Hôtel Beau Rivage, between the Cours Saleya and the Sea
Why we like it: Four-star 19th-century hotel on the edge of Vieux Nice, opposite its own beach on the Promenade des Anglais, with renovated rooms and apartments with sea views.
Duration3 nights, Thursday to Sunday
Getting therePlane to Nice (NCE) and tram 2
Getting aroundOn foot, tram and bus
Best timeMay, June and September
BudgetFrom about €400 pp excluding flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to fly on Thursday afternoon and return on Sunday night, with Friday and Saturday in full. Friday is the day for Vieux Nice and the sea; Saturday, for the painters. You do not need a car at any point.
Thursday
- 119:00Arrival
You land in Nice, take tram 2 and leave your suitcase at the hotel. Dinner at Le Safari, on the Cours Saleya, which serves until midnight.
Friday
- 109:00Cours Saleya market
Flowers, fruit and coffee on a terrace. The market opens Tuesday to Sunday mornings.
- 210:30Castle Hill
By the steps at the end of the old town or by the free lift. The Baie des Anges on one side and the port on the other.
- 312:30Socca at Chez Pipo
Next to the port, no booking. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
- 415:00Boat to Villefranche
An hour with Trans Côte d'Azur from the quai Lunel, March to October. €24; book beforehand.
- 519:30Dinner at Le Plongeoir
On a rock at the harbour mouth, with the sunset. Book on its website.
Saturday
- 110:00Chagall Museum
The Biblical Message first thing. Free for under-26s from the European Union.
- 211:45Matisse Museum
By bus to Cimiez. Afterwards, the monastery garden and the painter's tomb.
- 314:00Free afternoon
Go down to the centre, eat something in Vieux Nice and stroll along the Promenade des Anglais to the beach.
Sunday
- 110:00Train excursion
Take a regional train at Nice-Ville to Villefranche, Monaco or Antibes, and return in time for the tram to the airport.
Nice is one of the cities of the French Mediterranean that is best done by plane from Spain: there are direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona, the airport is beside the sea and tram 2 drops you in the centre without needing a taxi. In three nights you see Vieux Nice and its market, the bay from the hill, the coast from a boat and the two painters' museums on Cimiez hill, and you eat socca, Niçoise cooking and a dinner on a rock in the sea.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane to Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. From both terminals, tram 2 goes to the centre and the port. A single ticket costs €1.70 and the AERO return €10; you pay with a €2 rechargeable card sold at the machines or with the Lignes d'Azur app. By car from the La Jonquera border it is over 600 km of motorway, and in Nice the car is surplus.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hôtel Beau Rivage | Between Vieux Nice and the beach | To have everything on foot; admits dogs and has apartments for families |
| Hôtel Windsor | Near the Promenade des Anglais | Artist rooms and a garden with a pool |
| Villa Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel | Next to the place Masséna | To spend little, with private rooms and dorms with a bathroom |
And in winter?
From November to early March there is no boat from Nice. Swap Friday afternoon's trip for the museums and leave Sunday for Monaco by train. The Cimiez museums close on Tuesdays, so the plan, from Thursday to Sunday, does not hit them.
With children
The hill has a play area and a climbing net, the boat costs €20 for ages 4 to 10 and is free for under-4s, and Chez Pipo is food to eat with your hands. Under-18s do not pay at the Matisse. The Beau Rivage has apartments for four and six people.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Nice, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Nice
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Nice without a Car
Nice is one of the few coastal cities where a car truly gets in the way: the centre is covered on foot, tram 2 brings you from the airport, buses climb to Cimiez and the regional train drops you at Villefranche, Monaco or Antibes. Parking is expensive and traffic slow. Sleep near the tram and you will not miss it.
