France · The Riviera's turquoise capital
🌊Nice
Nice fuses Italian and French Riviera influences on the Baie des Anges — ochre facades of the Vieille Ville, the Promenade des Anglais, and hilltop Cimiez where Matisse and Chagall painted.
- Best season
- May–June and September–October
- Mid-range
- €100–€170 / day
- Backpacker
- €55–€85 / day
- Country
- France
Safety
Very safe. Pickpockets around Vieux Nice and the Promenade.
Best travel season
May–June and September–October. July–August packed and hot; Carnival in February.
Daily budget
Mid-range
€100–€170 / day
Backpacker
€55–€85 / day
Where to stay
- Vieux Nice — old town, atmospheric, cheapest options
- Carré d'Or — chic, near Promenade and Place Masséna
- Le Port — Italian-feel harbor, cheaper cafés
- Cimiez — leafy hilltop with Matisse and Chagall museums
Hostels
- Hostel Meyerbeer Beach — steps from the Promenade
- Villa Saint Exupéry Beach — modern, near Le Port
- Antares Hostel — social, near the station
Transportation
Tram
Three lines including one to the airport. €1.70 single; €5 day pass.
Bus
Same €1.70 ticket; night 'Noctambus' N-buses.
Vélo Bleu
Public bikes; €1 for 24 h, first 30 min free.
On foot
Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya, and Colline du Château are best walked.
Airport — NCE
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
7 km west of the center; France's 3rd-busiest airport.
Airport to city center
Tram Line 2
Direct to Port and Jean Médecin in 25–30 min, €1.70.
Bus 12/23
Local bus to the center, €1.70.
Taxi
Fixed €32 daytime to Nice west, €38 to Nice east.
Attractions
Must-see
Promenade des Anglais
7 km seafront promenade lined with the Belle-Époque Négresco hotel.
Must-see
Vieux Nice & Cours Saleya
Ochre lanes, flower market (Tue–Sun) and antiques market (Mon).
Sunset
Colline du Château
Free hilltop park with the classic view over the Baie des Anges.
Museum
Musée Matisse
Personal Matisse collection in a Genoese villa in Cimiez.
Museum
Musée Marc Chagall
17 large biblical canvases in a purpose-built museum.
Photography
Place Masséna
Red-ochre Italianate square with Plensa's Conversation à Nice light figures.
Hidden gem
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (day trip)
Pink Belle-Époque villa with nine themed gardens on Cap Ferrat.
Food & drink
Street food
Socca
Thin chickpea-flour pancake baked in a wood oven. Chez Pipo or Chez Thérésa on Cours Saleya.
Local dish
Salade niçoise
The real one has no cooked vegetables — tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, egg, olives, raw pepper.
Street food
Pissaladière
Onion tart with anchovies and olives; sold by the slice in bakeries.
Restaurant
La Merenda
Tiny, cash-only Niçard bistro from ex-Négresco chef Dominique Le Stanc.
Restaurant
Le Bistrot d'Antoine
Modern Niçard bistro in Vieux Nice; book ahead.
Vegan
Koko Green
Small raw-vegan spot in Vieux Nice.