Nice Highlights
Nice is a good walking city and a stroll along the majestic Promenade des Anglais is a must. Nice’s location and transport links makes it a great base from which to explore the surrounding region. It’s is only a short train or bus ride away from Monaco, Cannes, Eze and other Cote d’Azur hot spots. The nearest ski resorts are just 90 minutes away.
Nice blends the best of old and new France with the old town (Vieux Nice) outlined by Boulevard Jean Jaurès, Quai des Etats-Unis and Place Garibaldi to the north east. The modern city centre, the area north and west of Place Masséna, includes the pedestrianised Rue de France and Rue Masséna. The famous Promenade des Anglais, revitalised in recent years, follows the perfectly curved beachfront from the city centre all the way to the airport six kilometers to the west.
Nice’s Beach
Nice’s beach is just a stone’s throw from the city centre and although it’s not much to write home about, it’s great if you hate sand as it’s a pebbley beach and a lot more comfortable to lie on than you might imagine. On a wavey day, the beach drops off sharply into the sea, so take care if you’re going for a dip with young children. In the summer months, the beach alternates between public and private access sections. If you pay to use a private area of beach you can avail of all sorts of amenities such as mattresses, showers, changing rooms, parasols and a reduced chance of theft.
Along the beach you can hire paddleboats, windsurfers, jet skis, go parasailing or water skiing. The off season is anything but if you’re a kitesurfer or a windsurfer and you’ll see lots of kites and sails in the bay from September through to the end of April, powered up by the Mistral winds.
