Honeymooning on the Cote d'azur without a car - is Nice a good location?
 

Hi! My newlywed daughter and her husband are going to Paris, followed by the Cote d'azur, in October and I get to help with the planning! Thanks to all Fodorites who've written their experiences here, they're looking at the Le Grimaldi and La Perouse in Nice.

First question: No car, but from other posts it looks like one can take a train or buses fairly easily from here. True?

Second question: Rooms at either hotel. At La Perouse, would they want an upgraded room, and if so which would you recommend? At the Grimaldi, which level of room? Seems to me that I read somewhere about the top level having a terrace.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel La Perouse a few years ago and absolutely loved it. We got a seaview room and it was really worth it. There was a nice little balcony and the view was beautiful. We dream of returning!

Depending on whether they plan to venture out of the city or not, if so, I would definately recommend a car. Rentals are inexpensive if rented from the states, and driving in and around Nice is not difficult at all. There are too many sites to visit that are either not accesable by train/bus, or would necesitate wasting precious time!

ttt

Hello - I can't really comment on the car situation, i'm sure others will know better. Maybe it won't be as busy in October so they will have more flexibility with a car?

We stayed in Le Grimaldi and loved it. We had a superior room with the most enormous bathroom. It's hard to explain why we liked the hotel so much - it's just rather charming. I would go for the highest room category - I think they have suites which look delightful. Having said that, Le Perouse looked wonderful because the location cannot be beat, right overlooking the Baie des Anges and right next door to Old Nice. If I had to choose, I would go with La Perouse

If they don't want to get a car Nice would be the best location because of the transpotation possibilities. But I'd suggest they get one for a day or two to more efficiently see the area.
I am a huge fan of Le Grimaldi and always stay there but if they can get a sea view room at La Perouse it might be more romantic.

We've been to Nice twice and did not rent a car. Felt we could take busses or trains everywhere we wanted to go. Some people say driving in Nice is a nightmare, altho that might be more in the summer, than in October. Nice is central so that is very good for using public transportation.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate your input suggesting car rentals, and I know that when my husband and I travel, we rent a car and have no problems... but I think for them, without a car is a better idea. (It never occurred to me before this summer that for some people, navigating can be a problem. I realized it when one of my sons, trying to read a map and direct the driver, couldn't do it because he gets car sick!)

Turns out that La Perouse is outside the budget, so the decision now is between Le Grimaldi and Hotel Suisse. I've been reading some on Tripadvisor and heard stories about the showers at Suisse (apparently just a handheld shower with no curtain). Will read reviews on this board now!

thanks again to all!

Good rooms at the La Pérouse are now sky high, and the others are getting a tad shabby. The views from some of the more expensive rooms and the terrace high above the street are terrific, however.

Since you're considering the Hôtel Suisse price range you might also want to check out the Mercure Promenade des Anglais, which has renovated rooms--some with sea views, and there's an entire non-smoking floor--for good prices. Check at www.accor.com. The location is terrific, right next to Le Meridien.

Nice is a fairly large city. As a general rule, using a large city as a base for car day trips entails much picking one's way through suburbs. Worse, central Nice is torn up for installation of a new tram? subway? making it even harder to get around.

But there are lots of good day trip options from Nice by bus or train.