When I saw photos of a pastel-hued town tumbling down a hillside to sparkling turquoise waters, I knew I needed to find out more about Menton. More specifically, how to get there. And the gateway to Menton, and the French Riviera as a whole, was Nice. If we would be starting and ending our trip at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, it made sense to spend a few days discovering what make Nice, well, so nice.

After racking up the miles in Menton and Monaco, we decided to take it a little easier in Nice. We cancelled a planned walking tour in favour of exploring the city independently. Our itinerary was left pretty vague, favouring sunset strolls and Old Town rambling to an agenda full of museums and churches. Although Nice has a plethora of both. We took half day trips to Villefranche-sur-mer and Eze Village. And a sunset boat cruise, on the only night that we didn’t have a proper sunset. Naturally.

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An arrival evening in Nice

Our hotel teases us with a message to say that we will be able to check-in early. We arrive early, only to find out that we’re unable to check in. There are two reservations in the name of Fletcher. Maybe the other Fletchers were able to check in early. We have a quick drink in the hotel bar to kill some time.

Finally we’re checked in and free to explore the city. Our plan for the evening is loose. We stroll through Place Garibaldi with its cute carousel and beyond to Nice’s Old Town (Vieux Nice). Naturally we’re keen to test out the quality of the local spritz so we pause for a drink at one of the bars at Cours Saleya, a central square in the old town.

I have a hankering for mussels so dinner is a casual affair at Lou Pilha Leva before finishing our first evening in Nice with a sunset at the beach. This is where everyone gathers. Some people have had the foresight to bring a drink with them. I tuck that idea away for another evening. Not tomorrow evening though. Tomorrow, we’re getting out on the water instead of just sitting by it, with a sunset boat cruise.

A Nice 2 day itinerary: Castle to Coast and a Sunset Cruise

Usually we’d take a free walking tour on our first morning in a new city. But having already clocked up 22 miles and 48,000 steps over the previous two days we decided to explore at a more leisurely pace. Our first stop – after a French breakfast of pastry and coffee – is Colline du Château (Castle Hill). There are 200 steps to the top – or even better, a free Ascenseur du Château, open from 10am-5pm. At the top there are paths winding through the hilltop park, viewpoints to enjoy incredible views over the sprawling city, and even a man-made waterfall.

As we descend from Castle Hill via the 200 steps we start making plans for our afternoon. There are a couple of local villages we’d like to visit; we settle on Villefranche-sur-mer, a 25 minute journey on the No 15 bus.

Pick up a rechargeable “La Carte” from a ticket machine at one of the bus stops. You may be able to pick up a card from your bus driver but these aren’t always available. Although you might end you getting a free bus journey like we did 😉

Villefranche-sur-mer is a colourful fishing village that tumbles from the hills towards pebble beaches and the crystal clear waters of the Med. It’s postcard-pretty. We stop for a refreshing spritz in the shady Old Town before winding our way towards the waterfront promenade for lunch. The restaurants here are pricey but we find a slightly more reasonable option a little further back from the waterside. Okay, our view is a wall rather than the sea but at least we aren’t paying 29€ for a chicken burger. After a post-lunch gelato we climb the hill to the top of town and to the bus stop. We need to be refreshed and ship-shape for the evening’s activity.

If you prefer a tour rather than travelling independently, how about this full day French Riviera tour from Nice, taking in Villefranche-sur-mer, Monaco and Menton?

All aboard: a Nice sunset cruise with no sunset

We head to Port Lympia, under a threatening sky. Dark clouds are rolling in, and our weather apps suggest that a storm is imminent. But thankfully not until we are back onshore. Our directions are a little vague – “find your boat at the port” – but we queue up somewhere near a catamaran along with a bunch of other people and are relieved to find out that we are actually in the correct place. And most importantly, getting on the right boat. We wave goodbye to our shoes before we board. The crew assure us that we will get them back at the end of the cruise.

Barefoot, we set sail. There’s an ambient electronica playlist and plentiful punch. We’re not quite sure what’s in the punch but it tastes better as the evening progresses. Our captain drops anchor at Villefranche-sur-mer for a swimming-in-the-dark opportunity. I’d popped a swimming cozzie on underneath my clothes but the thought of getting cold and wet didn’t appeal in the end. Instead we stay onboard, looking after the punch and the snacks. The playlist gets a little more wedding disco as we head back towards Nice. We’re all having a lovely time, thanks in part to the punch.