80–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayVilla Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, next…
- Getting aroundTram 2 from the airport…
- Where to eatChez Pipo, socca by the…
- ServicesTram 2, with rechargeable card…
Where to stay
- Villa Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, next to Masséna, for spending little
- Hôtel Beau Rivage, between the Cours Saleya and the beach
- Hôtel Windsor, a few steps from the Promenade des Anglais
Getting around
- Tram 2 from the airport to the centre and the port; tram 1 to Cathédrale – Vieille Ville
- Buses 5, 16, 18, 33 and 40 to the Matisse Museum; the 5 also stops at the Chagall
- Regional trains from Nice-Ville along the whole coast
- Trans Côte d'Azur boat from the port, March to October
Where to eat
- Chez Pipo, socca by the port, no booking
- Le Safari, Niçois cooking on the Cours Saleya
- Le Plongeoir, for a special dinner, near the Port Lympia stop
Services
- Tram 2, with rechargeable card or app
- 4-day municipal museums pass, €15
Direct Flight to Nice and the Tram to the Centre
Nice has its own airport, Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), by the sea to the west of the city, with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona and from other Spanish airports depending on the season. From the airport to the centre you do not need a car: tram 2 leaves from both terminals and drops you in the centre and at the port. To continue along the coast, regional trains leave from Nice-Ville station.
- Getting thereNice Côte d'Azur (NCE), terminals…
- Getting aroundOn foot in the centre…
- Where to stayVilla Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, next…
- ServicesTram 2, airport – centre…
Getting there
- Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), terminals 1 and 2
- Tram 2 to Jean Médecin, in the centre, and Port Lympia; single ticket €1.70 or AERO return of €10
- €2 rechargeable card at the machines at the stops, or the Lignes d'Azur app
Getting around
- On foot in the centre, from the Cours Saleya to place Masséna and the Promenade des Anglais
- Buses 5, 16, 18, 33 and 40 to the Cimiez hill and its museums
- Regional train from Nice-Ville to Villefranche, Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes
- Hire car only if you are heading inland: in the city it is superfluous
Where to stay
- Villa Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, next to Masséna, a few steps from tram 2
- Hôtel Beau Rivage, between Vieux Nice and the sea
- Hôtel Windsor, near the Promenade des Anglais, with a garden and pool
Services
- Tram 2, airport – centre – port
- Nice-Ville station, for train excursions
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hôtel Windsor, the Artists' Hotel with a Tropical Garden
Why we like it: Four-star family hotel a few steps from the Promenade des Anglais, with rooms painted by artists, a tropical garden with pool and a restaurant.
From €90
View details
Villa Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, a Hostel by Place Masséna
Why we like it: Large hostel in the heart of the city, two minutes from the beach and fifty metres from Vieux Nice, with dorms and private rooms, all with bathroom and air conditioning.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Nice
Chez Pipo, Socca by the Port
What to order: a socca to share fresh from the oven, with pepper, and a pissaladière; for dessert, the sweet tourte de blettes.
Le Safari, Niçois Cooking on the Cours Saleya
What to order: the Cascade Niçoise to try a bit of everything (farcis, poivrons, truccha, accras) and then the daube with home-made ravioli or the wood-fired lamb.
Le Plongeoir, the Restaurant on a Rock at the Harbour Mouth
What to order: a starter to share, such as the courgette flower fritters or the grilled octopus, and a fish of the day; book a terrace table at sunset.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you are going to see more than one municipal museum, the four-day pass costs €15 and covers the Matisse. The Chagall is national and is not included.
We'd skip it
Private beach loungers in August: you pay for a patch of pebbles next to a hundred others. Swim early at the public stretches.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Excluding flights, with a mid-range hotel, tickets, boat, transport and meals, from about €400 per person for the three nights.
Do you need a car?
No. The centre is done on foot, Cimiez by bus and the excursions by train.
What is the best time?
May, June and September: there is a boat, the sea is mild and there are fewer people than in July and August.
Can it be done in two nights?
Yes, dropping the Sunday excursion; Friday and Saturday stay the same.