Is there any benefit to staying a few days in Nice and then staying a few days in Cannes? Or is the hassle of switching hotels not worth it since they are so close? Thank you.

I wouldn't since they are so close. They are very different places; Nice is a large busy town, Cannes is a quite glitzy tourist destination, with lots of expensive shops. Cannes has sandy beaches, Nice has pebbles. If you have booked in Nice, I wouldn't switch to Cannes for a few days; it's easy enough to visit by train or car.

I agree with Tulips. Take daytrips from Nice along the coast by either train or bus. Take daytrips to nearby hilltop villages by bus. The walled old town in Antibes is worth exploring and Antibes has sandy beaches. If you like to walk, hike around Cap Ferrat south of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Thanks for the tips. My problem is that I'm flying in and out of Nice, so I have to get back near Nice for a morning flight which is why I was thinking of some additional time in Cannes at the end of my trip. I was planning on Nice, then St Tropez, then Cannes for one night to fly out in the morning. Where else would you recommend staying for a night (or two) that will be easy to get to the airport in the a.m.? I will have already stayed in Nice and St Tropez. Thanks

Why not just spend the last night of your trip in Nice, near the airport?
Important question: will you have a car?

We stayed in Antibes the night before our flight from Nice. It was a quick taxi ride to the airport.

If you really want to stay some place different your last night, I'm with Guy18. Stay in Antibes. The walled old city is worth exploring, it's an attractive town, and the beaches are sandy. Otherwise go back to Nice. I wouldn't pick Cannes for any night (too expensive and glitzy for me).

Antibes is much more interesting than Cannes and has a good beach as well.

Antibes does sound good for the last day. No, we won't have a car. As long as there are taxis, I should have a quick and easy trip to the airport. So, I gather from your postings that a day trip to Cannes will be sufficient? Thanks again for this help. Guy18- where did you stay in Antibes?

We stayed at the Hotel Royal. It's basic, but nice. Make sure you ask for an upper floor with a view of the sea. Stunning! Antibes has the Picasso museum, if that interests you, and a lovely church. As Tim says, the old town is quite nice. We'd read about a restaurant called Le Jarre which we were excited to try, but it was closed when we were there. You might want to check it out. Another thing I quite enjoyed was taking the city bus to Juan le Pins (not an attractive town, in my opinion) and renting a bicycle there for a biking trip around Cap d'Antibes. I enjoyed seeing the Chapel of La Garoupe there and the gorgeous villas. This was the setting for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned. Let us know if there's anything else we can tell you!

Unfortunately, the Picasso Museum is currently closed for renovations. If you're an art lover, don't miss the Chagall and Matisse Museums in Nice.

Antibes would be convenient for the airport (if your flight is early morning, traffic would not be too bad). Villefranche or Cap Ferrat are good too, but you would have to go through Nice to get to the airport.
There was a post here recently from someone who had booked a hotel on Cap d'Antibes, within walking distance of the plage de la Garoupe, and that hotel looked very nice. Can't remember the name of the hotel.

You guys have been great! My flight out it at 11:00am from Nice. I imagine I could easily do a day trip to Cannes from Antibes by train or bus? I will be posting my itinerary shortly, if you could please look out for it and give me your advice, I'd be very appreciative.

i don't find cannes very glamourous or glitzy. for myself, a sense of glamour is not a big attraction but i can understand this is an advantage for some people...and i don't think that cannes has very much of it.

i don't find cannes a nice place to visit at all. it is not very pretty...the beaches do have a better surface than those in nice but they are not that great as beaches go, therefore i would not go there for the beach. much of cannes' reputation is built on the film festival and that glitz does not last all year. there are a few famous hotels on the beach and they are somewhat attractive but mostly the waterfront is dominated by ugly cement buildings.

overall, not much attracts me there. antibes, nice and other towns and villages hold much more attraction for me. for the most part, cannes feels as big as nice (although obviously not as big) but does not have nearly as much life and character.

It seems alot of people agree with your view on Cannes. I guess I will just do a day trip there from Nice, rather than book any overnights there. Thanks!!

Without a car, the train is good along the coast - between Cannes and the Italian border - but it does not run to St. Tropez. So think about how you get there and the cost.

However, if considring a few days in Cannes and maybe Nice or thereabouts, a car is nice to have. Enables you to get to those hill towns. Even though the train can get you close to some, you often have to taxi to/from the train station. And then, there are always schedules to meet.

Driving is easy and gives you lots of freedom.

Thank you. I'm concerned about parking though in Nice. Is that generally a problem?

Don't mean to contradict another Fodorite, but I got around by bus and trains to all kinds of places. St. Paul de Vence is one great hilltown that can easily be accessed by bus. Anyway, unless you are renting a car in the morning and returning it in the evening, you might find having a car in Nice to be a burden.

i agree with guy...a car is not needed in and around nice. it's a personal choice and you certainly can use a car but for myself i just see no need. if i wanted to do a lot of driving around the area i would choose somewhere other than nice.

i love the city of nice so when i'm there i spend at least half of my week or two in nice and the other half or less on day trips via public transport (which very well served with few exceptions - st tropez being one of the exceptions, of course).

Kiki1,
I was in Nice in November and we had a car. We had no trouble finding parking. Our hotel had an underground lot across the street and they also reserved two or three spots in front of the hotel for guests. We always like the flexibility a car gives you. We drove to Monaco, which was beautiful. Had no trouble parking there either. We drove to Grasse, where the perfumeries are. Lots of free parking (and picked up some wonderful perfume at Fragonard). I know there are buses and trains available in Nice, so you aren't restricted, but having a car is the best if you want to go to many different places, especially small towns. Have fun!