52 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Nice, France
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- čas přidán 11. 04. 2024
- These 52 tips to know before visiting Nice are what I wish I knew before my trip to Nice, France. Hopefully these travel tips will help you from making some of my mistakes when traveling through Nice and the rest of the French Riviera!
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DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.
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Where can you buy fake football shirts in Nice france????
6:49 in Italian, the ci makes a "chi" sound as in Gucci. So the Italian restaurant is really pronounced La Cuchinia
@@CaptainSn7897-tc6co Ahhh, thanks for this!
Just traveled to France for the first time and ended up staying in Cannes instead of nice and regretted it, while Cannes is nice too but there was SO much more to do in nice and ended up loving it more.
Thanks for sharing this. Hope you still had a great time staying in Cannes :)
@@camdendavid - Cannes, pronounced “Can” like a Can of Campbell’s French Onion Soup - not like Con, as in Con Artist - LOL - just in-case for future videos… Cannes is more posh like Saint-Tropez. Nice is bigger & so has more to offer; but both towns have their own uniqueness… ❤️ your videos ❤️
Yours is one of the best travel videos we've ever watched. Full of real, useful information - as opposed to many ego-inflating videos that appear on CZcams. Thanks.
I appreciate the support and am glad you found it useful. Cheers
Ha! “Shat-too” for “chateau” gave me a giggle
🥴 Un jour peut-être apprendre un peu de français. How about that? 😏
I also visited Nice in February (Libération, very convenient!) -- great despite the rain that fell for 1/3 of my stay (pack a sturdy umbrella :). Jardin Alsace Lorraine is a lovely, peaceful spot not far from the Promenade des Anglais, and the Musée 'Archéologique de Nice-Cimiez is fascinating! Loved Antibes and its English book shop, but be SUPER vigilant if carrying your passport: its loss/theft can ruin your trip!
Monaco is also quite exceptional. The aquarium is incredible. One can learn much of the history of marine science, scuba, and the explorations of Jaques Cousteau. Also, there are some beautiful gardens and the church where Prince Albert and Grace Kelly were married and are buried. The architect of the Casino, Garnier, the very same who designed the Palais d'Opéra à Paris. Your exposé was wonderful and very thorough. J'adore Nice.
Much appreciated :)
Hint: the price of a year pass to the Monaco aquarium is the same as two single passes. There is an incredible rooftop restaurant and playground with kids on the roof. The aquarium itself is amazing, highly recommend.
Phillip.
Seriously amazing video, packed with information, well organized and much appreciated!!! Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
You do a really great job with this travel guide!
Just remember that Nice is France's third most "dangerous" city, so just be aware of suspicious activity, and keep your personal belonging away from pickpockets. Don't flash expensive watches and jewelry after dark, and be aware of scams
Thanks for the support! I always felt safe but appreciate you looking out for fellow travelers :)
Great review and tips. But I need to add my two cents; we LOVED Menton! We went to one of the beach clubs and it was by far the best beach experience we had while on the riviera. The cove provided great swimming (o.k. technically floating on a raft-lounger) . And the views of the town were stunning! We never made over to Ventimiglia, but Menton had a definite Italian flair with some great restaurants and a lot of Italian speakers all around us. It sure felt like Italy 😊
It was absolutely beautiful, one of the highlights of our trip.
So glad to hear you had a great time in Menton! I wonder if visiting Ventimiglia influenced my perception of Menton -- Certainly possible. Thanks for sharing your experience :)
We visited in the fall and I echo some of your recommendations accept Menton. Next to EZE it was a highlight. We day hiked up the hill into Italy, walked right across the border, had brunch including Lemonchellos and walked down an amazing path/steps down to the sea with the most amazing views and then walked back to Menton along the sea. Amazing, took about 3 hours an absolutely stunning walk.
Sounds like a great time! Thanks for sharing :)
Great tips! Thank you!!!!
You got it!
Great info, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
This is great! Just booked a trip for me and my son for September and your recommendations were very helpful. Thanks for sharing this!
Hope you have a great time!
Thanks so much for the info. Great video and informative :).
