Nice

Overview

Nice is the capital of the French Riviera and the most liveable city on it. Unlike Monaco (too wealthy, too small) or Cannes (too film-festival), Nice is a real city — 350,000 people going about their lives between a magnificent baroque old town and a six-kilometre sweep of Côte d'Azur coastline. The Promenade des Anglais is one of the great urban seafronts in the world; the Vieux-Nice (Old Town) is a dense grid of Italian-influenced alleyways in vivid ochre and terracotta; and the hills above the city hold some of the finest views in the Mediterranean. It's also the ideal base for the Riviera — Monaco is 20 minutes by train, Cannes 40 minutes, the perched villages of the arrière-pays an hour by bus. Come for the light, stay for the socca.

Best Time to Visit

May and June are ideal — warm (22–26°C), the sea swimmable by late May, and the city before the peak summer surge. The light on the Baie des Anges in early June is extraordinary. September and October are equally excellent — the summer crowds thin, the sea is at its warmest (26°C), and the city returns to itself. July and August are very busy and very hot (30°C+) — the beaches are packed, hotels expensive, and the city buzzes with tourists. But the evenings are magnificent. Winter (November–February) is the great secret — mild (12–15°C), sunny most days, the Promenade mostly to yourself, and the city's Niçois culture most visible without the seasonal overlay.

Key events: Nice Carnival (February — one of the world's largest carnivals, with flower battles and illuminated floats), Nice Jazz Festival (July), Fête de la Musique (June 21 — free concerts across the city), Ironman Nice (June).

Top Things to Do

Promenade des Anglais

The legendary seafront boulevard — 7km of palm-lined promenade above the pebble beach, with the Baie des Anges curving away to the west. Walk it at dawn when joggers and elderly Niçois have it to themselves, or at sunset when the light turns the sea gold. The famous blue chairs (chaises bleues) at intervals along the promenade are free to use. Rent a bike and cycle the full length to the airport and back.

Vieux-Nice (Old Town)

The baroque old town east of the city centre — a dense labyrinth of narrow streets in shades of orange, yellow, and terracotta, with washing lines strung overhead and the smell of socca drifting from every corner. The Cours Saleya market (flowers, vegetables, and local produce every morning except Monday) is one of the finest markets in France. Wander without a map, eat at every opportunity, and drink pastis at an outdoor table in the Place du Palais de Justice.

Castle Hill (Colline du Château)

The park on the rocky promontory above the old town — ruins of a medieval castle, a waterfall, and the best panoramic view in Nice: the Baie des Anges sweeping west, the old town's terracotta rooftops below, and the Alps closing in to the north. Take the lift (free) from the beach level or walk up through the old town. Go at sunset.

Musée Matisse

Henri Matisse lived in Nice for much of his life, drawn by the extraordinary Mediterranean light. The museum, in a 17th-century Genoese villa in the Cimiez neighbourhood, holds the world's finest collection of his work — paintings, drawings, sculptures, and the cut-paper works of his final years. The surrounding Cimiez gardens are beautiful and largely tourist-free.

Musée National Marc Chagall

The most important collection of Chagall's work in the world, in a building the artist helped design — 17 monumental paintings illustrating the Biblical Message series, plus stained glass, mosaics, and tapestries. Smaller and more focused than the Matisse museum; moving and intimate in equal measure. In the Cimiez neighbourhood, walkable from the Matisse.

Cours Saleya Market

The great daily market of Nice — flowers on one side, food on the other. Local olives, socca, pissaladière (onion tart), fresh pasta, cheese, and the finest tomatoes in France (Niçois tomatoes are a specific and exceptional variety). Go early (8–9am) for the best selection and the least crowded experience. Monday is the antique market instead of the food market.

Day Trip to Monaco

Twenty minutes by train along one of the world's most scenic coastal rail lines — Monaco is a city-state of extraordinary concentrated wealth, with a casino that defined European glamour, a Grimaldi royal palace on the rock, and an oceanographic museum founded by Prince Albert I. The Monte-Carlo Casino is free to admire from outside (and dress smartly if you want to enter); the palace changing of the guard is at 11:55am daily.

Èze Village

A perched medieval village 12km east of Nice — a car-free labyrinth of stone houses on a spike of rock 427 metres above the sea, with a cactus garden at the summit and views along the Riviera in both directions. Take bus 82 from Nice (30 minutes) or walk the Nietzsche Path up from the coast (very steep, very rewarding). Lunch at one of the village restaurants with a terrace view is expensive and worth it.

Neighbourhoods Guide

Vieux-Nice — The baroque old town. The most atmospheric and characterful part of the city. Best area to stay for atmosphere; narrow streets and lively nightlife mean noise.

