# Nice: Old Town, Blue Sea and a Train Along the Riviera

> A practical guide to Nice: the old town and its market, the seafront, the museums of Cimiez, socca, pebble beaches and easy train trips along the coast.

- **Section:** Travel Guides
- **Country:** France
- **Published:** 2026-10-16
- **Author:** Voyage Editors
- **Publisher:** Voyage (https://thevoyage.gr)
- **Type:** practical travel guide, our own editorial writing
- **URL:** https://thevoyage.gr/en/destinations/nice

Morning in Nice starts at the Cours Saleya, where flower and food stalls fill the long square at the edge of the old town and the sea is a block away. From there the day can go almost anywhere: up Castle Hill for the view over the bay, along the Promenade des Anglais under the palms, up to Cimiez for Matisse and Chagall, or onto a train that follows the coast to Villefranche, Èze, Monaco, Menton or Antibes.

This guide is for planning a first visit or a return. It covers where to base yourself, what to see, what to eat, how the tram and the coastal trains work, and why winter here is a season in its own right. Since 2021 the city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera, recognising its long history as the place northern Europeans came to escape the cold.

## The Areas

Central Nice is compact. The old town, the seafront and the port sit side by side along the bay, and tram line 2 links the airport, the city centre and the port, so most visitors can walk or ride between all of the areas below.

- Vieux Nice — the old town, a maze of narrow streets between Castle Hill and the Cours Saleya, with the market, the opera house and plenty of places to eat. Best for visitors who want to step out of the door into the middle of things and don't mind evening noise.
- Promenade des Anglais and the seafront — the long waterfront walk with hotels facing the sea and the beaches directly below. It suits anyone who wants an early swim or a walk by the water before breakfast.
- Port Lympia — the harbour on the far side of Castle Hill, near Place Garibaldi, with its own restaurants and a more local feel. A good base for socca at Chez Pipo and for the short ride east along the coast.
- City centre around Jean Médecin — the shopping streets around the Jean Médecin tram stop, close to Nice-Ville station. Practical for day trips by train and for direct tram rides to and from the airport.
- Cimiez — the residential hill north of the centre, home to the Matisse and Chagall museums and the remains of the Roman town of Cemenelum. Quieter, greener and better suited to museum days than to nights out.

## What to See and Do

Begin in Vieux Nice. The Cours Saleya holds a daily flower and food market, and on Mondays the stalls give way to antiques. From the eastern end, Castle Hill (the Colline du Château) rises about 90 metres above the old town. Climb the steps or take the lift part of the way up for the widest view in the city: the bay, the rooftops and the port on the other side. The park closes around sunset, so time your visit with that in mind.

The Promenade des Anglais runs for about 7 kilometres along the bay, from the airport in the west to the Quai des États-Unis at the edge of the old town. Its story begins with the English aristocrats who started wintering in Nice in the second half of the 18th century; after a harsh winter in 1820, English residents helped fund a seaside walkway, and the name followed. Walking or cycling a stretch of it, especially in the late afternoon, is one of the simplest pleasures here.

Give a morning or an afternoon to Cimiez. The Musée Matisse occupies the Villa des Arènes, built between 1670 and 1685, and has been a museum since 1963; Matisse lived and worked in Nice from 1917 to 1954. It is closed on Tuesdays, admission is €10 and free for under-18s, and a 4-day Nice Museums Pass costs €15. Nearby, the Musée national Marc Chagall opened in 1973, while the painter was alive, to house the seventeen paintings of his Biblical Message cycle, which he gave to the French State in 1966. Chagall also made the blue stained-glass windows of its concert hall and gave instructions for the garden. It is open from 10am to 6pm and closed on Tuesdays.

## Day Trips Along the Coast

Nice is the hub of the coast, and the regional TER trains run along the shore between Cannes and Ventimiglia, just over the Italian border. A TER ticket is valid for the route you choose on any train that day, and the Sud Azur Explore Pass gives unlimited travel on trains, trams and buses in the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco for 3, 7 or 14 days.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is the first easy escape east of Nice: a short train ride, with trains roughly every 20 minutes depending on the time of day, and a station a short walk from the old town. Its narrow beach of coarse sand is busy in high season. Further along, Èze village sits about 350 metres above the sea, with narrow streets, a baroque church and a Jardin Exotique laid out on the ruins of a 12th-century castle. The train stops below at Èze-sur-Mer, though not every train does; from there the steep, rocky Chemin de Nietzsche climbs to the village in about an hour and a half. Wear proper shoes, or take bus 82 from Nice Vauban, which stops in the village about once an hour.

Monaco and Menton are both further east on the same line. Menton's old town is largely pedestrianised, and the town has the Jean Cocteau museum and gardens in the Garavan area. West of Nice, Antibes is on the main line towards Cannes; its old town fills with outdoor tables in the evening, its covered Marché Provençal trades every morning except Monday, and the walk around Cap d'Antibes is one of the best on the coast.

