France · City break

Nice City Guide

The Côte d'Azur at its purest. Narrow old-town lanes, the long promenade along the shore and a sea that really is turquoise. Between the centre and the seafront you slip into holiday mode almost without noticing. No planning needed, one ready-made day route from the stop ends at the water.

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Our walking tour of Nice

The route starts at the Place Masséna tram stop, heads to the promenade, through the old town and up Castle Hill. These are the highlights.

Nice on foot with Promenade, old town & Castle Hill

From Place Masséna with its sun fountain to the Promenade des Anglais, through the old town with the Cours Saleya, clock tower and cathedral, up Castle Hill with its waterfall and the finest views over the Baie des Anges and the port. Back via Place Garibaldi and the Coulée Verte.

Place Masséna. The grand main square with its ochre-red arcaded buildings and black-and-white checkerboard paving is the heart of Nice. The tram, old town and the green Coulée Verte all meet here.
Fontaine du Soleil. The Fountain of the Sun in the middle of Place Masséna. A mighty white marble statue of Apollo rises from the basin, surrounded by bronze figures of the planets. The most photogenic spot on the square.
Promenade des Anglais. The famous seafront promenade runs for kilometres along the turquoise Baie des Anges, lined with palm trees, the iconic blue chairs and the Belle Époque splendour of the Hôtel Negresco.
Cours Saleya (market). The liveliest square in the old town, with a flower, fruit and vegetable market in the morning, street food like socca at midday, restaurant terraces in the evening. Henri Matisse once had his studio here.
Tour de l'Horloge. The Baroque clock tower (Tour de l'Horloge) rises above the old-town roofs. A striking landmark on the edge of the Place du Palais, right on the way to the cathedral. A few steps on, palms and old town reflect in the Miroir d'Eau on the Coulée Verte. And yes, walking in barefoot is allowed.
Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate. The Baroque cathedral at the heart of the old town impresses with its dome of glazed tiles and an opulent interior. All around are colourful façades, the picturesque Place Rossetti and the legendary Fenocchio ice-cream parlour.
#ILoveNice. The famous #ILoveNice sign at the foot of Castle Hill is THE photo spot in town. With the skyline and the sea behind. From here you head up Castle Hill, easily by lift (the Ascenseur du Château) or via the steps.
Castle Hill viewpoint. Up on Castle Hill the loveliest panorama over Nice opens up, with the red roofs of the old town, the sweeping Baie des Anges and the deep-blue Mediterranean. The green park with its shady paths is free to enter.
Wasserfall (Cascade). In the middle of the castle park an artificial waterfall (Cascade Donjon) tumbles over the rocks. A refreshing, shady oasis with a viewing platform on top.
Viewpoint II. A second viewpoint on the south side of the hill with a wide view over the old town and the promenade. Ideal for lingering.
Harbour viewpoint. From the east side of Castle Hill you look straight down onto Port Lympia harbour with its yachts and colourful rows of houses.
Port Lympia. The colourful yacht and ferry harbour is framed by rows of ochre houses, dotted with antique shops and trendy restaurants. Ferries to Corsica depart from here.
Place Garibaldi. The elegant Turin-style arcaded square with the Garibaldi statue and cafés marks the transition to the Coulée Verte; the modern art museum MAMAC is right next door.
Promenade du Paillon (Coulée Verte). The green park corridor runs from the theatre to the sea. With water jets, a mirror pool and lawns. A refreshing finish back to Place Masséna.

Planning your visit

One day covers the core, two are worth it for the sea. The round from Place Masséna runs 5.5 kilometres along the Promenade des Anglais, through the old town, up the castle hill and on to the harbour. A lift saves you the climb. The market on Cours Saleya is liveliest in the morning, and in the afternoon the hill is yours. Thirteen evening tips are ready, many of them in the old town.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

Seen by Olivier (Anantara Plaza Nice). Stylish rooftop bar and restaurant above Place Masséna with views over the rooftops to the sea.
Le Relais (Hôtel Negresco). Legendary Belle Époque bar in the most famous hotel on the promenade. Velvet-red, opulent and full of history.
Babel Babel (Le Port). Trendy bar with a roof terrace at the port, Mediterranean food, cocktails and a relaxed evening vibe.