We sailed with AMC Cape Grace – you can find out more about their upcoming cruises from Nice here

Post-cruise, we stop for a charcuterie board which fills the entire table. There are a few spots of rain, which send the waiters scurrying to pack up terrace tables. We’re half covered by an awning. It’s only when we’re within a block of our hotel that the heavens finally open. The biggest drops of rain I’ve ever seen. We are completely soaked through by the time we get back to the hotel. So much for not getting cold and wet tonight.

A Nice 2 day itinerary: Cobblestones and cocktails

The storm continues throughout the night. The lightning is the brightest and the thunderclaps the loudest that I’ve ever heard. Yet when we emerge for our morning pastry and coffee the skies are blue. Only a faint shimmer of moisture on the pavement indicates the stormy night we’ve had.

For the second day in a row we decide to head out of Nice, this time to nearby Èze Village. A 30 minute journey by bus, we find our closest bus stop on Bavastro to catch the No 82. Only to find the world and their dog already at the bus stop. There was no way we’re getting on the next bus. Or the one after that. Instead we make the decision to leave Bavastro behind and head for Vauban bus station, the first stop on the line. This turns out to be an excellent decision. We watch everyone try and cram onto our bus at Bavastro from the comfort of our seats.

Èze is a medieval hilltop village, all narrow pathways, cobblestones and overhanging buildings. Philosopher Nietzsche found inspiration here – even giving his name to a trail which leads down to Èze-sur-Mer. Jardin Exotique is the big draw here, along with the perfume factory. We prefer to simply stumble around the labyrinthine alleyways, taking in the scent of jasmine and citrus.

Once we’ve explored the small village – which doesn’t take long – we walk from Èze Village to bus stop Chateau de l’Aighetta (about 10 mins uphill) to selfishly get a jump on the queues at the main bus stop. We’ve got this French bus travel sussed.

Returning to the city, we stroll along the Promenade du Paillon, with its shady boulevard of trees and skipping fountains. Locals and tourists alike are lazily enjoying the afternoon sunshine in the park. The promenade stretches all the way down to Place Masséna and the Fontaine du Soleil. We’re particularly tickled by the cheeky rear end of Apollo.

We continue our walk, along the Promenade des Anglais. Lingering winds from last night’s storm mean that many of the beach clubs have secured their iconic blue and white umbrellas. We retrace our steps and head to Movida, where I have a lurid palma violet cocktail and Mr Fletche enjoys a less lurid negroni. It’s almost sunset so we find a kiosk which sells takeaway beers and settle ourselves near the beach. A perfect way to spend a final evening in Nice.

Final morning

We have a very welcome noon check-out which gives us time to grab breakfast at Hobo in the Old Town and take a final stroll around. It’s our first opportunity to check out the flower market at Cours Saleya, open Tuesday to Sunday mornings, and there are plenty of other stalls offering trinkets and souvenirs.

All too soon though it is time to return to the hotel, collect our bags, check out and head to the port to catch our tram to the airport.

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Where we stayed

Nice isn’t a particularly cheap city to stay in. We ideally wanted to stay near the Old Town or Port Lympia for the best access to the city’s highlights and nightlife, and also close to one of the two railway stations. In the end we opted for a hotel which was somewhat equidistant to both, a little north of the Old Town and 10 minutes from Nice Riquier train station. We were a 10 minute stroll from Place Garibaldi with access to the L2 and L3 trams, and close to bus stops for journeys along the French Riviera. As usual though, we tended to walk around the city.

The Nice Pam Hotel was aesthetically pleasing with it’s pastel California beach decor; I particularly liked the mirrored roller boot wall. It’s proud to be environmentally friendly, with wooden key cards, refillable water bottles and low-energy lighting. A 12 noon check-out is also nice, making for a relaxing final morning.

In hindsight, staying a couple of stops out on the L2 Tram Line would be a good and more reasonable option. You’ll be close to the beach, and the Promenade des Anglais, and a 10 minute tram ride to Old Nice.

