Best things to do & places to stay:
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
France’s fifth city, Nice has only been French since 1860 – and still has a strong Italian accent. Although long dismissed as a city of pensioners, gangsters and budget tourists, Nice has been rapidly remaking itself into a trendy new Miami of Europe, with iconic Art Deco hotels, a vast promenade, swanky bars and restaurants, and year-round buzz.
There’s a beautiful setting and balmy climate (great for cheaper shoulder-season breaks in spring and autumn), world-class art (the best collections outside of Paris), excellent food (It’s a foodie city) – and a pretty pebble beach that families will love. Edgy designer hotels and restaurants are springing up alongside hip shops and galleries, and young artists are moving in, following in the footsteps of one-time locals Matisse and Chagall.
There’s plenty to see and do in both the city and the wider area, plus an excellent transport network to the rest of the Cote d’Azur. Its well-connected airport also means Nice is a great starting point for a South of France road trip.
Unlike the more resort-orientated towns along the coast, Nice and nearby Antibes are lively year-round – and Nice’s vivid Carnival (end of February/beginning of March) is worth coinciding with.
Nice curls around the Baie des Anges, with its beach and palm-lined Promenade des Anglais. To the east, the bay is closed by the picturesque Vieux Nice (old town) and Colline de Chateau, a promontory topped by gardens: the old port is just east.
Place Massena and its gardens separate Vieux Nice from 19th-century Nice, and main shopping residential districts of Jean-Medecin and Liberation, the latter north of the train station. Several museums are in the upper, upscale residential suburb of Cimiez; the spectacular, snow-capped Alpes Maritimes hover in the background.
The bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
One of France’s most splendid Belle Epoque villas, donated to the city of Nice by the aristocratic Massena family, is now home to a compelling collection of art, furniture and artifacts that track Nice’s rich history.
Best for ages: 18+ | £12
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
A spectacular train ride on a narrow-gauge railway through scenic French countryside, that you can ride from Nice on the Cote d’Azur to Annot in Haute Provence.
Best for ages: 4+ | £22 | 1 day
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
This superb late 20th- and 21st-century art collection features many artists associated with Nice and the French Riviera. Nice’s answer to Paris’ Pompidou Centre.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
Parades, costumes, flower ‘battles’, lights, and sun: Nice holds one of the world’s best carnivals – second only to Rio.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 2 weeks
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
A superb collection of art from France’s ‘Naive’ art movement, housed in a delightful pink mansion. Over 600 works from 27 countries.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Villefranche-sur-Mer , Cote d'Azur, France
Tucked between chi-chi St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Nice, the charming Medieval village of Villefranche-sur-Mer is the relaxed, boho antidote to the moneybags Riviera. A kilometre of coarse, gently shelving golden sand and crystalline waters, it’s all free and open to the public.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
This magnificent former private mansion – built by a Russian princess – contains a fine collection of paintings and sculptures from the 16th to 20th century, by artists who lived in the Cote D’Azur.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Cote d'Azur, France
Sheltered from the wind, this shingle beach in a beautiful, wooded cove is a laid-back favourite of both locals and celebrities. Views across to the Alps are sublime. It’s part public, but best to splurge on a lounger at the delightful Paloma Beach Club – a local institution with an excellent restaurant.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this destination, plus helpful tickets and transfers
Nice
€31 | Rating 4.95 / 5 [505 ratings]
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Nice
€38 | Rating 4.94 / 5 [19 ratings]
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Nice
€35 | Rating 4.82 / 5 [219 ratings]
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Nice
€35 | Rating 4.88 / 5 [744 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay in this destination
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
This attractive, friendly and affordable 4-star boutique hotel stands out for its lovely garden. It’s handily located just outside the pedestrianised area of Old Nice, close to Nice’s main sights, and a short walk to its beach.
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Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
This fun, colourful and affordable design hotel channels this area’s beach clubs, just off Nice’s Promenade des Anglais.
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Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
Contemporary suites and apartments set in an attractive 18th-century building, in a superb location in Old Nice. A great base for a few days in Nice.
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Nice, Cote d'Azur, France
A charismatic and reasonably-priced boutique on the eastern end of Nice’s iconic Promenade des Anglais. It comes with panoramic sea views, handy parking, and access to a private beach club.
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With its mild climate, Nice is a year-round destination, with cultural activities every month on top of all its other attractions. Mid-March to April and September to October are ideal times to visit. Finding a room may be hard for February for Carnival; otherwise July and August are the busiest with tourists, when the beaches and sights can be crowded, prices are highest although it rarely gets unbearably hot.
Nice airport, the second busiest in France, is the gateway to the Cote d’Azur. A taxi to central Nice should take no more than 20 minutes and is the fastest option, however, the T2 Tram from the airport to the port is also a good option (at the Jean-Medecin stop you can transfer to Tram1 and the train station). There are also regular, cheap shuttle buses.
Much of the centre is easily accessible by foot, and there are plenty of taxis and bike paths. Nice has an excellent one-euro city bus system, the Lignes Azur, as well as trams; the latter passes a number of art installations, making it fun to ride even if you have nowhere in particular to go. There’s a free lift up to the Colline du Chateau. Nice has expanded its bike lanes and offers a self-service hire scheme, Velobleu, with bikes in 175 stations.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to the fabulous hotels along the Promenade des Anglais, Le Vieux Nice is a great place to stay in the heart of the action, close to the beaches, market, bars and restaurants; the smart Port quarter is less touristy. In the 19th-century Jean-Medecin district, you’ll be close to shopping, restaurants and Nice’s nightlife concentrated in Le Carre d’Or. The Art Deco Liberation quarter north of the main Gare Theirs train station is a good place to feel like a local; quieter Cimiez with its gardens is pleasant for families.
Nice is considered the best shopping city in France after Paris: its Galeries Lafayette department store is the country’s second largest. Popular chain shops are concentrated on Avenue Jean-Medecin and its Nice Etoile mall; for designer boutiques, head to Rue Paradis and Rue de Suede. The pedestrian-only lanes of old Nice are full of antique and art shops; in the same area, on Mondays, Cours Saleya hosts an arty flea market instead of produce.
Buy designer fashions, jewellery and shoes by all the world’s top names; works of art, perfumes made in Grasse, ceramics in Vallauris and glass in Biot; olive oils, herbs and wines.
Our writer’s recommended itineraries for this destination
France
Where to go and what to see in the Cote d’Azur to get the most from your trip – a 9-day itinerary including Cannes, Monaco, Nice & Saint-Tropez from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
France
Where to go and what to see in Nice to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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