## What to Eat and Drink

Socca is the taste of Nice: a thin pancake of chickpea flour, water and olive oil, baked on large tinned copper plates and eaten hot and plain, with a grind of black pepper if you like. It is street food, best straight from the oven. Chez Pipo, near the port, has built its name on it and also serves pissaladière, the onion and anchovy tart that is another staple of family cooking in Nice.

Then there is the salade niçoise, which traditionalists make with tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives and either anchovies or tuna, dressed with olive oil, and with raw vegetables only: no boiled potatoes and no cooked green beans. Look out too for pan bagnat, tourtes aux blettes and barbajuan, and for soupe de poisson.

For something sweet, Fenocchio in the old town has been making ice cream since 1966, with more than 96 flavours. Shop for picnic food at the Cours Saleya in the morning and eat it on the pebbles at lunchtime.

## Getting There and Around

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport sits at the western end of the Promenade des Anglais. Tram line 2 runs west to east from the airport through the city centre, stopping at Jean Médecin, and on to the port. A tram ticket on the Lignes d'Azur network costs €1.70; buy it on a rechargeable card from station machines, through the Lignes d'Azur Tickets app or at authorised outlets, and validate it on every journey. Check current fares and timetables on lignesdazur.com before you travel.

By rail, Nice-Ville is the main station, served by TGV high-speed trains and regional TER services, with TGVs to Paris in under six hours and Marseille about two and a half hours away. The centre, the old town, the seafront and the port are all easy on foot, and the tram fills in the gaps.

## When to Go

Nice has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm, dry, sunny summers, and around 2,760 hours of sunshine a year. January nights average a minimum of around 5°C, which is why the city built its reputation as a winter resort. Spring warms up slowly, and cool weather can last into April.

February is a festival month. The Nice Carnival 2027, themed Vive l'Amour, runs from 9 to 28 February 2027, with carnival parades by day and night and flower parades. Visitors in full costume can watch the illuminated parades free in the pedestrian zones, though not from the grandstands. Down the coast, Menton's Fête du Citron, held under that name since 1934, runs from 13 to 28 February 2027, with floats covered in lemons and oranges. Summer brings the busiest beaches; late spring and early autumn are calmer.

## Good to Know

The beaches in Nice are mostly pebbles, so pack sandals or water shoes and something soft to lie on. Public beaches are free and have showers. The water gets deep quickly and currents can be strong, so beginners should take care. Pickpockets work crowded trams, buses, stations and sights all along the coast, so keep valuables out of your pockets and bags close at café tables. On the museums, remember that the Matisse and Chagall museums both close on Tuesdays.

## Our Picks

- To see · Musée Matisse — Cimiez — Matisse in a 17th-century villa, a museum since 1963; closed on Tuesdays.
- To see · Musée national Marc Chagall — Cimiez — Seventeen Biblical Message paintings and Chagall's blue concert-hall windows; closed on Tuesdays.
- To walk · Colline du Château — Between Vieux Nice and the port — About 90 metres up, by steps or lift, for the best view of the bay; closes around sunset.
- To walk · Promenade des Anglais — Seafront — About 7 km along the bay from the airport to the Quai des États-Unis.
- To browse · Cours Saleya market — Vieux Nice — Flowers and food every day, antiques on Mondays.
- To eat · Chez Pipo — Port — Socca and pissaladière, Wednesday to Sunday, no reservations.
- To taste · Fenocchio — Vieux Nice — A family ice-cream maker since 1966, with more than 96 flavours.
- To see · Jardin Exotique d'Èze — Èze village — A garden on the ruins of a 12th-century castle, 350 metres above the sea.
- To swim · Villefranche-sur-Mer — A short train ride east — A narrow beach of coarse sand on a deep bay; busy in high season.

## Where to Stay

- Hotel Beau Rivage — Vieux Nice — Minutes from the city centre near the Quai des États-Unis and Plage Beau Rivage, with a bar and a restaurant serving local cuisine. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7548463)
- Mercure Nice Marche aux Fleurs — Quai des États-Unis — Near the city centre, with Opéra Beach, Plage Beau Rivage and Plage Castel close by, plus a bar, restaurant and café. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7574114)
- Le Negresco Hotel — Promenade des Anglais — On the Promenade near the city centre, with a bar, restaurant, café, spa and fitness centre. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7440549)
- Hotel du Pin Nice Port — Port Lympia — Minutes from the city centre near Place Garibaldi and Port Lympia, with a bar, restaurant, café and spa. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7801736)

## The Essence

Nice is easy to love because it asks so little planning. Buy flowers at the morning market, eat socca hot from the plate, climb Castle Hill for the view, then let the coastal train decide the afternoon: a swim at Villefranche, the lanes of Èze, lemons in Menton. Come back for an evening walk along the Promenade as the light goes off the water. And if you can, come in winter, when the city that grew up as a winter resort still does what it was built for.

