Nice
Nice is worth 3–4 days — the French Riviera's most practical base, with an easy-to-navigate Old Town, the Promenade des Anglais along the Baie des Anges, and some of the region's best food (socca, a chickpea-flour street food, is the local specialty). It's also the launchpad for day trips: Monaco (about 25 minutes by train), the clifftop village of Èze (25 minutes), and Cannes and Antibes are all within an hour. Budget €70–130/day per person ($75–140), mid-range.
Nice does something clever: it gives you the Riviera's turquoise-water glamour without the eye-watering prices or velvet-rope attitude of Monaco or Saint-Tropez. It's a genuinely livable city with a beach, not just a resort strip, and it makes an excellent home base for exploring the whole coast.
How many days in Nice?
Three to four days is a solid amount of time — one day in the Old Town (Vieux Nice) and the flower and produce market at Cours Saleya, one along the Promenade des Anglais and the beach, and one or two for day trips along the coast. Extend to a week if you want to properly cover Monaco, Èze, Cannes, and Antibes without rushing.
What to do in Nice itself
- Vieux Nice (Old Town) — a maze of pastel-colored alleys, the Cours Saleya market (flowers in the morning, antiques on Mondays), and the best concentration of good, non-touristy restaurants.
- Promenade des Anglais — the iconic seafront walk; rent a bike or just walk it at sunset.
- Colline du Château — a hilltop park (no château left, despite the name) with the single best panoramic view over the bay — free, and most tourists skip it.
- Try socca — a thin, savory chickpea-flour pancake, Nice's signature street food, sold at stalls throughout the Old Town for a few euros.
Day trips from Nice
| Destination | Travel time | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Monaco | ~25 min by train | The famous casino, the Grand Prix circuit, and a genuinely stunning harbor — walkable in a few hours |
| Èze | ~25 min by train + short walk | A clifftop medieval village with sweeping coastal views, especially at sunset |
| Cannes | ~30–40 min by train | The Croisette promenade and the film-festival glamour, minus the festival crowds most of the year |
| Antibes | ~20–25 min by train | A quieter old town, a good beach, and the Picasso Museum in a seafront castle |
The regional TER trains along the coast between Nice, Monaco, Èze, Cannes, and Antibes are cheap (often under €10 each way), frequent, and hug the coastline the whole way — one of the most scenic short train rides in Europe. Skip renting a car just for these day trips.
What it costs
| Item | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Mid-range hotel, per night | €110–190 ($120–205) |
| Socca or a casual lunch | €8–15 ($9–16) |
| Dinner at a good bistro | €25–45 ($27–48) per person |
| Round-trip TER train to Monaco or Èze | €8–15 ($9–16) |
When to visit
May–June and September–October give the best balance of warm weather, swimmable sea, and manageable crowds. July–August is peak season — hot, packed, and priced accordingly, especially around the Cannes Film Festival (May) and the Monaco Grand Prix (late May), when hotel prices along the whole coast spike hard.
Where to stay in Nice — hotels
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