What makes Nice unique is the Italian influence. Nice was originally a part of Italy, but it was used as payment in 1860 to France. Because of its former union with Italy, there is a rich blend of both French and Italian culture in this dynamic city. The rock beaches in Nice also sets this city apart from other coastal havens. The smooth stones are naturally occurring and add an interesting and beautiful attraction to the already beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Visitors can enjoy the beaches walking on the promenade or head up to Castle Hill to get a view of the entire city.
Best Times to Visit Nice, France
With sunshine all year, it's no surprise that Nice is such a popular tourist destination. May through August is a particularly attractive time to visit Nice, most likely because of summer vacation for families. This is not necessarily an ideal time because it is also a crowded and hot time of the year in Nice. Prices tend to hike during May to August as well, making it a less desirable time to visit if your schedule accommodates a different time of year.
If you want to visit Nice when there's less of a crowd, but still sunshine, book a vacation during the early fall. It's still possible to get some sunshine, but you won't have to navigate the crowds and pay the high fares, and you will have a more enjoyable time seeing all the sights without the throngs of tourists in the way.
The early spring is similar in temperature, pricing, and crowds. Winter is also a nice time to visit Nice if you want to see the sights, and although hotel prices and airfares tend to be cheaper, it's a little too chilly to head to the beach this time of year.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Nice, France:
Nice by Star Rating
Below we've posted 3 graphs demonstrating mean nightly cost patterns by star rating class in Nice, France. You can use these illustrations to calculate the most cost effective seasons to book in Nice for upcoming travels.
Luxury Hotel Options in Nice, France
4 Star Average Prices: £113.79
The French are no strangers to luxury, and Nice offers plenty of lavish hotels if that's your market. Consider staying at the Grand Hotel du Cap Farret, a Four Seasons Hotel, if you want to spend your trip to Nice in style. The Grand Hotel du Cap Farret, on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Peninsula, is another option. This hotel is filled with rich and vibrant history. Temporarily a hospital during World War One with much other history over time, this hotel was refurbished in 2009. Guests enjoy the pool with views, the spa, and onsite dining.
Located near all of Nice's best attractions, the Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee is made for the luxurious traveler. Overlooking the Bay of Angels, the Hyatt Regency offers a gourmet restaurant, spacious rooms with terraces, and nine available suites. Guests can also enjoy the indoor and outdoor pool at the hotel. You can also visit the Turkish bath and the on-site luxury spa.
Located between Nice and Monaco, the Hotel Royal Riviera provides the both of best worlds. These upgraded rooms are a great place to relax after enjoying the African-inspired bar and terrace. Guests can enjoy the heated outdoor pool, the private beaches, and the spa and wellness center. Guests who want luxury, but want to be outside the city, can find everything they are looking for at the Hotel Royal Riviera.
Affordable Options in Nice, France
3 Star Average Prices: £100.49
In the off-season, many hotels have reduced rates that make Nice a desirable place. If you want to go to Nice during prime beach season, you will have to look a little harder for affordable rates without sacrificing quality. Luckily the Hotel Villa Azur, Garden Beach Hotel, and Park Inn Nice Airport all fulfill those assets.
The Hotel Villa Azur is steps away from the beach, but still maintains a relatively affordable price. The Villa Azur offers stunning views of the French Riviera, a variety of room options, and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The Garden Beach Hotel is another affordable option in Nice. This hotel offers beach views and a pier for sunbathing or enjoying the view. This Art Deco-inspired hotel is also within walking distance of the art museum Musee Picasso as well as other local sites. This hotel boasts options for both business and leisure travels and is only a short drive to the airport.
Although a beach location is most desired, some prefer to stay closer to the airport. The Park Inn Nice Airport offers an affordable hotel, with plenty of amenities, seconds away from the airport. This hotel, operated by Radisson, offers a seasonal pool, an onsite sauna and hot tub, and a fitness center. The Park Inn also has two on-site restaurants and is walking distance to local transportation.
