“Bonjour” and “Au revoir” are most probably the two most important nice French greetings you gotta learn before flying to France. We were in France for 13 days and we really enjoyed ourselves.
When is the best time to visit Nice France
Anytime is a good time to visit France, but if you want to avoid the crowd, it is best not to visit Nice France between end June – August. The month of August is the peak season in Nice France. As such, the beaches will be filled with people sunbathing; hotels are expensive, restaurants and cafes will be packed with diners.
If sunbathing is not your cup of tea, spring or fall would be an excellent choice. You will still get sun minus the crowd.
Weather in Nice France
With a mild Mediterranean climate throughout the whole year, Nice is an incredible place to go for a holiday. In fact, you can expect close to 300 days of sunshine on the French Riviera per year. Rainfall is the most during the month of October and November. Therefore, if you dislike carrying an umbrella while sightseeing, it is best to skip these 2 months.
Interesting facts about Nice in France
- Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast as well as the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region after Marseille.
- The city has a nickname, Nice la Belle, which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912.
- Nice originally belonged to Italy but they had to give her up because the French helped Italy to defend against the attack from Austria. Nice became part of France since 1860.
- The city is the original Nike-Town because during the Greek Empire in 500BC, the hill above the old town was called Nike, which means “victory” in Greek. After being part of France, it changed to Nice.
Getting around
Buses and Trams
Public transportation in Nice is provided by Lignes d’Azur, which covers the whole Nice city. They are also buses to nearby cities like Cannes, Menton and also to Monaco. It is very convenient, and not to mention cheap. Buses and trams are 1.50 Euro for a solo ticket for one journey. Moreover, one ticket enables you to use it on the city bus or tram so long as it is within 74mins. An all day ticket cost 5Euro which is very cost effective if you are doing a lot of sightseeing. On top of that, you may also consider buying a 10-ride multi-voyage card for €10. There is no expiration date and it can be used for group travel.
Tickets can be purchased from the driver, only single and daily pass, in cash on board. For others, you can buy them at vending machines at each tram stop. The machines do not accept bank notes, so do have coins or pay via your credit card. Do note that the exchange rate is not favorable at all.
If you arrive at Nice airport, you can take #Tram 2 from the airport to Jean Medecin station in Nice city centre.
When using the buses in Nice, you need to remember to insert your ticket in the validating machine even if it is a transfer. There are occasional checks and you will be fine on the spot for having no tickets or not having a validated ticket.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Nice bus system will be totally overhauled on 2 September 2019. Few of the previous routes will be maintained. For more information, please visit Lignes d’Azur website.
Uber
Taxis are not really recommended in Nice because they are very expensive. Nevertheless, if you really need to take a taix, Uber is the next best alternative. Uber in Nice offers three options: Uber X, a standard vehicle; Berline, a luxury vehicle; Van. As demand for Ubers can often exceed supply, it is thus best to reserve in advance if possible.
Train
Local train tickets can be purchase online via https://en.oui.sncf/en/ or at the self-service machine located in the train stations. However, self-service machines accept only coins and chip-and-pin credit cards as well. If you don’t have both, it is better for you to purchase the train tickets online if your schedule is fixed, or you can head to the SNCF Ticket Office to purchase your tickets. Do go early as the queue can get very long.
Things to do in Nice
1. People watching at the Promenade des Anglais
Do you know the Promenade des Anglais got the name from upper-class English tourists, who would walk along the sea with their parasols? Among them were Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and dancer Isadora Duncan. This promenade stretches a whopping 7km, thus making it a wonderful place to just spend your time doing nothing but watching people sunbathing, paragliding, swimming etc.
2. Wandering the outdoor markets
The most famous market area in Nice France is the Cours Selaya, between Place Massena and Vieux Nice (Old Town). Locals and tourists like to visit this market, except on Monday, to buy fruits and vegetables. There is also a famous stall selling Socca, Chez Thérésa, a Nice specialty. Socca is a type of flatbread made from chickpeas batter. You have to try as they are absolutely delicious. Besides fruits and vegetables, you can also find local cheeses, spices, honey, olives, soaps etc. For more information of this market, especially opening hours, click here.
