Nice is Nice

Our trip to France this summer had us starting out in Paris, then heading south to Nice for three nights.  The Côte d’Azur has been on my must-see list for years, so of the three stops on our trip this is the one I looked forward to the most.

Promenade des Anglais - photo: JourneyChic

We flew EasyJet from Paris’ Orly Airport because of the frequency of the flights and low cost for one-way tickets. Orly is a small airport with mostly domestic flights. Like most airlines nowadays, EasyJet charges for checked baggage. Pay for your checked baggage online when you book your flight. This will save a lot of trouble and expense at the airport (which we experienced, since Mr. JC decided last minute to pack a large bag).

The Nice Airport is easy to navigate and downtown is an inexpensive 20-minute bus ride away. I highly recommend this over a taxi.

A tram whirring through Place Massena - photo: JourneyChic

I used TripAdvisor to find a hotel in the star and price range that fit our budget, and boy was I happy with our pick.  The Hotel Grimaldi had friendly staff and our room was very large, even by American standards. A nice bonus was the Fragonard soaps and lotions in the bathroom. Our room – simply decorated in Provencal blue, yellow, and white – had a little Juliette balcony with a view of a pretty church. The hotel is in a very good location, just a ten minute walk to the beach and five minutes to a plethora of cafes on Rue Massena and Rue de France. Note that the hotel is closer to Nice Ville than the Old Town. The city has trams and is very walkable, so everything is accessible.

Although not on the beach, the Hotel Grimaldi has a relationship with one that is and offers discounts to hotel guests. The beach is NOT sandy. It’s made up of large, smooth rocks and you definitely want to use a beach chair. With our hotel discount, our day at the beach was around 20 Euros per person for chairs, towels, an umbrella, and a waiter to bring us overpriced cocktails.  The Mediterranean is a lovely shade of turquoise and in early July was still a bit cool, but very refreshing on a hot day.

Umbrellas and paragliders - photo: JourneyChic

We hiked up Castle Hill for some amazing views which were worth all the sweat dripping off our brows in the mid-day sun:

Castle Hill, Nice - photo: JourneyChic

Waterfall on Castle Hill; so refreshing! Photo: JourneyChic

On our walk down the hill we caught a glimpse of Nice’s port through the trees:

Port of Nice - photo: JourneyChic

Where to Eat:

There are loads of cafes and sit-down restaurants. Don’t pay the hotel prices for breakfast – get a delicious and cheap pain au chocolat on your way to the beach. Two notable restaurants where we had dinner are:

Casa Nissa: A popular spot for tourists and locals alike for karaoke, we drank a bottle of wine and then serenaded the crowd with our own horrific rendition of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”. Fortunately for everyone, the food was much better than our singing.

Chez Juliette: The Old Town section of Nice is a wonderful place to get lost in a sea of souvenir shops and butchers, bakers, and greengrocers favored by locals. Chez Juliette is a cute restaurant off Place Rosetti. Our meal was delicious, including an appetizer of escargot. Yes, snails are divine if doused in garlic and butter. There’s a massive gelateria in Place Rosetti, Fenocchio, that serves every flavor imaginable and is the perfect spot for dessert.

Place Rosetti in Nice's Old Town - photo: JourneyChic

What to Buy:

• Linens in a gorgeous array of yellow, blue, green, and red – the colors of Provence. I picked up a pretty runner for our dining room table.
• Soaps that smell amazing. At one little shop I picked up six bars of soaps made of vegetable oil in scents like honey, orange grapefruit, and raspberry. Yum!
• Spices (like lavender) and olive oil. Nice is very close to Italy, so there’s a great selection of olive oils and tapenade, which we brought back for our neighbors.

Helpful Hints:

• EasyJet: Pay for checked baggage in advance, online. It will save both time and money at the airport. Leave plenty of time to check-in. EasyJet is like South West Airlines – pretty much a cattle call to get the best seats.
• Airport Transportation: Take the inexpensive and easy bus to get to your hotel from the airport. Buy tickets at the kiosk just outside the terminal’s exit doors.
• Beach: There are public beaches that you can just walk onto with your towel, and those where you can pay for a chair and umbrella. Cough up the cash – it’ll save you a sore behind.
• Day trips: The Nice-Ville train station has frequent trains to Monaco, Cannes, and lovely coastal villages.