Best Discounts in Nice, France
If you're military, a AAA member, or a senior citizen, there are plenty of options in Nice to take advantage of those discounts. The Hotel Univers Downtown offers discounts and is an affordable option to put you right in the center of Nice. The Holiday Inn in Nice also offers discounts while staying within your budget. The Holiday Inn is a four-star hotel located downtown at an affordable price.
Located on the Promenade, Le Meridien Nice also offers discounts and is an option for travelers with a slightly bigger budget. The Meridien offers beautiful views of the sea, with some rooms offering balconies and terraces. This hotel also offers 17 suites for its guests who want more spacious accommodations.
Best Value Options in Nice, France
If you're visiting Nice on a tight budget, there are still hotel options available to fit within any range. The Hotel Le Lys is a budget-friendly hotel with an excellent location near the beach. Although the rooms tend to be on the small side, you receive proper accommodations for the price of the room. Plus you can't beat the location by the beach. The Hotel Alexandra is also a quaint but affordable hotel in Nice that allows pets and offers Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.
The Hotel des Cayrons also is a more friendly option for the budget-conscious traveler. The rooms tend to be a little small, and the decorations may not suit everyone, this hotel offers a pool for its guests, and has a welcoming feel, which you won't get at the larger chain hotels. This hotel offers both private rooms with double beds and shared rooms for larger families depending on your budget.
Why Nice, France Should Not Be Overlooked
Whether this is your first time in France, or you travel to the south of France often, Nice should be on your list of places to visit. Although some may say that Nice is not as exciting as Monaco, or as glitzy as Cannes, Nice is a romantic city and offers aspects that other southern French cities lack. You can enjoy the Italian influence and food without having to go to Italy, and get the best of both worlds with French and Italian influences in this historical city.
Nice is known for a lot of things, but being on the budget-friendly side is not necessarily one of them. That doesn't mean that you can't visit Nice affordably; however, you don't want to experience sticker shock when you arrive in this coastal city. If you are visiting on a budget and the location of your hotel matters, you may have to sacrifice space and amenities of your hotel. If you don't mind taking transportation to the beach, you have much more options of hotels with the top amenities still within a reasonable budget.
If you've been saving up for an anniversary of the vacation of a lifetime and budget is not an issue, there are plenty of luxurious options and opportunities in Nice to make you feel lavishly pampered. You can spend your days sightseeing in Nice, enjoying a day at the spa, or renting a boat and going out on the sea. If you're a scuba diver, then there are also plenty of diving companies who will be happy to take you under the sea as well.
There's much more to southern France than drinking wine, and Nice exemplifies all the things you can experience in this pretty city. Whether you're visiting France to party, you want rich history, or you just want to relax and enjoy the sunshine, there is a hotel that will fit your needs and plenty of direct flights from all over the world to take you there. Instead of battling the crowds in Paris, consider Nice for your next vacation. You'll be glad you did.
Nice, France summarized
It's hard to believe that French beauty can go beyond that of Paris' esplanades and chateaus, but visiting Nice, the country's 5th most populous city, can effortlessly prove otherwise. The Addressed as Nice la Belle, which directly translates to Nice the Beautiful, the city off the Mediterranean coast is every bit worthy of the name. Nice is considered to be one of Europe's earliest settlement areas, with archeological sites at Terra Amata displaying the most primitive use of fire. Named after the goddess of victory, Nice's views of the Promenade des Anglais, the paintings at Musee Marc Chagall, and the Place Massenia win more than 4 million tourists a year. France's second top tourist destination is primarily a vacation resort. Festivals further lure tourists from Paris in time for the Nice Jazz Festival and the wild Carnaval de Nice. An excursion into the French Riviera, bathed with interesting museums, lovely oceanfront promenade, and captivating beaches is truly the tourist's benefit from the doubt.
'Young people must break machines to learn how to use them; get another made!
Henry Cavendish, a noted British scientist and engineer whose significance to the world of science is written in golden words as he discovered the presence of hydrogen gas (called by him as inflammable air), was born in Nice, France. These thought provoking words by him have been guiding lights to millions of young students and researchers on a path to ground-breaking discoveries and inventions.
