We visited Nice (my 3rd trip) from 2 - 9 July. This is the first time we rented an apartment. We used NicePebbles and they were great. The apartment itself (the Vincent), was really modern and had all the amenities. If anyone wants more details on this particular apartment, I%26#39;ll be happy to oblige. The location in the old town was great. We were literally 5 minutes walk from the bus station, 5 min from the beach, and less than 5 min from anywhere else in the old town.
One of the things I love about Nice is how easy it is to make day trips from there. We took sidetrips, via the bus, to Eze, St Paul de Vence, Villefranche, and the Nice neighborhood of Cimiez. The buses are easy, convenient, and at 1 euro each way to almost anywhere, a real bargain. I noticed (too late) that they had a weekly pass, and would definitely look into that next time. One bit of advice - look up the schedules for your destinations on-line before you go (http://www.lignedazur.com/index.asp) or just pop by the bus station on your first day in town, and pick up paper copies of the routes you need. You don%26#39;t want to arrive at the bus station hoping to go to Eze and find that you%26#39;ve just missed the previous bus, and the next one doesn%26#39;t leave for an hour. I speak from experience!
Nice itself is wonderful. We love the old town, the beach, and just the general ambience. I could live there. I rarely spoil myself (I%26#39;m a teacher), but when in Nice, I always use the private beach so I get a chair and a parasol. We like the Castel Plage at the far east end. We go at 2:00 and get the half day rate.
St. Paul de Vence- wonderful little hill village full of galleries and boutiques. Really quaint. We had lunch at Hotel les Ramparts on a terrace overlooking the valley - truly amazing views. After 2:00 pm, they serve bruschettas, so you can eat for around 10 euros per person, with a glass of wine. Not bad! Of course, they also have fancier fare on the menu. If you enter from inside the village, you feel like you%26#39;re climbing down to a dungeon, but then you emerge onto the gorgeous terrace. You can also come up from the ring road directly onto the terrace without going through the hotel. I know there%26#39;s a really expensive, famous restaurant in St. Paul, but I travel with a 12 year old, and this was perfect for us.
Eze - speaking of views, this is my favorite ever. Go early (9:00 am bus from Nice) because it won%26#39;t be as hot, and it%26#39;ll be less crowded. The village itself is charming, but the real draw is the exotic garden at the top. They charge a 5 euro admission (kids are free), and it is well worth it. Words can%26#39;t describe how spectacular the views are, and the garden itself is really interesting. There are so many different and unusual types of plants. Additionally, the garden is scattered with serene, willowy sculptures of %26quot;earth goddesses%26quot; by Jean-Philippe Richard, each with her own poem. The overall experience is breathtaking.
Villefranche-sur-Mer - this charming village requires a lot of stair climbing! Each street runs parallel to the coast, then there are stairs up to the next street. Go to the tourism office right by the bus stop and get a map first. You have to kind of head around behind the tourism office and down some stairs to reach the old town and the beach - not sure we would have found it on our own. We spent a morning at the beach, which is less pebbly than Nice. It%26#39;s also more sheltered, with calmer water. The whole beach is public and there are lots of families. We made the mistake of eating lunch at the beachside restaurant Carpaccio because it was in my guidebook. We had the worst pizza ever. It was drowning in Ragu-style tomato sauce, and had really slimy, awful anchovies (and I usually like anchovies)on it. This despite the fact that I had requested, in French, no anchovies (for my daughter%26#39;s sake), and the waiter had confirmed.
Cimiez - such a great little trip from Central Nice! This hilltop neighborhood has a peaceful olive grove, Roman ruins, a beautiful church, gorgeous gardens (keep going through the olive grove to reach the church and gardens), the Matisse museum, and an archeological museum. And you can easily walk to all of it from the same bus stop. This is a wonderful way to spend a morning.
On previous trips, I%26#39;ve explored Monaco, Menton, and Villa Eprussi. I%26#39;ve yet to go over to the west of Nice! So much still to explore - I%26#39;ll have to start planning my next trip. :)
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Sounds lovely! Thanks for the report. Is there a central location that is best to stay in for day trips?
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Very good report. Thank you.
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From most of the old town, it%26#39;s only about a 5 min walk to the bus station. If you stay on the beach, you%26#39;d need to be near the eastern end to be comfortable walking distance from the bus station.
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