Nice is a pretty city famous for its Promenade des Anglais, quaint cobbled backstreets and ancient Old Town. Located on the southeastern coast of France, it’s well-connected and known as the gateway to the French Riviera, or Côte-d’Azur, making it a must-visit in your lifetime.
My husband and I recently spent four nights there with Jet2 City Breaks and it was honestly the most incredible trip.
If you’re heading to Côte-d’Azur soon or plan to in the future, here’s my Nice travel guide and top tips for having the best time ever in the French Riviera.
Ready? Let’s go!
How to Get to Nice from the UK
Nice travel guide 101: Nice Côte-d’Azur airport is the third busiest airport in France. It offers many direct flights from major European cities and seasonal flights from several U.S cities.
From the UK, there are frequent direct flights to Nice which only take two hours. Flights to Nice with Jet2 go direct from Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds Bradford and London Stansted.
Hubby and I flew from Leeds Bradford, which is our local airport. We always enjoy travelling with Jet2 from LBA because their staff is so friendly and helpful, and always ensure a smooth airport experience. Find flights from Leeds Bradford airport.
Another plus to our trip to Nice with Jet2holidays was our private transfers. The great thing about Nice airport is that it’s around a 15-minute drive to Old Town where our hotel was located.
Our driver was waiting for us as we entered the airport Arrivals hall and helped us with our luggage as he walked us to where his SUV was parked. He was so lovely and knowledgeable, telling us bits and bobs about Nice as we drove along the coastline. We felt so welcome!
Where to Stay in Nice
There’s a diverse range of accommodations in Nice, from luxury hotels to budget-friendly Airbnbs. Where you choose to stay depends on what you plan to do during your time there, but hubby and I knew we wanted to be close to Old Nice and the Promenade along the stunning Mediterranean coast.
If you want to be closer to Nice Ville train station for day trips to nearby cities, you could stay in Jean-Médecin, which is Nice’s New Town area with shops, restaurants and museums galore.
However, we found the Beau Rivage Jet2holidays hotel to be centrally located and perfect for nipping to the Old Town or Promenade. It’s a 5-minute walk to either and a 20-minute walk to the train station down the main shopping street, Avenue Jean Médecin.
The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and breakfast is conveniently included in the price.
How to Get Around Nice
Nice is super walkable. That being said, it can get hot in the peak season, which makes walking around very tiring! When we were there temperatures reached the late twenties (Celsius) but the humidity made it feel hotter.
The good news is, Nice has a tramline that goes to hotspots throughout the city, which is affordable at a couple of euros for a single ticket.
Tip: Make sure you buy your tram ticket using the machines at each station before hopping on, as you’ll be provided with a card to tap on when you board. There are spot checks by ticket inspectors and you can get big fines if you’re riding a tram without a valid ticket.
From Nice Ville station you can get to pretty much anywhere you want to go to in France. There’s a direct train that follows the coastline north to Italy or south to popular spots like Cannes and Saint-Tropez.
A lot of tourists use Nice as a base to go to surrounding places, so be prepared for the train station to be consistently busy! In peak summer seasons like July and August there’ll be long queues for the ticket machines and trains will be packed and sweaty.
Tip: Just like with the tram, you have to buy your train ticket before you board using the machines at each station. Then there will be ticket inspectors doing checks on the train. When you enter Nice Ville station, most people head towards the turnstiles and end up using those machines to the right. Instead, go right all the way down the corridor towards the toilets and there will be a few machines on your right with much shorter queues!
What to Do in Nice
Now we’ve covered the “travel” part of this Nice travel guide, we can talk about the fun stuff you can do in one of the world’s most beautiful cities (in my humble opinion!).
1. Get Lost in Old Town
Nice’s Old Town is just magical and you can easily spend a few hours twisting and turning amongst the backstreets. When you need a rest, sit outside one of the dozens of cafes with a latte and people-watch until your heart’s content.
A latte? In Nice, you say? Why, yes.