Nice, in that sense, a very important city. However, one cannot help but feel that the city has perennially been pushed to the back-burner in comparison with other bigger and more popular cities in France, like Paris, Marseilles and Lyon. That said, it must be noted that Nice has come out to be a major crowd favorite in recent years because of its utmost proximity with the Cote d'Azur and the region of French Riviera.
The most distinguishing thing about Nice is the fact that it is the only city in France to boast atmospheric air quality that can be counted in the ultra-pure region. Because of this extremely pure and oxygen rich air as well as pleasant weather that does not fluctuate significantly throughout the year, Nice has become a hotspot of tourist attraction. Almost all of tourists visiting Nice have a common agenda as an incentive to their trip “ to relax in the best air they can possibly hope to breathe naturally.
Nice is also known for its unique light settings. In summer months, the natural light levels in Nice are known to be steady for over 5 hours during the day. Because of this consistency, Nice has been able to attract many a painter including high and famous painters like Matisse and Arman.
Managing an Affordable Stay in Nice
Nice, being a major tourist attraction because of its unbelievably good weather, has rocketed as far as property prices are concerned. Because of this very reason, it has become quite a difficult deal to find and book cheap hotels here.
That said, it must be mentioned that it is not entirely an impossible prepositions to find such budget hotels in Nice as bookings made well in advance are known to save quite a lot of cash for tourists and travelers. Such places of lodging, even though not the best in the town, are good enough to lodge without any significant inconvenience.
Lavish Stay in Nice
Nice is a perfect place for anyone who is looking for a great, extravagant accommodation at a star hotel. Being a celebrity magnet that attracts dozens of high profile celebs from around the world every summer, there is an abundance of super-expensive luxury hotels in Nice. These are usually specifically designed to cater to ultra-rich sections of society. However, if you are looking to find a suitably comfortable stay in Nice to make your trip a whole lot more memorable and relaxing, staying at one of these Nice hotels can be a good idea.
Hotel Boscola is among the top luxury establishments in Nice. If you are planning to avail of hospitality of extremely high quality, this may well be the choice for you. Be sure of getting your stay booked well in advance as it generally tends to run out of available rooms, especially during summer months. Hyatt Regency Nice is also another excellent choice for people who want nothing short of exceptional treatment while they are visiting other cities. Hotel Negresco is the best hotel in Nice if you are looking for an unparalleled sea view and impeccable indoor swimming pools.
Alternative Accommodation in Nice
Chances are high that neither luxury nor budget accommodation choices appeal to you for either budget or comfort level concerns. In such a situation, finding an alternative accommodation option becomes inevitable. Nice will definitely provide you with ample choices when it comes to finding boutique or independent lodging and boarding alternatives to luxury as well as cheap hotels.
The most notable of these are summer villas. These are luxury or semi-luxury villas built just in order to be let on rent to tourists. These feature everything from independent compound to terraces and kitchens. In addition to summer villas, beach shacks and temporary tent settlements stand out among Nice hotels.
Best Sights of Nice
As far as sightseeing is in discussion, there is not much that Nice has on offer for tourists. The commonest reason for travelers to come down to Nice is to shed off their inhibitions and relax in pleasant weather so as to get themselves rejuvenated before they have to face their routine life all over again.
The most popular sight in Nice is the Old Town of Nice. It is an archaic settlement around which the present state of Nice has grown. It's an amazing experience to walk down the historic lanes of this Old Town, traversing pages of history as you go past innumerable cobbled stone winding lanes.
Another interesting place to have a rewarding visit is the Castle Hill that offers a panoramic view of the region.
Things to Remember While Touring Nice
Nice is, in general, a quite friendly city to tour and see around. So, there is no cheat-sheet necessary as such to keep yourself ready while sightseeing in Nice.
One thing, however, invariably needs to be mentioned during such a discussion is that having even some rudimentary knowledge of French language can help you make your trip even more enjoyable and memorable. Also, it goes without saying that beachwear and paraphernalia are essential.
Nice & Local Transportation
As is the case in many parts of France, local transportation is usually reserved for more populate cities. Nice boasts of a good network of buses that connect various parts of the city with efficiency.
Nice is also well connected with most other domestic airports in France with frequent flights. Renting a car is still the best option for tourists to get around in the city with ease and convenience.