Planning a very last minute trip, and unfortunately can't do it all! If you had to pick between visiting Aix or Nice, which would you pick for end of September and why?
This is a mother-daughter trip, in case that influences your vote.

Nice

Another vote for Nice. I am biased because it's one of my favorite places anywhere. For me, Nice is the perfect combination of a resort and city vacation. It has a lovely promenade along the sea that's very lively into the early hours of the morning, a wonderful old town full of bistros, cafes, interesting shops, etc., tons of museums ( Chagall and Renoir are just two that come to mind, and excellent transportation by train or car to other towns/cities along the Riveria.

Although Aix is a wonderful place to visit, the Riviera is a must see. If you have never been to Nice or Cannes, that's what I would recommend. I traveled to both places with my mother a few years ago and loved it.

Our NYC family of 4 (dad, mom, and two boys ages 14 and 11) had to make similar choices this summer. We spent a week at a private chateau in the Loire Valley with day trips to charming villages and historic chateaux. Then we drove south to Clermont-Ferrand (not to be recommended until they finish the downtown revitalization work), and then spent 3 nights in Villeneuve-les-Avignon (beautiful). Then we only had 4 nights left. When asked, a French friend of ours dismissed Aix as just another university town, so we chose to visit Sainte Maxime for 2 nights and Nice for 2 nights. By the time we got to Nice, we wished we had scheduled more time there. We stayed 1/2 block off of the Promenade des Anglais (gorgeous water), and found Nice to be a wonderful city, and a nice change from the much smaller villages and towns we had been spending time in earlier in the trip. Within less than 36 hours, we spent some time at the beach (smooth stones instead of sand), ate lunch on the beach, swam in the rooftop hotel pool, ate dinner at a restaurant called Texas City (highly recommended if you're looking for a change of pace), then spent the next day visiting Monaco / Monte Carlo (very close, beautiful and worth it), and exploring Old Nice for dinner and gelato. There is so much to do (nightlife, museums, etc) compared to what I've read about Aix. Although we had hot but tolerable days in early August, I'll bet September weather will be fabulous. Have a great time.

Just got back from Provence and the Riviera. Spent 3 days in Les Baux area seeing Avignon, Arles, Nimes, Luberon villages and then Aix on the way to Riviera. Aix is lovely, lively, medium size city. Got to Nice and Riviera and wished I could spend even more than the 3 days we had there. It had the feel of the old city like Aix, but had the Mediterranean right at it's feet. Gorgeous water, palm trees, beautiful drives overlooking the water, Monaco, Eze -sooo much! Wish I were back there!
Weather should be nice enough in September to stroll promenade. We had 80's in the second week of September.

Many thanks for the great responses thus far!! A 4-0 vote is impressive! Now, do you have a recommendation for a 2-3 star hotel or B&B? Trust me, we won't spend much time in the room, but would love to have a good location. I love the beach, but we probably won't spend much time there other than a walk.

If you post your budget, I'd be happy to make some suggestions. At this time of year it might be possible to find decent 4-stars available for your price.

Aix was beautiful with all its many fountains and large student population that made me feel at home.

Hoping to find a dbl room for 80-100 euro. We will be arriving and leaving by train, I know we will want to visit the Cours Selaya market (maybe several times), and of course we want to stroll the Promenade. All hotel suggestions would be welcomed!!!

Hi

They both are places of historic interest.

Nice = Paris by the sea

Aix = Small working town

Peter
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The Hotel Windsor in Nice would be perfect. Check out their ratings and comments on tripadvisor.com. We visited in May and loved everything about it. The little garden was delightful - we wished we had the time for dinner there, but I was craving mussels so we walked down the street to a restaurant they recommended.

Delightful place - you will really enjoy it.

Nice is good although I love Provence too. However, if you have not been to the Riviera, it's fun and central to go. It is near Monaco, Cannes, and make sure you visit Eze. Drive on the Grande Corniche and you can't go wrong, lastly, please you need to stop by St. Paul de Vence, this is a must not miss place, you will see beautiful view and fall in love the France

This is a bit like the question of wheter to go to San Francisco or Napa Valley. Aix is not rural but definitely has a smaller town feel than Nice. Nice is Hollywood and Aix is Monterrey.