A whole Sunday in Nice, France?
 

What to do for 30 something?

I took the train just over the border to Italy and had lunch and came back. Walking along the coast is really beautiful. The beach in Nice is full of small rocks and can be windy. Check out Monaco.

Nice is the last stop on a Provence/Monaco trip so I was hoping to do something in the city itself.

Is it a ghost town on Sundays?

Is that the only day you will have 1)in Nice and 2)in the region?

I spent a Sunday strollong along the beach, visiting the old town including walking up to the hill of castle and visiting Chagall Museum. I could also recommend an easy day trip outside if it's to your interest.

I return a hirecar on Sunday morning and fly from the city the morning after.

I've been collecting info. on Nice, too, as I'll be there for three nights in May. Do a search on this forum for lots of ideas. There are several boat trips you could do, and here are two companies:
http://www.trans-cote-azur.com/ang/tca.html
http://www.tmr-saintraphael.com
Here's my mish-mash of notes, gleaned also from Travel Talk:
"If you're art lovers, don't miss the Chagall and Matisse museums in Nice. From central Nice it's uphill to the Chagall Museum and even further uphill to the Matisse Museum. Even though you like to walk, a one-day city bus pass might serve you better to go to those museums. The Orthodox cathedral is said to the finest of its kind outside of Russia.

One more idea: Walk to the top of Colline du Chateau (Castle Hill) for sweeping views over Nice.

The Cours Saleya market in the old section of Nice by the waterfront might be a good place to start. Then you could check out the famous old, art decor hotels along the Boulevard des Anglais. The "Chateau" (which is really a hill) offers a nice vista of the city below. Definitely take a bus up in the hills to the Cimiez district. (You can take a bus up from the Place Massena). In addition to the Matisse Museum, there are a couple Roman ruins (theater, etc) adjacent that are worth exploring.

If you want to venture even further afield, you can take a bus from the Place Massena up the mountain to the hilltop charming town of La Turbie (means "the trophy). It's an approx. 40 minute ride up in bus or taxi. There is a famous, huge monument (the trophy) built by Julius Caesar's legions in commemoration of his victory over the Gauls and surrounding tribes (Ligurians, etc). It is very imposing and served as the border marker or dividing point between Gaul (France) and Italy during Roman times. You can also see some marvelous views of Monte Carlo, Monaco, the palace, and even the coastline of Italy.

For Villefranche: walk east to Cap Ferrat and visit the Villa Ephrussi-Rothschild, an over-the-top Belle Epoque house with a wonderful garden. It's located on the peninsula with a view to the Med on either side. Here's a link: http://www.villa-ephrussi.com/www.cu...ussi/index.htm. You can walk all around Cap Ferrat, peeking over the walls and through the gates at the expensive estates. And also to St. Jean, a small village on the Cap.

We actually visited the Villa Ephrussi by taking a bus from Nice. The bus passed the Villa Kerylos first before it continued onto the Cap. So you could do both of these by bus from Nice.

In 2004, starting from Beaulieu-S.M. station, I visited both the Greek villa Kerylos and the villa Ephrussi. It was 5 minutes walk to the Greek villa and then 15 minutes more to the Rothschild one, half of it is a very nice flat walk along the coast then becomes a bit uphill. I bought a combination ticket at the Greek villa for both visits. They both belongs to a sort of National assciation of French cultural heritage.

The Villa Ephrussi is on bus line #81. Here is the route map between Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and Villefranche. The Villa Eprussi bus stop is "PASSABLE" on the map.

http://www.lignedazur.com/ftp/FR_pla...0corniches.pdf

The guide books I looked up said you can get there by bus, but none said EXACTLY which bus stop to use.

This area is "Secteur CAP et CORNICHE", the #81 schedule is at

http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_l...8&gpl_id=0

select #81

After you get off at PASSABLE, it is another 1/8-1/4miles up the hill to the entrance of the Villa. The Villa garden has various steps up and down.

Now that is what I call a reply! Thank you very much!

> Nice is the last stop on a Provence/Monaco trip so I was hoping to do something in the city itself.

Hi Karlth, I got your answer to my question 1 minute bofore my first post. So you will have been around in the region. Then my suggestion does not sound bad. No stress & relaxing. Go to the beach and enjoy the late afternoon sun.

It's never a gost town, Nice is the 4th or 5th biggets city of France even though most shops will be closed.

Don't be put off by the huge tramway construction on Av.Jean Medcin between the railway station and Place Massena just before the beach. That has been blocking the car traffic completely since at least two years. I will see how it will be in October.