johnep1

I will be in Nice for 3 days (March 16-19) courtesy of the $20 BA airfare. With only 3 days, what are the must see sights around Nice? We don't mind driving a few hours if neccesary.

[This message has been edited by johnep1 (edited 01-12-2003).]

ChgoBob

John, I won't call these "musts", but we enjoyed the sights and drives. The drive to Monoco is beautiful. Take the coast road, not the Tollroad, or midroad. Casino was disappointing. NW of Nice is St. Paul and Vence. Both are wonderful small towns with superb restaurants and "old flavor". These probably are "musts". A somewhat longer drive would be to Aix En Provence,(take the tollroad) which is a larger city, but has an central core that's a real delight.

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Have a nice day flying United!
ChgoBob

USAFAN

Yes, St.Paul de Vence is nice, and go and see EZE-sur-Mere. You also can drive through the hills (corniche) there:

....Eze in southernmost (Mediterranean) France, one of those picture-book fishing villages, with all those beautifully-painted rowing boats....We had come by train from Nice and it was morning....hike up a relatively steep path to the medieval village above, Eze-sur-Mere.

This wasn't just any path, mind you, because in addition to many other notables and many non-notables, Nietzsche himself (supposedly?) climbed up this path and thus dreamed up "Also Sprach Zarathustra". Whether this is a fact, I don't know. Let's just say that it was a stunning climb that took a while (hours?) and certainly jogged your memory and stirred your imagination, as well as taking your breath away, both from the exertion and the scenery unfolding below....
http://www.will-harris.com/food/html/theyer.html

johnep1

Thank you for the replies. Right now, we are planning on spending all 3 days in Provence. Since we are there for such a short time, would it be better to just stay in one place, or try to see everything?

USAFAN

Not everything, but you should see some places near Nice: Eze, St.Paul de Vence, may be Grasse, Cap d'Antibes, La Napoule..
The scenery is just to great to miss it. And it's not far.

ChgoBob

John, the drive to Monte Carlo is very, very short, as is St Paul and Vence (both close together). I would leave the options open to see them. Parking is convenient at all 3 places, so no time is lost. If you do go to St. Paul and Vence, go early, to beat the tour busses. (Not sure how many tours will be going in March, though) The coast road from Nice to Monoco takes you right thru Eze. These 4 can be done in one day, depending on how long you stay at each. Morning in St Paul-Vence, afternoon in Monte Carlo, and back to Nice for the evening.

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Have a nice day flying United!
ChgoBob

USAFAN

I second ChgoBob's remarks. And add: A rental car is nice for small trips, however, it was very difficult to find a parking place in Nice.

hhonorman

Definitely go to Eze-Sur-Mer for an afternoon. Great scenery, gorgeous little town. While there, DO take a tour of Fraggonard and/or Gallimard perfumeries. Normally when buying my wife perfume, I can't stand any of the items offered at the dept store counters. But at Fraggonard, I think that all but one or two items were intoxicatingly wonderful. You can get to Eze-Sur-Mer (the village up top) by bus from Nice. It costs only a few dollars, maybe not even that much, but very cheap nevertheless. If I recall correctly, it is not a long ride, only about 15-20 minutes. Well worth going.

If you like italian food, I highly recommed the restaurant Spaghettisimo, near the flower market in Old Nice. The food was the absolute best italian food we've eaten anywhere, including Italy. Prices were also quite reasonable too. I think dinner for two with wine, appetizers and tip came to about $30 US. That was in March 2001.

If you are there on a Monday, check out the antique market in the morning, where the flower market is usually held in Old Nice. Also, lots of cool and interesting little shops in Old Nice.

Take a leisurely stroll along the Promenade Anglais. At the northern end of the Promenade is a great park high atop a hill. There is an elevator to the top for a small fee, or you can climb the steps. The view from up top is magnificent. The park is free; the view is priceless.

Monte Carlo makes for a nice day trip.

Other sights to see in Nice include the Russian Orthodox church, which is a few blocks from the train station. Place Messina is nice with the fountains. You may enjoy eating outside here at night if the weather cooperates.

The Hotel Meridien is very good, and has a rooftop pool, which we used daily last March. The weather was in the mid 70s, but the pool is heated and there is a glass wall about waist high around the rooftop, so there is virtually no wind to make you cold.

If you've got a good sized budget, the Hotel Negresco is the jewel of Nice. Top notch hotel, you can't go wrong.

Have fun, sounds like a great trip.

