52 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Nice, France

These 52 tips to know before visiting Nice are what I wish I knew before my trip to Nice, France. Hopefully these travel tips will help you from making some of my mistakes when traveling through Nice and the rest of the French Riviera!

DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

[JesseJamesEttebe]

I live in Nice. Best thing if you take the tram from the airport, do not buy the ticket at the airport. Get off at Grand Arena's, and buy your ticket there, you will save money. Also the airport to grand Arena's is free.

Please do come off season, you will have a great experience and you won't melt during the summer months.

[_brandixx]

Every time I see videos like this, I always wonder why no one ever mentions bus #600/601. It's only €2.50 and it goes from Nice all the way to Menton along the coastal road and is an absolutely beautiful ride, with stops in pretty much every single city along the coast, including Eze, Villefranche, Cap d'Ail, and Monaco. It takes about 2 hours end to end, but it's more appealing than the train, which often goes through mountains and has no views. It's a good way to see a lot of the little towns along the Cote d'Azur without renting a car. Also, completely agree about Menton -- I absolutely hated it and would have left about 2 days in had I not rented a nonrefundable apartment for the month. Anyway, great video! Thank you for sharing.

[marciafyfe]

If you want to venture further in to Italy the train will take you to the Cinque Terre, a world heritage group of 5 classic villages hugging the cliffs of the Ligurian Sea south of Genoa. Definitely worth at least one overnight stay. You did an excellent job exploring Nice. Thank you.

[astralctrl]

Wow as a Niçois, i've gotta say that you've nailed it in the head with everything ! Couldn't explain Nice better than you, even as a local myself. Awesome job & Thank you so much for liking our region ! Take care :D

[vincentespinoza]

Just traveled to France for the first time and ended up staying in Cannes instead of nice and regretted it, while Cannes is nice too but there was SO much more to do in nice and ended up loving it more.

[milesmerritt]

Yours is one of the best travel videos we've ever watched. Full of real, useful information - as opposed to many ego-inflating videos that appear on YouTube. Thanks.

[karenmulhern]

Love this guy: talks fast and gives the info people want!

[fawnbornstein]

I am an american
Living in the French Riviera have visited everything ( except restaurants and cafes) you mentioned and I could not agree more with you with your recommendations

[PatrickCaterson]

We visited in the fall and I echo some of your recommendations accept Menton. Next to EZE it was a highlight. We day hiked up the hill into Italy, walked right across the border, had brunch including Lemonchellos and walked down an amazing path/steps down to the sea with the most amazing views and then walked back to Menton along the sea. Amazing, took about 3 hours an absolutely stunning walk.

[JessicaMartinson]

What you missed in Menton, especially since you were there in February is the Fête Citron / The Lemon Festival. They are known for Menton lemons and their famed festival takes place about Feb 15 - March 2 every year. It is a wonderful place to see giant statues and scenes cover completely in lemons. They also have a parade with floats and fireworks (which requires tickets). The smell is so fragrant, and signals the coming of spring in the area. It is a very unique experience. It is also a good time to see the town as a whole at that time too. Just be aware that this can be rainy season in this region, so bring an umbrella or watch the weather forecast, as the entire event is outdoors.

[aaaaahna]

I live in Nice, and I'm glad you encourage people to come in the off peak season. The trains cannot accomodate the work commuters and the tourists during the summer months, especially when tourists take the trains during rush hours. Many people are left on the platform, and commuters working in Monaco are becoming increasingly tired of the struggle to even make it on the train to get to work.

Also beware of pickpockets on the tram and the trains. They take advantage of the moment you board to pick your pockets, so be aware. I've tried to warn people but I've seen so many people lose their valuables 😓

[MrIngenils]

You do a really great job with this travel guide!
Just remember that Nice is France's third most "dangerous" city, so just be aware of suspicious activity, and keep your personal belonging away from pickpockets. Don't flash expensive watches and jewelry after dark, and be aware of scams

[madison]

I visited Nice two summers ago and I am so happy you mentioned Eze! Eze was so lovely and there's even a perfume factory and museum near the bus stop I remember. They give you a tour and history of perfumery in France and let you sample the fragrances they make in house. I got my sister souvenirs from there!

[lynnettest.george]

Monaco is also quite exceptional. The aquarium is incredible. One can learn much of the history of marine science, scuba, and the explorations of Jaques Cousteau. Also, there are some beautiful gardens and the church where Prince Albert and Grace Kelly were married and are buried. The architect of the Casino, Garnier, the very same who designed the Palais d'Opéra à Paris. Your exposé was wonderful and very thorough. J'adore Nice.

[cognoscenticycles]

For excellent coffee in Nice, I would check out La Claque in the Old Town, and Clay in the Place du Pin area and Cafe Fino in the Carabacel neighbourhood. In my opinion the best neighbourhood to stay in is Port Lympia. The tram from the airport drops you off right in the Port. It's also a stones throw from the Old City and every other place worth visiting.

[melinamartin]

My mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, and I are all headed to Nice this coming August and we all found your video incredibly insightful. We will definitely be following a lot of your tips mentioned. Sending love from Texas! ❤️

[kchoog]

Ha! “Shat-too” for “chateau” gave me a giggle

[SweetHoneySugar]

Antibes is my hometown and I spend a lot of my time off in Nice, and I agree with most of your comments. I am not a big fan of Cannes (although the old part, "le Suquet" is very nice) or Monaco either. I would also recommend the "sentier des contrebandiers" which is the coastal path around Cap d'Antibes. You need good walking shoes and a few hours but the view is wonderful. I confirm, and love, that we can walk or take a train, a tram or a bus to almost anywhere in the area. And I did not count but don't worry about your pronunciation, this is quite cute actually. 😊

[sylly]

Great review and tips. But I need to add my two cents; we LOVED Menton! We went to one of the beach clubs and it was by far the best beach experience we had while on the riviera. The cove provided great swimming (o.k. technically floating on a raft-lounger) . And the views of the town were stunning! We never made over to Ventimiglia, but Menton had a definite Italian flair with some great restaurants and a lot of Italian speakers all around us. It sure felt like Italy 😊
It was absolutely beautiful, one of the highlights of our trip.

[whiskeywoman]

Please ignore the advice in the video on Menton (rhymes with Wonton) and Monaco! Both are worth a day trip. Take the bus to both from Nice for a scenic view.