Nightlife quarters

Vieux Nice (Altstadt). The maze of old-town lanes is the nightlife hub, with bars and terraces around Place Rossetti and Rue Droite, from cosy to lively.
Le Port (Port Lympia). Around the yacht harbour cluster trendy bars and restaurants. Smarter and calmer than the old town.

Food & restaurants

Chez Pipo. Cult address near the port for socca. The thin chickpea pancake that is the emblem of Niçoise cuisine.
Cours Saleya (Markt & Terrassen). The old town's market square has flowers and street food by day, restaurant terraces with pissaladière, salade niçoise and seafood by night.
Lou Pilha Leva. Simple, popular stall in the heart of the old town for cheap Niçoise specialities to go. Socca, beignets, farcis.

Bars & clubs

Wayne's Bar. Famous live-music and party bar in the old town. Packed, loud and legendary among travellers.
Les Distilleries Idéales. Atmospheric corner bar in the old town with a big selection and an aperitivo vibe.
High Club. The big nightclub on the Promenade des Anglais. Several floors, international DJs, until the early hours.

Stage & concerts

Opéra de Nice. The grand 19th-century opera house near Cours Saleya. Opera, ballet and concerts.
Théâtre National de Nice. The city theatre on the edge of the Coulée Verte with drama and touring productions.

See all stops for Nice in the app →

Practical information for Nice

Public transport

Operator. Lignes d'Azur is the transport operator of the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur and runs the tram and city buses in the core area around Nice. For journeys beyond the city limits, for example to Cannes, Antibes, Monaco or the hinterland, the Zou! intercity buses of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region apply, with their own fare. Lignes d'Azur customer service can be reached Monday to Saturday from 6am to 8.30pm and Sunday from 7am to 8pm.

Network. Three tram lines and buses. Line 1 links the station and old town.

Modes of transport. Tram · City bus · Bus with dedicated lane (Line B) · Zou! regional bus for the surrounding area

Operating hours. The tram runs continuously throughout the day. For the last departures on weekdays, Tram 1 (from Henri Sappia to Hôpital Pasteur) runs until about 12.45am, on Fridays and Saturdays until 1.35am, and daily until 1.35am from June to August. Tram 2 (from Airport Terminal 2 to Port Lympia) ends around 11.51pm Sunday to Thursday, around 12.51am on Fridays and Saturdays, and daily at 12.51am in summer. Tram 3 (from Saint-Isidore to Port Lympia) runs Sunday to Thursday until 12.45am, Friday and Saturday until 1am, with extra services to the Centre Administratif running past 1.30am. Some bus lines such as 8+, 12+ and 57 run until 12.45am in places, lines 5, 6, 7 and 10 until midnight or 12.30am.

Night service. Lignes d'Azur doesn't operate a dedicated night bus network like Noctambus in other cities, but does extend its evening service. Tram 1 runs until 12.45am on weekdays, and until 1.35am on Fridays, Saturdays, and daily from June to August. Tram 2 ends at 11.51pm Sunday to Thursday, at 12.51am on Fridays, Saturdays and daily in summer. Tram 3 runs until 12.45am, until 1am at weekends, with extra services to the Centre Administratif running past 1.30am. Bus lines 8+, 12+ and 57 run until 12.45am in places, lines 5, 6, 7 and 10 until midnight or 12.30am, other lines until about 9pm. The Chemins de fer de Provence regional railway offers four extra departures between Nice and Colomars on weekday evenings, at 8.20pm, 9.20pm, 10.20pm and 11.20pm.

Buying tickets. Lignes d'Azur sells tickets through several channels. At around 200 ticket machines at tram stops and larger bus stops, you pay with coins or a bank card from €1, the machines don't accept banknotes. The Mobil'Azur app lets you buy and manage tickets and passes directly on your smartphone. Tickets are also available in the online shop at lignesdazur.com and at physical Lignes d'Azur agencies and authorised resellers. The agencies are staffed Monday to Saturday from 6am to 8.30pm and Sunday from 7am to 8pm.