Glad you enjoyed -- thanks for the support :)
thanks sooo much for this video!
You got it :)
Really Great video man, props
Much appreciated
Excellent info
Glad to hear it
Thank You So Much!!! this is Very Helpful!!
You got it!
Great informative video. Love Nice.
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Heading there in the fall and these tips were super helpful. 👏
Hope you have a great time :)
For excellent coffee in Nice, I would check out La Claque in the Old Town, and Clay in the Place du Pin area and Cafe Fino in the Carabacel neighbourhood. In my opinion the best neighbourhood to stay in is Port Lympia. The tram from the airport drops you off right in the Port. It's also a stones throw from the Old City and every other place worth visiting.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Thanks so much for putting this video together! Genuinely good advice that I’ve made note of 😊
Glad it was helpful :)
Wonderful tips on our upcoming trip. Thanks
Hope you have a great trip!
🙋🏻♀️Thanks- enjoyed your video! Going in May🎉
Hope you have a great time!
Really good tips. Nice job.
Glad they were helpful!
Going to Cannes in a couple of days and loved your video.. thanks for all the information.. will surely try to spend time in Nice and places you mentioned
Hope you have a great time :)
I’m going to Nice in June. Thank you for all of these helpful tips!
You got it! Hope you have a great trip :)
I am SOOOO thankful just for your tram tip. That is something we would do.
Hope you get the chance to check it out :)
Very nice guide. Sounds like you had fun!
Phillip.
Sure did!
Great info!
Glad it was helpful :)
Thanks for mentioning that you were there in February. I noticed the jackets. I also travel in off season and so many videos are for summer. Appreciate your tips! Nicely done!
Thanks for watching :)
I live in Paris for one year exchange and was just planning a solo trip in south of france and i came across your video!! such great infos, merci beacoup :) subscribed
Welcome to the channel 😃
Very helpful. Thank you
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Thanks a bunch for these amazing tips! I’ll be spending the entire summer in Nice😁😁 I can’t wait to follow these cool ideas and suggestions❤❤ merci beaucoup!!!!
Hope you have a great time!!!
Antibes is my hometown and I spend a lot of my time off in Nice, and I agree with most of your comments. I am not a big fan of Cannes (although the old part, "le Suquet" is very nice) or Monaco either. I would also recommend the "sentier des contrebandiers" which is the coastal path around Cap d'Antibes. You need good walking shoes and a few hours but the view is wonderful. I confirm, and love, that we can walk or take a train, a tram or a bus to almost anywhere in the area. And I did not count but don't worry about your pronunciation, this is quite cute actually. 😊
I appreciate you taking the time to share this. I'll have to spend some time visiting the sentier des contrebandiers during my next trip. Thanks for the recommendation and taking it easy on my pronunciations :)
Thanks for this video.. Will travel to Nice, Cannes and Monaco in 2 weeks.
Hope you have a great time :)
Interesting to hear an “outsiders” viewpoint. The pronunciations are atrocious, but the info is actually quite accurate.
I appreciate that! And yeah, the pronunciations are something haha. Sorry about that :)
Great information! I am planning a trip to France in 2026. Thanks
Let me know if any questions pop up during your planning process :)
Good job. Been there many times. Going back in Sept. Love the area. Travel by bus most of the time. Slower but runs right on coast so some beautiful scenery. Vacation. No rush! I love nice port. Great walk back to center.
I'll have to check out the bus next time. Hope you have a great visit in September :)
Very good... Stayed in Nice a few times and Monte Carlo once. You are right about Eze-sur-mer...also add St Paul de Vence for another magical experience!
Will check out St Paul de Vence during my next visit - thanks!
The Eze he is recommending is Eze-le-Village (on the hill). Eze-Sur-Mer is at the bottom and where you can catch the train almost immediately across the street from the bottom of the hiking trail. (Sur-Mer means “on the sea”)
I like your painting, (blue one)Looks interesting.
I wish I could claim it as my own. It's actually from the Airbnb stayed in :)
@@camdendavid Ah shame!
