Nice, in the heart of the south of France, is a bustling city with so much to see. A popular destination on the French Riviera, it’s a great city to base yourself if you want to visit the many other towns and cities nearby. And so, as April is my birthday month, mum and I decided to book a short stay in the city to celebrate. Here’s our guide to making the most of your visit.
What to See in Nice
Place Masséna, Nice, France
Nice is filled with visually arresting architecture, a mixed bag of architectural styles, including art deco. Place Masséna is one of the central, historic squares of the city, and where the contrasting architecture of Nice is particularly evident. Central to the square is the Fontaine du Soleil (the Sun Fountain), a beautiful fountain that features a marble statue of the Greek god Apollo. If visiting the city, it’s unlikely you won’t find yourself in the square at some point, and therefore near the fountain, as it links Old Nice (Vieux-Nice) and the newer part of the city.
Old Nice
For me, the most charming part of the city was Old Nice, with its winding, cobblestoned streets that could sometimes feel like a maze and are very easy to get lost in. What I noticed most of all was how one minute you’re walking in the Cours Saleya where the flower market usually takes place, and next you’re looking at a little slice of paradise through impressive marble arches straight out onto the Promenade des Anglais and the beautiful blue sea.
View from Cours Saleya
As it was April, the weather wasn’t always on our side. The pictures make it look warmer than it was, with the blue sky and otherwise sunny days. Braving the chill, I chose to pretend it was summer and try some of the ice cream I’d heard so much about. We stumbled upon Glacier Fenocchio in the Old Town, and the variety to choose from was maddening. I simply didn’t have enough time (or warm body temperature) to try as many as I’d have liked.
View of the beach from Promenade des Anglais
Using Public Transport in Nice
If you’re staying centrally enough, public transport isn’t really needed. We stayed on Boulevard Victor Hugo, just off Avenue Jean Médecin, and walking down to Place Masséna, Old Nice and Promenade des Anglais wasn’t difficult or too far. But, if you do want to take public transport, both the buses and trams are on offer to take you around the city (although Sunday may be a little sketchy for buses). Some buses in Nice take you beyond the city, or even beyond the country; the 600 line bus takes you from Nice to Menton via Monaco, and doesn’t take all that long to get to the end of the line. During our visit to the French Riviera, we also explored nearby cities such as Antibes and Cannes, both of which I’d highly recommend.
To use the buses, the cheapest option for a visitor is to buy the ‘La Carte’ card which will allow you to use the buses and trams in Nice – but only Nice. They can be bought at ticket machines at tram stations – although not at airport machines – and each journey costs 1.70 euro.
A small tip: one of the things that were routinely pointed out to us by helpful locals was to be very wary of pickpockets when walking around Nice. Coming from London, this was nothing new to us, but there were frequent reminders to be on alert on trams and other public transport too.
Where to Eat in Nice
Restaurants: Le Garibaldi and Oscar
Glacier Fenocchio
Favourite place to get ice cream: Glacier Fenocchio, as mentioned before, was my favourite choice – there were so many options it took me a while to choose.
Best place for macarons: Angea
