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Nice sits fifteen minutes east of its airport on tram line 2 and two and a half hours by train from Marseille. It is defined by its pre-French Italian roots, seventeenth-century baroque lanes, and pebbled Mediterranean curve. Nice is worth visiting if you want distinct Niçois street food, twentieth-century painting collections, and easy coastal train hops. Look elsewhere if you demand soft sandy beaches, an unhurried small-town pace, or a car-free seaside.
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Build a Nice itinerary.
Choose up to 4 threads that pull you in. Your plan arrives organised around them.
The Bed
Where to stay in Nice
Which part of town to book, and what each one costs you in walking, noise or quiet.
The Comparison
Nice, or somewhere near it
The places you are realistically choosing between, and the honest case for each.
The Local Record
Where to read more about Nice
The blogs, boards, guides and operators worth bookmarking.
What to do in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Nice is shaped by its long pebble shoreline, the dense Italianate lanes of Vieux Nice, and the nineteenth-century grandeur of the Promenade des Anglais. Days follow a natural arc from morning espresso and market stalls on Cours Saleya to afternoon swims, hillside museum visits in Cimiez, and unpretentious bistro dinners. It suits independent travellers who enjoy good regional cooking, direct rail links, and city energy paired with open sea.
24 hours in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Start early on Cours Saleya with a hot slice of socca, then walk the shade of Vieux Nice to the Colline du Château lookout. Have pan bagnat by the water, spend the afternoon admiring the Chagall Museum, and finish with beef daube and local Bellet wine at a wooden table in Chez Acchiardo. Everything in the core is easily walked within twenty minutes. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Take tram line 1 north to the leafy hill of Cimiez for the Matisse Museum and Franciscan monastery gardens. In the afternoon, head down to Port Lympia for fresh octopus or fried red mullet along the quayside, then walk the rugged coastal path along Cap de Nice as the late sun hits the cliffs of Villefranche. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Nice Côte d'Azur France
A third day allows you to board the TER train east toward the medieval perch of Èze Village and the botanical gardens of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, or take the scenic Train des Pignes into the olive-growing foothills of the Var. Return for an unhurried bowl of pistou soup in the old quarter.
Nice Côte d'Azur France itineraries by interest
Street Food in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Queuing at Chez René Socca for chickpea socca peeled hot off round copper pans, along with swiss chard tourte de blettes and pissaladière.
Local Wine in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The tiny, steep AOC Bellet appellation above the Var valley, pouring crisp Rolle whites and spicy Braquet reds in hillside cellars.
Modern Art in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Henri Matisse's cut-outs in Cimiez and Marc Chagall's biblical canvases housed in his purpose-built light-filled museum on Avenue Docteur Ménard.
Produce Markets in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Cours Saleya each morning except Monday, stacked with Cavaillon melons, Menton lemons, small violet artichokes, and dark Lucéram olives.
Classic Bistros in Nice Côte d'Azur France
La Merenda and Chez Acchiardo turning out daube provençale over polenta, stockfish, and stuffed petits farcis without any modern fuss.
Sacred Architecture in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Gilded baroque facades and trompe-l'œil ceilings at Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate and the five-domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Boulevard Tzarevitch.
Coastal Walks in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The Sentier du Littoral path tracing the limestone rocks around Cap de Nice toward Villefranche-sur-Mer, clear of all roadway noise.
Hilltop Views in Nice Côte d'Azur France
Climbing the stairs to Colline du Château for the wide vista across the curve of the Baie des Anges and the terracotta roofs of Vieux Nice.
Day Trips in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The TER coastal rail line heading east to the cliffs of Èze-sur-Mer, Monaco's old quarter, and the Italian border market town of Ventimiglia.
Maritime History in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The working port of Port Lympia, where traditional wooden pointu fishing boats share blue basin water with sleek cross-sea Corsica ferries.
Antique Hunting in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The Monday brocante market on Cours Saleya and the cluster of eccentric salvage dealers and mid-century shops tucked behind Rue Catherine Ségurane.
Botanical Gardens in Nice Côte d'Azur France
The quiet terraces of the Franciscan Monastery gardens in Cimiez, planted with centuries-old olive trees, climbing roses, and citrus beds.