If you are visiting the South of France, the common practice is to make Nice your base. Nice is a beautiful sunny city in the South of France with good connections to neighboring towns. For this post, I shared a complete Nice travel guide and itinerary, and everything you need to know before visiting.
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If you are on a train to Nice, you will find that there are two similar stops for Nice: Nice St. Augustin and Nice Ville. The Nice St. Augustin station mainly provides connections to Nice Airport, as well as other parts of Nice. But the right place to stop for your trip is the Nice Ville Station: the main train station in Nice. From here, you can stay in your accommodation and plan your day trips for the French Riviera.
For this Nice travel guide and itinerary, I will recommend spending two or three days in Nice – but four days in Nice is perfect too. If you are slow-traveling, a four-day trip is enough, especially if you are a first-time visitor. For this post, I will cover the attractions you need to visit, where to stay, how to get around, a suggested 2-day travel guide and itinerary, and everything you should plan for a perfect trip to Nice, France.
CONTENTS:
- 5 Things to know before you visit Nice, France
- Best time to visit Nice, France
- How to get around in Nice
- Where to stay in Nice, France
- Where to eat in Nice, France
- 2 Day Detailed Nice Travel Guide and Itinerary
- 8 Top Tips For Visiting Nice, France
- 12-Free-Things-And-Activities-To-Do-In-Nice,-France
- FAQs about Nice, France
- Final thoughts
5 Things To Know Before You Visit Nice, France
- It is the second largest city in France, so expect a little crowd, depending on what time of the year you visit. By early June, the city is already swarming with tourists.
- The beaches, especially Baie d’Anges along Promenade des Anglais, are free to swim. Some travel agencies or tour guides tend to include an entrance fee for the beach to unsuspecting tourists. But unless you wish to lounge in a beach club (paid, by the way), you don’t have to pay a dime.
- Just like other cities in the South of France, Nice’s weather is warm and mostly sunny from late April till mid-October. This way, you can avoid the summer rush.
- The beach is famous for its pebbled stones, which can be quite uncomfortable for your bare feet. If you don’t want to hurt your feet, you’ll have to wear a beach or water shoe.
- Nice offers the best connections to other villages and small towns in the South of France. If you are planning a trip to the South of France, sleep in Nice, and take day trips to other parts of the French Riviera.
Further reading: A Local’s Travel Guide To The South of France
Best Time To Visit Nice, France
Nice is beautiful all year round, but like other big cities in France, it can be very crowded. I visited Nice in the first week of June (June 7 – 9), and it was surprisingly busy with tourists. The beaches were packed, the weather was warm, the sun was up, but the city didn’t feel crowded yet.
However, I recommend that you visit Nice between May to mid mid-June, and then between mid-September to October. If you want to have a less crowded experience in Nice, these are the best times to visit Nice.
By late June till the end of August, the city is beaming with tourists and other French residents. The weather can also be unbearable due to the heat wave. So, for this Nice travel guide and itinerary, plan your trip during the slow months.
How To Get Around in Nice, France
Trains, buses, trams, taxis, and private cabs are the most common means to move around in Nice. But as a big city, Nice boasts of a solid public transportation system that connects you with other neighboring towns and villages.
Trams and buses are common ways to move around in Nice. If you are staying around or close to the Nice Ville train station, trams 1 and 2 are the best ways to move around. They travel in the directions of Henri Sappia and Hospital Pasteur, and Airport Terminal 2 and Port Lympia respectively. These two tram lines cover the train station and all major attractions.
Buses are my favorite here, especially the week I toured the South of France. The Ligne d’Azur buses commute as far as Cannes and other villages in the South of France. All you need is a single bus card (you can get that from the bus driver), their mobile application, and a daily recharge to validate your trip. As a French resident, I advise tourists to always buy a ticket to avoid being fined by the ticket agents.
Nice is also a walkable city, especially around the Avenue Thiers (the train station). Place Massena, the old town, Avenue Jean Médecin, Port Lympia, and Promenade des Anglais are all within walking distances if you are staying around the city center.
Further reading: How To Spot Red Flags Before Booking A Hotel
Where to Stay in Nice, France
As a habit, I always stay around or in the city center whenever I travel – especially because I travel solo. If you are a female solo traveler or hope to explore the city, you should stay around the city center.
Avenue Jean Médecin is a perfect location for your stay. This is because you can connect to Place Massena, the old town, and Promenade des Anglais from here. Hotels on Promenade des Anglais may be pricey, but if you are not on a budget, that beach view is unmatched.😉
I stayed at SLO, an eco-friendly hostel with locations in Nice and Lyon. I booked a double room with an en suite bathroom, and I can attest that this hostel is impeccable. From the staff to the neatness, the hostel is a chef’s kiss. Although it is labelled as a hostel, you can book private en suite rooms for your stay.
Overall, for this Nice travel guide and itinerary, Avenue Jean Médecin and the old town are the perfect locations to stay when you visit Nice.
