Nice - Making the Most
What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions the French Riviera? Yachts? Luxury Villas? Filmstars?
Well, yes, the Cote d’Azur does play host to the rich and famous but who says us mere mortals can’t enjoy a piece of the action too? A holiday in one of the most beautiful places on earth needn’t break the bank, you know.
Most people visiting the French Riviera will arrive at Nice, the rich man’s Torquay, with its palm-fringed Promenade des Anglais flanked by grand hotels and apartments on one side and the clear blue Med on the other.
The first thing that strikes you about France’s fifth city whether you arrive by plane (take your pick from the budget airlines) or train (eurostar from Waterloo and then change in Lille or Paris for the TGV) is the warmth of the air and the sweet smell of mimosa and jasmine which constantly surround you.
Founded by Greek traders around 400 BC, Nice is still a thriving business centre, partly thanks to the nearby Sophia Antipolis Business Park, the French equivalent of Silicon Valley. Made fashionable by visiting European aristocracy in the 19th century and then by F Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s (the city still has a sizeable Anglo American community), Nice has lost some of its sparkle but none of its interest or charm.
Vieux Nice, the old part of the city, has undergone a renaissance in recent years and is now crammed with trendy bars, restaurants and boutiques. In the rabbit warren of streets where once you would have been afraid to go at night, terracotta-coloured 18th-century mansion houses – a remnant of when the city was under Italian rule - have been turned into luxury flats.
For culture vultures, Nice has the most museums and galleries outside of Paris including the Musee Matisse, Musee Marc Chagall and the Musee Dufy, all of whom were inspired by the region’s breathtaking scenery, colour and light. It also hosts world-renowned festivals throughout the year such as the Mardi Gras Carnival in February and the Festival de Jazz in July.
The capital of the Cote d’Azur has usually been the first stop on the way to a smaller, more glamorous resort but it’s the ideal base for exploring the rest of the area and can work out much cheaper than its more exclusive neighbours.
Thanks to the Internet, it’s possible to be your own travel agent and tailor-make your holiday to suit your own budget.
Here are some top tips to taste a champagne lifestyle on a biere money budget:
Accommodation
As Nice has more than 190 hotels with 10,000 rooms and is the second largest provider of tourist accommodation in France, you’ll almost certainly be able to find somewhere to stay.
For last minute bargains, log onto websites such as www.wotif.com, www.travelsupermarket.com or Nice Tourist Board’s website: www.nicetourisme.com.
Top tip: you pay for hotels by the room in France and not per person, which can work out quite reasonable if there’s more than one of you.
Getting Around
Local trains and buses are cheap and frequent. The most picturesque way to travel is to take the TER (regional train) that runs along the coast from Marseille to Vintimille just over the Italian border. But you can currently make one journey by bus anywhere on the French Riviera for just one euro.
Monaco, Antibes and Cannes are all less than an hour away and ideal for a day out. Other local highlights include the medieval hilltop village of Eze, perfume-capital Grasse and St Paul de Vence, home to hotel-restaurant La Colombe d’Or whose walls are hung with Picasso and Matisse amongst others.
For timetables, see www.sunbus.com or www.sncf.fr.
Top tip: avoid taxis, as they are notoriously expensive.
Eating Out
Most restaurants in France offer a fixed price three-course menu at lunchtime, which can work out more cost effective than eating a la carte in the evening. The areas of Cours Saleya and Vieux Nice will cater for every taste and price range – you’ll also have the opportunity to practice your French with the locals!
If you fancy eating on the hoof, there are boulangeries and patisseries on every corner – you might want to try the regional specialities of pan bagnat (a large roll filled with tuna, ham or chicken with salad) or socca (a kind of chickpea polenta that is served in slices) – and then head off to one of the city’s parks for a picnic.
Things to do
Before you go, it’s worth taking a look at www.nicetourisme.com, Nice’s official tourist website, which will tell you all you need to know to plan your holiday.
Here are a few things to whet your appetite:
- Hire a sunbed for the day (approx 15 euros) on one of the private beaches – you never know who might be lying next to you, having jet-skied over from one of the superyachts moored nearby
- Relax on an hour’s boat trip around The Bay of Angels (leaving from Quai Lunel in the Vieux Port), taking in the sights of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat, home to celebrities, aristocracy and billionaires – this is a welcome break from the heat and bustle of the city and you can gaze in awe at the sumptuous villas that line the hillsides
- Sightseeing bus tours leave every hour from the Albert Ier Gardens on the Promenade des Anglais and will give you an overview of the city with a recorded commentary in English – check out Mont Boron (once home to the Romans and now Sir Elton John) and the exclusive suburb of Cimiez with its archaeology museum set amongst picture-perfect olive groves
Take the train to Beaulieu and walk to Cap Ferrat along the coastal path, and then stop for a drink or lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the harbour (Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber, who owns a house nearby, is a regular here)
- When you get off the train at Eze Sur Mer, save on the bus fare to Eze Village and walk up the mountain path (you’ll need to be fit!) named after philosopher Frederic Nietzche, who came here to look for inspiration. A good way to recover is to have a drink on the terrace of Chateau Eza, which has panoramic views of the Cote d’Azur. Alternatively, for those on a tighter budget, equally magnificent views can be had from the top of the Jardin Exotique
- There’s not much for penny pinchers to enjoy in Monaco but you can people-watch over a coffee at the Café de Paris (next to the Casino and opposite the uber-luxurious Hotel de Paris) before heading off to the harbour at Fontvieille to rubberneck the yachts and check out The Columbus Hotel – owned by Formula One’s David Coulthard
- Make like the locals and wander around the antique market in the Cours Saleya on Monday mornings (or the daily flower, fruit and veg market) followed by an ice-cream from Fennochio in Place Rossetti which has over 100 flavours including lavender, violet, peach and rosemary
- And before you head home, go window shopping in the designer boutiques that line rue Paradis and avenue de Suede but get your bargains and supplies on the avenue Jean Medecin where the Nicois shop
So what are you waiting for? Bon Voyage!
Added 2008/08/06 @ 16:27:58
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
