Nice travel guide
Where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Things to do in Nice, planned over three days
Best time to visit Nice
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Mild winter, quiet museums and cheapest hotels, except Carnival in February.
Walking season, terraces reopen and hiking is at its best, though the sea is still cold and late May prices spike.
Beach season proper, warm sea and festivals, hottest and priciest from mid July to mid August.
September is the best all rounder with a warm sea and softer crowds. October rain risk rises late in the month.
The wettest, quietest and cheapest month.
What's on
- Nice Carnival mid-Feb to early Mar
Parades and Batailles de Fleurs on the Prom and Massena over about two to three weeks.
- Menton Lemon Festival mid-Feb to early Mar
Overlaps Carnival, 35 minutes by train in Menton.
- Christmas markets and lights December
The Village de Noël fills Jardin Albert 1er and Place Masséna with stalls, lights and a big wheel.
- Cannes Film Festival Late May
Sends Riviera hotel prices to their annual peak, even in Nice.
- Monaco Grand Prix Late May or early June
Sends Riviera hotel prices to their annual peak, even in Nice.
- Nice Jazz Festival July
Evening concerts on Place Masséna and in the Théâtre de Verdure by the sea, worth timing a trip around.
- Bastille Day fireworks 14 July
Fireworks worth timing a summer trip around.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Nice
Colline du Château
The essential free viewpoint over the red roofs, the Baie des Anges and the port, with gardens and a waterfall.
Vieux Nice
Ochre Old Town lanes, Baroque churches and the Cours Saleya flower and produce market, best early and at golden hour.
Promenade des Anglais
Seven kilometres of seafront walking and cycling past the blue chairs, with free public pebble beaches alongside.
Musée National Marc Chagall
A purpose built, intimate museum for the Biblical Message series, set in a quiet Cimiez garden and doable in 90 minutes.
Musée Matisse
A 17th century villa with a major Matisse collection, next to Roman ruins, an arena and monastery gardens in Cimiez.
Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice
Onion domes and icons at one of the largest Russian Orthodox cathedrals outside Russia, the city's most surprising interior.
Port Lympia
Colourful harbour facades and the Rue Bonaparte strip where locals go out, on the quieter side of Castle Hill.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
The Riviera's best villa visit, with nine themed gardens looking over the sea on both sides of the peninsula.
Where to stay in Nice
Carre d'Or / Promenade des Anglais
first trip, all-round base
Central, best lit and sea front, between the Old Town and the beach, home to the grand hotels.
Vieux Nice (Old Town)
character and food on your doorstep
Most character and the best food nearby, with night noise, few lifts and no cars as the trade off.
Le Port / Garibaldi
value for character, younger travellers and food
Local and lively, ten minutes walk to the Old Town, with Rue Bonaparte for going out.
Jean-Medecin / City Centre
train day trips and practical stays
Tram and Nice Ville station for day trips plus shopping, often cheaper and a few blocks from the sea.
Cimiez
families and a quiet stay
Quiet, green and residential near the Matisse and Chagall museums, with a tram or bus down to the beach.
Gambetta
budget compromise on the sea
Residential west of centre along the Prom, safe and cheaper while still on the sea.
Think twice about
- Outer housing estates such as L'Ariane and Les Moulins
Residential districts far from the sea and the sights, with no hotels a visitor would want. Nothing to gain by basing there.
Best restaurants in Nice
Le Chantecler
Nice's flagship fine dining inside Le Negresco, with tasting menus in an 18th century style dining room.
Restaurant JAN
A 24 seat starred table where a South African chef cooks Riviera produce, the foodie splurge.
Flaveur
Two-star spice route tasting menus from the Gaudard brothers, the connoisseur pick in central Nice.
Le Bistrot d'Antoine
The Old Town bistro locals book, for duck magret, sweetbreads and rice pudding without fuss.
Chez Acchiardo
Family run since 1927, the traditional Nicois dinner of daube with ravioli and escalope maison.
Les Agitateurs
A youthful one star on Rue Bonaparte with good value tasting menus in the locals' quarter.