Where to eat in Nice, France
One thing I love about the city: you will find everything you need on Avenue Jean Médecin – from food to banks. Cafés, Asian restaurants, kebab shops, and even supermarkets (Monoprix) are littered along the Avenue, so you can find everything here.
Restaurant Léopard, an Asian buffet restaurant, is a food spot at the top of my list. The restaurant offers a buffet selection of sushi, salads, meat sauces, fish, rice, sautéed noodles, and seafood that you can choose from. A buffet meal costs about €20-€25 per person, but you can request a small packed meal to take away for €10 (if you are not a foodie like me 😉). The restaurant is on Avenue Thiers, a few steps from the train station.
If you love pizza, you should check out Pizza Pili on Rue Benoît Bunico (in the old town), not far from Marché aux Fleurs. The food is affordable with authentic flavors. I’ll give them a 4.5/5.
Also, I enjoyed a plate of local beef ravioli at L’Ecurie Restaurant, just around the old town. The food was tasty and quite affordable if you are on a budget.
Further reading: How To Plan The Perfect Trip – A Detailed Guide
2 Day Detailed Nice Travel Guide and Itinerary
I was in the city as part of my trip to the South of France (even though I live in the South of France)😉, so a two-day trip was enough for me to visit the major attractions.
To help you build a comprehensive travel guide and itinerary for Nice, I have compiled the attractions to visit and things to do for your trip to Nice, France.
DAY 1
Avenue Jean Médecin
If you’re not exhausted, you can drop off your bags at your hotel and stroll to Avenue Jean Médecin. Since you might be hungry, this is the perfect area to grab a bite from a French restaurant.
After your meal, stroll down to Basilica Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (just opposite Monoprix) and explore the church. It’s also a free attraction, and they had a night light show inside the church when I visited.
Place Massena
Once you are done with the church, take a 12-minute walk to Place Massena. When you get there, take a selfie with the statue of Apollo at Fontaine du Soleil.
If you wish, head to Promenade du Paillon and let the water cool you off. You will also find benches to sit on while you rest a little.
Port Lympia and Place Garibaldi
After cooling off from the sprinkles, walk back to the tram stop or walk about 12 minutes to Place Garibaldi. The square is a large area with brightly painted buildings and cafés. Just around it (you can use your Google Maps), you will find Port Lympia. Those yachts make the port look dreamy.
Once you are done comparing those yachts, you can head back to your hotel for a good night’s rest.
DAY 2
Take a Tour Train
If you feel like you don’t have much time to see the major attractions, you can use a tour train. Le Petit Train de Nice is a 45-minute tour train in Nice that allows you to explore the city and its views. The agency offers two tours – the castle tour and the city center tour.
The city center tour takes you from the Promenade des Anglais, just by the Centenaire Monument, through the old town. While the castle tour will take you from Promenade des Anglais to Castle Hill, for €12.
Old town and Saint Réparate Cathedral.
Find your way to the city center and walk through the old streets. You can stop to get a gelato or crepe if you wish. From the old town, find your way to Saint Réparate Cathedral. If you get there before noon or after 2 pm, you can tour the cathedral. I didn’t get a chance to see inside because they were closed till 2 pm.
You will find some restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a pizza place around the cathedral. So feel free to pause for lunch.
Marché aux Fleurs/Cours Saleya
After your time at the church, continue on your way to the flower market at Cours Saleya. The market is actually made for flower vendors, but you also find other food and craft vendors in the market. Don’t forget to buy flower seeds from the market too.
Further reading: One Day in Monaco – A Day Trip Guide to Monaco on a Budget
Promenade des Anglais
Once you are done with the market, find your way to Promenade des Anglais. To make the walk easier, I’ll recommend that you start from the beginning of the promenade (by Castle Hill). It feels easier this way for you to see the view.
From this end, you should see the #ILoveNice sign within a few minutes. You’d better take a selfie too! As you continue, you will also find a small Statue of Liberty. You might miss it if you don’t look closely.
As you walk along the Promenade, you will find some restaurants and beach clubs by the beach. By your right, just by the Nice Garden, you will find the Centenary Monument. It’s a UNESCO landmark in the city.
Just after the monument, you will find the beautiful Hotel Negresco, the Casino, and other beautiful buildings on the other side of the beach. As you continue along the Promenade, you will come across shaded areas with seats. You can catch your breath here if you feel tired.
Explore the Russian Orthodox Church
The Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice is about a 10- or 15-minute walk from the train station. It’s a Russian Orthodox church that is still active (they still hold mass) and is open to tourists. The exterior is beautiful, like a cartoon, and entry is free. However, you will be charged €5 to explore the basement or crypt. For your Nice travel guide and itinerary, do not miss this spot
Extra
If you think that you do not have time to explore Nice on your own, you can use the Tour Train on the Promenade des Anglais.
Alternatively, my friend told me about a car tour experience in Nice. Instead of trains, you get to tour Nice (or some parts of the South of France – depending on your package) in a little car. You only have to present a valid identity, be 20 years old to drive, and be more than 9 years old for this tour. You can find out about the Rivera Tour Experience here.