Another market you might be interested would be Marché de la Liberation, near the Tramway. This market is less known to the tourist than the market in Cours Selaya. Mostly locals shop here and thus cheaper and less crowded. It has everything the flower market has like flowers, fruit, vegetables, and local homemade produce like cheeses and breads, but it also has a covered meat market. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7am to 1pm. Closed Mondays.
Other than flower or food markets, you can also find markets for antiques, second-hand books and arts and crafts.
- Puces de Nice (antiques)
- Quai de la Douane (antiques)
- Place du Palais de Justice (second-hand books and antiques/arts and crafts)
3. Panoramic view of Nice France at Castle Hill
A must “climb”, only 300 steps, for a spectacular view of the Promenade de Anglis and Nice Harbor. Don’t like climbing? No worries. There is a free lift hidden in cave tunnel, which is close to the “I love you” sign. At the top, there are two small cafes for those not so fussy eaters. Castle hill is really a wonderful place to chill out and relax.
4. Walking tour of Old Town Nice
Just below the castle hill is the old town of Nice (Vielle Ville) or Old Nice (Vieux Nice). We enjoyed wandering down the narrow winding streets and admiring the beautiful earth-toned Italianate buildings in the Old Town.
There are two main attractions you would want to check out in this part of town – the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate and the famous Fenocchio ice-cream parlor. Besides these, the old town has plenty of shops, restaurants, bars. Fabulous place to mingle with the locals.
5. Eat local Nice specialties
As Nice was originally Italy, Niçoise foods has a heavy Italian influence. Moreover, being on the Mediterranean, seafood and fresh ingredients play an important role in the tasty regional cuisines.
Socca
Socca is a type of flatbread made from chickpeas batter. It’s cooked in a wood oven on a large round steel plate. One of the famous store in Nice is Chez Theresa.
Pissaladiere
A focaccia Like bread, but without tomato sauce or cheese. On top is a thick layer of caramelized onion and olives.
Pan-bagnat
A crusty bread roll full of tuna, salad, egg, and anchovies. It is basically a salad Niçoise in a sandwich. This is a great on the go lunch treat.
Where to eat in Nice France
Breakfast at Paul
Paul is a French chain of bakery/café restaurants established in 1889 in the town of Croix, in Nord of France. It specializes in serving French products including breads, crêpes, sandwiches, macarons, soups, cakes, pastries, coffee, wine, and beer. There is one near Nice-Ville station where we frequented every morning for croissant and coffee.
Le Voyageur Nissart
Family run restaurant serving authentic Nicoise Cuisine. This small restaurant is located not far away from Nice-Ville station. Reservation is highly recommended because we were turned away before. Serving will be slow if fully booked. But, you won’t regret waiting as the food is really good. On top of that, the price is also very reasonable.
- Address : 19 Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine, 06000 Nice, France
- Opening hours : Restaurant is close on Monday. Lunch – 12pm-2:30pm / Dinner – 7pm – 10:30pm
Peixes Nice
Incredible food with a twist. Their seafood is very fresh and cooked in very creative ways. We like the scallop very much. It practically melts in the mouth. On top of that, the sauce was unique and delicious. You got to try this dish.
This restaurant is very popular as well. We did not make a reservation, but as we were there before 6:30pm, we were lucky to get a table inside the restaurant for 5 of us. There were already many diners there. The whole place was very busy and noisy. The waitress who served us was very friendly and fun despite the crowd. Do make reservation to avoid disappointment. While eating our food, we saw many people waiting outside the restaurant.
- Address : 4 rue de l Opera, 06300 Nice, France
- Opening hours : Tue – Sat 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Where to stay
The hotel we stayed for 5 nights was BRISTOL NICE. It is located near to the Nice-Ville SNCF station. A very convenient place for people who need to get up early to catch the train and easy access to tourist attractions. However, the room is rather small and there is no fridge or safe deposit box. Moreover, it can be noisy at night because the hotel is located on a busy street.
If location is your main concern, this hotel will fit your bill. We chose this hotel precisely for that reason because Nice was our base to visit other coastal cities and medieval villages nearby. The hotel is also near to tram stations, supermarket, restaurants and tourist attractions. It is rather cheap compared to all other hotels in Nice.
Stay tuned for our posts on South of France – Nimes, Arles, Uzes, Pont Du Gard and many more.