Where we ate and drank in Nice

• 🍸Blast: one of many bars and restaurants on Place Charles Felix. Has an extensive cocktail list but service was slow when we visited on a Saturday afternoon
• 🍕Lou Pilha Leva: casual fast food spot in the heart of the old town. Slightly chaotic but great value for money
• 🍷 Kai’s Monkey Business: unique cafe bar with €3 wine, eclectic decor and a friendly proprietor. Only open Thurs-Sat – typically we discovered this on the Saturday or this would have been our local! Made friends with a dog called Tango.
• 🥐 Miette à Miette: our go-to spot for morning coffee and pastries. Open from 7am, even on a Sunday
• 🧀 Posto 17: Italian restaurant, an ideal spot for a charcuterie and fromage plate on lively Rue Bonaparte, the LGBTQ+ hub of Nice
• 🍺 3 Brasseurs: micro brewery and brasserie with a good beer selection and casual, well-priced menu. Good for people watching on the fringe of Place Masséna. We annoyingly missed happy hour by about 30 minutes.
• 🍹Movida: seafront cocktail and tapas bar with ground level and first floor terraces. Friendly staff, happy to make recommendations. I had a vividly violet Bambino; Mr Fletche opted for the “Negroni Of The Day”. Most cocktails around €14.
• 🍽️ La Pachamama: a pretty French family-run restaurant in the old town. Service is speedy and the menu is quite limited but all dishes are fresh home-cooked.
• 🍷 Les Distilleries Idéales: a lively bar, spilling out onto the cobbled streets. Good selection of wines and beers, although we know just ordering the cheapest house red will always be excellent in France
• 🍳 Hobo: Speciality coffee shop and bar/cafe which is perfect for brunch. Our final meal in Nice!

I never did get to sample socca, the Niçoise savoury chickpea pancake which is a popular cheap and cheerful street food. On the one evening we were searching for something light, all the vendors we had seen earlier in the day had closed for the night. So make sure you grab it when you see it so as not to miss out!

Getting around Nice and beyond

Nice is a small city, and we found the best way to get around the city was on foot. But the city does have an excellent public transport system connecting many of the top tourist attractions. If you’re planning on using buses and trams – either in the city or getting to the neighbouring Cote d’Azur towns – the first thing you’ll want to do is pick up a rechargeable “La Carte” card. You can get these from ticket machines at tram stops; we actually ended up getting ours from our bus driver. La Carte can then be linked to the Lignes d’Azur app and funds added direct from your phone, or recharged at a ticket machine. We loaded ours with 4 trips (€6,80), which gave us our bus journey to and from Eze, our tram journey to the airport and one spare trip. Just in case.

Getting to Nice

Nice Cote D’Azur Airport is the third busiest airport in France, and is located just 7km west of the city – it’s even possible to walk there along the Promenade des Anglais! We travelled from Stansted, as reluctantly the Stansted/Ryanair combination once again was our best option. Our flight time was around about 2 hours, and there are pretty spectacular views as you land. It was the quickest we have gotten in and out of an airport in a while – less than 15 minutes from disembarking to arrivals. Big brownie points to Nice Cote D’Azur Airport. And our departing experience was just as efficient.

The L2 tram runs every 10 minutes from Terminals 1 and 2, connecting the airport to Place Garibaldi and Port Lympia in 30 minutes. It also stops at Grand Arénas (free) for the Nice Saint-Augustin train station. We actually found it just as easier to walk to the station; it’s well signposted once you exit the airport and takes about 10 minutes from Terminal 1. Menton was our first stop on our French Riviera trip so we got the train direct from Nice Saint-Augustin, but the tram is definitely the best option for travel into the city.

🚊TOURIST TAX ALERT: Unless you already have a rechargeable La Carte travel card you can only purchase a €10 round-trip tram ticket from the airport. Which sounds reasonable until you realise the tram ride is only €1,70. The tram is free to the first stop (Grand Arénas); you can nip off here and use the ticket machine to purchase a La Carte for €2 and then load funds for your onward trip/s.

Taxis have a fixed fare of €32 from the airport to the city, and Uber also operate from Nice Cote D’Azur. Make sure you ask your driver to take the scenic route along Promenade des Anglais! If you’re staying in the Old Town much of it is pedestrianised so you may be dropped off a little way from your accommodation.

Final thoughts: 2 days in Nice

Nice seems to have a little something for everyone. It’s a foodie city with plenty of great restaurants to meet all budgets. It’s a cultural city, with museums celebrating Marc Chagall and Matisse. And it’s a vibrant seaside city, where elegant beach clubs provide a little luxury, and sunset is celebrated communally at the beach. Within half an hour you can be in Monaco, within 50 minutes, Menton, hugging the Italian border.

There is much more to see in Nice, and we could have easily enjoyed another day or two in the city, checking out the galleries, visiting the Cimiez Neighbourhood, relaxing at the beach or taking a food tour. And – other than having to travel via Stansted – so convenient to get to.

Nice truly has it all: seaside charm, great food, convenient transport links, and the perfect blend of culture and coast.

I try my hardest to keep the information in this travel guide up to date; however if you notice anything has changed please let me know! Happy travels, Emmalene