Je vais passer quelques jours à Nice dans le cadre de mon voyage en France en juin. Merci beaucoup pour vos conseils !
Hope you have a great time :)
Monaco is interesting for a few things. there are punctual events every year like the grand prix and the tennis tournament (which actually takes place in France a few km from monaco). and there is a beautiful exotic garden and an ocean museum which are well worth the visit. (although the garden is momentarilly closed i think).
Menton is known for the lemon festival that happens in the winter and which is very beautiful.
Thanks for this! Got to see Menton prepare for the lemon festival and it was impressive :)
Great video! Very informative! Just wanna ask on how or where to take the bus to Eze Village?
Glad it was helpful! We caught the bus over near the port and I believe it was bus #82. We bought our tickets on the bus and it was a simple process. Just head to any stop where bus #82 stops and make sure to have some cash to purchase your tickets when you hop on (they'll give you a bus card as a ticket). Hope that helps :)
I'm surprised u swam in February haha. Great video!
Thanks! It was definitely a chilly but refreshing experience haha
February is a lottery. The world famous carnival is that month so I remember the weather in February though that. Sometimes it's so hot you are playing tennis in your shorts in the sunshine, but I remember one where it was so windy that the carnival streamers ended up half way to the ski resorts. I got married that month in Nice and it was amazing sunshine every day but it's very unpredictable so you pays your money and you takes your choice.
Phillip.
I’ll be there mid October 2024 all the way from Austin Texas . Claudia
Hope you have a great time! And hope all is well down in Texas - I'm originally from the Dallas area :)
@@camdendavid thanks ! I’m also going to Liverpool , Manchester and Paris . South of France will be fun . Cheers ! Claudia
Cannes Croisete promenade is just as interesting as the Nice promenade besides although shorter than Nice , Cannes has a long sandy beach. We love it.
So glad to hear you enjoy it :)
Super helpful - makes me want to come back after 2 decades !
I can help you with the French Pronunciation 😅
Glad it was helpful! And please do haha
I’ll be in Nice next month , this video really came in handy. Did you perhaps do a at trip to Monaco?
Glad it was helpful! I did spend a bit of time over in Monaco but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Definitely an interesting place but be prepared for a luxury/expensive place. Very easy to get to from Nice!
We were there in the first week of november last Year.
Hope you enjoyed your visit :)
@@camdendavid yes we did. Even left things unseen so we can get back.
We spent the winter in Nice. I agree with most everything, except, Ventimiglia. I thought the market was dumpy. The carnival is wild and not in a great way. Loads of pickpockets. Also, it is easy to take the tram from the airport to town. Just get off at the Grand Arenas stop and get your ticket there. It's $1.70 vs $10 if you get your ticket at the airport. Super easy to do too. Also, keep the plastic tram ticket-card, you can get a $2 refund when you leave.
Thanks for this! Love hearing the different perspectives and hope you enjoyed your time :)
Good stuff. Thanks! Not sure if you went further to Sanremo? Worth going on a day trip?
I didn't make it down there but maybe a local who sees this comment will help :)
You probably cannot speak french, but you enjoyed our way of life just like a french.
That I did. I appreciate the kind words and support :)
I have lived on the Riviera for decades. There are some great tips here, including about transport.
Your guide to Nice and the area covers most of the essential bits for short stays. You obviously liked your visit, although I don't agree with your assessment of Menton which you aren't all that enthusiastic about.
I agree with you about Monaco. It's a glitzy overrated place for tax exiles, devoid of personality and soul. Well worth a miss.
This is a great relaxed presentation that does miss out on some points however, such as the lovely back-country villages (although a car is necessary for most of them), the little "Train des Pïgnes" into the back country and the Iles de Lerins islands off Cannes but it does cover most of the must-sees for tourists.
Your French pronunciation made me wince a bit, but as you sound like such a friendly guy, you can be forgiven for pronouncing French the way I pronounce German - atrociously.
Really appreciate you taking the time to share all this. Can't wait to get back and explore more! Kind of crazy to think how much the Riviera has to offer.. I'll give Menton another visit and check out the other spots you've mentioned. Hopefully my French will have improved as well -- hard to imagine it getting worse :)
Beware that in the summer, Villefranche is overrun with tourists from the cruise ships, which dock there. The town itself might be small and charming, but it's extremely busy in the high season.
