France
City guide · France
Nice
About Nice
Nice is the main city of the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur), set on the Baie des Anges between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Alps. It became part of France in 1860, and its Italian heritage still shows in its colourful old town, food and architecture.
Highlights include the seafront Promenade des Anglais, the narrow lanes of Vieux Nice (the old town), the Cours Saleya flower and food market, Place Masséna, and the views from Castle Hill (Colline du Château). Art lovers can visit the Matisse and Chagall museums.
Two to three nights suit most itineraries. Monaco is about 20–25 minutes away by train, and Cannes and Antibes are easily reached by train along the coast. The hilltop village of Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the perfume town of Grasse make popular half-day trips by road.
Groups often combine Nice with Monaco and Cannes for a Riviera day, and a visit to a perfumery in Grasse is a popular addition for families and honeymooners.
Practical Information
Useful to know before your group arrives in Nice.
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Nice has a sunny Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters.
- Spring (March–May): mild and increasingly sunny, with highs around 16–21°C.
- Summer (June–August): hot and dry, with highs around 27–29°C and warm sea temperatures.
- Autumn (September–November): warm in September, then milder, with occasional heavy rain.
- Winter (December–February): mild, with highs around 13–14°C and cool evenings.
May, June and September are ideal for sightseeing. Pack light clothing, sunscreen and a hat in summer, and a light jacket for spring, autumn and winter evenings.
- Arriving: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is close to the city; a tram line links it to the centre in about 25–30 minutes, and a taxi takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic.
- Getting around: trams and buses serve the city, and the old town and seafront are best explored on foot. Regional trains run along the coast to Monaco, Cannes and Antibes.
- Tickets: buy tickets before boarding and validate them on the tram or bus; day passes are available.
- Groups: Vieux Nice is largely pedestrianised, so coaches drop groups at the edge of the old town or along the seafront.
Mobile data: for Indian travellers, an eSIM or a European data plan bought before travel usually costs much less than Indian international roaming packs. Local prepaid SIMs are sold at the airport and in phone shops (passport needed at purchase). France is in the EU, so an EU plan also works across other EU/EEA countries, but Monaco is not in the EU, so check that the eSIM includes Monaco before a day trip.
Wi-Fi: free Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafés.
Power: 230 V with Type C/E sockets. Indian Type D plugs do not fit, so carry a universal adapter.
Nice has a moderate number of Indian restaurants, fewer than Paris but enough for group meals. Halal food is widely available at North African, Turkish and Middle Eastern places. Vegetarian dishes are easy to find, while Jain meals should be requested in advance through the DMC or restaurant.
Local dishes that suit vegetarians include socca (a thin chickpea-flour pancake), ratatouille (stewed Provençal vegetables) and tourte de blettes (Swiss chard tart). Supermarkets such as Carrefour, Monoprix and Lidl are useful for snacks, fruit, milk and bread.
