Nice - French Riviera attractions in a good-value package
Nice and the French Riviera are one of those places where nature, architecture, art and food come together in an extraordinary collage of attractions. We dream of spending a few days there, but fear the stay might wreck our budget. Here is how to explore the Côte d'Azur affordably - for many the most beautiful stretch of the entire Mediterranean coast, where stunning nature is complemented by works created by human hands.
Getting to Nice: plane, car and Park & Ride
The best way to get to Nice is by plane. Its airport is the second largest in France. Both Wizz Air and LOT fly here. The Polish national carrier regularly offers tickets at promotional prices; it is worth watching for its “Crazy Wednesday” deals, when return fares drop to 500-600 złoty, with a generous cabin bag already included. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport lies within the city, and a modern tram will take you quickly to the centre. The same tram also links the airport's two terminals (free of charge).
Getting around the city by public transport is easy, but renting a car also makes sense. Prices are reasonable (around 135 złoty a day), and you pick up and return the car right at the airport. This works out particularly well for four people (two couples, for example), as the cost of the rental and fuel is shared. The most popular option when renting a car is “full tank”: you get the car with a full tank and return it filled to the brim. Don't leave refuelling until the last minute, as the petrol station near the airport may well turn out to be the most expensive. It is worth looking for a large... supermarket. The “Carrefour” chain has its own petrol stations, where fuel is cheapest: a litre of unleaded 95 costs 1.70 euros.
An interesting way to get around the region is to combine the car with public transport. On the outskirts of Nice there are 9 “Park & Ride” car parks, known locally as “Parcazur”, where you can leave your car completely free of charge. There is just one condition - when leaving the car park, you must show a used public transport ticket. A return ticket, with transfers, costs 3.70 euros. Nice's public transport network is so extensive that the 620 bus heading west will take you all the way to Cannes, of film festival fame, while heading east the 600 bus leaves French territory and goes as far as legendary Monaco.
Attraction tickets and the French Riviera Pass
In Nice itself and within a radius of a few dozen kilometres there are many attractions, including museums devoted to celebrated painters and sculptors, beautiful gardens full of tropical plants and the seaside villas of high society. As a rule, each of them has free parking for visitors.
And what about admission tickets? Well, they are not cheap... Entry to the wonderful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, surrounded by gardens with fountains that jut out into the azure sea, costs 18 euros. A ride on an open-top double-decker sightseeing bus that stops at the city's 11 most attractive spots costs 24 euros. Admission to the Maeght Foundation museum, with works by Joan Miró, Marc Chagall and Alberto Giacometti, is also 18 euros.
But there is a way to pay nothing at all at the ticket desks of all these attractions - and many others! Get yourself a “French Riviera Pass”, which gives free entry to 62 attractions or covers the cost of other activities. It comes in three versions, 24, 48 and 72 hours, costing 28 euros (one-day pass) or just 20 euros a day (two- or three-day pass). Interestingly, the pass can even get you a free lunch, or an evening drink at the rooftop bar of one of the hotels. If you head out of town, you can visit one of the wineries, which will invite you to taste its wines.
Socca, mussels and the food of Nice
Speaking of lunch, it is worth taking a moment to get to know the local food scene. It is easy to find cuisines from all over the world in the city, but the dishes unique to the Nice area are particularly worth trying.
Locals are especially proud of a surprisingly simple dish called “socca”. Socca is a thin, crispy pancake made from chickpea flour, olive oil, water and salt, baked in a very hot oven, often wood-fired. It looks a little like a crêpe, but has a different texture and taste - slightly crispy at the edges and softer in the middle. Socca is traditionally served warm and tastes best sprinkled with pepper. Show your “French Riviera Pass” and you are invited to a free tasting at “Chez Thérésa”, an eatery whose history goes back to 1925, and the pancake makes a tasty, filling snack during a day of intensive sightseeing.
On the French Riviera it is worth looking out for dishes rarely found in Poland. And here we are in for a pleasant surprise. It turns out that dishes which sit at the top of the price list on Polish menus are offered at very reasonable prices in France. Squid and mussels are good examples. The latter are prepared in several ways, and a large metal pot (that is exactly how these seafood specialities are served!) with a hearty portion of chips will cost 16 euros. You can be almost certain that the mussels come from that morning's catch.
Where to stay in Nice - Negresco, Ibis and F1
A few words about accommodation in Nice. On the one hand, you can choose from some of the best hotels in the world, with unrivalled service and a long list of celebrities who have stayed there over the past decades. The windows of a suite at the Hotel “Negresco” look out over the seafront promenade lined with huge palm trees, while Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars, or limousines with tinted windows carrying the world's rich and powerful, pull up at the entrance. Needless to say, the price of a stay can knock you off your feet... At the other end of the scale there is a solid choice of simple hotels that still offer enough comfort to rest after a busy day of sightseeing. Particularly recommended here are the “Ibis” and “F1” brands. Both have the same operator, the Accor group, which also owns “Mercure”, “Novotel” and “Sofitel”. To a good-value room you can add a buffet breakfast, which should cost no more than 10 euros.
Remember that the French Riviera Pass covers several towns and villages. You can visit Nice, Antibes, Saint-Paul de Vence, Èze, Villefranche-Sur-Mer, and each of these places means more attractions.
The French Riviera and Nice are a corner of Europe full of historic sights, beautiful nature and breathtaking views. Over the past centuries and decades, the greatest artists came to the south of France in search of inspiration. The greatest painters worked here, and so did the greatest musicians. The Rolling Stones, U2 and Elton John all recorded albums here. Isn't it worth experiencing for yourself the magic this part of the Mediterranean exudes?
