Five nights in Nice was the right amount of time. Long enough to settle in, and close enough to the rest of the coast to see it all.
Getting there
My mom and I took one direct train from Paris to Nice. Watching the coast appear out the window was one of my favorite moments of the trip. We stayed at Le Méridien Nice, right on the waterfront.
Old Town, the market, and the Promenade
Mornings were for Vieux Nice, the Old Town, and the Cours Saleya market, full of flowers and local produce. Evenings were for the Promenade des Anglais at sunset. On the walk toward the port, don’t miss the Monument aux Morts, Nice’s World War I memorial carved into the rock below Castle Hill. At night it’s lit in the French colors.
A tiny electric car
Renting a car in Nice opened up the coast in a way the train couldn’t. We rented one of NiceCar‘s little open-top electric cars, and it was fun and easy. They’re so small that we could get anywhere we wanted to go. If you’re under 21, plan on a parent or another responsible adult renting the car and doing the driving.
Monaco and Cannes
In Monaco we had dinner at Caffé Milano, on the quay overlooking the harbor. It’s about 22 minutes from Nice by regional train.
Then the night I’ll remember forever: the Cannes fireworks on July 22. We took the train from Nice, and it was the most crowded event of our whole trip, shoulder to shoulder across the entire beach. Go early, keep your bag zipped in front of you, and check the time of the last train home before you go.
What I ate
Pastry cases I’d fly back for, a rose-shaped gelato, a sandwich on the beach, and a long brunch on our last morning.
