Cote d’Azur Nice, France Travel Guide

Ever since I watched the movie “Killers” with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl,  I have always wanted to visit Nice.  This was our last stop of our 10 Day European Exploration and a great way to end the trip.

Before You Go

Do your research.  There are so many places to eat and things to see that it can be a little overwhelming if you just try to wing it.  I have given honest reviews on restaurants throughout this article.  Heads up for my American friends,  everyone in France smokes.  This impacted me more than I thought it would.  I love sitting outside at restaurants and enjoying the weather, but not in France because everyone around me was smoking.  Trip Adviser is very helpful in Europe for restaurant reviews.  Also FYI, the beaches here are not sand, they are pebble/rock beaches.

Where to Eat & Drink

Les Garcons–  This little hole in the wall was superb.  Located in the restaurant area of the city center but you would never know that it is there.  A quaint little space that will fill your taste buds with great wine and foods.  They have fixed price options as well as a full menu.  I got the beef tenderloin which was fabulous.  Reservation needed.

La Pizza Cresci- I loved this place! This place has been here for 60 years and has amazing real Italian pizza.  They have a huge patio and a large indoor restaurant as well.  You can see them making the pizza right when you walk in the restaurant.  The pepperoni pizza was amazing and made with real pepperoni sausage! Drool!

Le Voilier Plage– Right on the beach dining experience.  We ate here after a LONG morning of traveling and we were absolutely starving.  The fresh strawberry mojito and cheeseburger really hit the spot for this *hangry* American at the time.  Great spot for lunch.

So Green– located in the city center and a great place to get fresh pressed juice for an afternoon pick up while shopping.

Movida Bar- Oh my gosh I can’t tell you how awesome this place was.  We were walking around looking for a fun bar and stumbled upon Movida where they had live music and tons of friendly faces sitting on the beach facing terrace.  We met some awesome french locals there that we had a great time with.  Definitely a local hot spot! The owner also owns a night-club close by called Choco which was also a fun time.

Patisserie Salon de The- I LOVE eclairs… so I was always on the lookout for places to get one while walking between destinations.  We popped in this little shop and were greeted by a very friendly face and the eclair just melted in my mouth.  YUM!

Where We Stayed

AC Hotel Nice by Marriott

Prior to our trip I was in communication with the AC Hotel staff and they were incredibly accommodating and very helpful.  I love to stay at Marriott hotels, because you can never doubt the quality and services that they provide.  This hotel was located near the beach but about a 20 minute walk from the city center.   Overall the hotel was nice, but not my favorite.

Pros: Very clean, accommodating staff, rooftop pool, close to the beach, comfortable beds.

Cons: THIN walls, no concierge lounge for elite members, pool closed at 6pm, expensive breakfast.

Things to Do

Visit the city center.

The center is so full of life and beauty with the orange buildings circling an awesome courtyard.  Here you will find shopping, food, and sweet treats all over.

Shopping

The city center is full of shopping.  The market on “Rue Massena” street is very cute and full of restaurants, fresh flowers and lavender soaps from the famous Provence, France lavender fields.  There are tons of restaurants in this area as well that looked really yummy!  There is also a Galleries Lafayette here full of shopping.

Outfit details: Dress- H&M | Purse- Kate Spade New York | Shoes- YellowBox

Local flower market in Nice, France

Take a train to Monaco/Monte Carlo for the day.

A train ticket from Nice to Monaco is only 3 euros.  If you are interested in seeing how the high rollers live, Monaco is the place to visit.  Sit outside Cafe du Paris to people watch and see the most incredible cars, fashion, and city views.  This area is pretty pricey so be careful.

Visit the beaches in and around Nice.

Villefrance is a cute little beach town between Nice and Monaco and it is a little less busy than the two large cities.  The beaches along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice are filled with restaurants and great scenery.  Definitely worth it to sit and feel the sea breeze or dip your toes in the beautiful waters.  Renting a beach chair may be worth it if you want to lay out since the beaches are not soft sand.

Suglasses- Stella & Dot “Parker” | Hat- J.Crew | Swimsuit- CupShe

Eat Gelato!!

There will be a shop on just about every corner! They are all delicious. Enjoy.

Transportation

This was the WORST part of Nice.  Since there is no metro system here, your options are to rent a car, take the bus, or cab.  Unfortunately during our stay, the buses were on strike so only some of the lines were running.  This is definitely the cheapest way to get around although it is not the most convenient.  The “cab mafia” here is outrageous.  From the airport, a cab is a minimum of 35 euros to anywhere cash only! Our hotel was only 10 minutes away and they were still going to charge 35 euro.  Good luck on this front!

Check back soon for other articles of my fab Europe trip!