Going to lots of places, one of which is Nice. Don't know much about Nice & surrounding areas....yachts, beaches, waterfront apartments (Antibe & Villefranche sur Mer), casinos (Monaco), picturesque villages (Eze, Biot), lemons (Menton), perfume (Grasse).....what else, especially in Nice itself? Any "old town" or other must-sees? Thanks...

If you want to have information about NIce and the other beaches in France...please check the following link:
http://www.thebestbeaches.org/France-Beaches.html

>>Going to lots of places, one of which is Nice<<

why are you going to Nice?

I have spent about 20 weeks of my life at the Cote d'Azur and have still not seen everything.

What's nice in Nice:

- of course, the Promenade des Anglais including Place Massena. The beach is ugly (large grey pebbles), but the promenade itsself is nice, with the gorgeous hotels facing the sea (be sure to have a drink in some of the hotel bars there)

- The Old Town around the harbour is picturesque, with an abundance of food.

- The Flower Market is picturesque.

- Nice has great art museums. The very best (and most exceptional) is the Chagall Museum with huge paitings on scenes from the Bible:
www.musee-chagall.fr

- The Museum of Modern Art is also a must-see with excellent works of Yves Klein, Niki de St. Phalle and Ben:
www.mamac-nice.org

- There are several more museums. Here is a list:
www.gralon.net/tourisme/musees-nice.htm

I find this site by a British family very informative.

http://www.allaboutnice.com/

bookmark

Thanks everyone for all that helpful advice.

"Why go to Nice?" Well, I suppose it's more that we're going through Nice rather than to it (hence my question: I haven't researched it the way I have other places that are destinations rather than places we're passing through). It's part of a drive starting in Paris and ending maybe in Venice or maybe further around the Istrian Peninsula (depending on time).

Glad to hear Nice is in itself an interesting destination. I was always sure it would be, but didn't know exactly what i would find there to make it so.

So thanks again....

Many tourists are somewhat disappointed by the Cote d'Azur and by Nice, especially if they do not spend much time there (e.g. cruise passengers) and if they falsely expected a coast which encompasses some neat villages like Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast.

The Cote d'Azur is different. Firstly, it is huge - a coastal stretch of 200km. Secondly, it is heavily urbanized and densely populated. Thirdly, it has some really ugly traffic arteries and those tourists who do a six-hour-motorcoach-tour-including-five-attractions primarily see these arteries and not much else.

If you are not rushing through but if you take your time you will find amazing scenery, dreamlike beaches, wonderful grand hotels, cozy old towns, unlimited gourmet options, vibrant nightlife and an incredible array of museums.

>>If you are not rushing through but if you take your time you will find amazing scenery, dreamlike beaches, wonderful grand hotels, cozy old towns, unlimited gourmet options, vibrant nightlife and an incredible array of museums.<<

I plan on experiencing all of the above for the upcoming trip to Nice in 42 days. Thank you.

jdc

We spent three nights in Nice, May 2006, and thoroughly enjoyed that little city. Here's my trip report, including information on our hotel, restaurants and day-trips:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34810691