually spent in August 2022. If you’re looking to save a bit of cash, definitely consider visiting in June or September. You’ll still have the vibe of the European summer crowds, but with discounted prices on everything.
Honestly, we thought Nice was going to be more expensive than it ended up being for us. We were very selective about where we ate out (only ate out at a really nice restaurant once) and only went to a beach club once, plus mostly bought bottles of wine to drink at the beach rather than at bars.
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tram between Nice airport and Nice city (one way) | €1.50 |
| Trains to other villages in the French Riviera (one way) | €2 - 5 |
| Bus (e.g. to Èze) one way | €1.50 |
| Beach club (full day - beds and umbrella) | €30 |
| Cheap meal (e.g. socca, per serving) | €3 |
| Hotel (per night, 3* in peak season) | €150 |
| Nice meal out (main) | €20 |
| Cocktail (at an upscale bar) | €15 |
Thanks for stopping by!
We hope we’ve inspired you to go to plan a visit to the French Riviera and make Nice your home base. Nice is an incredible city and its popularity with Europeans is well deserved. A touch of class, without being pretentious, Nice is a vibrant and fun city right on the water (best of both worlds!). There is so much to see and do in the city itself, not to mention the surrounding areas that this Nice travel guide only scratched the surface of.
If you’re looking for more guides to southern France we have plenty available. Guides include a 10 day south of France itinerary (by public transport), city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille, Cassis, Marseille, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Monaco, and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
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This is such a helpful post! Planning for June 2024!
Thank you so much Amy! Have a wonderful time, you will absolutely love it!!
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Nice travel guide for those visiting for the first time