Located on the Baie des Anges, Nice is 20 miles from the Italian border and is heavily influenced by Italy due to its fascinating history as part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its cuisine fuses Italian staples, like pizza and pasta, with French classics such as Ratatouille, Socca and Salade niçoise.
There are so many amazing restaurants to choose from, and the Cours Saleya area gets especially busy at night.
Tip: Cours Saleya has a night market from June through September, which is pleasant to wander around after your evening meal. There are also three other types of market held at Cours Saleya at various times of the week.
2. Head to Promenade des Anglais Beach
The most famous beach in Nice is the pebble beach that’s backed by the 7-kilometre-long Promenade des Anglais. When the sun shines, the ocean is the most gorgeous turquoise blue, which earned the region its name of Côte d’Azur (“Blue Coast”).
If you’re brave, throw your towel down on the pebbles and sunbathe or take a dip in the sea. (Special Nice travel guide note: those pebbles can hurt!) Alternatively, you can pay to use the sunbeds at one of the many beach clubs.
Tip: If you stay at Beau Rivage, you can get discounted sunbeds at Plage Beau Rivage across the road, which also has its own restaurant.
3. Shop Along Avenue Jean Médecin
Avenue Jean Médecin and the adjoining streets of Notre Dame, Pastorelli, Gioffredo and Hôtel des Postes have tons of stores, whether you love high street or luxury shopping. From ZARA to Uniqlo, Louis Vuitton to Saint Laurent, Nice has it all!
There is also a huge Galeries Lafayette, the popular French department store, and NICETOILE. This is a 100-store shopping centre with eating places and special events such as catwalk shows and exhibitions.
4. Go Up Castle Hill
Colline du Château, or Castle Hill, is a park overlooking Nice that used to be a castle. Unfortunately, the castle was demolished in 1706 at the request of Louis XIV. Even so, there’s still some rather cool stuff to see up there, including:
- The stunning view of the Promenade des Anglais
- Artificial waterfall built at the end of the 19th century
- Cathedral ruins in the centre
- Panoramic views of Nice from the observation deck above the waterfall
- The breathtaking view of the Old Port of Nice from the other side of the hill
To get to the top of the hill you can use the stairs, which take roughly 20 minutes, or the elevator. As we were short on time, we took the elevator. It’s small and a bit bumpy as it’s quite old but does the job nicely!
5. Visit Museums
There are many popular museums in Nice, some of which include:
- Musée Matisse, devoted to the work of French painter Henri Matisse who lived in Nice for part of his life
- Marc Chagall National Museum, dedicated to the work of painter Marc Chagall
- Villa Masséna Musée, an impressive art museum which includes Napolean’s death mask
- Musée du Palais Lascaris, a seventeenth-century aristocratic building that’s currently a musical instrument museum
- Museum of Photography Charles Nègre, featuring a broad collection of local and international photographic art
Plus more! Essentially, if you love museums, Nice is the place to be.
Popular French Riviera Day Trips from Nice
There are some amazing cities near Nice so if you have the time to do a couple of day trips on your minibreak, you won’t regret it!
The good thing about Nice Ville train tickets is that you can get a return to your furthest destination, like Monte Carlo for example, and then hop off on the way there or way back and your ticket will still be valid until you reach your final destination.
On our way back to Nice from Monte Carlo, hubby and I hopped off at Villefranche-Sur-Mer and didn’t have to buy another train ticket from Villefranche-Sur-Mer to Nice Ville. Similarly, on our way back from Cannes to Nice (on a different day), we hopped off at Antibes. This system makes it extremely handy to visit nearby cities on a budget.
Disclaimer: We got this information from one of the ticket inspectors from the train company!
1. Monte Carlo
It amazes me that you can take a 30-minute train from Nice, France and be in a different country.
The principality of Monaco lies between southern France and the Mediterranean Sea with Italy being a short drive area. Monte Carlo is the most popular city in Monaco known for the world-famous casino and Formula 1 tracks.
Hubby and I had a leisurely stroll from Monaco-Monte-Carlo station to Place du Casino, which took 15 minutes. After taking photos, head to the cracking little cafe next door, Café de Paris, where you can sit outside and people-watch.