Oliviera
Olive oil led Nicois cooking where the owner talks you through the oils with each course.
Chez Pipo
The socca benchmark, wood fired and peppered, eaten with fingers and a glass of rose.
Outdoor things to do in Nice
Chemin de Nietzsche
A steep 1.7km climb from the sea to Eze Village with sea views the whole way, ending by the Exotic Garden.
Sentier du Littoral
Free cliff path from Cap de Nice to Villefranche with swim ladders and picnic spots around Mont Boron.
Tour du Cap Ferrat
A flat 6km peninsula loop past villas and clear water coves, the best active half day from Nice by bus.
Mala Cave
Small boat snorkelling to the boat only Mala Cave, with Cap Ferrat and Villefranche swim stops and gear included.
Gorges du Verdon
Kayak or pedalo on turquoise water under limestone walls at the gorge mouth, the region's best active day out.
Monaco
Twenty minutes by train for the palace, harbour and casino square, easy to combine with Eze on the way back.
Antibes
Ramparts, old town and rare sandy beaches by train, plus the coastal path around Cap d'Antibes, mellower than Nice.
Canyoning Nice
Guided canyoning, aqua hiking and rafting in the hinterland valleys, the adventure counterpoint to beach days.
Best hotels in Nice
Le Negresco
The 1913 pink domed icon on the Prom, with museum grade art, a private beach and Le Chantecler.
Hôtel du Couvent
A former convent opened in 2024 above the Old Town, with gardens and a Roman baths spa in calm grounds.
Hôtel La Pérouse
A hidden boutique below Castle Hill with a pool carved into the rock and bay views, quieter than the Prom palaces.
Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee
Belle Epoque facade and pool terrace on the Prom, reliable luxury lite on the beachfront.
Hôtel Amour Nice
Stylish Carré d'Or side street hotel with a garden and pool, popular with a Parisian cool crowd.
Palais Saleya Boutique Hotel
Old Town base with apartment style space and hotel service, putting the best food on your doorstep.
ibis Styles Nice Centre Port
Dependable value in the locals' Port quarter, a short walk to the Old Town.
Hôtel 64
Clean, soundproofed budget hotel 70 metres from Nice Ville station, ideal for train day trips.
Is Nice expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €84 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €170 a person |
| Splurge | €450 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild: a few days ahead
- Carnaval de Nice: months ahead
- Mala Cave: a few days ahead
- Gorges du Verdon: a few days ahead
- Canyoning Nice: a few days ahead
- Monte-Carlo Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Golf de la Grande Bastide: a few days ahead
- Le Chantecler: weeks ahead
- Le Chantecler, JAN and Flaveur need booking 3 to 6 weeks out, months ahead for Carnival, Jazz Fest and Grand Prix weekends.
- Reserve beach club loungers a few days ahead in July and August, and book Verdon tours and Cap Ferrat villa tickets online in summer.
- Hotels for Carnival need booking 6 to 9 months ahead for central stays, at minimum 3 to 4 months.
Is Nice safe?
- Nice beaches are pebbles with a steep drop off. Water shoes are essential and weak swimmers should use lifeguarded zones.
- Pickpockets work around Nice Ville station, the tram and Cours Saleya crowds. Keep valuables front and zipped.
- Old Town lanes get drunk noise late at night, and station streets can feel seedy late. Walk the lit avenues.
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Nice travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Promenade front restaurants and Cours Saleya terrace rows charge for the view. Eat one street back in the Old Town or Port.
- A Riviera in a day mega tour giving 30 minutes per town. The train does it better and cheaper.
- La Petite Maison is famous and scene driven, better for people watching than value. Avoid Castle Hill at midday in August.
Getting around Nice: public transport and more
- Walk the centre. Tram lines 1 and 2 cover airport, centre and port, and tram 2 from the airport is the cheap arrival.
- TER trains from Nice Ville run the coast about every 30 minutes to Villefranche, Monaco, Antibes, Menton and Cannes.
- A car is a liability in Nice for parking and traffic. Rent one only for Verdon or Mercantour days.
Who Nice suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Nice your trip
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