7 of the best day trips from Nice: see more of the Cà´te d'Azur
-
Loading... - amie jasmine
- 14 Jan 2022
- 411 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Using the efficient local bus and train services, you can easily experience many places nearby and still get back in time to enjoy sundown. Here are the best day trips from Nice.
Join the high-rollers in Monaco, the world's second-smallest country
Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country and a magnet for high-rollers and hedonists since the early 20th century. Despite its prodigious wealth, it's far from being the French Riviera's prettiest town. World-famous Monte Carlo is dominated by high-rise hotels, super yachts and apartment blocks that rise into the hills.
Spend a few hours people-watching at the likes of the Casino de Monte Carlo soaking up the casino's glitzy history. Make sure to visit Palais Princier de Monaco whetting your appetite for royal living in the Grimaldi family's sprawling ancestral residence and see the chapel where Hollywood royal Princess Grace is buried.
How to get to Monaco from Nice: Train is the best way to get to Monaco from Nice, with frequent departures taking under 30 minutes. There is also a regular bus service, but it's very much in demand and getting on is not guaranteed.
Have a leisurely lunch in the medieval lanes of Antibes
With its boat-bedecked port, 16th-century ramparts and narrow cobblestone streets, it's no surprise that Antibes has stolen the hearts of so many. Artists and writers such as Graham Greene and Max Ernst loved it here. Picasso featured the town in many of his paintings, and a collection of his works can be seen at the dedicated museum.
Only Antibes' attractive old town would be recognizable to any of its famous former residents. The modern town, like many along the Riviera, has sprawled rather unbecomingly along the coast and inland, so the best vantage point is from the sea – ideally in one of the many posh yachts that pull into port throughout summer, or from the long series of beaches south of town. Beyond the city limits, save some time to explore beautiful Cap d'Antibes, a wooded cape of 4.8km (3 miles) studded with seaside mansions and pretty walking trails.
Vieil Antibes is the place to eat, both for the atmosphere and for its diversity of restaurants. To build your own picnic, hit Antibes' Fromagerie l'Etable for cheese and deli products, and dazzling morning market Marché Provençal for everything else.
How to get to Antibes from Nice: The Nice–Cannes bus service (route 200) operated by Lignes d'Azur has a stop just west of Antibes' train station. Alternatively, take the train.
Explore the magic of celeb-studded Cannes
Leaving aside its celebrity-playground status, there’s enough beauty to make a trip to Cannes worthwhile: the harbor, the bay, the clutch of offshore islands and the old quarter, Le Suquet, all spring into life on a sunny day. And, with the city's famous beaches benefiting from a serious facelift over the last few years, there's suddenly lots more space to lay your towel!
Admiring Ferraris and Porsches and indulging in some celebrity-spotting are perennial Cannes pastimes. For lunch head to achingly cool Bobo Bistro for rotisserie chicken with creamy mash.
How to get to Cannes from Nice: Cannes' gleaming white train station is well connected to Nice, with a train every 15 minutes. The journey takes 40 minutes. Bus services are also available.
Wander the pretty harborside village of Villefranche-sur-Mer
Heaped above a pretty harbor, the picturesque village of Villefranche-sur-Mer with imposing citadel overlooks the Cap Ferrat peninsula. The 14th-century old town, with its tiny narrow streets broken by twisting staircases and glimpses of the sea, is a delight to amble (preferably broken with a long lazy lunch on the water's edge or bijou old-town square). Especially outside of the summer season, Villefranche offers a vision of small-town Mediterranean life that's totally unexpected so close to Nice.
Stroll the harborside for your pick of water-facing seafood eateries, or wander a block or two inland to discover a host of inviting bistros including the wonderful L'Aparté. Order the parrillada de la mer, a mixed grill of fresh seafood accompanied with beautifully presented side dishes.
How to get to Villefranche-sur-Mer from Nice: Bus services run from Nice's Promenade des Arts stop to Villefranche and take around 20 minutes.