Tirreg

Another suggestion if you don´t mind driving. Visit San Remo in Italy. Nice and elegant town with many good and cheap restaurants. It´s only a few hours away from nice (day trip).

Visit Avignon in Porvence and buy some wines. Very old town where you shouldn´t miss visiting the Popes Palace and the famous bridge (Pont d´Avignon built in the 12th century). There are many small wine villages around. Only a few hours away by car or train.

hhonorman

Avignon is an excellent suggestion. I'd recommend going there rather than San Remo. San Remo is not the cleanest city in the world, and although it is a nice place to visit, it can't hold a candle to Avignon. The food, the wine, the ambience of the city, and the pope's palace all make it a VERY worthwhile trip. If you decide to go there, it is only a few hours by train, a nice ride. I can personally recommend the hotel Cloitre Saint-Louis. It is run by Clarion. The building dates back to the 16th century and was a cloister that was converted into a hotel. It has a very pretty courtyard. The room we had was huge, and although it wasn't a true suite with two separate rooms, it was enormous and easily could have been 3 rooms. It had a nice eating area in the room as well as a balcony overlooking the serene courtyard. One thing worth noting though, the decor of the rooms is, to quote the travel book I used, "severe." I have to agree with their assessment. I'd best describe the decor as modern industrial with very hard lines and a lot of metallic surfaces. I'm not really into that look, but I'd still go back to this hotel again. The room cost us about $100 US, last march, not sure what prices are now, but for what we got, it was an amazing bargain. The rate included continental breakfast in the room, which was very nice. The hotel is a short walk with no hills or obstacles from the train station. We managed very easily with rolling luggage. You can get more info and see photos at the hotel's website www.cloitre-saint-louis.com If you go to avignon, be sure to include a tour of the pope's palace, it is fascinating. You may want to consider a boat ride up the Rhone to some of the little villages where they produce Chateauneuf du Pape wine. We didn't get to do this because the Rhone had flooded its banks and the docks were submerged at the time, but I've heard from many many people that it is a fun time. Avignon is a gorgeous walled medieval city; you'll love it.

obscure2k

--If you enjoy museums, there are some wonderful ones in the area. The Maeght is very special and quite close the St.Paul de Vence. The Leger museum in Biot is also excellent. There is a small church designed by Matisse near St Paul de Vence. For lovers of 20th century art, this is the area to be. If you do manage to find parking outside of St. Paul de Vence, the art at the Hotel Colombe d'or is spectactular. Artists traded their work for meals and lodging. So, you will see a swimming pool whose tiles were designed by Bracque. Just stroll through the tiny lobby and lovely garden. If you have the time, stay for lunch.

jmd001

Those of you responding to this topic, please look for my topic ("Where to stay in/around Nice?"). Thanks.

...And keep adding to this one.

6779br

Johnep1:

So, how did it go with your 3 day visit to Nice? I'm going to be there in mid-Sept for 4 nights and would like your suggestions to see/do from your visit. Any special places to eat? Did you by any chance take any short partial/day cruises to any islands from Nice? If anyone has and has an opinion or suggestion to offer, I'd appreciate it.

ILuvParis

You won't go wrong with most of the suggestions above. I certainly would agree that a trip to St. Paul de Vence is in order, including a meal at the la Columbe d'Or. You can do a Google search for more information about this wonderful restaurant. You are going at an ideal time of year to sit outside there. Because it is extremely popular, I would plan to go in the late morning - stop at the restaurant and tell them you would like to have lunch - then explore the village and return for a nice lunch on the terrace.

With only a few days, I would save some of the further destinations in Provence (e.g., Avignon) for another trip and stay on the Riviera. Nice is also very close to Cannes and the drive to St. Tropez along the Mediterranean is breathtakingly beautiful (in preparation, rent the Cary Grant/Grace Kelly movie "To Catch a Thief" - you will find yourself driving on the same road).

I would also recommend spending a day in Marseilles. It is also within driving distance and quite fascinating.

Have a great time.

BTW, 6779br, I will be flying to Nice Sept. 13 from London and meeting a friend. We will spend that night in Cannes at the Noga Hilton and then start driving west for a week. If this jibes with your schedule, perhaps we could get together for cocktails or dinner. Email me directly if you have any interest.



[This message has been edited by ILuvParis (edited 08-23-2003).]

6779br

ILuvParis: Thanks for the offer. Unfortunately, we're leaving that day. Have a great time in Nice! I appreciate your feedback as I do all who will have contributed to my enjoyment of Nice.