Centre-Ville — The 19th-century belle époque city centre, around Place Masséna and the main shopping streets. Grand hotels, department stores, and easy access to everything.

Cimiez — The upscale residential neighbourhood on the hill above the centre. The Matisse and Chagall museums, the Roman ruins, and a quiet, leafy atmosphere far from the tourist bustle.

Liberation — North of the centre around the main market. More local and diverse than the seafront areas — the best neighbourhood restaurants and the city's main covered market.

Port / Riquier — East of the old town around the port. Industrial, increasingly hip, and home to some of the best value restaurants in Nice.

Promenade / Carré d'Or — West of the old town along the seafront. The grand hotels, the best beach clubs, and the most expensive addresses in the city.

Food & Drink

Niçois cuisine is a distinct regional tradition — halfway between French and Italian, shaped by centuries of Savoy and Genoese influence:

• Socca — A thick pancake of chickpea flour, olive oil, and water, cooked in a wood-fired oven on a huge copper disc and served hot, peppery, and slightly charred. The defining street food of Nice. Buy it from Chez Thérésa in the Cours Saleya or René Socca in the old town. Eaten standing up, from a paper wrapper.
• Pissaladière — A Niçois tart of caramelised onions, black olives, and anchovies on a bread base. Sold by the slice at the market and bakeries throughout the old town. A perfect morning snack.
• Salade Niçoise — The real version bears almost no resemblance to the international imitation. No cooked vegetables, no green beans (controversial, but purists insist). Fresh tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, tuna (tinned or fresh), black olives, raw broad beans, and basil. Dressed with olive oil only.
• Daube Niçoise — A slow-braised beef stew with olives, orange zest, and red wine — the Niçois Sunday lunch dish. Found at traditional restaurants and brasseries throughout the old town.
• Rosé wine — Provence produces some of the world's finest rosé, and Nice is its natural home. A glass of Bandol or Côtes de Provence rosé at a Cours Saleya terrace is the quintessential Nice experience.

Budget tip: Socca and pissaladière from the Cours Saleya market cost €3–5 and make a perfectly good lunch. The Liberation market has excellent cheap produce. A glass of rosé and a socca at a old town bar costs €6–8.

Getting Around

Walking covers the old town, the Promenade, and the city centre easily — distances are small and the streets reward slow exploration.

Trams (lines 1 and 2) cover the centre and connect to the airport (Line 2 runs directly to the terminal — a bargain at €1.70). Cheap, frequent, and reliable.

Buses serve the wider city and the surrounding Riviera — Line 100 along the Corniche to Monaco (€1.70, 45 minutes) is one of the world's most scenic bus routes.

Cycling is excellent along the Promenade and the coastal path — Vélo Bleu is the city bike-share scheme.

Train connections to Monaco (20 min), Cannes (40 min), and Marseille (2.5 hours) are fast and scenic — the coastal line between Nice and Monaco is one of the most beautiful rail journeys in Europe.

From Nice Côte d'Azur Airport: Tram Line 2 runs to the city centre in 30–40 minutes for €1.70. Taxis cost €25–35.

Budget Guide

Day Trips

• Monaco — The casino, the palace, and the principality. 20 minutes by train or the scenic Line 100 bus along the Corniche. Half a day is enough; a full day is indulgent but possible.
• Èze Village — The perched village above the sea. 30 minutes by bus 82. Combine with a walk down the Nietzsche Path to the coast.
• Cannes — The film festival city — La Croisette, the Palais des Festivals, the Lérins Islands offshore. 40 minutes by train. Best outside festival season (May).
• Antibes & Juan-les-Pins — A beautifully preserved old town, the Picasso Museum (in the castle where he lived briefly), and a long sandy beach. 30 minutes by train.
• Gorges du Verdon — The "Grand Canyon of Europe" — a turquoise river gorge in the Provençal hills. Best by hire car (2 hours); several organised tours run from Nice.

Practical Info

• Currency: Euro (€). Cards widely accepted; some market stalls and smaller restaurants prefer cash.
• Language: French. English spoken in hotels and tourist areas; less so in neighbourhood restaurants and the market. A few French phrases — bonjour, s'il vous plaît, merci — are always appreciated and expected.
• Tipping: Not obligatory. Rounding up or leaving a few euros at restaurants is appreciated. Service is included in French restaurant bills by law.
• Safety: Nice is generally safe. Be aware of petty theft on the Promenade and in the old town in summer. The 2016 attack on the Promenade has led to increased security measures at major events.
• Beach: Nice's beaches are pebble, not sand — bring sandals or water shoes. Private beach clubs offer sunbeds and services for €20–30/day; the public beaches are free.
• Parking: If driving, parking in the centre is expensive and difficult. Use the park-and-ride facilities and public transport for the city itself.