8 Top Tips for Visiting Nice, France
To avoid being caught unawares, here are eight top tips to know for your Nice travel guide and itinerary:
- Use the public transportation train. I cannot emphasize this enough! A planned chauffeur is great, but will that be the best way for you to explore the city? Trams and buses are quite reliable in Nice, and when paired with Google Maps, you can be anywhere. Plus, you can get a bus/tram or train transport card with an affordable subscription for 1 or 3 days, or a week.
- While at it, take advantage of the daily or weekly packages for the transport card if you plan on using the train, tram, or buses. Moreover, the ticket controllers on the train will give you a fine if you travel without a ticket. So, better be safe than sorry!
- Now for food – if you plan to eat in large-scale restaurants or food spots (like Le Plongeoir), make your reservation in advance. Most tourists get disappointed when they can’t get a seat in a restaurant they really wanted, and then rant about it. So, call the restaurant in advance or book online!
- Avoid booking accommodations close to Nice Ville train station. In comparison, it is better to book an accommodation on Rue de Paris than on Avenue Thiers, Nice. So, unless you are staying at DoubleTree by Hilton, the busy street might affect your sleep.
- If you are a first-time visitor, watch your luggage if you are around the train station. Avoid leaving your luggage unattended and zip your bags firmly to avoid pickpockets.
- In the same vein, make sure to keep your personal items safe when you go to the beach. This will be a challenge if you are on a solo trip. When I was at the beach, I put my items in a waterproof drawstring bag and hid it under a pile of pebbles. Don’t blame me, please!
- Ignore the social media noise and hype, especially on restaurants. Feel free to eat at a local restaurant and enjoy French or Nicoise cuisine. Isn’t that why you are visiting Nice anyway?
- If you have more time, take a day trip to Ventimiglia – the Italian town on the French border, just after Menton. This way, you get to visit two countries in one trip.
Further reading: Headed to Paris? Top Scams To Avoid While Visiting Paris
10 Free Things And Activities To Do In Nice, France
If you got to this point, you must have read through my two-day detailed Nice travel guide and itinerary. But to make it smoother for my readers, here are free attractions and activities to do the city (in my chronological order):
- Explore Avenue Jean Medécin. If you are a shopaholic, please beware!😉
- Make a stop at Basilica de Notre Dame de l’Assomption and explore the church.
- Take in the sights at Place Massena and take a selfie with Apollo at Fontaine du Soleil.
- If you wish, take a walk through Promenade du Paillon and cool off a bit! If you are hot, you can dip your feet in the water.
- From Place Massena, find your way to the old town and admire the old buildings.
- After admiring the Cathedral, walk to Cours Saleya and wander through the flower market.
- Find your way to the end of the Promenade or Castle Hill, and take the stairs or elevator to the top. From here, you have an aerial view of the old town, Promenade des Anglais, and Baie d’Anges (the beach). The view is breathtaking.
- From there, walk through Promenade des Anglais and see the beach. It’s a long stretch, so feel free to sit on the benches and judge people!😂
- Find your way to Port Lympia, Nice’s sea port, and admire the yachts. Take the chance to walk to Place Garibaldi.
- Visit the Russian Orthodox Saint Nicholas Cathedral and explore the church. The church is free to visitors, but you’ll be charged €5 if you wish to explore the basement.
FAQs About Nice, France
- Can you visit Nice, France alone? Definitely, yes! If you are a regular reader here, you’ll know by now that I’m a solo female traveler, therefore I visited Nice alone. The city is quite safe and bustling, as long as you don’t stay out late.
- Is Nice a walkable city? Absolutely, yes! Most of the attractions are around the city center, making it easy for you to navigate.
- Can you fly into Nice directly? Sure, you can! If you are visiting from outside France, you should fly directly to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) and then take a tram to the city center. The Tram line 2, in the direction of Port Lympia, will take you into the city center.
- Is it customary to tip in Nice? No, it isn’t! The popular tipping culture is not a thing in France, but it will be kind of you to leave a tip in a restaurant or for service workers.
- Can I take day trips to other towns from Nice? Oui, bien sûr! Nice is the perfect base for anyone looking to explore the South of France without any hassle. From Nice, you can take day trips to Grasse, Monte Carlo (Monaco), Ventimiglia (Italy), Marseille, and Aix-en-Provence. I once saw a day trip itinerary to St. Tropez on Booking.com. You can check that out too.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations! And I hope this 2-day Nice travel guide and itinerary will convince you that it is a great addition to your French travel itinerary. I think that 2 or 3 days is the perfect amount of time to see all the major attractions in the city.
I invite you to take a look at all the pictures I took while I was in the city, France. And if you are planning an extensive trip around the French Riviera, do well to check out my full travel guide to the French Riviera. And while you are in Nice, here’s my full itinerary and travel guide for a day trip to Monaco.
Overall, I think that Nice is worth the hype and you should visit as soon as possible!
Toodals!😉
