Yes, but what about NICE!
 

My husband's Uncle is renting a place in Nice for two months next April/May and has invited us to join him for a week or two. We know NOTHING about Nice (or France for that matter). I tried doing a search for Nice. The first post was "What makes a "foodie" a "foodie"" with 76 reply's. The second was "The Best Place in the World" with 78 reply's. After that, lot's and lot's of info on Paris. But what about Nice??? Our vacations have always been to places with more 'nature' as opposed to culture or History, like Hawaii, <BR>Fiji and Costa Rica. We like to dive and husband is a surfer. What will we find to do in Nice? No flames about 'sticking' to what we know and love, please. We certainly are up to 'discovering' Nice, I'd just like to know what there will be for us to do in the area. Thanks

Can't say I'm an expert, but our cruise ship docked in Villefranche which is about five miles north of Nice and there appeared to be many options for the French riviera. A couple at our table simply took the train to Nice, went to the flower market, bought a bottle of wine and some bread/meat and went to the beach for a picnic. We took a train north to Monte Carlo and had a great day at the Palace, seaquarium and some shopping. The Casino would have been on our stop except for the dress code. Some friends of ours stopped in Eze - an old walled city perched on the side of a good sized mountain overlooking the Sea. A little south of Nice is Cannes - don't know much about the place but a little research could turn up more interesting things to do. We would have loved to stay for a few days.

Ally, <BR>There's a lot of stuff to do that you might find interesting. Also you might want to rent a car for the time you're there, otherwise, you can explore other towns on the Riviera & perhaps spend a night or so in Provence. <BR> <BR>There is the afore-mentioned flower market, a flea market, an antique market. There are a lot of wonderful seafood restaurants. In the evening, you can simply walk the Promenade des Anglais, a boardwalk right on the Bay of Angels, or attend the opera, go to a casino (either in Nice or in Monte Carlo, a short train ride away) or hang with the locals at Butterfly 2 (a dance/night club) or La Civette. If you're of a mind to find other young Americans, you might do so at William's Pub, Scarlett O'Hara's Irish pub, or Wayne's. <BR> <BR>Nice has been called a city of contrasts; although French, some Italian influence in its history is undeniable. There is "modern Nice" & there is "la vielle ville", the old town. <BR> <BR>If you don't have a car at your disposal, you may want to get a Sun Pass, which is good for the bus lines in Nice. As you tend to like nature, the Bay of Angels should give you good recreation. Also, go to Cimiez, a hilly town "above" Nice, the site of ancient Roman ruins (you can get there by bus). Should you decide you are curious about art, Nice is the home of 19 different art museums & galleries (including Matisse & Chagall) & you can pay individual entry fees for them or buy a museum pass that will admit you to all of them. <BR>Bon Voyage, <BR>BC

Nice is nice.

Thanks for your help John. I'm sure I'll love the flower market and I really love the 'picnic on the beach' idea! Hubby and I really enjoy wine. It's what we always drink and I can't think of a better place than a picnic on the beach! Not into the Casino Scene, so we'll probably pass on that, but we WILL rent a car, so we can explore the area a bit. Thanks 'Book Chic' for the club ideas and the tip to go up to Cimiez sounds good too! Any more ideas? We'll be in the area for at LEAST a week. We may be able to get away for a night or two elsewhere, but not more as it might be rude of us to leave the Uncle who invited us to come see him. So, if anyone has other ideas to keep us entertained for a week, please let us know! (I think most of our days will be open and we'll only be expected for 'dinners' with the Uncle). Thanks again...

The only reason to stay in Nice, other than a day tour of the flower market/old town/promenade, is that it makes a great base, since it's pretty central. The best suggestion I can give is to get a guidebook, which will give you detailed descriptions of all the top sights. You won't have enough time to see everything. From Nice, you are within driving distance of Monaco (which deserves one full day on its own) as well as numerous towns along the Riviera (Menton, St J Cap Ferrat, Antibbes, Cannes, even St. Tropez) and you can also spend time soaking up the sun on those towns' beaches. But the most charming part of this area, in my opinion, is the lovely hill towns--Eze, Vence, St. Paul de Vence, Tourette sur Loup, etc. These are restored pedestrian-zone midieval towns in the hills and mountains above the coastline, some perched on clifftops, filled with quaint artists' shops, restaurants and cobblestone "streets." You are also close to Italy, so day trips are also possible there (for example, we visited Portofino from Nice in a day). Depends on how energetic you are, how much beach time you want. Beaches are different from those in Hawaii, Costa Rica and Fiji in that there's not much sand, mostly pebbles. From what I saw, the focus is mostly on sunning and boating-lots of yachts--instead of water sports. Recommend you do a good bit of research before you go in order to maximize your experience. There's so much to see here, and lots of possibilities.

