Love & Latitude

Travel to Nice, France

For my first ever blog post I thought it would be fitting to write about my favorite place: Nice, France. I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad there for four months, so in this blog post I will go over a general overview of my favorite place on Earth. You can check out future blog posts for more detailed itineraries.  With summer coming up, you might be thinking about some European destinations for a summer trip and maybe after reading this post you will add Nice to your list. 

When should I plan a trip to Nice, France? 

Since I was in Nice for three different seasons from August to December, I can say my favorite time to experience the city was September and October. The crowds are not as bad as July or August and you still have the beautiful summer weather. It does not start getting cold until mid October, so an early October trip would be perfect as well. Be cautious though as some days may get quite rainy but there is also plenty to do indoors such as museums, art galleries, cathedrals, churches, and other architectural gems.

How to get around Nice and take day trips around the area

The Nice Airport is very easy to navigate and when you get outside, you have tram and bus services that can conveniently take you to where you are staying. During my study abroad, I utilized the tram and bus services almost everyday with Lignes D’Azur. I stayed in an airbnb outside of Nice in Cagnes-sur-mer and there were many bus lines to take you directly to and from the Nice city center. If you are planning a long term stay, I recommend getting a card that you can continuously reload and this card can be used on both buses and trams making it very convenient to get to places around Nice. 

The city itself is extremely walkable and there are also many bike stations around the city for convenient transportation. The main city center itself is only about 3 miles across from Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Nice to Port Lympia and a little less than one mile from the top of the city by Nice Ville train station to the Plage (beach). For day trips outside of Nice, you can take trains or buses. For longer distances outside of Nice and surrounding areas, ZOU! Offers many services even to Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. To do a trip to Italy you could take bus lines like Flixbus or take a train such as SNCF. I utilized apps such as Trainline and Omio to get digital tickets anywhere I needed to go that was farther than the Lignes D’Azur lines reach. With the buses and trams make sure you “validate” your ticket, meaning scan the ticket/card/app every time you take a trip. The transportation officers make frequent random checks to make sure you have validated your journey, and they will enforce heavy fines for those who have not. I was on many trips where the police for transportation checked everyone’s tickets, so it is better to be safe and buy the ticket than to risk being fined. One thing to note about public transportation in Nice is that it is quite common to experience worker strikes, periods of downtime, and stops in service due to heavy rain and road closures. This is when the transportation is completely put on hold. There were times I had to Uber to and from class because these strikes can last for hours. To help navigate this, getting apps related to the modes of travel you are using can alert you to these halts in travel. Check websites and apps frequently before you find yourself waiting an hour for a tram.

Some Must See Places and Things to do in Nice, France

If you are thinking about a trip to Nice, there are a few places you should definitely go to in the city center. I love seeing art and going to museums and Nice is filled with such artistic culture. From galleries to history museums, to markets, there is much to see and do in Nice. 

Masséna Museum

The first spot is the Masséna Museum. Click Here for more information on hours and ticket prices. When you step inside you are transported to a beautiful villa built in the late 19th century, which showcases collections of art and history of the Côte d’Azur. The artworks and sculptures are spectacular, and you can learn some history about Nice as well as viewing artifacts of Napoleon. The villa showcases what life was like during the Bell Époque, which was a period of rich artistic and cultural development before World War I. Many view this period as a golden age, and when you go through the front gates of this villa and step inside you can see the beauty of this age. Musée Masséna is definitely a place worth visiting, even if you aren’t too interested in art and history, it is an architectural gem in the Riviera. 

Lascaris Palace 

If you are a music lover like me, this is an absolute must see. Palais Lascaris was built in the 17th century and was the residence for the Lascaris-Vintimille family. This aristocratic residence is located in the heart of the old town. From the outside it looks like an ordinary building, and if not for the signs outside I would have completely walked past. But once inside you see why it is considered a Palace. It is most impressive due to its outstanding collection of antique musical instruments. When I was inside, I was entranced by the architecture of the building itself but also the artworks, tapestries, and hundreds of showcased instruments. The collection of antique musical instruments is the second largest in France after the Musée de la Musique in Paris. If you are particularly interested in the Baroque Period, this museum takes you back to that time with its architecture and art collections. I have been to many museums, and I can say Palais Lascaris is one of my favorites. Here is more information on when you can visit.

Marché Aux Fleurs- Cours Saleya

As much as the name suggests, this is an extensive flower market held outside in the heart of Cours Saleya. Beyond flowers, there are vendors with fresh produce, spices, breads, cheeses, souvenirs, soaps, and many lavender products originating from Provence. This is a perfect place to stop by on a stroll after a cafe for breakfast. 

Castle Hill 

This is one of the most picturesque views you can get of Nice, and it is absolutely worth the many many many stairs (or elevator ride if you mind waiting). Colline du Château is set on a stunning hill that towers over the seaside city. For the quickest way up the hill, go across the street of the #I Love Nice sign. There you will see the cliffside hill with many stairs going up. This view is breathtaking, and it is something I reminisce about every day. Now you can just take in the panoramic views of the city, or you can go into the park. Here there is a cafe, a man-made waterfall, walking/hiking trails, and if you are lucky some live musicians playing. If you don’t want to do too much walking, I recommend buying a ticket for Le Petit Train. This is a really cute “train” that rides around Nice and takes you up the hill. It stops for a period of time while on Castle Hill for you to experience the park on foot where you can see the waterfall.

Ready to Add Nice to your travel plans?

Nice is a city filled with so much culture, life, art, and adventure. It is a place that I think everyone should experience because of how much beauty there is to take in. France sometimes gets a bad reputation for how they treat American tourists, but I can say after living in Nice for months I was only treated with immense kindness. Just be polite and use French greetings and your trip to Nice will be spectacular. There is so much more than just the few places listed in this blog and there will be more details on that in future blog posts to come. I am so excited to start this journey blogging and sharing my experiences with you. We only get this one life so let’s fill it with as much adventure as possible 

With,

Love & Latitude