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I love taking a trip to the South of France; it’s so beautiful, relaxing and luxurious. While I’m all for heading to the beach every single day, there’s more to Nice than the rocky shores. Read on for great things to do on your next visit.
Visit Monaco
Why not visit the most decadent country? I absolutely loved Monaco and not just because it was amazingly clean. So cute and right on a beautiful port, the city smells of money. We visited the Monte Carto Casino and had a James Bond kind of night, paying 18euro for one drink, but it was worth the price. Of course, we could only imbibe in one adult beverage as my budget just doesn’t stretch to multiple $26 drinks.
If you’re not into this kind of lifestyle, Monaco may be a bit boring for you, and I highly recommend going to night where Monte Carlo sparkles.
Not sure what to wear? I broke it down here.
The Beach
Yes, I know I mentioned that you may want more than the beach, but it should still be on this list because beaches are wonderful.
Few things to note: there are private beaches where you need to pay to use and the beaches are rocky as all hell. I chipped my manicure and pedicure getting out of the water. Waves can be intense and rip you back out. Which can be fun, as long as that’s what you’re after.
The Market
There are so many layers to the open air markets in Nice that it’s exhilaratingly exhausting. I had the luck to be in Nice during a Saturday, which meant that I got to see and experience the book market! I am now a proud owner of a Balzac that will take me decades to read since it’s en francais. Every Monday, the regular market shuts down and is filled with antiques. Even if you’re not in the mood to buy any antiques, head there anyways; the place fills with people shopping and eyeing up antique posters or jewlery or china.
If you’re going for groceries, head there in the morning for the good stuff and before they close around 1:00pm. But, you’ll still be able to buy yourself some flowers to cheer yourself up!
List of market dates and times.
Shop
Shopping in Nice is fun; there’s the ocean just behind you and H&M’s and Galeries Lafayette right next to the Old Square with trams running by, nudging people out of its way (but, not literally). While there are tons of adorable boutiques dotting the streets of Nice, sometimes you want some good old-fashioned big brands to spend all your money on. And, that’s when you head to Avenue Jean Médecin. There, you will find all the popular individual stores and the shopping mall: Nice Etoile.
Take a Wine Tour
There is nothing more idyllic than biking through the South of France, heading to a winery as you overlook the mountain-range.
So, grab a tour with english-speaking guides and hop on that electric bike. Yep, electric bike. The electric bike may sound a bit…strange, but believe me, you’re going to want it. Especially when you’re biking up all of the hills! The views are absolutely spectacular, so when you’re huffing and puffing away, keep thinking of the delicious wine and overlooking all of Nice.
The owner of the winery likes to pour some very healthy tastings for you to enjoy, and if you so choose to buy a glass of wine for lunch, a veeeerrrrry healthy pour.
This is the tour we booked through Viator.
Day trip to new beaches
I never got to do this as a huge rainy day occurred on the entire coast while we were there, but sometimes, you want to see a new beach!
Three close places to relax on the beach:
Cannes
Antibes
Juan les Pins
Simply train out, relax and explore and head back when you’re ready! Be sure to note the last train.
Musée d’art moderne et d’art contemporain
Want to get weird? Head on over to the modern art museum and check out the weirdest and the weird. My husband and I love modern art because it’s much more entertaining than 1,000 Jesus paintings and you’ll start to wonder the sanity of the world, which is always fun.
Other Museums
Sometimes, it rains. Sometimes, it rains a lot. Sometimes, you just like museums. Whatever the reason, here are some museums in Nice:
Human Palaeontology Terra Amata Museum: not the most exciting museum, but it’s where the domestication of fire was found and that’s pretty neat. I enjoyed this museum, but I also enjoy this kind of stuff. Know what you like! All in french, so get your Google Translates ready! Quick tour, and you can buy a pass that includes other museums.
Musée Matisse: works of Matisse.
Musée National Marc Chagall: works of Marc Chagall. biblical works.
Palais Lascaris: palace turned museum for the 17th and 18th music and art works.
Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Nice: natural history museum.
