I wil be spending 2 days in Nice and 2 days in Monaco in a weeks time and I was wondering if anyone can help me on prices for drinking outside cafes and people watching.
A friend at work seems to think that you are charged more to drink outside the cafes and the price reduces as you go further in-side towards the back.
Is this correct and if so how do you know what level of prices you will be paying?
On a side point does anyone know if you can watch the sun set from the beaches in nice / monaco?

Nice and Monaco are pretty expensive in general. But on the Rue de France,(a somewhat tacky and very touristy area just a few blocks behind the Promenade des Anglais) which runs all the way down to Vielle Nice, it is possible to eat and drink cheaply if not well, and enjoy some great people-watching.

As for your second question, yes, you can watch the sun set over the beach in Nice.

Thanks Weadles,

Have you ever experienced the price variations on seating positions?

I believe it is not unusual for cafes in France to charge more to sit outside than to sit inside, and the least expensive price to stand at the bar.

I haven't been aware of the price variations but wouldn't be surprised if they do exist. There are some relatively inexpensive bistros right along the Promenade des Anglais, (QUEENIE is a well-known one, but the food isn't very good at all) but you can do better pricewise in Vielle Nice where there's also excellent people watching. We just got back yesterday from Spain and France, and if I can find the names of the places we liked in my buried in suitcase notebook, I'll post again!