Great to know - thanks!!
@@camdendavid You're very welcome - used to live in Nice! Also, if you visit Villefranche and want to take the train to Monaco and Italy, avoid ship docking times because the trains will be packed, and on the way back, they generally have to be back on board around 4pm, so again, it's a very busy train service.
been living in Nice for almost 4 years now, this is mostly accurate
Glad to hear that!
FYI There’s something called google translate that you can use for pronunciation. Appreciate the video-would love to spend a month in the Côte d’Azur!
I tried the google translate and STILL sounded that bad hahah. It's a me problem... Thanks for watching!
Hello! Thank you for the video and the tips are really helpful, but I would disagree with your opinion about Menton ;) My family and I just got back from an 8 country European trip and spent the most time in Menton, France, (4 days) which became my favorite! I was surprised to like it so much since the French Riviera was just something I wanted to check off my list, but didn’t think would really like because of the glitz and glamour reputation, something we don’t really go for when traveling. I LOVED exploring old town Menton’s EMPTY labyrinthine streets and passageways; grocery shopping at the Les Halles market, going up to the cemetery on top of the hill, and the proximity to the many medieval hill towns like Sainte Agnes (my favorite) and Gorbio. Unfortunately, Eze was soooo crowded when we went (early April), that even though I really wanted to like it, I just hated being there due to the crowds :( Summer there must be stifling, phew! On the other hand, Ventimiglia was very nice, and I agree, Monaco is skippable ;) We didn’t have time to go to Villefranche, so hopefully, we’ll be able to check it out next time!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share this! Sounds like you had a great trip! Sounds like we had opposite experiences in Menton and Eze haha. Looking forward to exploring more during the next trip. Thanks again :)
Menton is dull and Eze is definitely full of tourists. I agree St Agnes is pretty spectacular to visit. If you go then you need to go up through the village to visit the gardens. You have to pay to get in. Then there is a wooden castle in the middle. You need to climb this to the top. Then you know WHY people go there. If you know then you know.
Phillip.
No need to count the mispronunciations . They were ALL mispronunced. 😂 Great content though! I was born and raised in France until I was 19 then moved to the US in 1982. The last time I was in Nice I was 14 and I look forward to retiring in Nice very soon! Did I mention how great your content and energy is? Please keep at it! Thank you. 🙏🏻
Damn, I was hoping to get at least 1 correct haha :) I really appreciate the kind words and support. Hope you get to live out your retirement dream in Nice soon! And hope you've enjoyed your time in the US :)
Rouge as in Baton Rouge in the USA or Moulin Rouge in Paris! Not rouge as in rouge state! 😂
Great vlog by the way!
Haha that makes so much sense! Thanks for watching :)
You don't have a penchant for opulence, as you've expressed a lack of enthusiasm for Monaco and Cannes but I am surprised Menton, that charming little town, did not get your approval.
Definitely need to spend some more time there. I know I must have missed something :)
@@camdendavid You do not have to because it's about your personality.
Would the museums of Matisse, Picasso and Chagall worth a visit.?
I don't want to mislead you -- I didn't carve out time to do any of those (probably a mistake). I've heard great things about the Picasso and Chagall museums. Hopefully a local seeing this will be able to provide more insight :)
In Monaco one doesn't have to spend a fortune to visit it. Two attractions are the Musée océanographique and the place in front of the Palais princier to enjoy the view on Monte-Carlo. And this guy completely omitted to mention Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a very picturesque village not far from Nice. A visit to the perfume factories in and around Grasse is also interesting.
Thanks for sharing this! Always love seeing the different perspectives. And you're right - there's so much more to explore :)
Excellent vlog (tho too many closeups of you....we wanna see the sights-streets described).
Noted!
You know there is a place called Baton Rouge in the US ?
Hahahah that's actually pretty helpful :)
@@camdendavid Good advice though, thanks.
