Nice & the French Riviera Travel Guide
First Time in Nice
The practical playbook for a first visit to Nice and the Côte d'Azur — the closing days that trip people up, trains and buses along the coast, strikes and works, pebble beaches, money, safety and the seasonal rhythm of the Riviera.
Nice is the best base on the French Riviera, and the easiest one to get wrong. It is a real city, not a resort, with traffic, tram works and everyday life alongside the palms and the Belle Époque façades; it sits at the centre of a coastline where every famous name — Monaco, Eze, Cap Ferrat, Antibes, Cannes, Menton — is a short train or bus ride away; and it runs to a seasonal rhythm that shapes what is open and what it costs. Here is what a first-timer needs to know.
Where things are. Nice faces south over the Baie des Anges. The Promenade des Anglais runs along the sea for nearly seven kilometres; behind its eastern end lies Vieux Nice, the old town, with the Cours Saleya market, and above that the wooded rock of Castle Hill. On the far side of the hill is the port. Place Masséna, with its red façades and checkerboard paving, links the old town to the modern centre, and the long Promenade du Paillon gardens run inland from it. North of the centre, the hill of Cimiez holds the Matisse and Chagall museums and the Roman ruins. The main railway station, Nice-Ville, is about fifteen minutes' walk from the sea; the airport is at the western end of the Promenade.
From the airport. Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is unusually close to the centre. Tram line 2 links both terminals to the city along the Promenade axis and on to the port, in roughly half an hour, and is the cheapest option. Taxis charge a fixed fare into central Nice; agree it before you set off and ignore anyone touting rides inside the terminal. Regional buses run from the airport to Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes.
The closing-day traps. Many museums close one day a week, and it is easy to plan a day around a locked door. The Musée Matisse and the Musée National Marc Chagall are both closed on Tuesdays, and in winter the Chagall museum closes for lunch. The Musée Picasso in Antibes is closed on Mondays. The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat opens only in the afternoons on weekdays from November to February (full days at weekends). The Prince's Palace State Apartments in Monaco open seasonally only, roughly from spring to mid-October, so in winter you see the palace from its square and the 11:55 Changing of the Guard. MAMAC, Nice's modern and contemporary art museum, is closed for renovation until 2028.
What to book ahead. Not much, except in peak periods. Book dated tickets for the Oceanographic Museum and the Villa Ephrussi at weekends and in school holidays, Carnival seats and Lemon Festival tickets as soon as you know your February dates, and any Michelin-starred tables. In summer, book beach-club loungers and restaurant terraces. Guided day trips to Monaco and Eze, or to Cannes and Antibes, are worth booking if you prefer not to manage transport.
Getting around the city. Central Nice is walkable: the Promenade, the old town, Castle Hill, Place Masséna and the port are all within half an hour on foot of each other. The tram network (lines 1, 2 and 3) is clean and efficient; buses climb to Cimiez and the hills. Buy tickets from machines at stops or through the official app, and validate every time you board. Bike-share and e-bike rentals are useful on the seafront bike lane.
Getting around the coast. The coastal railway is the Riviera's backbone: frequent regional trains run from Nice-Ville east to Villefranche, Beaulieu, Eze-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton, and west to Antibes and Cannes, all in under forty minutes. Regional buses fill the gaps, climbing to Eze village and Saint-Paul-de-Vence and running along the coast roads. Two warnings for late 2026: a national SNCF strike has been called for 5 November 2026, with disruption expected across TER and TGV services, and until 11 December 2026 the Nice-Monaco-Ventimiglia line is closed from 10pm to 6am on Sunday to Thursday nights for works, with replacement and extra buses. Check SNCF Connect the evening before any train trip, and keep the bus as a backup.
Beaches, honestly. Nice's beaches are pebbles, not sand. They are free, clean and have lovely clear water, but bring beach shoes or rent a lounger at a private beach club, which also has showers and a restaurant. If you want sand, head to Antibes, Juan-les-Pins or Cannes. The water deepens quickly, which swimmers love; keep children close.
Money and costs. The Riviera is not cheap, but it does not have to be ruinous. Hotels are the biggest expense and vary enormously by season. Museum fees are modest, and many sights — the Promenade, the old town, Castle Hill, Monaco's guard ceremony, the villages — are free. Trains and buses are good value. Market food, socca and pissaladière from the stalls, and set lunch menus keep eating affordable. The French Riviera Pass, sold by the Nice tourist office in 24, 48 and 72-hour versions, includes many museums and attractions and can pay off on busy sightseeing days. Nice's municipal museums also have a multi-day pass. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for markets.
Safety and street smarts. Nice is a safe city for visitors, but pickpockets work the crowds on the Promenade, the old town, the trams and the trains to Monaco, and phone snatching happens on café terraces. Keep bags zipped and in front of you, do not leave phones on tables, and be alert on crowded platforms. Security barriers and a visible police presence on the Promenade are part of the landscape.
When to go. Late spring (May and June) and early autumn (September and October) are ideal: warm sea, open beach clubs, fewer crowds. July and August are hot, busy and expensive. Winter, from November to March, is mild and often sunny, with the best hotel rates, the Christmas village in December and the great February festivals — the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival — though some coastal hotels and restaurants close, beach clubs shut and attractions keep shorter hours. Whatever the season, give Nice itself at least two full days before you start day-tripping; the city rewards those who stay.