Nice
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
Founded by the Greeks around 350BC and given the name of the Greek goddess of victory “Nike” Nice was later to be part of Italy and now is part of France. Nice today truly amalgamates all the best culture and food of France and Italy.
Situated on the Cote d’Azur (Blue coast) on the Mediterranean, this city has long been popular with European royalty, who still have holiday homes near here. The British aristocracy and royals loved to visit this city and built the coastal walkway naming it Promenade des Anglais ( Walkway of the English).
The most famous native here was Henri Matisse and there is a museum displaying his artwork.
Nice became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2021, enhancing it’s already glamorous image. Although the hotels are expensive here, the city isn’t any pricier than other European cities. We stayed at the Boscolo hotel for our anniversary, but there are cheaper hotels and Airbnb’s a bit further back from the beach. Public transport is very cheap and efficient
Founded by the Greeks around 350BC and given the name of the Greek goddess of victory “Nike” Nice was later to be part of Italy and now is part of France. Nice today truly amalgamates all the best culture and food of France and Italy.
Situated on the Cote d’Azur (Blue coast) on the Mediterranean, this city has long been popular with European royalty, who still have holiday homes near here. The British aristocracy and royals loved to visit this city and built the coastal walkway naming it Promenade des Anglais ( Walkway of the English).
The most famous native here was Henri Matisse and there is a museum displaying his artwork.
Nice became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2021, enhancing it’s already glamorous image. Although the hotels are expensive here, the city isn’t any pricier than other European cities. We stayed at the Boscolo hotel for our anniversary, but there are cheaper hotels and Airbnb’s a bit further back from the beach. Public transport is very cheap and efficient
Food
The Italian influence is very evident in Nice, with pasta, risotto and Focaccia bread in plentiful supply as well as French cuisine such Moules-frites and crepes served everywhere.
The local Nicoise food is also easy to find and the popular dishes include: Ratatouille Stew Salad Nicoise (A salad with egg, olives, tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, radish and onions with olive oil and bread) Moules Mariniere ( mussels with a cream sauce) Gnocchi (Another popular Italian dish here.) And then there are the delicious pastries and desserts such as fruit tarts. I loved the chocolate ones!! Popular Restaurants
Peppino Cantinetta, Italian
La Route Du Miam, French Safran, Persian Jan, French/ South African Le Millesime, Mediterranean Tandoori Flame, Indian La Carpe Koi, Japanese Origines, French Le Chantecler, French That's Amore, Italian Daki-Dola, Lebanese George's Roll Seafood, Street food La Veranda, Chinese Getting around Nice and the Cote d'Azur Above is the main train station in Nice.
Public transport is great here and cheap! Don’t even think about a taxi from the airport. On leaving Nice Airport terminal 1 leave to the left side and there in front of you is a tram station that takes you to central Nice ( Just outside our hotel!!) It is so cheap, just €1.50 in 2022 and felt safe. You can buy tickets at machines on the platform, but must validate as you enter the tram. Trains and buses to other cities are frequent, good and cheap. We got a ticket from Nice at Nice station ( The blue machine for TER trains) then validate it at the yellow machine before entering the platform. For two of us return Nice to Cannes in 2022 it was €29 in total, to Monaco half of that. There are weekly tickets etc as well. With this ticket on TER trains you don't specify times as you do on the TGV. It is valid for the whole day and you can get off and on at any stop on the way. We stopped at beautiful Antibes for a few hours on the way. When validating your ticket you have to place it to the left side of the machine before entering the platform for the trains. |
Weather and general information.
The main economy of the region is Medical Research, Life Science, Tourism, I.T, Eco Enterprises, Cosmetics etc. The weather ranges from around 9c in January on average to 30c in July and August. We visited in April and it was 18-24c the days we were there. The wettest time is October. Spring and summer is usually sunny. Nice is a relatively safe city, I felt very safe walking around the city. Pickpockets are of course a threat as they are in any city though. Where to stay Hotels in Nice can be pricey in peak season, but we did get a good deal at the Boscolo which was nice as it was April. The Holiday Inn is almost next door and we liked this location as it was a 10 minute walk to the station heading north and a 10 minute walk to the beach heading south. It was in the heart of the shopping district and the centre of Nice. Hotels overlooking the beach are expensive. There were so many restaurants and cafes within a five minute walk!! For a family an Airbnb might be the most affordable option. Check Tripadvisor for the hotel that suits you best. Below is the Boscolo Hotel. |
Places to see in Nice
My recommendations of places to see :
1) Castle Hill for the best views! There is even a lift for disabled visitors to enjoy the view too.
2) The beach and Promenade des Anglais. ( A pedestrianised walkway along the coast)
3) Matisse Museum in Nice and his chapel just outside Vence are both worth a visit.
4) Old Town
5) The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicolas
1) Castle Hill for the best views! There is even a lift for disabled visitors to enjoy the view too.
2) The beach and Promenade des Anglais. ( A pedestrianised walkway along the coast)
3) Matisse Museum in Nice and his chapel just outside Vence are both worth a visit.
4) Old Town
5) The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicolas
Day trips from Nice
It's very easy to get around the Cote d'Azur by car or by public transport. There are buses and trains that go between towns and cities at very reasonable prices. Below are my recommendations for places to visit.
1) Antibes. We loved this beautiful town and stopped there on the way to Cannes.
1) Antibes. We loved this beautiful town and stopped there on the way to Cannes.
2) Cannes. Avoid the film festival time though in May.
3) Monaco. (You don't need passports to enter this principality.) Avoid the Grand Prix dates here. You can stop off on the train at Beaulieu-sur-Mer or Eze on the way.
4) St-Paul-de-Vence and Vence
You can also take the train to Marseille and Northern Italy.
For more information on Nice take a look at the Nice Tourism site.
You can also take the train to Marseille and Northern Italy.
For more information on Nice take a look at the Nice Tourism site.