Ally: <BR> <BR>Just case anyone has not mentioned it before ..... when you search on Nice (the town) the search engine is alsodo a text search through the threads looking for nice (the bland adjective that we all use too much)- I know this because I tried the earch myself a few months ago and got the same odd results. <BR> <BR>A search on "French Riveria", Cannes, or any other town along the coast (as they are generally mentioned in any posting on Nice, will provide far more accurate results! <BR> <BR>Regards ... Ger

GREAT idea, Ger. <BR>Thanks!

There is also information about Nice and the South of France in general in the Fodor's miniguides. I just got back from France on Sunday (stayed in a small town outside of Marseille visiting relatives). While we did not get to Nice this trip we had a great time. You will have so much fun!

Ally: Just stumbled over a nice website that covers the whole Côte d'Azur: <BR>www.crt-riviera.fr <BR>Click the English version and go to "tourism". You will then be able to find links for the official tourist websites of most places on the French riviera with tons of info. <BR>Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who replied! <BR>My boss is now telling me I CAN'T go to France without seeing Paris. True? I think I'd rather go to Greece, as husband and have always wanted to see Greece... <BR>What do you think?

We go to Nice every year, and always leave with a sigh. There's plenty to do using Nice as a base, but I see that these other posts have covered it pretty well. Definitely don't miss lunch or dinner at La Columbe D'or in St. Paul de Vence, which is an easy 45 minute bus ride or drive from Nice. The old town there is worth exploring. Beautiful vistas, lots of galleries and shops.Also, there's an excellent restaurant which I've recommended before on this forum, about nine miles east of Nice on the Grande Corniche called, "La Chaumiere". A provencal style restaurant where your food ( fish, chicken, beef ( if they still eat it!) is cooked to order in the main room's fireplace. <BR> Plenty of wonderful musuems in Nice like the CHagall Museum and the newly renovated Matisse Museum. <BR> If you're really ambitious, you could take the overnight ferry to Corsica, and stay there for a few days. <BR> YOu could also easily escape for a day or two to Aix-en Provence, which is about two and a half hours away by car or train. <BR> I could go on and on,but I probably shouldn't! If you need more info of any kind, please feel free to e-mail. <BR> Re: Paris. I have to agree with your boss. If you're going to be in France, it would be a shame to miss it. All the cliches that you've heard about it are true ( mostly). It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Don't miss the Marais and the Latin Quarter- really great!

Ally, <BR> <BR>Can you get your uncle to invite me? I'm jealous!! You will love this part of France. Have a great trip! <BR> <BR>Shel

I went to France 2 years ago. Stayed 2 nights days in Paris and then flew into Nice. We stayed in Saint Tropez with family for 7 days. I have to agree with the posters who said to do the medieval hill towns in the area--We went to Ramatuelle and Gassin; these towns were incredible-the flowers, the smells, the views, the history.... As I recall the beaches were $20/day/person. We were able to find a pleasant public beach, but only because we stayed with the "locals". Saint Tropez is an interesting place for a late afternnoon and dinner--to people and yacht watch. Be prepared for a most unpleasant driving experience. We went off to Aix on our own one day--it was the worst day of our trip--not easy to find and people not friendly. Our two days Paris was great! Try to fit in in. We did all the churches and a river cruise down the Seinne. I would do it all over again in a hearbeat!

Don't rule out Monte Carlo. Even if you don't gamble, there's lots to see - the city itself is neatly perched on a cliff. And you'll be there around the time of the Grand Prix. That is really something to see - and to hear! That time of year may also coincide with the Cannes Film Festival - take in a nominee! You could (should?) go to Paris first if you have any desire whatsoever. You could take the TGV down to Nice over a few hours. <BR>

Thanks for all the ideas! Must admit, I never was interested in Europe, other than Greece and Switzerland, but NOW, I'm so excited about France, Nice area in general, I can't believe I have to wait until May! (we've decided on May instead of April because husbands birthday is mid May.) NINE months away...DANG! Well, with this early planning I'm sure to be prepared! <BR>Shel...wish you and all who helped could join us. What a party!

I found lots of info about Nice through www.bonjourparis.com <BR>

I've got lot's and lot's of info on Nice from you nice people. One more question. Since it seems I should not go to France without spending a couple days in Paris...how long does the train take between these cities? Or should we drive..or fly? <BR>Thanks again. Sorry about all the seemingly dumb questions but as I said from the start, I know nothing about Europe..and have not made it to a bookstore yet.

I second the suggestions for St. Paul de Vence (marvelous for phototography) and Aix (outdoor dining and entertainment). The market at Aix is amazing, but hold on to your wallet.

Hi Ally, <BR> <BR>If you wanted to, you could get a flight that goes from the US to Nice via Paris, stay in Paris for a couple of days and then go on (on the same ticket)to Nice. Easy to do, I've done it.