Disclaimer: Be prepared to pay 10 euros for an iced latte here (but in my opinion it was delicious so I didn’t mind!).
You can go into Casino de Monte-Carlo for an 18-euro entry fee, which includes a 10-euro voucher to use for gambling. Or, you could go down the All. François Blanc road by Tiffany’s and take the walkway all the way around the back of the casino for amazing views of the coastline.
If you follow this walkway you will loop back around and reach Monaco Hercules Harbour where you can see Prince’s Palace of Monaco on the hill. It’s such a wonderful place!
2. Villefranche-Sur-Mer
Hopping on the train to Villefranche-Sur-Mer from Monte Carlo only takes about 25 minutes and it’s definitely worth stopping off at.
Villefranche-Sur-Mer is just a picture-perfect little town, and definitely a hidden gem of the French Riviera. The Old Town is quaint and has a lovely waterfront that you can walk along and go boat-spotting.
Tip: Don’t miss the Saint-Pierre Chapel, also known as the Cocteau Chapel, which is a fisherman’s chapel built in Romanesque style dating back to the 16th century.
There are also a couple of cute beaches worth visiting, including the sandy Plage des Marinières. Similarly, don’t miss Citadelle Saint Elme, which is a French historical monument.
3. Cannes
A 40-minute train ride from Nice, Cannes is a resort town in the French Riviera. It’s best known for its international film festival and celebrity visitors.
Cannes’ Promenade de la Croisette curves along the coast and is lined with golden sandy beaches, designer boutiques and upmarket hotels.
Hubby and I walked from the train station to Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, theconvention centre where they hold the film festival, and it took around 10 minutes.
We then checked out the building and Allée des Étoiles – Cannes’ walk of fame — before walking along the Promenade towards Old Town. We stumbled across Cannes’ Little Train and ended up hopping on for 14 euros each. It’s an hour-long tour and as we were limited on time this worked for us to be able to see as much as possible!
The Little Train takes you along the Promenade and also shows you Rue d’Antibes, the main shopping street in Cannes, before heading to Old Town. You then go to Château de la Castre for a photo opportunity (the views over the city are incredible!) and to see Cannes’ version of the Hollywood sign.
We had such a great time.
4. Antibes
Antibes is 10 minutes by train from Cannes or 25 minutes from Nice. Hubby and I walked about 15 minutes to get to Old Town and had a good wander around. It’s just as pretty as the other Old Towns in this Nice travel guide.
More points of interest include:
- Port Vauban, the Mediterranean’s largest marina that will delight luxury yacht enthusiasts
- Fort Carré, a 16th-century fortress ordered to be built by King Henry II
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Platea, dating back to the 5th century
- The Picasso Museum, dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso who lived and worked in Antibes for a while
- Château Grimaldi, an iconic 14th-century castle overlooking the Mediterranean Sea where the Picasso Museum is located
- The Picasso Trial, which starts at the museum and you can follow signs to some of the most scenic spots relating to Picasso
Overall Antibes has a really nice feel with tons of charm and character! We’d love to go back and explore more when we have more time.
Other Trips From Nice
Planning to stay in Nice for more than a few days? You could do some trips farther afield.
Head west along the coast from Nice and you’ll find Saint-Tropez, Toulon and Marseille, or you could even go east of Nice and explore Italy! It all depends on how much time you’ve got.
Jet2 offer options when it comes to some of the best South of France holidays, so you’re sure to find something to meet your needs. I can highly recommend booking with them!
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Final Thoughts on Nice Travel Guide
The French Riviera is such a special part of the world, with Nice capturing the beauty of the region through its baroque architecture, winding backstreets and enchanting waterfront.
Hopefully, this Nice travel guide has given you a few ideas for your upcoming visit (whether it’s already booked or not!).
Either way, Nice and the surrounding areas of the Côte-d’Azur are not to be missed. (I’m already looking at flights to go back!)
Did you enjoy this Nice travel guide? Do you have any other insider tips? DM me on Instagram @trendytouristuk.
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