I would trade in Monaco, Cannes and Menton any day with Antibes and especially Ventimiglia!! Cannot understand your choices
Interesting haha! Always great to get different perspectives. What do you enjoy about those places compared to Antibes and Ventimiglia?
@@camdendavid Ventimiglia is really nothing special at all and pretty run down. This is not my particular opinion but the general feeling of most people living on the Côte d'Azur. The shabbiness and disorganisation is striking when driving there from France, so many would tell you not to bother just crossing the border to any random place such as Ventimiglia just "to score points" at having visited another country. Cannes is a mini Nice in every way possible. Same but, chic, stylish feeling on a slightly smallish scale. Monaco is pretty much a unique place on earth, and "the Rock" of old Monaco is very historical as well. Missing out on it is unthinkable. There is also St Paul-de-Vence which is another jewel in the immediate area. May I suggest that such travel videos explain the styles and styles of outings for what they are, cities and urban outings, villages, countryside, etc, and let views choose what sort of place THEY prefer, rather than giving priority to one's own subjective preferences. Makes so much more sense
We just spent a week along the Riviera and the one day we had bad weather was the day we went to Monte Carlo. It was still worth it. So so different than the other beautiful beach towns in its density and modernity. As an architect I was simply fascinated with the city planning - twisting roads that are actually modern drivable width, tunnels, elevators and escalators for pedestrians, tall buildings built on cliffs. I’m not saying it’s beautiful, but it’s fascinating. There are plenty of other more beautiful towns but if you want something unique Monte Carlo fits the bill.
Vintimiglia is run down and not really interesting. I'd rather go further up the coast. Antibes is a very loud boating crowd but it's good for the pubs. Cannes is super dull except for May when you have the festival and August when the VIP clubs are in full swing. It's like a budget St Tropez.
Phillip.
St Paul de Vence - is not to be missed
Looking forward to visiting during my next trip :)
Rouge is pronounced like “Rooge” rhymes with Scrooge… LOL
Great Video though
That makes sense haha
It's bloody expensive!
Very true
Oy. The pronunciations.
Yeah they need some serious work
Rouge????.. It's rouge : )))
Lol
But the info is really good!!
Even as a short term tourist ya think he'd learn correct pronunciation of basic tourist words....i mean...chez! Really!
This video has 52 likes right now.
Fitting haha
The usual whingers complaining about your French pronunciation.!!
Such sad lives some people live....
No hurt feelings here! I know my French is terrible but I appreciate your support :)
The beach in Nice, I found disappointing. A tiny strip of beach, maybe just a couple of meters wide! The coastal path looks dangerous, with nothing to stop people falling over the edge.
You gotta try the coastal path! It's so beautiful and not as dangerous as it looks :)
@@camdendavid Is the path hard to find? How do you get there?
@@freefrankgable Pretty easy to find and you'll be able to walk to from the port. Here's where you'll find the start of the path: www.google.com/maps/place/Coastal+Path/@43.6933995,7.2926653,15.88z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x12cddae93b3f901d:0x3bfd8bb92eb0e917!8m2!3d43.690169!4d7.2939083!16s%2Fg%2F11cst07jfj?entry=ttu
Ahahahaha yes, your pronunciation is terrible! 😘
So bad hahaha. Thanks for watching :)
You spent a month and learned zero french?! 😂
I learned some! But very little 🙃
Please speak to people of the country you are in and find out how to pronounce the names of the main places. It´s not that difficult and makes a huge difference.
I'll do my best :)
Awesome advice.... Terrible pronunciation!!! Lol. Wanted to stop watching, but couldn't because the information was too good. Thanks for sharing.
Haha thanks for powering through the terrible pronunciation 😂
@@camdendavidforgive yourself….but yes, you hacked that language good, lol. 😅 sweet video! Thnx.
Going there in june.... hows the boat people status there ??!
Lots of boats and there definitely seems to be a culture around it. I'm not quite at the boat money level so I have less insight there. Sorry about that. Hope you have a great trip!
@@camdendavid no I meant the boat people as in the name given to the illegal Africans and Middle Easterners who have invaded Europe