## Hotels in this guide

- Hotel Beau Rivage, Nice (4★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7548463
- Mercure Nice Marche aux Fleurs, Nice (4★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7574114
- Le Negresco Hotel, Nice (5★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7440549
- Hotel du Pin Nice Port, Nice (3★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/ETG_7801736

## Sources

- UNESCO 2021 'Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera'; English aristocracy wintering; Promenade name 1823; Cimiez Roman town Cemenelum; Cours Saleya daily market with flowers and antiques; climate mild winters, Jan min ~5°C, ~2,760 sunshine hours; Nice-Ville TGV/TER, Paris under 6h, Marseille ~2.5h; tram L2 Jean Médecin–airport–Port: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice (checked 2026-10-16)
- Vieux Nice maze; Cours Saleya flower and food market, antiques Mondays; Castle Hill ~90 m, lift partway, park closes around sunset; Promenade toward airport; Cimiez Matisse/Chagall/Roman ruins; pebble beaches, free showers on public beaches, deep water and currents; socca, pan bagnat, pissaladière, tourtes aux blettes, barbajuan, salade niçoise, soupe de poisson; Fenocchio in old town; Chez Pipo near port; spring warms slowly; pickpockets; Opéra in Vieux Nice: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nice (checked 2026-10-16)
- Promenade des Anglais ~7 km, airport to Quai des États-Unis; English residents, 1820 winter, Rev. Lewis Way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promenade_des_Anglais (checked 2026-10-16)
- Tram line 2 airport–city centre (Jean Médecin)–Port; tram ticket €1.70; rechargeable card, machines, Lignes d'Azur Tickets app; validate each journey: https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com/en/practical-information/getting-around/bus-and-tram/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Lignes d'Azur official network site (fares, timetables): https://www.lignesdazur.com/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- TER Cannes–Ventimiglia; stations Villefranche, Beaulieu, Èze, Cap-d'Ail; tickets valid on any train that day for the route; Sud Azur Explore Pass 3/7/14 days: https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com/en/practical-information/getting-around/regional-trains/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Carnaval de Nice 2027 'Vive l'Amour' 9–28 February 2027; 7 km of beaches: https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com/en/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Carnival parades day and night, flower parades; costumed visitors free in pedestrian zones, not grandstands: https://www.nicecarnaval.com/en/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Fête du Citron 13–28 February 2027: https://www.fete-du-citron.com/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Fête du Citron name since 1934; floats of lemons and oranges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%AAte_du_Citron (checked 2026-10-16)
- Musée Matisse: 164 av. des Arènes de Cimiez; closed Tuesdays; €10; free under 18; Nice Museums Pass 4 days €15: https://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/en/practical-information/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Villa des Arènes built 1670–1685; museum created 1963; Matisse lived and worked in Nice 1917–1954: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Matisse_(Nice) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Musée Chagall open daily except Tuesday 10:00–18:00; Biblical Message cycle: https://musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr/chagall/en (checked 2026-10-16)
- Chagall museum inaugurated 1973 in his lifetime; 17 Biblical Message paintings donated 1966; blue concert-hall windows; garden to his instructions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Marc_Chagall (checked 2026-10-16)
- Socca: chickpea flour, water, olive oil; tinned copper plate over a metre wide; eaten plain with black pepper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farinata (checked 2026-10-16)
- Salade niçoise traditional ingredients; raw vegetables only, no boiled potatoes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salade_ni%C3%A7oise (checked 2026-10-16)
- Chez Pipo: 13 rue Bavastro; socca, pissaladière; Wed–Sun 11:30–14:30 and 17:30–22:00, no reservations: https://www.chezpipo.fr/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Fenocchio: artisan ice cream since 1966, more than 96 flavours: https://www.fenocchio.fr/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Villefranche: TER trains roughly every 20 minutes, station near old town; coarse-sand beach, narrow, busy in high season: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Villefranche-sur-Mer (checked 2026-10-16)
- Èze village ~350 m above sea; baroque church; Jardin Exotique on 12th-c castle ruins; Èze-sur-Mer station, not all trains stop; Chemin de Nietzsche ~1.5 h up, rough; bus 82 from Nice Vauban about hourly: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/%C3%88ze (checked 2026-10-16)
- Menton: old town largely pedestrianised; Jean Cocteau museum; Garavan gardens; trains from Nice/Monaco: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Menton (checked 2026-10-16)
- Antibes: station on Nice–Cannes line; evening outdoor restaurants in old town; Marché Provençal every morning except Monday; Cap d'Antibes walk: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Antibes (checked 2026-10-16)
- Hotel Beau Rivage description (TRVL): https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/ETG_7548463 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Mercure Nice Marche aux Fleurs description (TRVL): https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/ETG_7574114 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Le Negresco Hotel description (TRVL): https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/ETG_7440549 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Hotel du Pin Nice Port description (TRVL): https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/ETG_7801736 (checked 2026-10-16)

## Photo credits

- The Baie des Anges and the rooftops of Nice seen from Castle Hill: photo by Constantin (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- Boats in Port Lympia, the harbour of Nice: photo by Gabriel Tovar (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- Place Masséna with its red facades in Nice: photo by Lum Lumi (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- The colourful old town of Menton above the beach, along the coast from Nice: photo by Luna Wang (Unsplash, Unsplash License)