App and payment. For mobile ticket purchases, Lignes d'Azur points to the Mobil'Azur app, which lets you buy and manage tickets and passes. At the ticket machines, payment works with coins or a bank card from a minimum of €1, banknotes are not accepted. Alternatively, tickets can be bought in the online shop at lignesdazur.com and loaded onto a Carte Azur.

Which ticket. The Solo single ticket costs €1.70 and is valid for 74 minutes from validation, including transfers on lines with the city fare. If you buy directly from the machine without a rechargeable Carte Azur, the Solo Secours option costs €2, which includes an anonymous rechargeable card. Children under 11 travel free. Among the day passes, the Pass 1 jour (24 hours) costs €7, equivalent to around four single tickets at the Solo price. The Pass 2 jours (48 hours) costs €13, the Pass 7 jours €20, the Pass 14 jours €36 and the Pass 30 jours €60. All passes allow unlimited rides on the Lignes d'Azur city network, but not on the Zou! intercity lines.

Fare zones. The Lignes d'Azur city ticket is not valid on the Zou! intercity buses to Cannes, Antibes, Monaco or Digne. A separate Zou! ticket is needed for those, purchasable on board or online. The airport itself is still within the city fare area.

Tip. Regional buses along the coast cost a flat low fare and run frequently.

Getting there

Main station

Location. Centrally located, fifteen minutes' walk to the Promenade des Anglais.

Long-distance trains. Nice-Ville is the terminus of the French Mediterranean rail axis, all long-distance trains begin and end here. The backbone is the TGV INOUI to Paris Gare de Lyon, around six to seven departures a day, stopping at Antibes, Cannes, Saint-Raphaël, Toulon and usually Marseille Saint-Charles. Anyone looking to save money takes Ouigo, which also heads to Paris Gare de Lyon, but runs via Aix-en-Provence TGV or Valence. There are also TGV INOUI services to Lyon Part Dieu via Avignon. The most interesting connection is the morning train just before 7am. It crosses the whole of France via Marseille, Avignon, Lyon, Dijon and Mulhouse to Strasbourg, with one portion continuing on to Nancy. A good twelve hours seated, but without changing trains from the Côte d'Azur to Alsace. That leaves the classic among night trains. The Intercités de Nuit leaves Nice around 7pm and reaches Paris Austerlitz the next morning. It stops en route at Cannes, Toulon and Marseille Blancarde. In the other direction it arrives in Nice just after 9am, handy for anyone wanting to save a hotel night.

Opening hours. Nice-Ville is open daily from 5am to 12.30am, including public holidays. The first long-distance train departs around 5.55am towards Paris. The last TGV to Paris leaves as early as 4.56pm, followed by the night train at 6.58pm. The last long-distance arrival is the TGV from Paris at 11.04pm.

Airports

NCE

Into the city. About 30 minutes on tram line 2 from the terminals to Jean Médecin or the harbour.

Frequency. About every 7 to 8 minutes on weekdays, all day, except on 1 May.

Local quirks

Socca is only available in the morning. The chickpea flatbread comes hot from the wood-fired oven and is often sold out by midday.
Its own narrow-gauge railway into the hinterland. From its own station, separate from the SNCF network, the Chemins de fer de Provence runs a regional train into the Alpine hinterland. Lignes d'Azur lists four extra departures on the Colomars section on weekday evenings, at 8.20pm, 9.20pm, 10.20pm and 11.20pm.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · E
Time zone: Europe/Paris
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 80 km/h, motorway 130 km/h (110 km/h in rain)

A limit of 80 km/h has applied on rural roads without a central divider since 2018. Some départements have raised it back to 90 km/h by decision of the Conseil départemental, marked by dedicated signs at the start of the stretch. In rain, the motorway speed drops to 110 km/h, while within built-up areas it stays unchanged at 50 km/h.

Tipping. Service is included by law. If you were happy, leave a few euros, nothing more.

Tolls. Most motorways are tolled. Take a ticket, pay on exit, cards accepted everywhere.

Access restrictions. Many cities have low emission zones. You need a Crit'Air sticker, ordered online in advance and delivered by post. Without one you risk a fine.