Villa Saint-Exupéry Beach Hostel, a Hostel by Place Masséna

Where it is

On rue Sacha Guitry, a short street behind the Galeries Lafayette, a step from place Masséna. The hostel says it is fifty metres from Vieux Nice and two minutes' walk from the beach. It is a good base if you travel alone, with friends or on a small budget and want to get around on foot and by tram: the Cours Saleya, the Promenade des Anglais and avenue Jean-Médecin are just round the corner.

From the airport, take tram 2 at terminal 1 or 2 and get off at Jean Médecin; from there follow the tram line to the Masséna stop and pass the Galeries Lafayette. From Nice-Ville station it is about ten minutes on foot following the tram line, or two stops to Masséna. The hostel says trams run about every six minutes, from 6:00 to 2:00.

Rooms and dorms

There are private single, double, twin and triple rooms, and shared dorms of 4 to 10 beds. All rooms, dorms included, have their own renovated bathroom and air conditioning, and are cleaned daily. The dorms have lockers. Towels are not included: bring your own or buy one at reception. For groups of young people there is a separate space.

Services and atmosphere

It is a sociable, lively hostel, one of the big ones in Nice. It has a bar with a happy hour from 18:00 to 20:00, a gym, free wifi, free left-luggage, laundry service and access to a kitchen. They organise a free walking tour with a guide and a pub crawl, and sell diving and snorkelling excursions. If you are after silence at midnight, it is not your place; if you want to meet people and spend little in an expensive city, it is.