Travel guide · France
Nice travel guide
Pebble beaches, Old Town markets and a rail gateway to the Riviera
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera, curving around the Baie des Anges behind the 7-kilometre Promenade des Anglais. Its Italianate old town, Vieux Nice, packs baroque churches, the Cours Saleya market and socca counters into a few lanes below Castle Hill, while the Cimiez hill holds the Matisse and Chagall museums. Tram line 2 links the airport to the centre, and coastal trains reach Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes in under 45 minutes, which makes Nice the most practical base for the whole Côte d'Azur. UNESCO added the city to its World Heritage List in 2021 as the winter resort town of the Riviera. Plan 5 days for a first visit; the best months are May–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- France
- Best time to visit
- May–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 5 days
- Main airports
- NCE
- Mid-range daily budget
- $180–$320 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya market and Socca
Why visit Nice
- The Promenade des Anglais gives you 7 kilometres of seafront for walking, cycling and swimming from public pebble beaches, all reachable on foot from the old town.
- Vieux Nice keeps a distinctly Ligurian food culture: socca, pissaladière, pan bagnat and petits farcis that you will not find made the same way elsewhere in France.
- Matisse lived in Nice for almost four decades, and the Musée Matisse and the Musée National Marc Chagall sit within a short walk of each other in Cimiez.
- Monaco, Èze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes and Menton are all day trips by regional train or bus, so you can see the coast without a car.
- The climate is mild enough for outdoor lunches in March and swimming from June to early October.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 17 things to do.
Waterfront · Seafront
Promenade des Anglais
Nice's seafront promenade runs about 7 kilometres around the Baie des Anges from the airport to the foot of Castle Hill.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
Neighbourhood · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
Vieux Nice
The old town's lanes, such as Rue Droite and Rue de la Préfecture, hide baroque chapels, small museums and some of the best places to try socca and pissaladière.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna
Place Masséna
Nice's main square has red-ochre Italianate arcades, a black-and-white chequerboard pavement and the Fontaine du Soleil with its marble Apollo.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Market · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
Cours Saleya market
The long square at the edge of the old town hosts Nice's best-known flower and produce market from Tuesday to Sunday mornings, with local olives, courgette flowers, citrus and Provençal herbs.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
The fortress that once crowned this rock was demolished in 1706, and the hill is now a shaded park with an artificial waterfall, a playground, ruins of the old cathedral and the city's best viewpoints over the Baie des Anges on one side and Port Lympia on the other.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
- Couples
Park · Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna
Promenade du Paillon
This long green corridor was built over the covered Paillon river and links Place Masséna with the old town's edge.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Where to stay
Vieux Nice (Old Town) is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, nightlife and couples
Vieux Nice (Old Town)
Narrow ochre lanes, baroque churches, market stalls and late-night bars below Castle Hill
$$$$ · Best for beach, families, luxury and first-timers
Promenade des Anglais seafront
Belle Époque hotels, sea-view rooms and the famous blue chairs along the bay
$$$$ · Best for shopping, luxury and couples
Carré d'Or
Elegant streets of designer boutiques and Belle Époque apartment blocks behind the seafront
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and budget
Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna
Main shopping avenue, tram line 1 and the red-ochre Place Masséna
What to eat
- Socca — A thin, crisp pancake of chickpea flour, water and olive oil, baked in huge round pans in a wood-fired oven, cut into pieces and eaten hot with plenty of black pepper.
- Salade niçoise — The local version uses raw vegetables such as tomatoes, radishes, peppers and small purple artichokes with hard-boiled egg, black Niçoise olives, anchovies or tuna and olive oil.
- Pan bagnat — A round bread roll soaked in olive oil and filled with the ingredients of a salade niçoise, originally a fisherman's lunch.
- Pissaladière — A thick bread base topped with onions cooked slowly until sweet, black olives and anchovy fillets, sold by the slice and eaten at room temperature.
- Petits farcis — Small vegetables such as courgettes, tomatoes, onions and peppers stuffed with a mix of meat, breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan, then baked.
- Ratatouille — Nice's best-known vegetable stew of aubergine, courgette, peppers, tomato and onion in olive oil, cooked slowly and served warm or cold as a side or main course.
When to go
The best times to visit Nice are May, June, September and early October, when the weather is warm, the sea is swimmable from June and the city is less crowded than in July and August. Winter is mild and quiet, ideal for museums and coastal walks, and February brings the Carnival.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Blossom, mild sunshine and quiet museums; too early to swim for most people, but perfect for walking and day trips along the coast. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, dry and lively, with the jazz festival and fireworks; beaches and trains are crowded and hotel prices peak in July and August. |
| Autumn | September–November | A warm sea in September, fewer visitors in October and lower prices, with the risk of short, heavy storms from October. |
| Winter | December–February | Mild days with clear Alpine views, Christmas lights in December and the Carnival in February; some beach clubs close. |
Getting there and around
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is about 7 km west of the centre on the seafront. Tram line 2 runs from both terminals to the city centre and the port in about 25–30 minutes on a standard ticket, and taxis take about 20–30 minutes depending on traffic.
Central Nice is compact and flat between the station, the old town and the sea, so most visitors walk. Lignes d'Azur runs three tram lines and an extensive bus network, and regional TER trains run along the coast to Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes.
Plan your days
Three days covers the old town, Castle Hill, the Promenade, Cimiez's museums and one coastal day trip. Five days lets you add Monaco, Èze and Villefranche or Antibes on separate days and still keep a beach afternoon.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- French
- Plugs
- Type C and E sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and there are drinking fountains in parks and on the Promenade.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Service is included in restaurant prices by law.
Pickpocketing and bag theft are the main issues, especially on the Promenade, in the old town, at the station and on crowded trams and trains in summer. Watch for distraction tricks, and be careful of cyclists on the Promenade's cycle lane.
Flights to Nice
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Nice?
Three days covers the old town, Castle Hill, the Promenade, Cimiez's museums and one coastal day trip. Five days lets you add Monaco, Èze and Villefranche or Antibes on separate days and still keep a beach afternoon. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Nice?
The best times to visit Nice are May, June, September and early October, when the weather is warm, the sea is swimmable from June and the city is less crowded than in July and August. Winter is mild and quiet, ideal for museums and coastal walks, and February brings the Carnival.
+What is Nice known for?
Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya market, Socca, Salade niçoise, Matisse and Chagall, Pebble beaches and Nice Carnival. The Promenade des Anglais gives you 7 kilometres of seafront for walking, cycling and swimming from public pebble beaches, all reachable on foot from the old town.
+Is Nice expensive?
Nice is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $180–$320 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Nice?
No for the city and coastal day trips, which trains and buses cover well. A car helps for hill villages such as Saint-Paul-de-Vence or the Gorges du Verdon, but parking in Nice is expensive.