Traveling from Nice
 

My husband and I will be in Nice in December and we want to go back to Florence. Where else is there to go from Nice that would only be a day trip? What is recommended to do in Nice?

I would take a day to visit Monaco. Be sure and stop by the casino, though not in shorts and swim clothing. Monaco is lovely and the ride from Nice to Monaco over the coastal mountains is not to be missed.

Hi, <BR>A lot depends on what your interests are. If you'd like a scenic view with beaches/water activity, there are a number of options, including Monte Carlo, San Remo, Ventimiglia, Monterossa, or any of the other Cinque Terre. <BR> <BR>If you're more inclined to art & architecture, & haven't explored it before, I would recommend spending a day in Milan, seeing the Last Supper, La Scala, etc. <BR>Bon Voyage & Buon Viaggio! <BR>BC

In Nice, I would go to the Cours Saleya (market in the Old Town) to see the various wares (spices, plants, cheeses, candies, etc.); the Chagall museum (excellent collection of the work of Marc Chagall, paintings, drawings and mosaics) and the Matisse Museum (works of Henri Matisse). <BR> <BR>I would go to Monaco for a day trip, but would drive the Moyenne Corniche to see the sea and drive by the fabulous mountains, up to Eze village. The drive takes around a half hour tops, and is between Nice and Monaco (although altitudinally higher). Eze is a beautiful village perche overlooking the sea, with lovely winding cobblestone streets. So you stay there for a little while, then hop in the car/bus and go on to Monaco, where you can walk around, visit the castle, go to the casino (you must bring a passport to get in), soak up the wealth. <BR> <BR>Another lovely trip from Nice is St. Paul de Vence, a beautiful Provencal village with cobblestone streets, many artists' galleries, etc, and the Fondation Maeght, one of the world's best (in my opinion) museums of modern art, housed in a very interesting building overlooking the hills. <BR> <BR>If you have any more questions, please let me know, and I'd be happy to help.

...sorry. I see you'll be there in December, so I would imagine indoor stuff would be better for you (it's nice there in the winter -- no pun intended -- but not really beach-y weather).

For things to do in and around Nice, I second jhm's recommendations, especially the Cours Saleya in Nice, and Eze Village. In addition, I'd recommend the Roman Trophee des Alpes in the village of La Turbie (on the highest of the three corniche roads, above Eze Village). Menton, near the French-Italian border is also a nice city and so are both Antibes and Vence (which is near, but not the same as, St.Paul-de-Vence).

to : jhm <BR> <BR>Are the places you mentioned - Eze and St. Paul de Vence accessable by bus? We would rather not have a car while in Nice. <BR> <BR>Thanks.

I'm sorry -- I don't know...I went by car.

Trudie, yes, St.Paul-de-Vence is accessible by bus; I took a bus to both St.Paul-de-Vence & Vence from Nice in 1996. <BR> <BR>I'm sure Eze Village is also accessible by bus. <BR> <BR>You can also take the train to Eze-sur-Mer and hike up a path to Eze Village but a woman on the Frommer's France board who has done that said that it's quite a strenuous hike.

Day trips...there are plenty from NICE. I really enjoyed Peillion and Peille. I found it in a travel book as a great hiking area. You can take a train to Peille and hike over a hill on an ancient Roman trading path to the ancient Medieval fortified town. It is about an half hour outside of NICE by train and incredibly rustic. I had a great time. Go early in the day so you can hike and play around....then take the train back to NICE. Make sure you stop in Chez Waynes for a beer and good music. What about Monaco, Cap D'Ail, etc....you can easily find something to do in the South of France.